Life can be good on a calm North Sea

(And so I continue writing about the Norway trip that my wife, Mary Pat Treuthart, and I took in May.)

Sunday, May 11, 10:27 a.m. (Central European Summer Time): This is a sea day as our ship, the Celebrity Apex, heads east and then north across the North Sea and toward our target: The Norwegian fjords.

I was up at 6, way earlier than I’m used to, but instead of heading to the Oceanview Café – which offers a smorgasbord of breakfast dishes targeted at international palates – I head instead to the running/walking track.

Not to sound insufferable, but there’s nothing quite as bracing as exercising outdoors on the open sea. At home in Spokane, I try to walk a couple of miles through Manito Park every morning with my friend Jim. So I figured it wouldn’t be too hard to do some laps around the top deck, 4 and a half of them amounting to one mile.

And I did I get my nine laps in, fighting the wind that nearly knocked me sideways more than once while being passed by every one the other walkers/runners, some of whom were acting as if they were competing in a triathlon. I’m a bit chagrined that I even I had to make room so that one elderly woman, who actually seemed to be limping, could get past me. So much for whatever lingering sense of manly pride I might have had.

Back in our stateroom, I was greeted by a crew member delivering our free continental breakfast. Coffee (tea for Mary Pat) and croissants, served with a bit of fresh fruit. I take my rewards as they come.

3:09 p.m.: What with all the talk of tariffs and questions involving longtime international alliances, it’s not uncommon to read stories about anti-American attitudes being thrown at U.S. citizens traveling abroad. But so far, we’ve been lucky to avoid any awkward incidents.

That is, until earlier today. Here’s the scene: Mary Pat and I, along with our in-laws – Mary Pat’s sister Jean and her husband Steve – were in one of the ship’s coffee areas. It was crowded and, as I rose from a chair to leave, a woman bumped into my back.

Actually, I’m not sure whether she bumped into me or I backed into her. All I know is that in trying to slip past me, she collided with my backside and fell to her knees. And she began to complain that her drink had spilled on her hand, burning her (shades of the McDonald’s coffee controversy).

I quickly apologized and would have tried to help her back up, but she made it clear that she didn’t want to have anything to do with me. I apologized again even as she kept complaining, refusing to acknowledge that I was even there.

I tried apologizing a third time but gave up. Still not meeting my eyes, she got to her feet and joined by the baseball-capped guy who was accompanying her – a guy who, I noticed, didn’t move to help her either – both of them walked away.

It all happened in less than half a minute. As Mary Pat and Jean questioned each other about what had happened, we could hear the woman mutter, “Of course they’re Americans.”

Now, as insults go, that’s not too onerous. I’ve endured worse just walking down the street in Florence, Italy, when a guy made fun of my poor attempts at speaking Italian. But this felt a bit unfair, and I’m not sure what an accidental collision has to do with anyone’s nationality

(Writing this some two months later, let me stress that it was the only such occurrence of the whole trip. As opposed to whatever country that woman hailed from, Norwegians as a whole tend to be far more polite.)

10:21 p.m.: In the afternoon, the four of us competed in a second general-knowledge trivia contest. This time we answered 16 of the 20 questions correctly, which made us far and away the winners. It’s clear that I hang out with some pretty smart people.

That evening we attended one of the main amenities (that’s the official word) offered by cruise ships: Las Vegas-type shows. I remember watching a Cirque de Soleil-type production several years ago on our cruise through Alaska’s Inner Passage. It was particularly impressive because the rocking waves posed a serious problem for the gymnasts, who still performed flawlessly.

The show tonight was called “Crystallize,” and it was described as a “multi-sensory spectacle” that features “Electrifying pop violin music and mesmerizing choreography and aerial acrobatics.” It lived up to the hype, even I I couldn’t follow what passed for a storyline. Still, the production featured an impressie digital backdrop, dancers and circus-savvy acrobats and cast of some strong-voiced singers doing versions of popular songs by the likes of Cold Play and The Eurythmics.

And though it all felt a bit busy – I couldn’t really focus on any particular performer other than the woman playing hot licks on her violin – I was struck by how good everyone was. Aside from the violinist and several of the singers, I was most impressed by the guy who walked around the stage … on his hands.

The whole program reminded me of the last couple of times I’ve attended road shows at Spokane’s First Interstate Center for the Arts. Not just “Hamilton” but “Hadestown” as well. In each, I tended to pay attention to the secondary cast members, all of whom likely had been the best singers/dancers at their respective schools.

So many skilled people, so few roles to play. But then not everybody can be Lin-Manuel Miranda … or even be part of one of his musicals.

Next up: First port of call, Nordfjordeid, and Viking dreams.