Wednesday, May 17. It was very disappointing to pass by Stavanger. The ship did roll quite a bit, though nothing severe. But safety came first. I made use of the spa again. Otherwise a quiet day at sea.

Arrived in Kristiansand, named after its founder, King Kristian. The “sand” was added because it’s a sandy area. We docked in the industrial area, but it wasn’t a long walk into town. Because it’s a national holiday(think Independence Day), the city was jumping. Parties everywhere. We walked past a small harbor with parties on each boat, then down a very crowded street. After passing a very odd McDonalds we heard band music behind us. Lo and behold, a marching band was approaching. Very serious, very good. After passing by we noticed that a not small mass of people were following, so we joined in for a few blocks. Seriously, it made a typical July 4th celebration look like a church social.

I was still disappointed to miss Stavanger and the famous children’s parade, but it was a nice consolation event.