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[never2old]

Oh, I'm so glad I can share this with you!! Really happy you're enjoying it. Your comments mean a lot 

It was a truly unique experience (that I cannot recommend enough).

Sorry it's taking a bit longer, but I have LOTS of photos to go through!!

[never2old]

And here we go!

In Geiranger it was the only place where my parents and us had different excursions - mostly because the one we wanted to to (going up to a summer farm) was quite full and there were not enough spaces for all of us. Therefore they went to another one (Views of Norway, I think it was called), in which they got up towards Mount Dalsnibba; they had lots of snow, and because of the weather the views were not as good as they could have been, but still they loved it.

We were supposed to go to a Herdalssetra summer farm; however because of the cold weather, the summer farms (higher up in the mountain) were still closed, and the goats were still kept in the winter farms - so that's where we went. We took the bus and went up the mountain up the Eagle Road, through a pass (where there was still quite a bit of snow) and down the other side towards Norddal, a (small) town on another fjord. The drive was really beautiful - though it was raining and through the window of the bus, pictures were not really good... After a few attempts I gave up and simply enjoyed the view.





I was also busy looking for rock trolls, but failed to find any... I guess they hide during the day



After about an hour drive we got to the winter farm, and met the couple who run it. The husband told us a bit about their goats, and his wife showed us how they made their cheese.

















Trying the brown cheese









Afterwards we went inside where we could try (and buy) all the different goat cheeses they made (including a brown, sweet cheese that tasted a bit like caramel fudge). 





This one was my favourite, it was creamy and delicious...


Alicia wanted to spend more time with the goats, so I went out with her again. By then there were a few buses from the cruise in the farm so it got a bit crowded!!







After the farm we headed back towards Norddal and stopped by the church.



The church was built in 1782






And is facing the fjord.






Boat houses by the water





We got back in the bus and continued our way back towards Geiranger, and on the way stopped by the Eidsvatnet lake to take some more pictures. It was a shame that it was (still) raining, because it was really beautiful!!











Back on the bus, we went towards our final stop, the Eagle Bend view point, back on the Geirangerfjord. From there we had a great view of Geiranger below us!















The viewpoint was very good, with a proper platoform, and even its own waterfall!!







This waterfall feeds the one that falls out of the platform


Really beautiful views from up there!

After that it was time to head back to the Disney Magic. We had a bit of time before departure, but since we'd missed the ship going into the fjord, we wanted to make sure we saw it leaving. So we got back earlier to have plenty of time to get ready.

Continues soon!!

[never2old]

After changing clothes (and searching for the clues for the scavenger hunt) we dropped Alicia off in the kids club, and went to get a nice coffee from Cove Cafe. We met up with my parents (who were back from their excursion) and went to deck 10 to admire the fjord on our way out...



There's the Eagle Bend road:



All ready!!



Yes, it was cold.... But so worth it!! There was a great atmosphere all around. There were also plenty of cast members enjoying the view as much as the guests were. I think everyone onboard fell in love with Geiranger!

To celebrate the Magic's first visit, the town of Geiranger offered us a salute outside of town as we sailed away... A TNT salute!! It was pretty cool There were also a couple of kayaks with people waving goodbye!



Going past the Eagle Bend viewpoint



There were waterfalls everywhere!! (I apologise in advance, but I love waterfalls.... so prepare for lots and lots of pictures of waterfalls!!)













Before reaching the Seven Sisters waterfall, they announced that they would be sounding the horn (they usually made an announcement beforehand so that people on the top decks could cover their ears, if needed...). It's always something special when the Magic sounded its horn, but this time...

https://youtu.be/wUc3bl2zl_o

It was quite something!! There's a bit of wind on the video, but you can actually hear the echo after the horn... Everyone enjoyed it so much that they sounded it again a few minutes later I absolutely loved it. It was one of my favourite moments in the whole trip.

Close to the waterfall there was an old farmhouse. It makes you wonder how on earth they got up there!! We'd been told that when the children that lived in these farms by the fjords went to play outside, they were usually tied to a rope, in case they fell over...















In fronf of the Seven Sisters in another waterfall, the Suitor. Apparently he was turned down by the sisters, you can still see the bottle in which he drowned his pains...



















Goofy was also up on deck 10 enjoying the views







Still some snow to be found by the water!!



Eventually the cold got too much and we went inside. I went to have a look in the shop, while my husband went with my parents to see the evening's show (it wasn't a Disney one, and I was a bit tired so I preferred to skip it). Instead I went for a bit of shopping; since most guests were either having dinner or enjoying the show I had the shops pretty much to myself I got some pins and chatted with some of the cast members there. One was hoping to go to DLP over the summer (she had time off) so she was asking me about it.

Later I went to deck 4 (my favourite), the views were still quite something!!









It was quite cold so there were a few of us (mostly cast members) coming out to take a couple of pictures, then rushing back in to warm up!!

Donald was due to do a meet 'n' greet a bit later outside the Walt Disney Theatre; I went to pick up Alicia from the children's club. The queue was very short (I think we were 3rd).



My husband came out from the show just in time to meet Donald with us





Alicia and I then went to meet Jiminy Cricket (I was very excited, I had never seen him before!!)







Quick peek outside...



We were hanging around waiting for Pinocchio (he was scheduled after Jiminy) when I saw that Rapunzel was down the corridor, by Shutters (the photography shop). I went there with Alicia; since Rapunzel was busy talking with some guests, we went instead to say hello to Belle, who was also there (and all alone!!)





She and Alicia had a little chat, after which we went to see Rapunzel (who gave Alicia a big hug!!)



We then got back to the area around the atrium, to wait for Pinocchio. Down in deck 3 there was an incredible violin player! I learned her name later (Greta Salome; she's from Iceland, and back home I realised where I knew her from, she was in Eurovision a few years ago). We had already seen her the previous night and loved her. She was absolutely brilliant!! She came out a few evenings (including once in the Walt Disney Theatre, before the show) and every time she got huge applause.

Even Belle was enjoying the music...



Before we joined the queue for Pinocchio though, we saw Cinderella was there. Alicia went straight to see her; it was a bit crowded around them though, so Cinderella took my daughter by the hand and went with her to a window, where it was quieter and they could have a little chat







My parents found us then, and my mom came to meet Pinocchio with Alicia and me



We still had a little bit of time before dinner (it's amazing all you can do in about 20 minutes in the Disney Magic!!) so we went to listen to the music. My daughter was loving it!!

https://youtu.be/-rC8xqBkwdk

Afterwards we went to meet Greta,



Tonight was lobster night, and we had our rotation in Cariocas. It was delicious!! And for dessert I ordered a chocolate fondant... OH MY GOD. It was heaven. Absolutely amazing.



It took all the self control I had not to order a second one, particularly when our waiter Vildon (who by now knew I was all about chocolate) came and asked me if I wanted another one, and was I sure I didn't want another one... I still don't know how I managed to resist temptation.

Alicia had gone after her dinner to the kids club, so I went to pick her up once we'd finished. On the way down though she saw Cinderella again, and run to her. Cinderella was getting ready to leave for the evening (she told Alicia that Gus Gus was waiting for her), so she took Alicia by the hand and started walking towards Shutters (at the end of the corridor). Needless to say, my daughter didn't even turn around to see where I was, she took Cinderella's hand and was off!!



A few moments later they were joined by Belle. And off my daughter went (still not turning back to see if I was following), holding hands with both princesses...



I think there was no one happier on board than my daughter



Was it enough? No.... Once I managed to get my daughter back, we saw Minnie...





What an incredible, amazing, magical day!!! Geiranger was stunning. Our excursion (despite the rain) was really good, we saw some really gorgeous places (and Alicia loved the goats). Then being on deck 10 when the ship left Geirangerfjord was really a highlight for all of us. And for my daughter, of course, meeting all the princesses like that was something she'll never forget. It still is the first thing she says when anybody asks about the holiday, it's that she was in a boat with the princesses.

Continues soon!

[daddyof2]

I can't believe how much you got to see the princesses, I really hope it's the same for us next year and my daughter still loves them - she was a bit upset not to see more at DLP last year

[never2old]

I can't believe how much you got to see the princesses, I really hope it's the same for us next year and my daughter still loves them - she was a bit upset not to see more at DLP last year

I think my daughter will be very disappointed next time we go to DLP and she only sees them waving in the parade... Meeting characters wasl her favourite thing when we were in the parks... I think we'll still do Disney Jr Live so she can dance with Sofia, and maybe try Meet Mickey Mouse. But everything else, we'll probably skip. It really cannot compare to the cruise ship.

From what I've seen from other forums, characters are always very good in the ships. I really hope it's the same next year, for you and for us!!

[never2old]

Bergen!!

This was our last stop on the cruise.... And we'd decided we wouldn't do any excursions with Disney this time, but simply explore the town on our own.

We had breakfast in Cabanas with my parents. Alicia was really feeling the long days and short nights, and was quite grumpy this morning  Plus she wanted a chocolate donut which she wasn't allowed to eat until she drank her milk. You know, serious, dramatic stuff... Until one of the waiters came and did a few magic tricks for her, and she forgot all about it! As I've said, best cast members anywhere 

And time to explore Bergen!



Bergen is the second largest city in Norway (after Oslo), and was the capital of Norway until 1299. It's also famous for having lots and lots of rain. So we considered ourselves extremely lucky to find it was not only dry, but that there was a hint of blue skies behind some of the clouds!!

Our first stop was the Bergenhus Fortress. It consists of various buildings. some dating back to 1240. The king had his residence here, and later it served as a purely military fortress.

The Rosenkrantz Tower was originally a medieval tower, later modified and expanded (under the rule of the governor Erik Rosenkrantz, in the 1560s).





Today you can visit it and walk up to the top (for an apparently great view), but that meant going up a lot of stairs - not really an option for our daughter (who was quite tired today). So we'll have to come back

Next to the Rosenkrantz Tower is Haakon's Hall, built in the 13th century by King Haakon.



It was severely damaged (meaning almost completely destroyed) during WWII, when a Dutch ship (serving the German army) and carrying over 120 tons of dynamite accidentally exploded  while it was docked in the port next to the fortress.







They had a really nice model showing the port and the hall (or what was left of it), but the lighting was not very photo-friendly...



The cellars of the hall









The great hall; it's now used for concerts, but also for banquets and official functions.











We continued our walk towards the city center, and soon we found ourselves in the old wharf area, Bryggen (Bryggen is Norwegian for wharf).



The Hanseatic League came to Bergen around 1360, and the buildings in the wharf were taken over by the Hanseatic merchants. Being made mostly of wood though they didn't do very well in fires (and they had quite  a few). Some buildings remain dating back to 1702, but most are more recent.

Today they consist mostly of shops, and restaurants. Oh, and for the Frozen fans among us, Bryggen was a big inspiration for the town of Arendelle... When I saw the film again with my daughter a couple of weeks ago, I could see lots of Bryggen in there!







Blue skies!!



There are a few narrow roads between the buildings - and I mean REALLY narrow!!. I loved them, it was like suddenly stepping back in time a few hundred years!!





You can see the gap between the roofs of the buildings 







And down another of the narrow streets









Does that look straight to you? 



By now Alicia was fast asleep....





My mom and I went inside one of the shops (a Christmas shop... can never resist them!!). It was VERY strange walking around the shop (not to mention going up the stairs), it felt like we were on a ship, legs all wobbly 



Back on land...





We continued our walk, heading towards the funicular, next on our list.





On the way we found a Starbucks (with plenty of people from our ship inside!), so we stopped for a nice coffee (hmmm caramel frappuccino) before finding the funicular that was going to take us up to Mount Floyen.

.



Now, I'm no stranger to queues. But this was terrible!! Apparently (as I later learned) we got there at the worst time (around 11:00), and there were also a record 6 cruise ships in Bergen that day (and I guess they were all going to the funicular). There were two lines outside the station - only we realised after queuing for a while in one of them that there was one queue to buy tickets, and another one (our one) for people that already had tickets. So we joined the other line (there were no signs at all). Once we managed to get our tickets we got inside the station, where there was a tunnel with a massive queue. Not organised at all, so if you're good at pushing your way past people, you could move a lot faster than if you were trying to move with a child sleeping in a push chair...

We ended up waiting about 1 hour, until we found ourselves in the platform waiting for the next train (I spoke with people on the ship later who'd been there later that day and found the queues almost non-existent)



And there it was!!



Soon we were out of the tunnel, going up the mountain (with Alicia still fast asleep)



On the top there was a little souvenir shop, a restaurant, a play area (which fortunately our daughter didn't see, otherwise we would have spend the whole day there) and an incredible view of the area around us. Totally worth the wait!!









And there's the Magic!





Bryggen and the Hanseatic Museum (we were going to visit it later)



The Bergenhus fortress

















Eventually it was time to head back down to Bergen.

Continues soon!!

[Mileto]

Your report is like those serie movies, where you really can't wait for the next episode!

I enjoy every single line! Thank you again! Your cruise was 7 days as a whole, right?

[never2old]

Thanks Mileto 

Yes, it was 7 days long (Saturday to Saturday). Seven extremely short days.... 

I've uploaded the next batch of pictures but need to go through them, I'll try to have the next bit up soon!!

[Pete's Dragon]

great photos n2o. i would love to do this, if only my wife didn't get seasick 

[never2old]

great photos n2o. i would love to do this, if only my wife didn't get seasick 

So nice to see you again around here!! Welcome back 

You need to find a way, it's the best Disney holiday!!! Maybe in the Med? I'm sure it doesn't move too much there!!!

[DisneyRon]

wonderful photos and stories once again Never2old, that cruise went really well didn't it?
Very cool indeed.

[Pete's Dragon]

she got seasick on La Seine, so .......... aint gonna happen

[DisneyRon]

she got seasick on La Seine, so .......... aint gonna happen

It's easier to get seasick on a ship encountering rapid small waves (rivers have these fairly often), a big cruise ship like the Magic here will hardly move with the sea unless the weather gets pretty bad. They're a much more stable platform.

[never2old]

she got seasick on La Seine, so .......... aint gonna happen

It's easier to get seasick on a ship encountering rapid small waves (rivers have these fairly often), a big cruise ship like the Magic here will hardly move with the sea unless the weather gets pretty bad. They're a much more stable platform.

Definitely!! You hardly feel the ship moving, only when it's a bit rougher outside! 

wonderful photos and stories once again Never2old, that cruise went really well didn't it?
Very cool indeed.

It went really well... I don't think it could have been any better!! A month later and I'm still seriously missing it... And my mom is still seriously planning their next Disney cruise!!

Next update coming up shortly

[never2old]

And back to Bergen! Thankfully the queue to go down in the funicular was much more reasonable, and soon we were on our way down. Alicia was awake by now and really liked the trip down!

We continued our exploration of the town











Soon we were in Bergen's fish market!!

Now it's not really much of a fish market as much as it tourist attraction... They were a few stalls, all selling fish (fresh fish, crab, but also tins), but mostly cooking fresh fish. The smell was incredible!! I don't usually like the smell of cooked fish, but this was just mouth-watering!











As the good tourists that we are, we stayed here for lunch. If we were not hungry before (and by now it was close to 1pm) we were starving after seeing all the delicious fish!!



It was not cheap, of course. But it was really good!! And at the end this was the only meal we'd had outside the ship, so we didn't feel too guilty...

After lunch we had a little walk around the pier (we were in front of the Bryggen area)







The funicular station up in Mount Floyen



We decided to go back towards Bryggen, to visit the Hanseatic Museum





It's one of the few buildings that remain that were built in 1702 (after most of the city had been destroyed by a fire), and it's the only one where the original interiors have been kept.

The building used to be the home of one of the merchants, who worked and lived there with his journeyman and apprentices (Hanseatic merchants were celibate).

In the bottom floor were the storage rooms . I should apologise for the pictures in advance, no flash photography was allowed...





Upstairs on the first floor was a dining room, and the merchant's office. There was also a secret stairway inside a cupoard... I think it went up to the merchant's summer bedroom (we were not allowed up the stairs). There was a smaller room (the merchant's private dining room), as well as his winter bedroom. Houses in this area were not allowed to have any lights nor heating (because of the risk of fires). The beds had therefore doors that could be closed to keep the cold out (I was totally thinking of Harry Potter seeing these beds inside cupboards....).





















One floor up in the second floor were the apprentices bedrooms (more beds inside cupboards), as well as the master's summer bedroom



As I said, no flash photography was allowed, and many of the rooms were quite dark, so I didn't take many pictures. But it's really an interesting museum, it gives you a real taste of what life was like.

Since no fires were allowed inside the houses, they had no kitchens either. So they had assembly halls, that belonged to one or more merchants, that could not only be heated but had kitchens (as well as food storage rooms). You can go and visit one of these assembly halls (we didn't, I was the only one who wanted to....)



This is the Sailors Monument, showing the Norwegian's sailing history since the Vikings















By now it was starting to drizzle, so we started heading back towards the ship.



Back in Bryggen





¨

By now my husband was a bit tired, and Alicia wanted to go and play in the kids club. So the two of them went straight back, while I stayed with my parents around Bryggen for some shopping

On the way there we took a little detour to go and see St Mary's Church. It was completed around 1180, and although was damaged in the various fires that Bergen was victim to, it survived, making it the oldest remaining building in Bergen. Unfortunately for us it was being refurbished, and closed to the public. See? We really need to go back!!





We loved Bergen. There is really a lot to see, we could go back and spend another full day there visiting things we didn't have time for!!

Well, that applies to all of Norway. In all ports we took a long time choosing which excursions to do, which things to go and see, because there were always at least 2 (if not 3) totally different things that we really wanted to do, and choosing was very difficult. We tried to balance it and have some nature, some culture, some history... But it's impossible to see it all. It's the main issue with a cruise, of course, that you only get a few hours in places where you could easily spend days.

So just to let you know, if I ever get the chance, I'll do this cruise again, no doubts about it!!

Coming up: Freezing the Night Away!!