Today, we have less time available due to the mid afternoon departure.   However there is time for some Bergen sightseeing, so we have elected to go on the Panoramic Bergen excursion.

Your tour will take in all the main sights, beginning with the wooden warehouses at Brygen, which date back to the Middle Ages. Watch for Haakons Hall (1247)—the largest and most imposing building of royal residency when Bergen was the political hub of Norway. Pass by the Rosenkrantz Tower and St. Mary’s Church—the oldest building in Bergen, dating back to the first half of the 12th century. Before returning to the pier, you will stop at the market in the centre of the city. Those passengers who wish to do so may leave the motor coach and make their own way back to the ship.

In fact I was not very well to day, I had terrible abdominal pains, so I stayed behind and Carol took the sight-seeing trip on her own while I slept it off.  The trip covered a good proportion of the city.   There was a small overlap with yesterday's excursion, which was fortunate for us, because yesterday we had not managed to catch the palace.   This tour however, since it was all in Bergen, contained so much more.   There was only one photo stop, but Carol managed shots from the coach on her Canon compact camera.

The tour ended at the fish market, where they also sell reindeer meat by the way.   There was an option here to either stay on the coach and return to the ship or get off the coach, browse the fish market and then wander back in your own time past the famous Brygen wooden houses.   Since it is only a about a mile, it is worth doing this as there are so many good photo opportunities along the way.   By being on foot you can explore all the little alley ways between the houses where some very good shots are possible, which you could never get from a passing coach.   You just need to keep an eye on the time and not get so engrossed that the boat leaves without you.   Carol recommends this excursion.

After lunch I was still in pain, so Carol persuaded me to check in with the medical centre.   The medical section is open in the afternoon, 2:00pm until 4:00pm, so we went along.   The nurse quizzed me about my symptoms, one of which was that the pain was worse when I had wind, which would ease on passing.   She then said that she needed to get the doctor to see me.   He got me to lie on the couch and during the examination asked me to point to where it hurt the most.   He called out to the nurse "you wouldn't believe where he has just pointed".   Apparently I had found McBurney's point as he then started an urgent discussion with the nurse as to whether to inform the captain of of the need to delay the departure of the ship.   Before a final decision he checked me over once more, gave my kidneys a good prod to make sure it wasn't them and asked how the pain was now.   I don't know if was the working over or when he was talking about using the knife, but my pain had now gone.   "You haven't passed wind since you were in here have you?" he joked. He put me on a water diet and let the ship leave on time.

Lesson: Do not go to medical with serious problems just before the ship is due to leave, it gives the doctor a hard time.

Captain Albert's Blog: Bergen, 2nd day.