June 27 - Stavanger

Today started with a 6am arrival in Stavanger, which is the farthest south we have been in Norway. The port is very near the centre of town, and this is really all I got to see of the place.

By 8:30am I was on a boat ride to a tropical garden just outside Stavanger.

The family who own the garden have a nursery business in Stavanger and originally started the garden on the island where they had their summer cabin as a hobby. They have enlarged it year by year, and have been experimenting to see which plants they can get to thrive there. They have been growing palm trees farther north than anyone else they are aware of, largely due to a sheltered location. Bamboo is there as well:

We've seen houses and huts all over Norway with grass growing on the roof, but none quite as fancy as this one:

Water flows throughout the garden,



...and the fjord can be seen in the distance.

I was back at the ship by 11am, and met up with Katherine who had spent the morning exploring the town. After lunch we went together on a cruise of the Lysefjord.

The scenery was quite different from Geiranger Fjord last week, partly because we were in a small boat that could get in very close to the cliffs. 

And this is Pulpit Rock seen from the boat. You can see the view from up top here. That must be spectacular!

 

On the way back we saw some goats who are regularly fed by the ship's crew:

And this final shot is shows how close we got to the cliffs. The captain headed into a tiny cove, just to show off, I think.

And now we are back in our room again after another great meaL in the dining room. We have left Norway and will have a final day at sea tomorrow.