Ålesund, Norway

Wednesday, June 21st
Ålesund, Norway
ms Koningsdam
Voyage of the Midnight Sun
Day 11
Overcast - 54 Degrees

Ålesund is a lemons out of lemonade kind of town.  In 1904, a massive fire burned the entire town down to the ground.  It was such a devastating tragedy, and such a complete loss, that all of Norway, and all of Europe, came to the rescue and helped them rebuild.  Kaiser Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany, loaded his three largest warships with supplies and sent them to Ålesund.  In just three years, the entire city was rebuilt, in stone, not wood, and in the prevailing architectural style of the time, art nouveau, Jugendstil in Norwegian.  The historic center remains intact, and represents the largest and most complete collection of art nouveau architecture in Europe.  The tragedy has become the attraction.

After standing in the cold and wind for an hour and a half, we boarded a hop-on-hop-off bus for a tour of the city.  They were down a bus, so we didn't dare hop off for fear of missing the boat, but it was a nice tour.  We walked back into town at the end for a closer look, and the larger perspective from the ship.

Ålesund hosts a yearly summer solstice festival.  Last year, they set the world record for the largest bonfire.  Preparations are in full swing for this year's festival, and they are going to try to break their own record.  The pyre is set on the waterfront.  The fire boat gave us a salute at sailaway.  They must be practicing for the bonfire.

Next Stop:  Eidfjord, Norway