"Nice to see you Australian's like your mead"

Description

I didn't sleep all that well last night.  Before I had got into a deep sleep we had docked at one of the overnight ports where the Hurtigruten vessels pull in to collect daily food supplies and make freight deliveries.  Our cabin is very close to the gangways - both passenger and freight and for some reason, last night seemed noisier than previous nights. Still, little price to pay for being close to the excursion exit points - literally just outside our door.

When ships pass in the night (and in the day), there are three horns sounded from each vessel. Before you realise this, as the horns sound you start to count, waiting to hear for the evacuation alarm.  Must admit, the first time was a bit alarming as we got to the sixth horn, until you realise that the second round of three blasts sounds different to the first three.  Phew, no need to get wet!


The ship is in and out of open waters at the moment.  You can immediately feel the change without even looking out the window.  When we hit open waters, unprotected from islands, islets or rocks, the swell increase is quite noticeable. 

We are back into the exploring today with two excursions.  Firstly, we are headed for Bodø - the second largest town in northern Norway and home to 70,000 people. 
Bodø lies just north of the Arctic Circle. It is also the end of the line for the Norwegian rail system.


Bodø was bombed in 1944 and assistance was provided by the Swedish government to rebuild parts of the ruined town. In return, the city now has a sector dubbed the Swedish quarter. Today, Bodø is a very fast growing town. There is very little manufacturing. Rather, it is a city of communications, access, tourism and learning. The 'high school' was granted university status a couple of years ago and is now home to 7,000 students. 
There is a very noticeable amount of building and roadworks happening with new civic and private investment happening. Its a nice mix of traditional timber homes and modern high-rise apartments.  

After our whirlwind drive through the streets of Bodø, we leave to drive 30 kms north to the point where we can observe the effects of the Saltstraumen current. 
Our driver and guide Michael was obviously very proud of his home. As we boarded the bus, he handed out samples of Arctic Salt in rather unique little tins. This salt is harvested at Saltstraumen where the ocean currents rush into the fjord.



The Saltstraumen is the strongest tidal current in the world with water speeds reaching up to 22 knots. Up to 400,000,000 cubic metres of seawater forces its way through a 3 km wide strait every 6 hours! The Saltstraumen has existed for about 3,000 years.  Depending on the conditions, there can be up to a 1 metre difference between the level of the seawater and that of the water inside the fjord. Today, we have arrived about halfway in to the turn of the tide and the Saltstraumen is just beginning to develop. If you look very closely, you can see eddies forming at the edge of the current. Too bad we are not 2 hours later when it would beat its peak.  We are told of the maelstroms that can occur and the loss of life over the years. Michael was saying that only yesterday a small ship was pushed on to the rocks when it lost its engine. Both the crew and the ship were saved.


The scenery en-route is a little ho-hum - just kidding! Like the rest of the Norwegian coastline to now, it is a mix of towering mountains that plunge to the sea, small lakes and streams dotted with rocks and rocky outcrops and glacial plains that are farmed and settled. 
The high mountains, like in other parts of the world are the cloud nurseries and we see clouds forming high in the mountain valleys. At times, they tumble over the ridges and cascade down the mountainside.

Out at sea,we can see squalls where it is raining in one view and in the next there is bright sunlight reflected so sharply that we need to squint while looking out the windows.

Back on board we have missed the lunch service.  We could have had an early lunch, or

packed something to take with us, but all we seem to do is eat, so we chose not to have anything after a good breakfast this morning of eggs,sausage, pancake (pikelets) with jam and sweetened whipped butter, yoghurt and fruit.  Instead, we head up to the cafe for a hot drink and the obligatory cake - today's afternoon delight! There are a number of points on board where you can have instant coffee or tea for nought, but personally, would prefer to pay and have the real deal!

We rug up a bit more for our next excursion - an evening journey for a taste of Viking life on the Lofoten Islands.
This trip we journeyed from Stamsund to Borg before continuing to the Lofotr Viking Museum. We are met at Stamsund by our guide Christian, dressed in Viking garb. He tells a good story in preparation for our visit to the local Chieftan's house - a fully restored full sized reconstruction of a traditional Viking home. Chieftan Olaf and his wife Olsen met us at the door. They then introduced us to some of the other members of the household including Olsen's sister - alive for 18 winters, and their slave who had been found by a local farmer as a baby and given to the chieftan when her own family came along. Picture a flamboyant Baldrick and you have him in one!

Into the banquet hall we file where we feasted on a traditional Viking meal of Lamb roasted on the fire, swedes, carrots, barley gruel, 'bread', sour cream and ligonberry conserve. The meat was cut with a knife, but the meal was eaten for the most part with your fingers - much to the chagrin of some of our fellow travellers! Served with goblets of mead and water.  Every time something significant was said, it was time for a toast - a reverberating 'Skul' - and

then a hearty swig of the mead. They generously refilled the goblets of all those who partook a generous swig. True Aussies in style, we celebrated with the chieftan with gusto.  Donna was one of the lucky ones who got to join in the dance at the end of the meal.

All too soon our visit was at an end. The ship had sailed on and we drove for just under an hour to reach it, now docked in Svolvær.

Tonight we are promised something special on the outside deck just before midnight - we are sailing in through the Trollfjord and in this narrow channel, you can almost reach out and touch the cliff walls on either side of the ship!  Coupled with a moon hanging high in the sky over open water, it certainly made sitting up worth it. Too dark for a photo,but forever in our mind's eyes!


Another memorable day in a very memorable part of this beautiful world.