Tromsø, Norway

            Sunday, 24 Jun 2018  –  The Prinsendam docked at about 7:30 AM.  However, it was nearing 10:00 AM when we made our way to breakfast.  Again, we shared a table with Charlotte and Shirley.

At lunch we shared a table with Nelson and Barbara, of Boston, Massachusetts.  Nelson is an audio physiologist and college professor; Barbara is a biologist.  They met after Barbara started working at a laboratory that Nelson founded.  Nelson is 89; he and Barbara are still working, but Nelson says he is paid from the college’s pension fund, not the regular operating budget.  He is a Prof. Emeritus from M.I.T., Prof. of Physiology Emeritus from Harvard Medical School, and Founding Director (retired) from Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Mass. Eye & Ear Infirmary – and other distinctive associations listed on his business card.  Strangely, our conversation started because his hearing was obviously at least as impaired as Sally’s – but he wasn’t using hearing aids.  He said that research proves that hearing aids, because they magnify sounds, aid in the destruction of the ability to hear in the elderly.  Therefore, he does not use hearing aids!  He said this information has been provided to audiologists.  Sally’s conclusion is that she likes to hear today as much as possible (which is probably about 75 percent of sounds normal ears hear), and not worry about whether her hearing will be worse when she is 90 years old (if she would live that long)!

Roald Amunsen Statue

At about 2:00 PM, we headed off the ship to see the sights in Tromsø.  Although the Internet mentioned a Hop on/Hop off bus availability in this city, there seemed to be none.  We did find what was called the “city train” and were able to charge the cost of taking this – instead of paying cash, since we have no Norwegian Krone on this trip.  An “engine” (no tracks, just regular tires) pulled two passenger cars through the downtown streets of Tromsø.  The audio system was excellent, and we enjoyed riding, not walking!

Tromsø is a picturesque little city.  Although a big fire destroyed 29 houses in 1969, it was not bombed in World War II.  We went into a Catholic Church.  Pope John Paul II had visited here about 1965.  A newer, large Protestant church, the Arctic Cathedral (or Tromsø Church) could be seen on the other side of a big bridge on an island.

Sally had hoped the train would go across the big, high bridge connecting the rest of the city on the island.  People had told us that the wind was very cold up there.  However, Jesse was hoping that the train would not!  (And it did not, probably because its speed is very slow and not intended for faster traffic.)  Soon after returning to the ship, we saw that rain was falling fairly hard, at least for a short time.  (Just as in Alaska, very few people here bother with umbrellas, but we would’ve gotten very wet!)

Later, after changing clothes, as we were preparing to leave the cabin for dinner and/or dancing, the Captain announced that the Prinsendam would be leaving the dock.  Further, for the next 1.5 hours, the ship would be passing through a narrowing of the channel and archipelago of islands.  Although we did go dancing, Sally was distracted by the outstanding scenery; and we sat part of the time by a window.  Our ship even crossed under a bridge.  By the time we went to dinner, we sat alone to eat.