I was reading an article with The Thursday Murder Club author Richard wotsisname last night when I realized what this cruise reminds me of: an upmarket retirement home.
And to be honest, if my retirement was like this, it wouldn’t be half bad.
I’m currently writing this as the only customer at the Cabana Bar on the tippy top deck at the back of the ship. It’s chilly out here but I’m wearing my long sheepskin coat. Simon has just snaffled a window seat at the Commodore Club right at the other end of the boat and ordered himself a Negroni, so won’t be joining me. I should point out my cocktail is nonalcoholic, made from 0% alcohol rum. I’m hoping for some more quality aurora time tonight so keeping my head clear.
The new cabin is perfect, in spite of the fact it was the centre of a crew emergency drill this morning. This is what we saw on returning to our room after breakfast. I think it signifies we are safe from the collision and subsequent inferno that enveloped the rest of deck 6 in this scenario. Phew!
After breakfast we walked into the uninspiring town of Narvik, a new low in charmlessness after Tromsø. Again it’s a newish city based around iron ore extracted from Sweden and shipped out through its harbour that doesn’t freeze over due to the Gulf Stream.
We spent an hour in the war museum, which is larger than outside appearances would suggest. Norway had a complicated time during WW2. Initially it wanted to be neutral, but its iron ore meant that it got dragged into the fighting anyway. The Allies had the upper hand briefly, but then the Nazis took over and occupied it for much of the war. The locals were often relatively well treated because they were tall and fair and therefore just the sort of people Hitler liked.
After the museum we wandered around town aimlessly for a while, looking for anywhere the locals might spend time. We hadn’t managed to get tickets for the train ride, and the gondolas that serve the local ski field were closed, so we ended up just going back to the ship.
