Saturday 4 November 2000

Pic of the day: At sea.

To Bergen

The morning sun was casting the western mountain in a warm orange-yellow glow, while the valley was lying in rain-drenched cloud-shadow. It was time for me to go.

"Why do you have to go now?" asked my nephew. He had grown quite fond of me during these 3 days. (Then again, we had played The Sims a lot together on my portable.) "I have to go back to my basement" I explained. This did nothing to cheer him up: I had forgotten that his only experience with basements was their own cellar, used to store vegetables and such. My nephew finds it patently unfair, cruel and unusual that I have to live in a cellar without even a lady.

The south end of the rainbow traveled in front of us as we drove for Askvoll. We didn't quite catch it this time either. Instead of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, we found a minibank (ATM). That did the trick, and so I could buy my ticket and go aboard the express boat for Bergen.

The weather wasn't as bright as yesterday, but much better than last weekend. In fact, it seems better than the forecast. Across the roughest part (outside Sognefjord) the sea was too rough to write, so I slept. A cool new invention is a screen with a moving map, roughly centered on the dot that is the ship. That way we can easily see when we approach less sheltered waters. (Unlike life itself, I'm afraid...)

***

About the day in Bergen, there is nothing to write home about. Luckily the city has several used books shops, and I found two fantasy books. One of these was "Chimaera's Copper" by Piers Anthony and Robert E. Margroff. Anthony was one of my first favorite authors in English, and has done much to expand, extend and enhance my vocabulary. I have since grown weary with his endless sexual innuendo, however restrained and low-key; it always seems to lurk in his novels, as if they were written by a horny teenager. (Actually they are probably written for horny teenagers - sex sells.)

I had not been able to eat anything for breakfast - as can happen when one is about to travel - but on arrival in Bergen I ate a Whopper Cheese around noon. I was still not hungry again 19:30 (7:30PM) but a little thirsty, so I bought a milkshake at McDonalds. It did not taste good, and I threw away half.

Bergen being Bergen, it rained frequently.