Day Eleven, Sailing On, and A Marble Mine

 November 15, 2022

Today was the loveliest day for being out on the water.  We slowly made our way down the southern coastline, meandering through the Trondheimsford, heading for our first stop in Kristiansund.

The water was a bit choppy as we wended between the islets, skerries and numerous islands that dotted this stretch of the coast.  But the sunlight shimmered on the whitecaps ruffling the deep blue sea.

The wind and sunshine was so refreshing, I stayed outside much of the day.  There's always something to look at when we are traveling through fjords, rather than out on the open sea. We passed many named and unnamed islands as we went along.  Some with their cities flowing down the sunny banks to the sea, others standing stark and lone.  

One of the first we passed was Munkholmen, with its rich and fascinating history.  During the Viking period it was Trondheim's execution site.  It also held a monastery for Benedictine Monks, a prison, a customs house, courthouse and a fortress in turns.  It's now a museum and summer recreation area.

Agdenes Lighthouse and its little keeper's cottage is perched on a stony shore, worn smooth by thousands of years of waves lapping its banks.  Built in 1804, it guided ships for ninety years.   

By 3:00 the sun was very low on the horizon.  Even though we had passed below the Arctic Circle, days were still abbreviated. 

In a very short time the sun had slipped below the horizon entirely, leaving a vivid stain across the sky.

It was full-on dark by the time we docked in the Kristiansund harbor.  Two buses awaited us, one for English speaking, and one for German.  I ended up sharing the aisle side of a seat with a rather large guy.  It wasn't the most fun bus ride.  As on our morning tour, the guide pointed out various landmarks, but due to both dark, and window reflections, we could see next to nothing.

The hour and a half drive was broken up by a stop at a rest area that had a walking loop of sorts around a big hill.  It was very dark, and the night velvety, and full of stars.  I walked with a youngish couple that I'd gotten to know a bit on the ship, Tommy, and his wife, Penny.  He was a photographer and had been willing to share a few tips with me on the subject. She was very sweet and friendly.  They had a six year old daughter at home in England that must have been cared for by a family member as they traveled the world a lot.  Now, when I couldn't figure out how to set my phone to capture the night sky, Tommy shared a photo with me.

Many of the group didn't walk the loop, but just used the restroom and reboarded the bus.  I completed the walk, but was so enthralled with the peace and beauty of the night, I got a bit behind.  I was the last to complete the loop, and when I got back, I'd somehow, in the dark, got on a trail that went behind a fence.  So I could see the buses waiting to leave, but had to backtrack and find the opening.  I don't think they had to wait more than a minute, but it was a long minute for me.

When we arrived at the Bergtatt Marble Mine, our bus drove right on in.  In a large cave, we got down and donned helmets and vests, and listened to a safety spiel.  Then we all climbed into three battery-powered wooden barges. 

This portion of the mine is no longer used, so has been outfitted as a tourist attraction.  Colored lights are set strategically throughout the various tunnels and rooms.  Peaceful music was piped throughout the shafts.

Here and there were bits of adornment.  A statue in a niche, and a crystal chandelier.  As we quietly rode along, our guide shared information about the mine.

At one point on our boat ride, we were able to get out and, using a supplied paper cup, fill it from water issuing from a rock.  It was very cold and refreshing.  When we reboarded the boats, I got into the one located where I'd stepped off.  Apparently they had resituated them while we were on shore, as the minute I got in, I was chastised, and told that this was the German boat.  I guess even in the dark it's obvious to some that I don't have much German blood in me.  I got off, mumbling that I thought the war was over. It was another awkward moment. 

My camera had a little trouble focusing on video but I'll include a short clip that's pretty clear.

At the end of the tour, we went back to the room where we'd started and were able to get rid of our helmets and vests.  Then, taken into a cavernous, subterranean room filled with round tables, we all sat down to a tasty soup supper.  Suspended above us was a heavy marble chandelier.

After we'd eaten our meal we were taken to rows of seats where we watched a movie about the mining operations.  On one side of the room was a museum area where some of the hand mining equipment from days gone by was on exhibit.

When we got down from the buses in the mine, I figured out that the guy seated with me had a wife up near the front.  She was somewhat disabled, so got a seat near the door, but I guess he wasn't able to.  For the return trip, I sought out a woman I'd met on the ship. A recent widow, Kathryn was taking the trip that she and her husband had planned to take before he had suddenly died.  She was quite lively and had tried to get me to join her on several outings.  Now, seated at the back of the bus, we had nice conversation on the long ride back.