Gravskjæra

We managed to sleep well again last night but since we didn’t have any concrete plans for Kristiansand, we took our time getting off the ship. As the weather was a bit overcast and it was a Sunday, there wasn’t a great rush, so we enjoyed some time in the Solarium before disembarking. It was very fortuitous that we took both jumpers and a wind-cheater with us, as the weather became cold and windy. It’s somewhat strange how all the cooler weather we’ve encountered has been in the south, whilst the north was actually warmer.

Just like most of the Norwegian towns we’ve seen, Kristiansand didn’t disappoint. This was another time where most of the sights were within walking distance from the cruise port. After walking through the colourful Fiskebrygga (fish market) along the waterfront, we went towards the Markens Gate shopping district, where we waited until 11am to enjoy a coffee at a local cafe.

Next, we walked over to the Kristiansand Cathedral where a Sunday service was just starting. The old town of Posbyen was very similar to the old town of Stavanger, but it was still quaint and worth walking through. The waterfront of Nupenparkern was one of our favourite areas, which was a beautiful large park with a distinct fountain and a lot of greenery.

We returned to the cruise ship for lunch and, even though we’d considered returning to town for another walk around, we felt pretty satisfied with what we had seen. Our afternoon was instead spent relaxing until we met up with the Reno boys for dinner. One thing we noticed today is how Ted’s cough has now almost disappeared since having that alcoholic bitters yesterday!

Since tonight was formal night, we dressed up in our Sunday best and joined Wee and Keith for a 70’s theme night in the Centrum. Some of the other boys and Suzanne joined us so we went to the Schooner Bar for more drinks before heading to the bar on the 13th floor for dancing. Lo and behold, the guys from Brisbane were similarly there so our small group continued to grow. I stayed out until 1:30am, whilst Ted continued for about another hour. Tomorrow we have another ship day, which will be our opportunity to pack up everything before our arrival back in Amsterdam.Read more