We arrive at Alesund ready to hit the road early. It is foggy and misty but hopefully it will burn off. Ryan really wants to go the aquarium there, so around 9am we grab a cab and head to Atlanerhavsparken. As we go, we pay close attention because we are walking back. I've google mapped it so I have a good idea where to go but figured we'd play it safe. We get there right after they open so we have the place to ourselves. Its a really great, hands on place to lose yourself of a couple of hours. Ryan is thrilled not only to see a wolf fish but with the fact that they are in an open top tank. He wants to wait and watch for someone to try to pet them. (Darwinism at its best!) There is a fantastic penguin exhibit outside along with a big water play area. The boys had lots of fun putting in dams and watching their boats float down the hill.
 
After a cup of $5 coffee, that even Starbucks would be embarrassed about, we walk back to town. Downtown Alesund was almost completely destroyed in 1904 by fire but was rebuilt in Art Nouveau style, giving it a very distinctive look. Kaiser Wilhelm II used to vacation here so he led(funded) the rebuilding effort. We wander through the town for a while before Ryan & I decide to climb Mount Aksla. Its still foggy but we're hopeful it will clear by the time we have climbed the 419 steps. We get about halfway up when I suggest to Ryan that he take a picture. This is when he tells me his camera battery died at the Aquarium. Do you really think I'm going to climb the rest of the way and not have pictures to prove it? I don't think so! Besides, its still cloudy.

 We go back down to town and find a yarn store so I can stock up on projects for winter. As it starts raining again we decide not to push our luck too much and head back to the ship. About an half hour before we leave, the fog lifts and you can finally see the town and the top of Mount Aksla. Figures. I would love to go back and spend more time here as there was just so much more we could have done.