Norway 10 -- end of the boat trip

The pleasure craft became more frequent, the snow more remote on the mountain tops, the houses on the shorelines more numerous and we made our way southward. 

There was a farewell party with champagne, group picture and folk dancing on the outdoor deck at the back of 7.  Last breakfast, last lunch, last salmon.  We chatted again with some Germans we met earlier on the trip and have actually exchanged email addresses.  Last kms around the deck.

Everything comes to an end and usually there are lineups involved.  Also here, but luggage was collected and we were bussed to our hotel in the city centre just across from the train station which we will need on Tuesday morning.

Virtually nothing is open in Bergen (or anywhere else in Norway) this weekend.  Even with google, it took 4 tries to find an open supermarket to get a few groceries for supper.  We have a Bergen Card which will get us into a lot of places free or highly discounted.  We will just need to see what tomorrow brings.

Norway 9 -- Trondheim again

So this time we arrived in Trondheim again early in the morning, but we had a scheduled city tour by bus and then a visit to the Nidaros Cathedral.  We actually drove to the area we had mistakenly walked last week -- there is a fortress there stemming from the time when Norway was defending itself from those warring Swedes.  The city was like a ghost town, it being the Easter holiday and almost everyone goes out of town to their cabin in the mountains.  One might find a cafe open but all the shops and even the grocery stores were all shut up tight.

Then we stopped at the cathedral.  It is an incredibly imposing stone structure in the gothic style constructed of soapstone.  It had spectacular stained glass windows and stone carvings.  These were first done by European masons as Norway had had no history of stone work when the church was started.   (No inside pictures allowed.) But the most important feature of the building is a magnificent Wagner organ, which is actually the first of two organ in the church -- total of 11,000 pipes.  Unfortunately, there was no music during the short time of our visit. That would be something worthy of a trip back to Trondheim.

The scenery has changed remarkably.  The mountains are more rounded, there is no snow at the lower levels and there are now trees again on many of the slopes.  Population density has increased and there are many more farms and flat places along the shore.  There is now an abundance of small watercrafts with marinas in most centres.

On a 'thank goodness' note, the captain spoke last evening and told us that up in the north where we were just a few days ago, storms have continued and snowfall is so great that most of the roads are closed, avalanche threats are everywhere and many of the small ports are closed.  I think I am glad to be on the southward journey.

Norway 8 -- Bronnoysund

Yes, today we have a very informative walk about in the town of Bronnysund which prides itself as being the middle of Norway.  There was a lovely Lutheran Church with 2 pipe organs, the registry office for anything official in all of Norway, and a nice little shop to sample elk, fish chips and chocolate with cloudberries.  So, today I talk about food.

We have eaten fabulously on this cruise.  Hurtigruten prides itself at sourcing the local specialities, right down to the sea salt with birch flavouring.  The fish is brought aboard fresh each day, they bake their own bread and cakes, they do vegetables in so many innovative ways -- hot and cold, their cheeses are superb, they do lovely mousses and have berries in every form.  I have had cod ("in cod we trust") and salmon (baked, poached, grilled, cured, smoked, pate, hot, cold, in salad, etc) and now can truly appreciate good fish.  We have been absolutely delighted by the treatment of beef and ox.  Lamb has been served dried and in a cured sausage.  There is always a vegetarian dish, usually well spiced in Indian, or Indonesian fashion.  They make their own crisp bread which is seeds and grains just barely held together.

At breakfast I have sampled 8 different jams/preserves.  Cloudberry, rhubarb, and raspberry are my favourites.  They have less sugar in their jams than is normal for North America and therefore a better acid balance.

This evening we had the gala 125th anniversary dinner of 5 courses -- cured meats, pea soup, cod, cheese, and  Norwegian Omelette (baked alaska).  Superb!  And for those of you wondering, Ian is feeling much better and was able to enjoy the feast.

And finally, we had, today, after we passed back over the Arctic Circle, the Norwegian product which children all over the world hated every morning -- cod liver oil.  But, there was a cool souvenir spoon!

Norway 7 -- Hammerfest

There seems to be a braggin battle between Hammerfest and Honnigsvag at to which is actually the most northern settlement.  I think it hinges on the term settlement or city or town.  In any case, we have been hanging around as north as it gets.  The scenery is incredibly stark, reminiscent of the Group of Seven paintings -- especially Lawren Harris.  The contrast of light and dark is amazing.

So in Hammerfest, there is a Royal and Ancient (1963) Polar Bear Society.  The object of this group is to preserve the tradition of hunting and fishing and maintain the museum to inform future generations.  For a one time fee of 200 NOK (about $37CDN) you can become a member for life and are invited to the annual membership meeting on the 3rd Sunday in January always held in Hammerfest.  It seemed a more worthwhile remembrance than a polar bear stuffie.

We sailed on, trying to catch up on time.  We were slow due to the storm the night before and battling the waves.  Also, the big Easter Holiday weekend is coming up and last evening in one port we were unloading 25 cars and bringing on 12 more as people head to their holiday destinations.  I like that this shipping line is functional for the locals as well as a pleasure for the tourists.

And it is becoming more of a pleasure for Ian again.  Now that we have the western offshore islands to protect us, the water is much calmer which means he no longer needs the motion sickness meds and therefore his tummy is much happier also.

We finished the night (or started the morning) with a midnight stop in Tromso where we boarded buses, drove over the bridge and attended a midnight concert at the Arctic cathedral.  It is an architecturally beautiful building -- very modern and open in its design, et with excellent warm and full acoustics.  The three musicians -- a baritone, a cellist and a organist/pianist -- delighted us with a selection of modern and classical pieces in the venue.  It was certainly worth staying up to attend.

This morning we continue west and south.  We now have the Lofoten islands protecting us on the west.  We just passed through an area where a channel had been dredged in 1922 to permit ships an inside passage through this area.  The natural depth is only 2 - 3 metres, but our ship draws 5.5.  Thankfully the channel, marked by a series of buoys, is maintained at 7 metres.

This space up on deck 7 which is officially Multe -- the bakery, is a wonderful area where one can get a coffee and purchase baked goods.  But it is also the play area.  Kids bring their own toys -- like the kids playing Minecraft lego-- or borrow some of the games, puzzles, or toys available.  There is usually at least one puzzle on the go on the table which conveniently has a small cove molding around the edge.  Anyone is welcome to come and join at any time.  It is also my favourite area to work on the cross stitch.  The light during the day is very good and the backdrop wonderful as I see the mountains and town sail past.  Conveniently located to the viewing area at the back of deck 7, I have gone out to the heated area to wait for a particular point of interest. 

Ah, it is snowing again here.  The weather is very localized and often it is sunny out one window and snowing and dark out the other side.  A very different and interesting landscape.

Norway 6 -- Kirkenes

Kirkenes, the final frontier. 

Not only is it the most eastern portion of Norway, it is the part that snuggles up to Russia and that certainly historically and even to the present, brings a unique situation.

Historically, the Pomorade trade (trade with the Pomors -- Russians from around the White Sea) brought prosperity to the north which was usually isolated from the rest of Norway.  The Russians were willing to take any amount of fish, even in less than perfect condition, and readily trade cheap flour and other essentials which were very expensive and infrequent, from the south.

Today, Kirkenes is still very connected to Russia -- the border is 17 km away.  This is still a major shopping location, now for the Russians to come and get cheap commercial goods and for the Norwegians to go across the border for cheap gas.  Signs in town are often in both languages.  There is a monument to the Russian soldier.  Kirkenes is another one of those northern towns bombed by the Germans in WWII due to its strategic position and an iron mine. 

It is not affected by the Gulf Stream as is the rest of the coast we have travelled.  This means that even now, there is ice in the fjord and we were an ice breaker in order to come into the harbour.  Everywhere there is at least a metre of snow and so little traffic on the roads that everything seem pristine white.

We were also in open sea most of the time. The storm last night had 70 km winds and 8 m swells.  The ship shudders as we drop from crest to trough.  Poor Ian is not a happy seafarer.

The waves also mean that we are now about 2 hr. behind schedule.  We go through snow squalls where you can't even see the water from the windows, and then a few minutes later, there will be bright sunshine on the white mountains.  A very imposing landscape.

Norway 5 -- Nordkapp

What do you expect when you go toward the pole?  Snow storm, of course.  In fact the storm was so bad it caused avalanches and the road to North Cape was closed causing the excursion which was to go there by bus, to be cancelled.  I had not planned on doing this, so it was not such a disappointment.  Instead, our expedition team took us on a walk of the town of Honnigsvag.  It was a small town, all destroyed during WWII except for the church.  It was in that building that the first people to resettle the town stayed while they rebuilt.  The architecture is simple and very efficient without ornamentation.  Ian tells me that this is what our northern towns look like also.

Speaking of Ian.  He is seasick -- not to the point of throwing up over the side (I took along both pills and some patches), but queasy enough to miss meals and just lie in bed.  It is amazing to see how the ship rocks and heaves when the waves don't seem very big at all.  Today we spent a good deal of time in the open sea -- going around the top of the country, so the people with the delicate constitutions found it a difficult day.

Today's lecture was on ship building here in Norway -- past to present and what is coming next.  They are just finishing the first hybrid ship which will run on electric only when it goes into the arctic and the antarctic where they wish to minimize their footprint. 

There is a picture puzzle table upstairs and anyone who wishes, sits down and puzzles a while.  There was a young German girl there today.  Also, whenever I pull out the heirloom, someone shows up to comment.  They love it and admire the dedication.  Nice people with which to interact.  But there are also the people who push in front and don't line up.  Just like anywhere else in the world.

Norway 4 -- Tromso

Well, we were roused from bed for good reason.  The Aurora was quite good.  Pictures do not do it justice, but we saw green and in some places purple also.  They didn't quite dance, but certainly moved around.  Although there was some high cloud, it was a good show.

Today we were introduced to the Sami culture.  Tromso is the gateway to the Arctic and it was interesting to walk around this university city.  It was more modern than we anticipated with a downtown much like all the other towns.  There are many new bridges that connect the islands and the mainland on the coast.  Oil money put to use.

We visited a local art gallery and the Polar museum which focuses on Arctic exploration, something the Norwegians did very well.  Amudsen is the local hero.  And then there was Henry Rudi -- the 'polar bear king', having killed 713 of them in his life.  Also of note was Wanny Woldstad who was the first female taxi driver in Tromso and then went on to become the first woman hunter on Svalbard.

Of interest is also that we are carrying more passengers who just are going from one small village here to another.  Many don't take overnight cabins.  This ship is more like a ferry service for them.  That's great to know it isn't just for us tourists.

Items of interest today:  a submarine just cutting the surface along the waterway between the coast and the outer islands, and an oil rig in the protected area for maintenance.

Every day seems to bring something special!

Norway 3 -- Bodo

OK, this is what we came for.

Twice last night -- at 11:15 and then again at 3:00 am, there was an announcement that there were some northern lights to be seen.  There was still quite a bit of high cloud, so it was not the sharp dancing ribbons, but it was varying green lights.  I hope that we will see them more clearly, but we have to lose the clouds.  I'm sitting here at our first stop in the Lofoten Islands and it is quite overcast.  The spectacular pictures will have to wait.  Mind you, hauling oneself out of bed and dressing in a hurry is not the nicest activity.  I will need to improve my preparation.

Our second Nordic activity took place at 07:19:56.  We crossed the Arctic Circle.  There was a small marker on a little island to mark the spot which a few of us noted at that hour of the morning on the deck.  However, the ceremony to mark the occasion did not take place until a civilized hour when everyone had a chance to breakfast.  We gathered up on the back part of deck 7, called for Neptune, and proceeded to have the 'Arctic Baptism' in 4 languages.  Neptune and the captain did the honours -- pour crushed ice down the back of the neck of all the brave.  Ian was very stoic and had no reaction, so they figured they needed to do it again.  The cruise director, congratulated him and called him a Viking.  Then he found out he was Canadian, and that explained everything.  There were still little ice pieces in our clothes by the time we retreated to our cabin to change (after a shot of cloudberry schnapps). Video of Ian's adventure is on my facebook page.  This picture is the aftermath in our room.

Bodo (sorry I haven't got the right letter for the second 'o') was our longer stop for the day.  Here there is still ice everywhere on the sidewalks and that makes for very cautious walking.  I happened upon the Domkirche -- the local cathedral -- a very different structure.  From the outside it looks like an old abandoned factory, and inside it is light and wood and fabulous stained glass.  Sometimes I regret that the church in Scandanavia is Protestant, I do love the catholic cathedrals with their ornamentation. 

The scenery now is very bleak with only a few houses perched on little flat pieces of land at the foot of some of the mountains.  Many of the huge rocks strewn in the ocean off the coast, have no visible inhabitants.  The map shows roads along the coast, but they are not highly travelled.

Every evening, our dinner (served) comes with a history and explanation of the main ingredients.  The food is fantastic and locally sourced.  As a showcase for Norwegian Coastal cuisine, it is great.  This evening we started with a special local herring, had a fork-tender roast beef for main and finished with a chocolate mousse paired with a rhubarb compote (yes, rhubarb).  It worked amazingly well!  I have been enjoying the rhubarb compote with cheese at breakfast and lunch and would not have believed that it paired so well with chocolate.  Live and learn!

Norway 2 Trondheim

Our cabin is working out well.  We are not disturbed by the night-time stops and starts (thank goodness) and thus slept well. 

Trondheim did not show its best side to us.  Mostly it was our fault for not being absolutely clear with each other as to where we wanted to go and therefore we ended up nowhere we wanted to be.  We did, however, get a good walk with a nice view of the city from above.  We saw that there has always been significant money here as there were neighbourhoods of large stately homes.  Boarding schools must have been (maybe still are) the norm for the well-to-do and we walked past a number of them on the hill.  The waterfront is a busy place and there is an extensive train network hub on the harbour as well.  We will be stopping in Trondheim again on the way back south, so I hope we will make a better plan for that visit.

The lectures on board have been varied and appropriate.  Today we had a talk about Vikings from our cruise director who spent 25 years as a 'Viking' with his own viking ship which was featured in a number of documentaries.  It is always fascinating to hear about history and another culture from a totally different perspective than the Canadian one. 

Each evening there is a discussion of the next day's destinations and highlights.  Even just cruising, there are noteworthy sights like the lighthouse today.  This octagonal structure is 20 metres high and sits on a rock which is under water for part of each day.  It is automated now, but was formerly the residence of a lighthouse keeper and his family including 3 children and their tutor.  On stormy days, the kids were tied with a rope when they ventured outside so as not to be swept away.  Can't imagine living like that.

Most times we cruise between the outer islands and the mainland for protection.  However, at some points each day we must venture out to the open sea.  These open sea times are noted on our daily program sheets so anyone with mal de mer can take appropriate action.  I have only seen one poor soul wretching over the railing.  We have been shown how to 'waddle' to maintain stability when the boat sways.  It is a strange feeling to have the ground sway under foot, but I am getting the hang of it.

Norway 1

What is an adventure?  Some would say that all of life every day qualifies as an adventure as there are no guarantees even in our most regular activities.  I tend to reserve the term for those activities which or new to me or very outside my regular routines.  In this context, our flight from Stockholm to Bergen in Norway marked the beginning of our latest adventure.

Bergen is a different city -- second largest in Norway at 250,000 inhabitants.  It has a crescent shape around a bay with the oldest part of the city at the center which also houses the old port facilities.  The Bryggen district has buildings dating back to the 900s and some of them certainly look it.  We had about 24 hours in Bergen and will get a chance to explore it further after our cruise.

On Tuesday afternoon, we deposited our luggage, them checked in and finally boarded the Kong Harald boat of the Hurtigruten fleet.  Their ships have been cruising the length of Norway's fjord coast for 125 years, being the mail, passenger and goods delivery system to the far north.  We chose their cruise as it would sail the full length of the coast, all the way over the top and to Kirkenes which is 10 km from the Russian border.  It is a 12 day cruise (including the return to Bergen) and we are guaranteed to see Northern Lights, or we get a free cruise.  Hurtigruten prides itself in the authentic Norwegian experience in terms of food, lectures and excursions.The Norwegian fjord cruise is Ian's 60th birthday wish.

We departed Bergen at 22:30 after a wonderful buffet meal.  There was fish of all kind, reindeer and lamb and beef and cheeses aplenty.  Successful for all tastes.  The ship can accommodate 590 passengers and so is much smaller than the 3500 people apartment buildings that parked themselves outside our window in Ponta Delgada last month.  Level 5 deck is the 'walk around the ship' deck.  One circuit is 250m.  Level 5 is also our cabin deck and the rescue assembly deck.  Convenient!

After dinner there was a presentation of Frilufsliv -- the Norwegian passion for the outdoors.  It's about as close to a national philosophy as one gets.  It is supported by the education system starting with the youngest children.  Even the law allows anyone to camp on any land a few nights, whether it belongs to them or not.  And Nature is always close at hand. 

Our cabin has a window (nice) and two comfortable beds.  Both are fold down and can be stowed during the day for convenience and extra sitting space.  There are sufficient plugs and storage spaces, i.e. an efficient and satisfactory room.  I slept very well.  Ian did hear some of the noises of our dockings during the night.

Each day there is one stop where the ship will spend a few hours in dock.  Today that was Alesund.  There are numerous excursions possible through the cruise company and we had booked the Art Nouveau walk.  Alesund was 85% burned to the ground in 1905 during a January night.  Rebuilding started almost immediately and since it was just at the time of the Norwegian independence from Sweden, it became the embodiment of the new nationalism.  Architects from all over Europe flocked to Alesund bringing with them the clean lines of the Art Nouveau style and marrying it to the Norse symbols which were the artistic expression of the new country.  The building was in stone and in many cases used the beautiful granite of the area.  Carved rock figures and norse designs abound on the streets of the planned city.

It has rained most of the day, but that doesn't stop the locals -- or us.  There is a lot of wet gear drying in the room, but I was warm and dry the whole trip. 

It has started as a very interesting and enjoyable adventure!