Yesterday when we got in from our excursion to Tromsø, there were Certificates in our names certifying that we had crossed the Arctic Circle yesterday aboard the MS Kong Harald. So it is official! Mind you, we have now crossed the 70.26 degrees north latitude and 21.6 degrees east.
Last night was interesting as we ventured into the true open sea waters across the top of Norway about midnight. The motion of the ship has increased markedly and I am glad to going to bed to be 'lulled'. I was just glad that Donna or I didn't fall out of bed!
We woke this morning to hammering and other welding type noises. "Hope that they're not trying to fix a hole in this bucket", says Donna and now I can't get the words of the damn song out of my head! We are sailing up through the Strait of Magerøya toward Magerøya Island. This island is the furthest north that you can travel by road in Norway and the North Cape is the most northern tip of mainland Europe.
Honningsvåg is the most northern city in Norway. The North Cape has been a beacon for adventurers from around the world for centuries. Today we were given a unique and unforgettable insight into the incredible way of life in this isolated territory, far above the Arctic Circle. We are now at 71°10' 21" north of the Equator and at the end of the northernmost road in Norway. The
landscape is rugged and bare with not a tree to be seen outside of the gardens in Honningsvåg. I am surprised that on this trip we have not seen much wildlife. Plenty of birds, but no whales, or seals, or porpoises, no foxes or martens or even rabbits. Today however we do see reindeer in their natural habitat and we are told that every house in Honningsvåg has a cat to deal with the only rodents on the island - the plentiful mice!
Our guide tells us that Honningsvåg averages one fine day each two weeks, so we are lucky that today is clear but cloudy. As this is the end of summer (in a week) and rain is forecast for the next three weeks, it was their last fine day this summer. It is also
unseasonally warm at 8 degrees, although the wind chill makes it feel colder.
So far, this is the first day we have resorted to beanies and really that was to keep or hair from whipping across our faces!
Methinks that we might have over-packed on cold weather gear - although it appears that we might be glad of them tomorrow both literally and metaphorically when we take a bus trip to the Russian border!
The North Cape Plateau soars to 307 metres almost vertically above the Arctic Ocean. The iconic globe sculpture has become the symbol of the North Cape. At the North Cape Hall we viewed a panoramic film about Magerøya Island through the seasons and 'experienced' the northern lights in a light
tunnel. Took a photo with the globe at the top of the earth and another at the marker for the International Hiking Trail from Italy to North Cape - inspired by Francesco Negri an Italian priest who first did this expedition in 1664! Wonder who he was trying to avoid!!In those times, there were no roads (first constructed in the 1950s) and early explorers would have travelled by boat and then scaled a near vertical cliff. Mad or what?
The reindeer are herded by the local Sami people - the indigenous peoples of the Finnmark (across the top of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia). Each year in winter they herd the reindeer to the mainland for feed and then at the start of summer they transport them (by ferry) back to the island. Reindeer are mottled colours in the summer, and have a white coat in the winter. There are some reindeer that have white coats year round - these are albino and have red eyes, and wait for it - red noses! Hello Rudolph!!
There is a Post Office (box) here and you can send postcards stamped with the North Cape - we didn't worry about that.
In 1988, seven children from across the globe were invited
to the North Cape for one week to produce a monument to the 'Children of the Earth' - a symbol of cooperation, friendship, hope and joy.
Sadly the Kysten Restaurant is closed tonight so we have to resort to eating at the buffet bistro. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it is just that our two experiences at the Kysten have been so memorable. On the menu tonight was local Salmon, Reindeer strips in a cream sauce served with mashed potato and
a berry mouse with hazelnut crunch for dessert. These were the three regional specialities for us to try. Of course there was plenty else on offer as well - prawns, crab claws, various cold roast meats and salads. Both Donna and I are so full. We have resorted to two meals per day and still feel like we are over-eating.
Tonight's meal is finished with cheese plates and a sample of the Norwegian Akevitt
(Water of life) which is made from distilled poteter. This is a harsh liquour with a distinct flavor from a variety of different spices and herbs. Caraway is by far the most popular, but dill, cardamom, cumin, anise, and fennel are typical ingredients as well. Akevitts vary in color from clear to a light and even caramer colored brown. Some akevitt is aged in oak casks, which give it a brownish hue. The longer it is stored in the oak casks, the darker the hue will be. Norwegian akevitt is aged in oak casks for anywhere from 1-12 years. Clear akevitt is known as “taffel.” Not to everyone's taste.
We have to re-pack our bags now andhave them ready to be off-loaded at the port of Kirkenes in the morning. Wish us luck - they are getting fuller by the day.
Riikka and Runo and the boys are getting excited as we get closer. Tomorrow we will try to arrange a hire car for our trip to Helsinki and we hope to reach Riikka's home in Jyväskylä by Wednesday night.
Turns out that Bergen has the highest rainfall in all of Scandinavia. And today proves that well and truly. But I will have any one day of rain to appreciate the brilliant clear sunshine that follows - especially if that is tomorrow when we get to go to Geiranger and the Trollstingen Pass to Molde where we look down along the length of the fjords.
Today began again with a bit of a scare. Got up to go to the bathroom early and in returning to bed, walked along the mirror that is the length of the room and gave myself a fright when I passed the magnified section for makeup or shaving. OMG I am NOT an early morning person. Note to self: avert your eyes when passing mirrors! 😂
Breakfast was included at the Best Western Hotell Hordaheimen, the first that has been so on this trip thus far. Breakfast was great - good selection of hot and cold, fruit and cheeses, meats and salads, cereals and yoghurts, eggs of all cooked varieties, bacon and sausages. We ate our fill before returning for our luggage which they held for us for the day.
Then we set out on foot to go around to Bryggen, 900m around the front of the port and through the local 'farmers' markets. What do you think they farm around here? Well, that would be fish, oysters, prawns, mussels, crabs; and berries - blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, boysenberries and cherries; and small-goods made from moose and deer and whale. That was the some total of the offerings at the markets, mind you there were many multiples of sellers in each category. And one lone soft serve ice cream vendor at the very end. As we (under our umbrellas) walked past each of the sellers, they would have one of their staff dedicated to touting for business mostly young girls. And they were very good at it! Marchiella caught our attention showing us the ENORMOUS Norwegian Oysters and the smaller and smoother Fjord oysters. And the trolls guarded the condiments!
Bergen was once the capital of Norway and it was ruled from the old part of the city - Byrggen. Bryggen has existed since just after the Viking Age of 1070 and as it stands now was constructed after the Great Fire of 1702. You cannot help but wonder at how it does burn to the ground far more often. The last fire was in 1955. We heard sirens and saw a fire truck coming screaming along the road and the crowd collectively took in a breath! Its ok, its none of the row of historic shop fronts that we duck in and out of to escape the rain. In fact Donna is sure that it is those wet days that is what is protecting the timber from burning again!
The front of the shops are wonky and nothing is really straight. While all lined up, they are very picturesque, up close you can see the strain reflected in different ways - a door that does not lineup with its lintel, a set of steps narrow and steep that go up on an angle, whole buildings that tiredly lean against each other as though to prop themselves up. A number of them are empty with historic displays in their windows and a few others are under renovation. The shops that front the quay in these shops are the big name tourist outlets and one or two woolen shops or adventure gear shops. We can only begin to guess what the rents must be like in a city that is very expensive. I did support the local commerce with the purchase of a Norway coastline cross-stitch kit. Don't ask, it doesn't matter, I like it!
We had read up on Bryggen before we arrived here and know that there are a number of timber floored alleys and arcades and that towards the back of these are local artisans - we found jewellers, woollen goods sellers, artists, leatherworkers, christmas decoration shops etc. I have been waiting to get here to buy a new cardigan to replace the one I left on the plane, accidently. We found ourselves in Susan Fosse's shop where I found just the thing. Again don't ask, I'm not telling!!
The boards are damp underfoot and I am terrified of slipping. After seeing two other people do just that, I am happy to leave these little timbered gems for the cobbled streets outside. The rain turns quite heavy for a while and we, along with a whole lot of other tourists, take shelter in doorways and under awnings. For a little while we even hanker down into a wall, protected from the worst by our umbrellas.
Finally the rain lets up enough for us to walk back to the taxi rank and get a cab back to the hotel where we stayed last night about 1:30 pm.
We can go down to the terminal - it opened at 13:00, but cannot book our luggage in until 15:30. The hotel is warm and dry, and we can get a glass of wine and some nuts to while away the time. Donna ventures out to see whether we can walk around to the Terminal with our luggage, but reports that it is located in the next port around the headland and up and over a large hill. Settles that, we will cab it.
The hotel concierge brings our luggage from the luggage room and orders us a taxi, telling us that the fare we should pay is 153 NOK. Glad he did that because when we got in to the taxi, the driver asked how we would be paying (I always pay card as there is a record and less likelihood of the meter not being turned on) at which point he tells us the fare will be 240 NOK. We disagree, and so he says well 160 NOK, but we stick to our guns and invite him to go and check with the hotel concierge. At this point he becomes rude and sullen but agrees to the fare. I can only think how many tourists he has ripped off. Will let the hotel know as we took the cab number.
And so finally we find ourselves at the Hurtigruten Ship Terminal. We only booked this in July, but it feel like a lifetime ago. Check in is done and we head upstairs to the cafe to wait boarding which is running an hour late. Console ourselves with a hot chocolate and a waffle while we watch the rain come and go. Come 5 pm when the crew open boarding, there is an almighty rush - as though to get the best seats! Hang on, we all have allocated cabins, so what is the rush.
Finally we are on board. Safety briefing done and dusted. Cabin located - quite spacious even if not a suite with a WINDOW that does not open on to a deck so we can have an uninterrupted view from here. We decide to wait a little while before heading up for dinner and let the panicked hordes go first. Just as well we did, there was still a line up at 8:30 pm. From here on in, we are allocated seatings, so it should be ok.
Dinner for all and sundry tonight is a buffet. Cold meats and fishes, hot dishes, salads, cheeses and crackers with fruit spreads, and desserts. We skip the hot dishes so we can have a little of the rest. The reindeer meat with lingonberries was 'interesting'. Beefy, but not, gamey, but not. Something in between the two. will be good to try it hot for a comparison!
We set sail right on 21:30 and pass out through the port areas, hugging the coast for a little while before we head out in to the open water of the Atlantic Ocean at the lighthouse. OMG the ship is rocking and rolling aghhhhhhhhh and the rain is slamming in to the window. Hopefully it will just rock us to sleep. Guess that I am about to find out. Time for bed - nite all.
