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Julie FisherJulie Fisher
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traveled in 10 countries Read more Australia
  • TravelerNorway and the Artic Circle
    1111121
    Day 22–25

    Malta our last stop

    April 14 in Malta ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    Walking through Valletta the first time I am reminded of Venice. It seems like everybody here is a tourist, of course, including us. Is it like Venice where nobody actually lives in the city apart from the tourists? Turns out that's not quite correct. When you look over the harbor you can see quite dense housing everywhere and although the main thoroughfare of Felicia is wall-to-wall tourist, you do still see locals. You also see evidence of apartments down the many tiny, narrow side streets with their balcony windows built out over the street.

    Malta is such an ancient historic place built on sandstone which is still being quarried. Historically it can be traced back to Neolithic times. Christianity was brought to Malta by the Romans in 60 AD, then came the Arabs, the Normans and for a while Malta was controlled by Sicily. The French were here for a brief period of time before Malta requested help from the English and evidence of that time until Independence is everywhere. It is however still very much both a European country and yet British. They are in the EU and euro is the currency.The cars drive on the left and English and Maltese are the two official languages. The Maltese language derives from its early Arabic roots. It is hard to escape the influence of the Catholic church. Church spiers can be seen everywhere. They must have been significant wealth because the churches are very ornate.

    Our hotel is very well located in the center of Valletta and we have a balcony overlooking some of the city's spectacular buildings. We have been advised to seek out the gardens close to the hotel and we go there for our morning coffee every day. The gardens sit at the top of the hill of which there are many, overlooking the stunning harbor and bays. This place has been a fortress for centuries and battlements are everywhere clearly to defend the country. The first day, over coffee we hear the sound of cannon fire, which scattered the vast number of pigeons that live in this small garden. The 12:00 salute is undertaken everyday where one cannon is fired by an officer in a British army uniform. Originally the cannon signalled it was mid day so sips could keep accurate time.

    Bob takes a tour of the bunkers and war rooms. Used by different armies including NATO. It might be a very small country in the Mediterranean but it's strategic. Unsurprisingly I did not go on the tour.

    It is easy to see why Malta is so popular with tourists and it's relatively cheap. It is very pleasant walking the streets as we do the first couple of days. Just looking at the houses, buildings and churches. The only issue is Valletta is built on a hill and one concession for pedestrians is a lift at the bottom for €1. Haven't tried that yet but can see very well why it is necessary. I can't imagine any local becoming overweight here. Everyone would be fit.    Read more

  • TravelerNorway and the Artic Circle
    Day 19

    Paris (April 11,12 &13)

    April 11 in France ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    I sleep much of the flight. What I have put down to being being hay fever is in fact a cold which has now gone to my chest so I have a bacterial infection. Bob urges me to start a course of antibiotics but I really want to be sure by the next day I am sure. I have no appetite which is not a bad thing given the food we have had. I managed to eat a little bit of breakfast, no lunch and sleep for part of the afternoon. We do go out for dinner and have an excellent St Emillion wine, not a whole bottle though.

    The next day I'm feeling quite a bit better and we had planned to go to Sacre Coeur it's quite close, within walking distance of where we are staying. However, what is most pressing is to get train tickets in particular to get us back to Charles de Gaulle airport from Gare du Nord. We've decided we will take the train rather than a taxi. Not for reasons of cost, but more of convenience. Not cheap €63 each for a three day pass but at least we won't have the hassle of queuing up for tickets.

    Parisian style (and pricing) we sit outside for another coffee and then head off to Sacre Coeur. I feel I'm doing quite well but when we get there I decide I will stay down the bottom whilst Bob takes the funicular to the top. Of course he wants to take photos from the best vantage point.

     It is a glorious spring day in the low twenties and we are in Paris. I wait by the carousel made famous by the movie Amélie I can hear a violin being played. I think they are playing Vivaldi 'Spring'. I watch the crowds moving up and down the different paths. It is looking quite green and Spring like with the trees and blossom. I'm trying to see where Bob is, he's wearing a red jacket, canvas hat and carrying a green camera case so should be easy. I do eventually find him coming back down. It is very crowded of course. A group of American boys pass and one asks why are they going to another church, guess they haven't watched the movie.

    Walking in Paris is always interesting and we walk back a different way. Unfortunately the antibiotics I am taking make me feel nauseous so although I try to eat dinner the meal and the wine are a waste.

    The next day out again to see how the repairs on Notre Dame are progressing. It has been 18 months since we were last here so should be interesting. Plan is to find the lifts as well at the station and take the RER. Paris is again gloriously Spring like, no problems with the lifts. The Cathedral still has significant scaffolding around it but much of the roof has been replaced. We have learned from a previous experience that if you want anything to eat or drink it is better to find a side street away from the cathedral, fewer people and cheaper. Coffee is good and we walk around the area a little more before heading back to the hotel.

    I can't even face food so I pack while Bob eats. We fly to Valletta in the morning    Read more

  • TravelerNorway and the Artic Circle
    11
    Day 19

    Time to go

    April 11 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 3 °C

    Up early for breakfast, final scan of the cabin before we leave and onto the bus.We are looked after well and taken on a bus ride around Tromso. It comes to mind that it would have been better had we had this on the first day. We do have clear skies but that is due to change later in the afternoon but by then will be gone. We have an excellent guide and I can't help but reflect on how much information and the quality of information we get compared with yesterday.

    We take a cable car to the top of a peak just outside Tromso. Fantastic scenery! Coffee is available with some cinnamon scroll reportedly very sweet. A local delicacy no doubt. There is still time to drive over one of the breaches which can be impossible when there is strong wind. The bus takes us to a point where we can see the lake and again have a panoramic view over this part of Tromso. I am a little concerned as Bob decides of course to walked to the edge where there is serious ice and we are not wearing crampons, they have been packed. Never know what you might need in Melbourne

    We have plenty of time and get to the airport where we say farewell to our Brisbane traveler. Next stop Paris    Read more

  • TravelerNorway and the Artic Circle
    Day 18

    Tromsø back where we started

    April 10 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    Another look at Tromso and farewell to the Arctic again. Time to think about packing and the next journey. We will have to be off the ship by 8:30 so our cases need to be packed tonight and left out to be collected.

    We did not choose our excursion for the day very well, definitely the worst of the trip. On a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is great, I would rank this zero. It seemed like a good idea at the time. An inflatable fast boat with an outdoor motor better suited to Wanaka, New Zealand rather than Tromso. On top of that the weather is overcast and raining. We have little information as to what to expect. We have to first climb into some safety gear, which if we fall in the water and with a life preserver we will be able to be retrieved.

    The RIB but it takes us out around the various islands around Tromso. I feel sorry for the French because they cannot hear the driver and even if they could his commentary is very difficult to understand because of his accent. It is a seriously unpleasant excursion for which we have paid quite a lot of money. Grateful for the fact that the French are very good at complaining, so I don't expect it will continue to be on the itinerary. It's freezing cold and I spend most of the journey with my head in my hands behind the driver to protect myself from the weather. I think everybody is relieved when it's all over.

    It is disappointing to end the trip in this way. However, we have had some excellent excursions and one bad one is okay.    Read more

  • TravelerNorway and the Artic Circle
    112
    Day 15

    Alta Day two

    April 7 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ -9 °C

    There are some things now that I reflect on that I realise you have to do when you are in this part of the world. In part I have been reluctant because they are expensive and don't sound all that engaging and potentially uncomfortable because of the cold. It is very hard to describe in words the experience you have with these excursions. I need to worry less about the cost and simply immerse myself in what we are doing.

    After last night getting back so late we now have to get up early for our next excursion. I must confess that my enthusiasm for more snow and ice was not very high. Early is made more challenging when you have to go through the getting ready for ice and snow ritual. Thermal under garments, water proof pants, layer under the jacket, gloves, warm socks, shoes and headwear. Then decide what you need to take, phone in one pocket, camera in the other. Thankfully the jacket is waterproof. Backpack for anything else. Sometimes walking pole other times crampons.

     The day did not look particularly promising overcast, but at least it wasn't raining. Bob as always is very positive about everything we are doing. I was initially not even sure this was an excursion I was interested in. Short bus ride again through beautiful countryside, snow-covered trees and mountains in the distance. If nothing else, the view is worth the trip.

    My weariness dissipates the moment we get out of the vehicles and begin the process of learning about walking in and putting on snowshoes . Here we are again in a pristine almost wilderness area. We have one dog with us who will pull a sled with ' supplies'. The plan is to walk for about 45 minutes (this is what I was most interested in) and then go ice fishing , not something high on my list of must do activities. The walking is very good exercise, for a start snowshoes feel like you have a small snowboard attached to each foot except with the disadvantage that there are spikes underneath so you can grip the snow which means you can't slide. By the time we we get back to the vehicles, I feel I have mastered the art of walking in snowshoes. The path is up and down through fresh snow, snow we drove through last night. The day is bright however and we have no wind making it very pleasant.

    It seemed like quite a long strenuous walk before we arrived at the frozen lake. Here we are in the middle of a forest surrounded by snow and snow-cap mountains and in front of us is a frozen lake where we are going to fish. We're instructed to pick up a reindeer skin, we will need this to sit on the snow while we wait for fish to bite. Our guide provides instruction on how to create a hole in the snow in order to fish. First, you shovel out the top layer of snow until you reach the ice, you then take a hand operated ice drill and drill through the ice which is about a meter thick. Now you can see the water, but you must scoop out the slush on top to make sure the water doesn't freeze over, it is still below zero. Next you take a tiny maggot. Attach it to a hook on a very small, almost childlike toy fishing line. The line is dropped 5 m into the ice hole you have created with your poor frozen maggot on the end of it. Now you sit on the reindeer skin and wait. It was a much more entertaining experience than I had thought despite the freezing cold. Three of us managed to create a small fishing hole and much to our and probably everyone's surprise we caught a very small fish. It was smaller than a sardine and already dead when I pulled it out. The guide, I'm not really sure how, managed to gut this tiny fish. Our sled dog meanwhile is having a great time in the snow. He runs to the edge of the lake and back checking out anything he can smell along the way.

    Beside the lake, there is a traditional Sami structure with two fires inside, seats around the fires which we now place our reindeer skins on, it's freezing. Throughout Norway there are numerous huts and structures like this one, they may belong to someone or to a company, but there is an understanding amongst the Norwegians that anyone can use them at any time so long as they do not damage them. That isn't surprising given how harsh the climate is, it's understandable that you want to make sure people have shelter should they need it in winter. We are offered coffee and cake, for me the most delicious dark chocolate. Our tiny fish is cooked in a little butter in a pan over the fire. It is cut up and shared between the eight of us who are on the excursion. Even though we have only a small taste, it is in fact a very nice tasting fish.

    Hot drinks are served in a 'parasite' cup. Folds down, keep it in your pocket and bring it out when when someone has something you might like. And we get to keep them.    Read more

  • TravelerNorway and the Artic Circle
    2
    Day 14

    Honningsveg and Nordkapp

    April 6 in Norway ⋅ 🌬 -1 °C

    Today's quest was to photograph whale blows in the distance I do get a few but it's so hard to see them. As we are getting up we are still sailing towards Honningsveg an announcement is made to say there are whales around the area. Ignoring breakfast, we get dressed and go out to have a look. It is freezing possibly less than -5. The number of whales together is sufficiently invigorating to forget about breakfast. There are dozens. Unfortunately it is so cold that taking pictures is really difficult when I take my glove off. Some of the whales, they are fin whales, come very close to the ship so close that we can see their back and dorsal fin

    I do manage to get some breakfast and then go back outside it seems even in the freezing cold I just can't get enough of what is out there. Eventually I give in to the cold and come back inside for hot chocolate to warm up. Back in the room on the balcony we have a very good od view and it is much warmer because there is the shelter of the ship and our room behind us. Much to my delight we see a small flock of puffins. Because they sit on the water from higher up it would be difficult to see them. Black and white small round bodies that seem to have a great difficulty in flying. They either sit in the water or they come out of the water briefly flapping their wings madly but not going very far. I'm optimistic. Bob has some good pictures. I failed.

    My next quest is to see if I can take a picture of a fulmer against the backdrop of the cliff at Nordkapp. Standing on the balcony with the occasional flake of snow. I think I managed to get a couple.

    Our excursion takes us to Nordkapp a peninsula in the far north of the island. We drive through what looks like a white desert, no trees, no vegetation, no wildlife of any kind just rolling hills of white. It is quite an extraordinary landscape, we can see the ocean and at times frozen rivers, the sides of which are just starting to melt. The path takes us to the side of the cliff, over the cliff is the ocean. Although there is some blue sky, there is a fierce wind which whips up the snow. It looks like white sand being blown across the landscape. I can't say it was a particularly pleasant walk as we were buffeted by quite strong wind. In my mind we spent far too long in this place, after our walk there was an opportunity to buy souvenirs which the cynic in me suggests was the main point of the exercise.

    The excursions have generally been good this one's the only one that I felt less enthusiastic about    Read more

  • TravelerNorway and the Artic Circle
    Day 14

    Alta

    April 6 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ -10 °C

    Our last two proper nights are spent in Alta. This part of Norway has a small population which isn't surprising given how hostile the environment must be in winter. They have one month of spring and we are here in April so it is not yet regarded as the end of winter. Alta is 400 km North of the Arctic circle within the region of Finnmark. It is famous for viewing the Aurora Borealis because it sits just below the circle created by lights. To actually get to see the lights is not that easy and clearly people in this region have built a business on identifying the most ideal conditions, this means they have to have information on the weather, sunspot activity and the intensity of the potential show.

    We have a choice of excursions and unfortunately for us the timing is not great our excursion is dog sledding in the morning which means an early rise. Then after dinner we are to be taken to the best position for seeing the Northern lights. The weather gods for these last 2 days have not disappointed we again have a clear and sunny day with very light wind. The park where the excursion will take place is nearby so it is just a short bus ride. Grateful again that we bought crampons very early in the trip, it is very icy.

    The dog sledding takes place in a very open lightly forested area with few houses around it. The person who set up the enterprise had a passion for sled dog racing and has made a business out of breeding the dogs and offering the opportunity to tourists to go in a dog sled whilst also continuing to race. These races can be 1,000 km in length and take a week, to finish is regarded as an achievement. Initially I wasn't that interested in it, it seemed a bit touristy but it was in fact an accelerating experience. You are in the snow in a pristine part of the world and that in itself is so pleasurable.

    When we arrived, the first thing we hear are the howls of the Alaskan Huskies. There are probably 30 to 40 dogs that we can see when we arrive. They are very sociable and really want to engage with you. It was really enjoyable to simply spend time with the dogs patting and being around them. You can't help but love the enthusiasm for going out with the sleds. We are taken out in small groups with two people on the sled and the 'musher'. Interestingly, these are predominantly young women. Once in the sled we travel over uneven ground through the trees and along the paths through the snow. Initially I am thinking about the scenery, the trees, snow and the mountains however, as we continue, it becomes more fascinating to just sit and watch the dogs as they pull us along. There are six dogs per sled, the first two are the stronger and the leaders. If they decide there is something on the side of the path, such as pee from another dog, that they are interested in these two dogs try to move towards it, the next two dogs want to find out what all the action is about and the last two simply stay with the sled. The two lead dogs also interact as they both want to be out in front, very common dog behavior. This is quite funny to watch. The personalities of the dogs of course determine their position in the team. It feels like we are going quite fast because we are so close to the ground, but I doubt that is the case. It is a bumpy ride. The musher has complete control over her dogs so although they might try and check out things along the way, she can bring them back in line.

    There is a shuttle bus provided for us to go into town. It is a very small place, but it is always interesting to look around new places. Unfortunately we forget it's Sunday so not much is open but that's okay. It's less about shopping and more about seeing the town and having a walk around unguided crampons were definitely needed. The paths were quite icy and slippery, but I feel so much more secure walking knowing I have spikes on the end of my feet.

    After dinner we board a bus. At this point we do not know how long it will take and where we will be taken to search for the lights. We drive for about an hour and in my estimation that was about as far as the company takes people to see the lights. It's snowing almost the entire way. It didn't look particularly promising when we left the boat so it's not really a surprise. We get to the appointed viewing area and there is a tent tent setup with a fire inside and seats all around similar to those of the Sami which we've seen throughout this part of Norway. We can also sit outside. There are two fires which look very cozy with seats covered in reindeer skin. Unfortunately it continues to snow so it is very cold. It becomes clear that our chance of seeing any Aurora Borealis that night was going to be negligible. We head back on the first bus arriving back on the ship after midnight grateful for a warm bed.    Read more

  • TravelerNorway and the Artic Circle
    Day 13–16

    Bear (Bjornoya) Island

    April 5 in Svalbard and Jan Mayen ⋅ ☁️ -2 °C

    Bear Island is the southernmost island of Svalbard and a full 24 hours sailing from the northern tip of Norway. The reason for the visit is because there are a significant number of different bird species which nest on the island. It is uninhabited and just a very Rocky outcrop. It was called Bear Island because someone in the 1500s landed there saw a polar bear and shot it. It is rare for polar bears to make it to this island.

    We sailed through significant ice flows and in the end the captain made the call that because the ship is not an icebreaker we cannot go any closer. On a positive note however, the day is clear and sunny, which means we can actually see the island. This is unusual usually it is fogbound. What we see are snow covered rocks in an ice encrusted sea.

    Although we don't get very close to the island, we still have fantastic views of the birds. Most of the birds are fulmers which fly very close to the ship. There are also flocks of guillemots, small black and white birds which sit on the ice flows to feed. Despite the fact that it is freezing cold on deck, we spend a lot of time outside watching the birds trying to take the perfect shot of a bird against the backdrop of the island mostly unsuccessfully. My quest for the day was to capture the image of a Fulmer against the backdrop of the island, not the best way to spend your time given how cold it was standing on the deck watching for a bird to pass by instead of simply looking at the wonder that is nature. I didn't quite succeed. I did however manage to capture photos of fulmers and a flock of guillemots. That was very successful because they are flying away from the island so I was pleased about that.

    In the distance we see a black blob it is impossible to make out what it is except it clearly isn't water, it turns out to be a walrus. Bob does manage to take a photo to confirm it was in fact a walrus    Read more

  • TravelerNorway and the Artic Circle
    1111
    Day 12

    Hammerfest furthest City North

    April 4 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ -4 °C

    Some time ago we watched a series set in Norway where there was reference to the Sami people. I have therefore been interested to know more.These are the indigenous inhabitants of Norway. Technically, however, they lived across Northern Europe and when the borders of countries were defined their land became part of Sweden, Finland, Russia and Norway. Today we got to learn a little bit more about the Sami people, the history, culture and language. Very much like our Australian Aborigines the Sami people moved between the seasons. In the winter they lived higher up in the snow and in the summer they came down to the coast. This was to provide food for the reindeer herds that they managed. They also face problems when the expectation was that they would be integrated with the people of Norway rather than live as they always had. They lost their language and culture along the way.

    As we leave the ship we see a bear carved in ice placed near the bus just for our benefit, a nice touch. Hammerfest is the most northern city in the world. Unsurprisingly it is freezing cold around -5 when we leave the ship. The city has suffered quite a lot over the decades having been destroyed by war, severe weather and fire. Each time it has been rebuilt.

    The Sami camp is just above the city. We are taken into a traditional house that would typically sleep everyone in the family and we were told about the history and culture of the people around a fire in the center of the building. The house reminded me very much of a yurt, round structure with a hole in the top to let the smoke out. The floor was covered with sticks which were then covered with reindeer skin. The family would live in here including cooking and sleeping.

    We are taken to a lookout for a view over the city. It is a great place to see the town, our ship, the sea, and the mountains beyond. A local guide tells us that she has been up here several times and has never actually seen the he view because it is usually too cloudy or foggy to see anything. We have been so lucky.

    As we sail out of the fiords whales are spotted. Our expert is really excited, on the horizon dozens of blows from the whales can be seen, she thinks they are fin whales and are feeding. One fin whale comes close to the ship, I can see it's dorsal fin and back really well.    Read more

  • TravelerNorway and the Artic Circle
    Day 11

    At sea towards Hammerfest

    April 3, Norwegian Sea ⋅ ☁️ -2 °C

    The pace of our traveling has not been as frenetic as it usually is, so I don't feel the need for a day at Sea as much as we have in the past. However, distances can be vast and we are now on our way to Hammerfest and we are therefore at Sea .

    Given this is not an expedition Cruise, we're not having the number of briefings or lectures that we have come to enjoy in the past. We do however have two lectures the first lecture is on cetaceans. These creatures cover everything from the largest creature on Earth. The blue whale through to dolphins. It was an excellent lecture of course. And we will have the opportunity to spend more time on deck looking for whales with the naturalists. Those we might see include the fin whale, orcas, minke and humpbacks. In the afternoon I have an opportunity to try and again get my head around The physics of the Northern lights. The lecture was much less about the physics compared with the previous lecture I had listened to I now have a better understanding.

    We were greeted in the morning by snow on our balcony, it was very cold. For some of the passengers, the delight of our day at sea has been the stunning coastline as we sailed past. Small villages, snow, capped mountains and the occasional flurry of snow was spectacular. Nothing boring about the view from the ship.

    We were invited to have cocktails with the captain before dinner. This is a regular feature and pretty much a marketing exercise. Keep the regular punters happy by making them feel special is my somewhat cynical take on it. However, we did go down to what is known as the blue eye which is on the first deck and is below the water, they have created a special cocktail lounge down there with large portholes that look out into the sea. Champagne, snacks and a chat with the captain. What was interesting though was one of the young women employed by the company we had met when we went to Madagascar. It was nice to catch up with her, she was there because she is the onboard sales person.    Read more

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