Leah and I crossed a rocky North Sea from Tilbury, England aboard Viking Star (more on this Viking ocean liner later),

and docked at Stavanger Port on an overcast morning.

Stavanger is Norway’s third largest region, and best known as the European capital for the oil and gas industry–which explains the town’s Norwegian Petroleum Museum, and its unusual derrick-like design on the city’s waterfront.

Stavanger is also a popular tourist hub, as it’s the gateway to the fjords. To that end, Leah and I had booked an off-ship excursion to Rogaland to cruise through Lysefjord in search of Preikestolen, better known as Pulpit Rock.

But with some time to kill before our departure, we disembarked early to stroll along the harbor plaza to find our bearings, and regain our sea legs after a day and a half of cruising.

The plaza was sleepy for an early Wednesday morning, but it was refreshing to have the place to ourselves.

We could enjoy the local art (that celebrates the shrimping industry)…

without concern for another’s footsteps.

We opted to tour the Gamle Stravanger (Old Town), where 173 wooden buildings from the turn of the 18th century have been preserved…

down to the cast bronze utility plate covers.

A casual walk along Old Town’s winding roads of white cottages…

 

soon brought us to an end-of-the-road cafe,

where old begat new,

and reminded us how far we’ve come…

and the distance we’ve traveled.

Our adventure continues…