A series of not unfortunate non-events

The anticipated storm turned out to be nothing more - to us, at least - than an opportunity to be rocked to sleep in our stateroom, and as we awoke the walls of the Geirangerfjord were gliding by surprisingly near on either side, the water calm.

It is still raining quite steadily, though, and the prospect of riding a tender to explore the small, sleepy and hilly vacationer's village of Geiranger afoot in the rain appeals less than enjoying the view of said village from behind large windows and perhaps a book or two in the high forward lounge known as the Crow's Nest. And so we have set up camp in advantageous seats with outstanding views. On either side the fjord walls rise nearly sheer around us, and directly aheads lies Geiranger, its most visible feature at this distance - somewhat under a mile through the rain would be my guess - a very broad and curvy boulevard that descends serpentine through the center of town.

Through binoculars the boulevard resolves itself into not a street but a foamingly white and furiously running waterfall whose noise must be astounding in any of the structures within a hundred yards or so. It looks as if there is a tourist hotel built above the falls and through which the falls may in fact pass. That would be someplace to stay, I'm sure.

Abeam of us is an interesting vessel of some sort, festooned with radars and a searchlight, and very functional-looking, whose flag Kristiana thinks signifies a British colony: a marron field with the Union Jack in the upper field. It looks like some kind of research vessel perhaps except that its paintwork is in notably pristine shape, and on its aft deck are a sloop of 30 feet or so and a motorboat of perhaps twice that length, boat looking mostly, though not unambiguously, like pleasure craft.

Alongside the ship, which is titled Lone Ranger - Hamilton at its stern, lies a good-sized inflatable motor dinghy, and on a ridge behind it is an encampment of ten tents, mostly identical.

I'm going to have to google this ship later on, but for now my phone is registering "data connection refused," contributing to the quiet of this rainy day.