I had an imagined day climbing the Pulpit Rock over the Lysefjord but over the past few weeks it has been clear that I would not manage a 4 hour hike, climbing 1500 feet both from energy levels and leg fitness but also going 4 hours without a comfort stop. I chose to do the next best thing which was to take a boat to the Lysefjord and see the Pulpit Rock from 2000 feet below. The additional benefit was to really appreciate the scale of this fjord. The three and half hour boat ride with over half an hour exploring the fjord was exceptionally comfortable with a relatively small number of passengers on a pretty large electric catamaran. The boat departed at 10am and we were back in dock about 1:20pm leaving plenty time to explore the local areas around the harbour including “Gamle Stavanger” literally Old Stavanger. The plan was not a complete winner as the intermittent light rain that we left when we headed out was still around when we got back. A coffee break when the rain was heaviest left me thinking, “back to the hotel and edit my photos”. I mentioned a couple who I met on the funicular in Bergen who were from central Asia but now resident in Stavanger. They recommended the fish soup in the Fisketorget (fish market) as, in their opinion, it is the best in Norway. I managed to get a table which was great but a little easier being a Monday night, had the fish soup as a main course and it was excellent. Being part of the fish market the soup is not the same each day. There is a basic creamy broth and vegetables, with always prawns but the fish depends on the catch. The waitress listed the fish but I really only caught ling and halibut out of about four varieties. Most were typical white fish but some pieces had their pan seared skin on adding hints of crisp texture. A nice Sancerre was an ideal accompaniment. So Stavanger has provided me with a quality fast food burger and now a little fine dining. The headline photo was unique to me as everyone else had returned to the cabin to relax on the way home but I wanted the image below so waited. Someone made it to the Pulpit Rock 2000 feet above me. We stopped a few times along the way including at a decent waterfall being captured by everyone. Another stop was at the vagabond cave. The excellent and not intrusive commentary in English and Norwegian explained that they were criminals and this was their hideout. When the police came they escaped up the rock face! We also met a couple of goats who amazingly were waiting for us. Could it be the food that the crew threw to them? See if you can spot them in the second picture showing the full cliff. I’ve added a couple of images giving a sense of the fjord as a whole and then three of life on board. Both on the way out and the way back we were surrounded by eider ducks near the huge granary and a couple of males just made a dash to safety as we passed. The remainder of images are from Stavanger including the petroleum museum made to look like an oil rig. The white wooden buildings are typical of Gamle Stavanger and, of course there is some wall art. The great stone frontage is of Stavanger Cathedral, built in 1125 and the oldest in Norway. Of course there are trolls on security at some shops. Number 18 Skagen was a lovely coffee shop with a variety of old homestyle furniture and a decent cup of coffee. The last three photos are from this evening. The Fisketorget is on the left in the first with the bars along the other side. Irish pub anyone? The little boy looking after the ducks may not be aware there is an owl waiting for him to leave. Every town should have an illuminated fountain. One feature you cannot capture in a photo is the sound of a small murmuration of starlings just landed in the trees close by to settle for the night. I might post a little video later, just for the sound.