Traveling – different paths for different people

We have never before traveled in August and emotionally prepared ourselves to accept crowds, lots of people everywhere. Turns out, the first two weeks of August is a great time to visit Norwegian cities. The weather is warm, and the Norwegians are on holiday in the countryside or other parts of Europe. The only real crowds we encountered were when we came to Stavanger, where huge cruise ships dock, inundating the tiny city center with tourists.

We chatted with a young couple while having coffee this morning about the cruise experience. They have taken several cruises and love it. Essentially, they don’t have to worry about anything; where they are going, how to get there, they don’t have to deal with their luggage, figure out train schedules, interpret food labels at the grocery store, someone else oversees all the planning. According to them it is easy and relaxing. I can see this appeal. This couple is on vacation for a week. In this case, one wants to make the most of the experience. For a week or two, a cruise vacation can be an easy way to see new places with little preparations. Alternatively, we spend hours before and during our travels researching and planning our explorations. We are fortunate to have plenty of time to include days of relaxation and recharging in between our sightseeing. How do you like to travel?

These images show what the city is like with and without the hordes of tourists. Stavanger is a very small city in comparison to other cruise ports, with it’s main tourist area expanding only a few blocks. There are no other major attractions nearby without busing or boating outside the city. As you can see, within the city, there is little room for the disbursement of such crowds of people.

These are all pictures of the Fargegaten street which is only two blocks long. The contrast from early morning to mid afternoon is quite startling.

And then there is the harbor……..