Climatology

When you hear the phrase “rain forest” it conjures images of jungles, thick with vegetation.  There are different types of rain forests.  The type we are headed towards in Norway is a temperate rain forest.  Much like Alaska it yields rain, typically light, in abundance.  In the winter it produces lots of snow, especially around the mountains, which ultimately forms the glaciers.

The North Sea earns a reputation for a choppy, inhospitable body of water from sailors, but the conditions during this time of year are considerably less fearful.  In open waters this morning the seas are slight as are the winds.  The way I know we are in the North Sea is the drilling platforms which appear like convenience stores, periodically interrupted by navigation towers.

 

These towers behave like advanced technology buoys. 

Bergen, Norway is our first port of call.  Currently the forecast is for temperatures in the middle to upper 50’s and a passing shower.  That is what made our trip a packing puzzle.  In Paris and London we needed warm weather gear.  Incidentally, I am happy to report that French and British males are finally breaking down and wearing shorts when it gets really hot.  I easily joined their cultural revolution.  In Norway we will need clothing that is suited to temperatures which are 20 to 30 degrees cooler and frequently damp.  Visiting Alaska so often provides a reserve of clothing options designed for this visit.

There is six hours time difference between our current position on the east coast of the U.S.A.  We will get one of those hours back when we leave our final Norwegian port.  The rest is eaten up in jet lag on the return trip home.  The computer clock reminds me that even though we are getting ready to enjoy a late breakfast most of you are fast asleep.

One thing I like about being on a cruise ship is the return of bar soap and wash cloths.  Europeans enjoy shower and bath cleaning gels.  Not me.  I like a good bar of soap and a wash cloth.  Often I end up designating the smallest face towel to be the wash cloth.  I know they think we shower too often.  Maybe we do.  I am not advocating a change in approach.  Monday morning’s in the classroom during the spring semester can be confusing enough.  “Did I get re-assigned to athletics?”  However, all is right again.  Clean wash cloths magically appear in the bathroom.