Ålesund

A pretty place, made even prettier by a bright sun. Something we've not seen for several days.

While we waited for our bus - delayed by 45 minutes owing to a technical problem - we caught sight of the first of today's kayakers preparing to set out around the harbour. Their last chance too, as we'll be setting off back across the North Sea after lunch today.

Having discovered the icy state of the pier, we beat a hasty retreat back aboard. With the ship safely moored, and therefore stable, we took advantage of that to complete most of the return packing, leaving out only those clothes we'll need for the next two days.

Neither of us fancied doing that in the middle of the North Sea, even though the weather is predicted to be "mild".

For the rest of the morning we enjoyed the sunny sights of Ålesund, together with the interesting refuelling activities going on alongside.