Made in Norway

July 2011

Sis asked about the sweaters we bought from the ship’s boutique, so here goes.

While in Tromsø, we looked at woolen goods — those beautiful colorful sweaters and cardigans that shout out their Nordic heritage. Unfortunately, they were either too big for me across the shoulders and chest, or they were priced out of our budget. Now that I think of it, I should have checked out the children’s large sizes. Too late now; we already have our knits.

Shortly after boarding Silver Explorer, my eye was caught by a cardigan in the boutique’s window. We were still in port and the shop was closed, so I just pointed it out to Mui and then promptly forgot about it. Not so, Mui. In fact, just mention buying something, and Mui puts it in his “mental shopping cart” to quickly access as soon as the opportunity to purchase presents itself.

During our first day at sea, Mui convinced me to return to the shop for a closer look at the cardigan. Designed in a soft, creamy white and gray palate, I liked it even better up close. When the fit turned out to be perfect, I was hooked.

As we were about to leave the store, I noticed a black, zippered cardigan on a hanger. I suggested that Mui try it on to see how it fit. Perfect! So, it too got charged to the onboard bill. (Thank you Silversea for the onboard credit … wink, wink!) Lined as it is, the thick knit will actually work very well for Mui as a winter jacket.

One last purchase was a headband I saw peeking out from under some other stuff on a shelf. I have several winter headbands ranging from Falkland Islands wool to Alaskan qiviut (yarn made from the underwool of musk oxen). I use them a lot. What attracted me to this Norwegian-made headband was the fleece lining and the wider section to better cover the ears. OK, that went in the shopping bag too.

Souvenir knick-knacks we no longer buy when we’re traveling. However, small pieces of jewelry or clothing from places we visit not only serve a useful purpose, but they also remind us of the great trips we’ve been privileged to take. Our collection of such items has now increased by three!