7/11/12 day 77: Stavanger, Norway

It's our last day in Norway today. Grey and overcast as we mustered on deck for a crew lifeboat drill before lunch. We docked right downtown this time. Right next to two cruise ships that made us look like a dingy. The Queen Elizabeth and the Brilliance of the Seas. These ships are massive. It's a wonder they can still float. Makes me appreciate the "yacht" vibe of the Sojourn.

Stavanger is a nice city. It has a small shopping area located on and around the hill at the top of which still stands the lookout watchmen tower that was used to keep an eye on the city. Stavanger has a collection of old wooden homes located on the opposite side of the harbor. They are
very Norwegian: well manicured and quaint. As I've been through many Norwegian towns, you always hear of the numerous fires that leveled this church or that neighborhood. No doubt, the watchmen in Stavanger had their hands full dousing fires among the plentiful wooden structures in town. Stavanger also has the state of the art Petrolium Museum. I haven't been but I've heard it's actually really interesting. The coast off of Stavanger is rich in oil deposits making this port extremely valuable.

Made it off the ship with a couple friends. We were in search of wifi. If you walk slow enough past a cafe or bar, your cell phone can pick up their signal and you can see if it's unlocked and or strong. This is what I've become... An Internet poacher. I am hoping that this behavior will disappear when I have 3G but you never know, I might be scarred for life. We walked around poaching here and there, sending emails, downloading new ones for about an hour. Made it back to the ship in time for a nap, gym, and even added a couple new tunes to the set list. Another good day.