Inaugurated in 1964, the church was described as ‘Rock Crystal in Roses’ by its architect Odd Østby. The 100ft choir wall contains 320 stained-glass panels that gradually change from dark, earthy colours at the base to bright colours representing eternal light at the top.


we drove to the ancient ice field that is the cascading Briksdals glacier, best-known of the gigantic Jostedal Glacier’s many icy arms. The surfeit of icy scenery continued in the afternoon as we toured the Jostedal Glacier National Park surrounding the crystal-clear, turquoise Stryn Lake. Recreated after a disastrous fire in 1904, Norway’s principal fishing port of Ålesund is now rich in art nouveau archi- tecture with graceful gables, pointy turrets and countless ornate flourishes across pastel-hued façades. The Art Nouveau Centre, carved out of a period pharmacy, chronicles the fire and its aftermath. We opted to lunch in a charming bras- serie and, after paying handsomely for some fresh shrimp on pumpernickel bread, we headed to the Sunnmøre Open-Air Museum to see the fishing vessel Heland,


A 74 WORLD OF CRUISING I Summer 2011


t the head of Inner Nordfjord, Olden is the gateway to three spectacular valleys. In the morning,


which was part of the ‘Shetland Bus’ op- eration during World War II Norway’s seductive charm revealed


itself as Saga Pearl II nudged right into the heart of the colourful city of Bergen. This was European City of Culture in 2000, little wonder when we saw the exhibits at the Bryggen Museum, medieval Gamle Rådhuset, Domkirke and Bergenhus – the former timber-built royal palace. Music-lovers joined me as we headed


to the Edvard Grieg Museum at Troldhau- gen and saw the composer’s impressive villa and hut where he composed so much


of his celebrated music. It was a perfect conclusion through this land that damages one’s faith in the adaptability of language; where metaphors are useless and nature is your serene companion.


No metaphors are required to describe


what makes Saga Pearl II such a delightful vessel and ideally suited to offering a dis- tinctive cruise experience. Built for Astor Cruises in 1981 in Hamburg, this 18,591- ton vessel subsequently sailed for Seetours Line as Arkona from 1985 to 2002. For the next seven years, Transocean- tours operated her as the Bremen and


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