Cruise day 4

 Morning, everyone, and a Merry Christmas to you.  Thankfully, the choppiness had ceased by Christmas Eve morning and there's just that gentle rocking that I guess is an essential part of a cruise.  No bumps, no surprises.  Phew.

Yesterday (Christmas Eve) was the first day when we had something else as well as cruise life.  As we sailed along Hjorundfjord, the choppiness ceased and we could see stunning snow capped mountains.  Sadly, these views didn't translate into stunning photos because very rapidly mists descended and below is the best I could manage.  They weren't taken in black and white but that is all the colour there was.  A shame but there you go!

I took this through my cabin window, hence the mucky sort of overlay.

I didn't stay out long - it was bloomin' cold!

It was a good morning's entertainment. 
First was a talk about camera settings for Northern Lights photography.  Hopefully helpful and I took notes.
Then we went to a talk about the science of the Northern Lights.  I learnt a lot.
And then Senior Officers had a Gingerbread House Competition - the Captain, the Chief Security Officer, the Chief Electrician, the Entertainment officer and one other who I forget (sorry) all went head to head and it was hysterically funny.

Captain and Chief Security

The Entertainments Officer had his chef's hat taped to his forehead because it kept falling off!

and the Chief Electrician sneaked backstage and returned with an extension cable and some fairy lights for his effort.

Yes - he won for his sheer bare faced cheek!

We recovered from all this over lunch and then I went to a Name That Christmas Tune quiz before we both had some down time in our cabins.  

I took a few photos of the afternoon tea we didn't have (because we were still stuffed from lunch) but must have deleted them by mistake.  Their afternoon teas are amazing and I must try to catch one on photo.

Life seems to be to-ing and fro-ing from cabin to event . . . we went back to the cabin (again) to change for dinner.

A house salad with honey and mustard dressing followed by . . .

. . . veal done some sort of way that was delicious.

Dessert was mango panna cotta.

We missed the reading of 'The Night Before Christmas' but the show was great - a comedian who was genuinely very funny indeed.

Then as many of the ship's crew who could make it gathered to lead us in a good old singsong of Christmas music before Diane and I decided we couldn't stay awake much longer and returned to our respective cabins for the night.

Now it is Christmas Morning and still dark.  The days are short - light dawns around nine o'clock and by four o'clock it is pretty much dark again but there's a moon shining a pathway to the ship which means that finally the skies are clearing and we just might get some sunshine.  Fingers crossed.
(It also probably means it's going to be a lot colder so I'm digging out my gloves, hat and scarf!)

There's plenty of festive stuff going on today (I gather we have a Very Special Visitor landing on deck at some point - we have no chimneys but that's doesn't seem to be stopping him) but also we're cruising Torghatten this morning, which is a granite dome on the island of Torget with a hole right through it.  In the afternoon we pass the Seven Sisters, a chain of snow covered mountains.

So very much hoping the sun does shine and I get a few nice photos.

And we cross the Arctic Circle at around eleven thirty this morning

And then, tomorrow - Boxing Day - we are off ship for the first expedition.  Very exciting.

Have a wonderful Christmas Day, everyone, with loads of lovely things to remember with happiness.  xx