It is the 17th of May, a very special day for our Norwegians aboard. They really like their National Day and they celebrate it with a great enthusiasm. At 8am we had the first ceremony – flying the flags! After this the master of the vessel gave a speech over the PA system for all people aboard, in Norwegian, English and German. Soon after breakfast we had the important, wonderful and very special Parade over the ship. Nearly everybody participated. Crew, staff and passengers followed the captain with Norwegian flags, whistles and rattles. Many created their own banners, to greet Norway in their personal way. It was an unforgettable experience for all of us to join our Norwegian friends on their National Day Party. Thanks for inviting us!!!
After lunch we started with our excursions in Visby, which we reached around 2pm.Visby is an outstanding example of a former hanseatic town. We offered a tour over the Island (Gotland) and a more or less walking tour through the city with their old town wall, dated back to the 13th century, the narrow alleys, the church and all the ruins out of the historical time. With a common merganter, all the flowering trees and springtime flowers, even the naturalist found their special places of interest. One highlight of the countryside tour was the imposing burial place “Gannarve Skeppssättning”, a stone-setting from the Bronze Age (about 600 BC).
After a nice BBQ we met in the Panorama Lounge to listen and watch the very well-known MV FRAM crew show. That was a great end for a wonderful and impressive day.
And a last time - for this year: Happy birthday Norway!!!
