Hi everyone
This must be the longest break I’ve taken from posting a blog but I have the best excuse – I was on my cruise to Norway! This is the country I absolutely adore and I hope that you too come to understand why I feel that way when I show you some of the many photos I took during my 7-day trip.
Here I am all packed and ready to go.
That’s one large suitcase each plus a cabin sized suitcase for both of us. I have a relaxed stance in the pic but my face says another story – I wasn’t really. However, the holiday starts as soon as the car arrives to take up to the port of Dover. Unbelievably this cruise line picks you up from your door – wherever you live. Our journey is 2 hours, but we met a couple who had travelled 8 hours from Penzance in Cornwall and in 2024 we’d met people who had been picked from Scotland. This is the most fantastic service you could have, ever, which is why we choose Saga every time.
OMG was I pleased to arrive!
The cabin.
Every cabin in this ship has a balcony and we had a terrific view as we were practically on the top deck. I was wearing my barrel shaped animal print jeans, which I wore on the first day and our last. In this pic I am wearing my old off-white trainers for deck shoes and in the first pic under the jeans I’m wearing long fur-lined boots, which I wore for every excursion on shore in Norway. With temperatures in single figures they were really necessary. But the cold in Norway is a dry cold and it didn’t seem particularly cold to someone living in the UK with its bone-chilling damp cold.
This was the first evening and I wore my crepe trousers (which you will see later on) and a fleece top as the dress code was relaxed casual. I was so happy to be on board ship.
Our first day at sea and I wore a particularly successful outfit, which I repeated with a different top for the last 2 days, which were again at sea.
It was so comfortable and yet quite stylish, I’d say.
And now on the evening of the first day at sea on formal night I wore an amazing skirt, which I’d picked up just a week before the cruise.
I tell you, several times in this charity shop I walked past the skirt hanging on a rack, thinking, ‘could I, should I?’ No. Yes. No. I kept dithering, yet I was drawn to it. It was new with its Zara labels on, and the price – £30. What was stopping me? Reader I was saying to myself I was too old to wear it. Good grief, fancy me saying that! I gave myself a talking to – and bought it.
I wore it with a low black top which you cannot see and a black, short sleeved cardi, plus my standout necklace. I don’t wear real metals, just bold, as bold as possible, costume jewellery.
I think this was a really successful outfit for a formal night. I’m so glad I bought it and didn’t listen to the negative voice in my head.
The next day we were in Bergen, which we have been to many times, 4 times I think. Its weather is primarily rain and we’ve encountered that twice, but this year we went up the funicular on an excursion and just look at the weather!
Although most people wore jackets I had a long fleece-lined raincoat and it was exactly the right coat to wear. To give you perspective you can just see our ship. Look at the man in the red hat and there below is the Spirit of Discovery.
It was a beautiful, if cold, day. Just perfect. My day clothes though weren’t quite as successful.
I must remember i) I do not suit flappy wide trousers, and ii) the wide style does not suit cold weather – they’re far too draughty!
Goodbye Bergen – until the next time!
For the rest of the evenings I wore variations on a black balloon skirt and a brown balloon skirt, each worn with different tops.
A friend saw this on Facebook and thought the skirt was pantaloons, but truly these skirts flow out and swish back and forth when you walk.
Here is the black balloon skirt.
Note also, I never once wore dainty shoes. It was either the black boots, which I wore with the tulle skirt, or these below, which again, I bought just before the cruise at a very reasonable price too.
The next day we were in Flam where we had to disembark via a tender.
We just went out and walked around and chilled. Btw we did not go up the world famous Flam Railway as we’d been on it twice now, but if you ever get to Flam, this is a must. It’s wonderful.
The tight black jeans were far more suitable for the cold weather, however, this day was much warmer. The coat was unnecessary! Oh yes, note the hat, that was bought on the ship , which amazingly had an area in the shop for Seasalt clothes. Reader, I had to buy it – it has sequins!
Bye, bye, beautiful Flam. Btw throughout the cruise we saw snow-capped fjords which were quite magical.
Another view.
This! These pics above and below show exactly why I love Norway so.
Next port of call was a little village of 300 people – Skjolden – which I love. Been there 3 times and I can’t have enough of it.
Although our ship is considered small with only 900 passengers, it is not a small ship and yet you can see it is dwarfed by the fjords. This was a cloudier day, but everything about Skjolden is beautiful including the passage to and from it.
And another view.
I have to tell you about this. We’ve been on this ship three times now and on our first trip we passed this art work – and then stopped. What! The bottom left portrait looked exactly like a friend of mine, Joy. We looked closer. It was Joy! Wow! So every time we go on this ship we let Joy know we are travelling with her once again!
This outfit was worn towards the end of the cruise
A relaxed top with a sparkly cardigan and my trusty crepe trousers, which I’ve had for years but only wear on cruises!
I was so happy to be cruising again.
Goodbye Norway!
A last sunset seen from The Grill where we like to eat rather than the more formal Main Dining Room as it has some spectacular views from its high position.
There we are. I simply loved the fact I was cruising again. Next year, 2 weeks on a cruise called, Seven Nations in Northern Europe. Three of the countries will be Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania and I cannot wait for that, but of course will have to. It’s great to have that to look forward to.
What else. Well, finally I think I’ve cracked the dress code, or should I say, my approach to the dress code. I mean, for my first years of cruising evening wear was very formal and I loved that and wore beautiful long evening gowns for formal nights, of which there were more of them: 2 on a 7 night, and 4 for a 14 night cruise. But since that break caused by Covid, formal nights have reduced and dress wear is more casual, or should I say smart casual, and I felt ill at ease wearing my dresses. But not now, what with me bringing just 3 skirts and 1 pair of crepe trousers. So while many still wear dresses what worked for me was bringing one stunner of a skirt, and two more conventional but rather nice skirts, along with a variety of black and animal print tops. Yup – that’s me sorted!
Finally, cruising is not just about dressing up (although I have to admit that is what I love about cruising) but on this particular cruise line you meet lovely people and above all, get taken to astonishingly beautiful places. And for that I am forever grateful to be seeing the beauty. We need experiences like that now these days, so it was just such a treat to have 7 days of this.
It is, of course, great to be back home and back to writing blogs and replying to your comments.
With love PennyX
Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos. I can totally understand why you love cruising. Not sure I could do it on my own though.
Most cruise lines look after single passengers very well. On Saga there is a singles meet-up very day and you can be introduced to someone to go together on excursions. Of course you don’t have to do this, it’s just available. Also there are a couple of singles lunches and also dinners. They do everything to help you integrate and meet people whilst eating. I find The Grill the easiest to eat in but that also happens in the Main Dining Room as well . And if you can’t face chatting at breakfast you can always have breakfast in your cabin – we do that now.
Also note that Saga looks incredibly expensive but all the other cruise lines have inside cabins which are the prices publicised as having a cheaper cruise. And there are many many extras so actually once you’ve paid the Sagas price, there is absolutely nothing else to pay for.
End of praise for cruises for single people!!
Thanks re: the photographs 🙂 Norway is incredibly beautiful and cruising is the only way to see the fjords.
Hello, Penny
Welcome home! I’ve been thinking about you enjoying one of my/our favourite countries and hoping you were having a grand time. I’m sure the fresh air helped you feel a whole lot better too; you can’t beat a good old Bergen breeze to put the wind back in your sails! I have two abiding memories of that place: watching a seagull trying to land on a very rainy road thinking it was water, and my friend and I seeing a lady we both knew walking towards us one evening! She was in another cruise and nine of us knew of each others’ plans. Talk about a small world!
I think your outfits were just right. As a Not-Posh, I/we tend to avoid dining where ‘longs’ are the dresses of the day – or rather, the evening – and choose smart-casual eateries instead so I was pleased to hear that dress codes are more relaxed these days. You looked lovely, and am pleased that your evening wear included boots. I shall remember that!
Here’s to your next cruise, Penny, with greatly improved health by then. You go girl!
Take care
Zepherine x
Hi Zepherine and yes, the cruise was such a boost. It wasn’t entirely wonderful as the high cabin had some movement (it was an unassigned cabin) so next year’s lower down midships cabin will be better. But the food, the scenery and the fresh Norwegian air was just exceptional – as usual.
And yes, I have cracked the clothes situation. The first few years I had lovely long dresses, but that style is now so not me, as I am definitely a ‘skirts and chunky boots’ woman. Getting my style just right contributed hugely to the relaxed feeling I got from the cruise. Roll on the next one!
Thanks Zepherine – we think alike on the subject of cruising 🙂
Ah, I forgot to say that the silly seagull was all right! He skidded a few times and got hot feet, thought better of it and flew off back to the bay to cool off!
Z x
Good to hear! 😁
It sounds like such a lovely time! I need to do some research if we are to take a cruise to Alaska next year! Might use a travel agent! Lovely outfits snd that skirt, such a stunner and so you! Glad you bought it! The views on your cruise were incredible!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
I’ve watched short videos on YouTube about the difference between Alaska and Norway, as both are spectacular in their own unique ways. In Alaska you are more likely to see wildlife including whales and other sea life, in Norway it is definitely the scenery which is astonishing as these large cruise ships can go quite far into the middle of Norway because the fjords are incredibly deep. Norway is marginally less touristy as we get to go to small villages with few tourist attractions. Some time into the ’30s Norway will ban cruise ships from many of the fjords if they are not powered by electric engines. Now that will be interesting – so I am going to Norway as often as possible until even the (relatively) small Saga cruise ships are banned. By which time I will probably have kicked the bucket as they say!!!
Thanks Mireille – you will love your Alaskan cruise I am sure 🙂
What a wonderful time you had, Penny! I’m so pleased for you. You seem to have mastered the art of cruise dressing. The Zara skirt is stunning. How do you find Zara’s sizing?
As we are selling our house in France, I am looking forward to some new adventures. First on our list is a cruise to Norway, and when the time comes, I will refer back to this blog. Take care.
Zara’s sizing is completely up the creek as I have at times bought a Small size item and a Large size and both fitted very well. And I have finally mastered the art of the current cruise wear, as it has changed from our first cruise in 2012 when it was very formal every day of the cruise with men in suits and ties throughout and women were extra smart. We still have Formal nights (1 on a 7-day) but we decided Bill needn’t take his DJ this time, but he will for next year’s cruise when there will be 3 Formal nights. And I might take 2 dresses. But I used to take nothing but dresses for evening wear, so taking a couple of smart skirts and tops that can be used with each was so much better.
A cruise to Norway is always a good introduction to cruising as they are usually 7-days and that length of time will show you whether you like cruises or not. Do the research to find the cruise line you like the sound of. But always remember that the cheap prices publicised will start with inside cabins (yuk). On Saga, which I totally admit is niche because of the age restriction, every cabin has a balcony – which is fabulous. The age grouping though has come down to 50+ which isn’t at all bad and there were quite a few of that age group on this cruise. Excursions for the age group would be hikes and rib boats of which the latter sounds quite alarming to me as I’ve seen them shooting off at high speeds. But a couple we met in their early 60s were very keen on them.
Thanks June 🙂 And all the best re: the sale of the house you have in France – it must have been quite a thing to make that decision.
Thank you for all your helpful suggestions about cruising, Penny.
It took us quite a while to decide to sell our house in France. If we were talking face-to-face, I’d go into the details, but I would say that the stars aligned for us! We won’t stop spending a significant amount of time in France, but we’ll rent instead, with far less responsibility and stress. I’m also excited about the possibility of visiting the many places on my travel list!
Hello Penny, What lovely pictures of your latest cruise . We love Saga as well and have been on four of their cruises, it’s just luxury from start to finish! We have only been to the Canaries and Morocco so far but Norway looks quite different , Is it generally rather cold ?. We seem to go for sunshine but I would like try a different trip next time. Your wardrobe looks just perfect ,I love the Zara skirt and all your tops are so interesting especially with really lovely and strange ( in a good way) necklaces.
Can I be rather rude and ask if you have given up wearing makeup now? I am nearly 87 and adore wearing makeup every day ,it finishes a look off and certainly cheers me up if I am tired or under the weather! . Please go back to a nice red lipstick !!
I love reading your lovely blog , you always hit just the right note.Thankyou
Best wishes Judy from Brighton
Well, the thing about Norway’s climate is that it is changing just like everywhere in the world because of climate change, so if you go in the summer (late June, July and August, even early September) it’s very likely to be quite hot. Early May was the earliest we’ve been to Norway and it was more incredibly windy on the North Sea (but not too choppy) and then once in Norway it was a crisp kind of dry cold which is nothing like our UK cold. But I absolutely guarantee that the cold we had on our cruise (which btw we loved as it meant we saw snow capped fjords for the first time) will not be there in the summer months.
Wardrobe is exactly as I want it now which is great. And oh no, not rude at all, as it is a relief somehow to talk about it. Sadly the two cataract operations I had and the gap between not wearing makeup and then trying to restart was a disaster, and moreover continues to be one, as my eyes have become incredibly sensitive, easily irritated and unable to wear eye make up. My first attempt to wear makeup and my whole face went bright red and stung all over!! I have returned to wearing a CC cream (the brand is Erborian) and I could probably do more contouring now, but not eye makeup as they are still very easily irritated. Which is appalling, as eye makeup was always my thing. I’ve been wearing eye makeup since I was 15 and it is such a blow to not wear it as somehow it isn’t me – at all!!!! However, Judy, in the last 15- 20 years I never wore lipstick as I have tried every product under the sun (including LFF primer – any primer) and cannot prevent my lipstick marching up to my nose – like the Joker in Batman. So I was always made up for that with smoky and quite heavy eye makeup. And now it is not possible. And I do rage about that!!! Which is why I wear bold glasses as I feel my face is quite under-dressed these days. End of rant of the day!
However, I do visit a dry eye specialist and am using all sorts of products to prevent and reduce dry eye and the consequent eye makeup no-no. I was told I might be able to try it by the end of the year. Woo-hoo if that is possible!
There you go – that’s why I do look a bit pasty these days. But thanks for letting me explain. Some people say they don’t notice any different – but there is a difference and it is good to talk about this. So thank you for that Judy. And I much appreciate your feedback on the blog 🙂
Evening Penny
Great to read you had a good cruise. You look very happy and relaxed. Cruises clearly suit you.
Your outfits were all interesting and you looked great. Congratulations, you’ve now got a clothes formula that works for you. (A cut back on stress, for sure.) I, too, don’t like formal nights: likewise, ‘Captain’s table’ lark.
As you know, we’re on holiday this week in London. As I write, I’m lounging on the bed of our hotel room, looking at Big Ben across the river, reminding myself that life is good. I popped into a nearby charity shop and found myself a gilet, a jacket and a gaudy necklace. And for Derek, a new shirt. (Never miss a bargain hunt! Emoji
All the best to you and to Bill.
Mary
Hi Mary, yes, I’ve got the clothing code cracked now and will continue to wear similar stuff plus a dress or two for a longer cruise like next year’s 2 week one. Yes, cruises really suit me, especially Saga who look after you so well. I was so happy to be able to negotiate the getting on to the tenders helped by two strong muscly guys. I had worried about that. Actually people far less mobile than me were able to get on to these little boats – which is why Saga is so good. They really look after you.
Love that you are in London again. We shall come up several times to art galleries fairly soon. But in September I will once again go to the Mole Clinic – not chosen a date as yet but when I do I shall get in touch and hopefully we can meet up again.
And yes, never miss a charity shop opportunity – three cheers for that! Thanks Mary 🙂
I think Saga should be giving you a free trip for your glowing cruise report . You are definitely a good advert for cruising as you look so relaxed & happy . Great photos too .
Oh I wish Wendy! But once on the ship I was relaxed, especially as it was to my favourite country, Norway. Thanks re: the photos, they are a mix of ones I took and ones taken by my other half. Thanks again Wendy 🙂
You’re right…it is such a treat and we are blessed to be able to do these things. Just learning and experiencing other cultures and countries make us better people.
XOOX
Jodie
It does widen our eyes so much to be in other countries. We have a television series called Race across the World, where pairs of people (could be friends or relatives) race across various, usually quite unusual countries. This year they went from Italy to, unbelievably, Mongolia. With temperatures ranging from 30C (86F) to -40C (-40F). Not only did the participants learn a lot so did we, the viewers. We are so ignorant of some countries – it was so rewarding to watch and learn.
Thanks Jodie 🙂
How lovely it was to see your post this morning! I think you got the formal evenings exactly right. When I went on my cruise in 2019 they had two formal evenings a week. There were quite a few women who wore evening gowns. Many did not of course, but I tried to look a little more fancy. Before that I had only been on two other cruises with Viking, where there are no formal nights, everyone is usually in smart casual although many did get a little more dressed up at dinner. Also there were less than 200 people on the ship. My Princess Baltic cruise was somewhat of a shock, with so many people. That trip was the last time I had been out of the country. We did get to spend a day in Oslo, Norway, which was beautiful and I wish I had more time to see the countryside. We also went to Estonia, to the capital Tallin which was so interesting, with a long history of art and craft, We visited a whole area where there were so many workshops with such beautiful things. You will love it. I would like to take another cruise, so many places yet to see. Going out of the country now seems scary, mostly the air travel. Not brave enough to do it on my own. Cruising really is your element, you look so happy and vibrant. With love from New York, Darby
Yes, Saga cruises were far more formal in 2012 and 2014 when I went on our first two cruises. There were 3 dress codes of which one was the formal night with men in DJs and women in long dresses, the second was smart casual, but men were expected to wear a suit and tie – and they all did! And women would wear a cocktail dress. Not so now! And casual on the first day and the last evening , but people still dressed well, but men were allowed to not wear a tie!! I now feel I’ve got it right. And I will only wear dresses on formal nights plus that amazing skirt.
I absolutely get your fear of the long flight to Europe for a cruise. On one cruise with 99% Americans (that was sooo interesting for us) we complained about our delayed flight to Amsterdam taking 3 hours (mostly waiting) instead of 45 minutes. I got the reply, ‘honey, you try a 13 hour flight!’
Yes, cruising is my thing and I hope to do it for as long as possible and, indeed, next year’s cruise to the 3 Baltic countries will be great. And yes, Oslo is a lovely city to visit. Practically all the cars there were electric – it felt and smelt so clean.
Thanks as ever, Darby X
It was soooo good to see the pictures of you in your OOTD while you were on the cruise. You looked very happy. Sounds like your cruise was a huge success. Having only taken one cruise (so far) in my life, I am very anxious for my next one. They are such a delightful way to travel and see the world. And I loved the coziness of our cabin. Having a balcony gave us a little extra space and having a beautiful big window onto the world helped, too.
Those boots are divine. As are both of the skirts you wore. Our cruise was taken since Covid and I was thankful to not have to worry about packing and styling and wearing a formal gown. I wore a velvet jumpsuit for one of our fancier dinners and it was just perfect.
Glad you have another cruise in the works and have a year to anticipate and look forward to that adventure.
Leslie at https://onceuponatimehappilyeverafteragain.blogspot.com/
I absolutely love the dressing up on a cruise, but it has changed a lot since I first started cruising. Now things are far more informal, but still, women tend to wear something really smart and stylish, but there are fewer formal nights, just one this time on a 7-day. I am looking forward to our next cruise which will have 3 formal nights! But I am also so glad I’ve cracked the code – yes, it’s chunky but stylish boots for me, every time! And a skirt and top.
Once you start cruising I think it becomes quite addictive! The Saga cruises are so good and never feels crowded either. It is worth us paying that little extra for that experience of being looked after so well.
Thanks so much Leslie 🙂
Welcome home, Penny! You look fabulous in all of your outfits, and I cannot believe you had to talk yourself into that gorgeous skirt! You look so chic in it! I so want to go to Norway. During Covid, I began watching Arne & Carlos on YouTube. They did a “Sit & Knit” video every day for months. We would knit the cutest little squares. That’s how I learned to do colorwork in knitting. Now, they are back to leading tours, but my goodness! They are expensive! Perhaps, I need to look into the Saga cruises and just leave from your doorstep! Seriously, I doubt I will ever get Mike on a plane again let alone a cruise…especially after the hantavirus outbreak. I’m so glad you had such a wonderful time and took us along!
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I don’t think you need to worry about hantavirus as it’s very rare (unlike norovirus) but I totally get that the flight to Norway, or the UK, is a long one. Btw, Saga looks after people with mobility issues so well. I think things are much stricter these days as I had to register as having a rollator, but there are a small number of adapted cabins and a couple of people were in wheelchairs. Others had sticks and/or rollators of which I was one. The crew are amazing getting people like us (some far more immobile than me) onto the tenders. But the best thing is to choose a cruise that doesn’t tender. Our next one goes to far more places than this year’s cruise and not one of them needs a tender – which I am very happy about.
Yes, I had such happy time on this cruise – it was great! Thanks Marsha 🙂
Penny, I am so pleased you enjoyed your cruise . Lovely photos I had forgotten how beautiful Norway is . Your skirts all look just wonderful and it’s a good thing you bought the more formal skirt as it looks stunning on you . As for the wider pants I actually like them on you . I find wearing a pair of leggings under them keeps me warm all Winter.
The cruise was just ace and it felt wonderful doing another cruise as we missed out last year. That tulle skirt is by Zara, and is a great find, but both the brown and black balloon skirts were bought from Idaretobe, which I look at every now and then and search for a bargain!
I did wear tights under the wide trousers, but there’s something about this style I don’t like. I cannot get away from the idea that my kind of trousers (or jeans) are skinny.
Norway is indeed beautiful. I can’t get enough of that country. I’d like to eventually do a longer trip up to the north of Norway.
Thanks Jill 🙂
Looking great Penny, fit and trim. So glad you had a good time….and that you bought the Zara skirt, it’s just perfect for you. Enjoyed seeing the pics particularly all the blue skies. Hope you’ll be able to add this to the link-up. You were again the most clicked blogger last week!
Hi Gail, and thanks for the compliments re: looking fit and trim! Not entirely fit though!!! But then staff were so helpful and actually the whole trip gave me a lot of confidence. And the Zara skirt is amazing! I’m so glad I bought it as it’s my kind of skirt totally – but I still had to convince myself. Glad I did. The weather too was good for that time of year with no rain and mostly blue skies.
Oh wow, really? As in the most clicked? Thanks so much for hosting the link and therefore allowing this larger audience. But it’s now rather late in the day to put it on the current linky but I will definitely put it up for your next one.
Thanks so much Gail 🙂
Thanks for sharing your photos. Norway looks amazing and so do you with your great outfits. I love your Zara skirt, it looks so elegant, and I think your animal print boots look the business, too. I’ve pretty much given up wearing skirts because anything tight round my waist is uncomfortable, so I tend to live in dungarees or jumpsuits. Now that you are back home I hope you’re enjoying this warmer weather that we’re getting. All the best, Penny x https://pennyhampson.co.uk/
Norway is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and I’m glad to have shared the photos of which, as you might expect, we took many more. Sorry to hear about the skirt situation, but I bet you look stylish in your jumpsuits. For me, while I still have a waist (but it is much changed from even 10 years ago as any weight goes onto my middle) I feel I can wear a waisted item of clothing.
The warmer weather is such change from when we came back last Saturday. We’d left the heating off and the temperature in the flat was 15C – now it’s almost 10 degrees warmer! I will be wearing my coolest dress tomorrow when I go to a talk at Charleston. Hoping the tent doesn’t become too hot.
Yes, it is nice to be back home but I am glad to have a cruise to look forward to. Thanks Penny 🙂
Welcome back, Penny,
Thank you for sharing pictures and memories of your cruise to Norway.
It was a lovely trip and can’t wait for next year’s cruise! Thanks Cindy 🙂
Welcome home Penny. Lovely pics, looking very elegant as usual and you clearly look like you’re enjoying yourself and I’m so glad you did. I love Norway and we’re off on our second trip on the Hurtigruten, this time Bergen – Kirkenes – Bergen in November. Not quite the dressy up cruise but a wonderful relaxed meander up and down the Norwegian coast with stops along the way. I’m hoping for a repeat of the spectacular Northern Lights we saw last time, 16 years ago.
Oh I’ve often thought about doing a Hurtigruten trip, but think now that I might try the Saga version, but not in the winter as we’d have to buy too much gear to wear, and tbh, it’s expensive enough whichever line you go to, although I understand Saga gives you to keep a red winter jacket on their winter version of Hurtigruten. Btw, you probably won’t see the Northern Lights. Because you are going in June you will see the White Nights, as in the far north the sun will never set, which is amazing. We saw these nights on a Baltic cruise to St.Petersburg. Even down south of Norway, in May, the sun was setting at 10.0pm.
What a great trip you are doing – enjoy! 🙂
The cruise looks incredible! I would love to explore Northern Europe more, The Zara skirt is fabulous! Thank you for linking!
Emma xxx
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