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Ålesund and Random other Pictures

The last day in Norway.   Tonight we set sail for Newcastle - back to a wet windy UK we've had great cruise... good company, fantastic scenery, edible but unexciting food, comfortable cabin and some glorious sunny days even if the nights have been a bit disappointing.
Today we've been in Ålesund and it's very pretty little town - usual tourist tat lots of trolls, cafes and ugly hotels but with a lot of very nice art nouveau buildings due to devastating fire in 1904 requiring the town to be rebuilt.  So it's full of very charming different coloured houses all along the waterfront with lots of turrets and nice plasterwork/ work stone work detail.
There is an amazing looking viewpoint which I walked to the bottom of but honestly couldnt face the 418 steps to the top and wasn't sure how my knees would feel coming down... 
We've had several long very late (very late) nights looking for Aurora with very little success which is been a tad disappointing.
I was hoping to post some aurora pictures but I don't have any... however here is one by the Astrophotographer who is on board who has given me permission to use it. If you look closely you will see a green line just to the left of the moon.  Some guests got even better photographs later on that evening but we've had very little since.
I forget the name but its a Trolls hat that had an arrow shot through it - caught in the sunlight and so turned to stone...

We do have two more sleeps so we have not given up yet - but, staying up to the early hours, being on deck in minus temperatures for hours on a night is taking its toll, and one of our astronomers is down with the lurgy and the other is completely knackered.  The glamourous assistants are doing their best to keep spirits up - but they're pretty done in as well - and all for what seems like a very little return. We've seen a few glimmers of green mainly caught on camera across the dark skies.... a lot of cloud but last night we did witness a very beautiful mood rise. 
Dr Fred did a stargazing session last night and there were over a 100 people in attendance.... 
Stunning light from across the deck at sun set...
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