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Norway Voyage

March 2024
A 13-day adventure by Jo Read more
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  • TravelerNorway Voyage
    Day 1

    Bergen

    March 19 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    Our 11am flight from Gatwick to Bergen with our friends Alan and Karen went very smoothly.
    We then took the Flybussen bus from the airport to the port via the city centre.
    On arrival at the Terminal, we joined a long queue to check in for our ship, the Havila Pollux. Check-in should have started at 3 pm, but there was a technical problem with the ship resulting in a 3hr delay.
    Having checked in at last, we then joined another queue to make our obligatory table reservation for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This was a slow, tedious process, meaning we didn't get on board until about 7pm. By then we were all tired, hungry and fed up, only to find there was yet another long queue for the restaurant!
    However we managed to get a snack from the cafeteria to keep us going and a relaxing drink at the bar. We finally sat down for dinner late in the evening.
    We hope the rest of the trip involves far less queueing!
    On a positive note, the ship is impressive and our cabin is very comfortable.    Read more

  • TravelerNorway Voyage
    Day 2

    Alesund

    March 20 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    This morning we disembarked to explore the very attractive town of Alesund. We braved the steep climb up to an observation point to enjoy the panoramic views, over 400 steps and steep paths each way. I didn't make it quite to the top (thought I was about to expire!), but Syd, Karen & Alan did - coming down was much easier.
    Back to the ship for a pre-lunch g&t to recover, then a very enjoyable lunch.
    Lazy afternoon, attended a presentation about the various excusions on offer, then the four of us enjoyed a game of Barbu, a card game consisting of 20 rounds, Alan was the overall winner.
    Dinner tonight was excellent again.    Read more

  • TravelerNorway Voyage
    Day 3

    Trondheim

    March 21 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    We woke this morning to bright sunshine as we approached our next port, Trondheim, where we had time before lunch to explore the main historic sites. First stop on our walk was Stiftsgården, a large wooden building home to King Harald V and his wife Queen Sonja when they visit the city.
    Next we came to a square where a statue of Trondheim's founder, the Viking king Olav Tryggvason, stands on an 18m high obelisk.
    Nidaros Cathedral was our next stop for a photo. We didn't have time for a tour, instead we carried on across the old town bridge, Bybro, nicknamed Lykkens Portal (Gate of Happiness) and the neighbourhood Bakklandet, which is full of colourful wooden houses and cafés.
    At the port is a statue of Leiv Eiriksson, famous for being the first European to land in North America in the year 1000, before Columbus made it. He set off from Trondheim to Iceland but was blown off course, landing in Newfoundland, naming it Vinland
    Back in time for lunch as the ship departed for our next stop tomorrow.
    After a post-lunch g&t in our cabin, we tried to stay awake during a rather eccentric, haphazard presentation about the history of Norway taking us from the Ice Age, the Vikings etc to present day, all in about 40 mins!
    The landscape is becoming more interesting now as we travel north. We passed a unique lighthouse situated on a rock, occupied by the lighthouse keeper and his family, plus a teacher for their children as they are unable to travel to school from there.
    We then played Phase 10 card game over a beer (A&S) and cocktail (K&J) - have you spotted a theme here? Syd won this game in spite of our efforts to play the Skip card against him.
    The ship by now was passing through an interesting landscape of small islands off the main coast with narrow channels to navigate. Taking photos from the deck was tricky in the cold strong wind.
    Tomorrow morning we will be crossing into the Arctic Circle and on to our next port, Bodø.    Read more

  • TravelerNorway Voyage
    Day 4

    Crossing the Arctic Circle

    March 22 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    We crossed the Arctic Circle at just after 8am this morning. There is a metal globe on an island in the sea marking the position of this. However, apparently the Arctic Circle moves 15 metres north each year - all due to the pull of the moon.
    The scenery is wild and more spectacular, with more snow on the mountains. We're at sea heading for the port of Bodø with a short 10 min stop at Ørnes en route.
    Karen and I joined in with the crowd for the crossing the circle ceremony on deck at 10.30am - ice cubes poured down our backs and we were given a shot of grapefruit, ginger and chilli. Freezing cold but great fun!
    The approach to Bodø was beautiful, hugging the coast with views of the fiords, passing by little islands, some with houses down to the shore.
    On arrival at Bodø, the rain put us off going ashore so we remained on board for a relaxing afternoon, reading,
    catching up on the blog, and I've even attempted a bit of sketching. Again the A&S had a couple of beers while K&J tried another cocktail.
    Later Karen and I went to an interesting film about the Northern Lights, telling us the many ancient beliefs about their meaning and also the real science behind how the lights are created.
    Another Barbu card game - by some miracle I managed to win this time, thanks to a bit of coaching!
    Excellent dinner with a few changes to the menu for this next leg of the trip. Tomorrow we're off on an excursion at Tromsø - it will involve snowshoes!!    Read more

  • TravelerNorway Voyage
    Day 5

    Tromsø

    March 23 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 1 °C

    Today, the ship continues to make brief calls at several ports on the way to our next main stop at Tromsø.
    Last night, I found that the benefit of being an insomniac meant I could gaze out from our cabin window in awe at the view as the ship made its silent way along North Norway's magnificent coast. The pale night sky created a beautiful light over the mountains, quite magical.
    Bright sunshine this morning, light blue sky, deep blue water and much more snow on the mountains.
    As soon as the ship docked at Tromsø this afternoon, the majority of passengers disembarked, some because they were leaving, the rest off to join the various excursions.
    We were part of a group of 15, plus our German guide, Marie, and travelled by minibus for about 10 mins to a park in the forest high above the town. It was amazing to see the piles of snow surrounding the houses and I wouldn't fancy driving on the icy roads!
    Once at the park,we were kitted out with snow shoes and walking poles and set off uphill for a trek through the forest. Tricky at first but we soon gained confidence that the shoes would cope with the deep snow and icy patches.
    The walk took about an hour with a few short stops to admire the views, or in my case to catch up with the rest of the group who were much younger and fitter!
    I've haven't been in such thick snow since the winter of 1962!
    Once relieved of our snowshoes, we were given toboggan mats for the daunting prospect of hurting downhill on them.
    Now this is not something I ever imagined doing at 70, but hey-ho let's give it a go! Alan & Karen bravely went first and survived with loud shrieks from Karen and their dignity almost intact. Our turn next, as we careered downhill in hysterics, spinning around with absolutely no control! Unfortunately it wasn't captured very well on camera, so we had to trudge back and have another go. It was insane but great fun!
    After gathering around a fire with a warming drink of hot Ribena (no alcohol as this is Norway) and a sweet snack, we all returned to the minibus for the drive back to the ship, weary but happy.
    A couple of pre-dinner g&t's, from our stash that we had smuggled on board, soon revived us. Dinner followed by another round of Barbu which Karen won convincingly this time.
    Another great day on our Norway adventure.    Read more

  • TravelerNorway Voyage
    Day 6

    Honningsvad

    March 24 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ -6 °C

    A day at sea, heading towards the North Cape, with a stop at Honningsvad for 3hrs 30mins.
    The weather is proper Arctic today, the forecast says -5°, feels like -12°. The icy cold wind is so fierce that standing on the deck to take photos is challenging!
    Even in these extremes, there are some isolated houses dotted here and there along the coast - I can't imagine living in them!
    We berthed at Honningsvad for a few hours, a pretty little town and harbour.
    We wrapped up well and put on our shoe spikes to take an icy walk. It being Sunday, nothing was open apart from the Christmas shop. It was bitterly cold!
    This afternoon Karen & I attended an interesting lecture about the Sami, learning more about their history and their culture. Their customs, religion and languages are now recognised constitutionally throughout Scandinavia.
    So far it has been too cloudy at night for a chance to see the Northern Lights, but we're still hopeful. 🤞

    PS: We saw the Northern Lights this evening! Great excitement from everyone on board. Not a great show as the full moon gave off too much light. The photo is the best I could do with my phone camera in the freezing cold temperature on deck. Hopefully there will be another chance to see them.    Read more

  • TravelerNorway Voyage
    Day 7

    Kirkenes and the Snow Hotel

    March 25 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ -12 °C

    As we approached Kirkenes this morning, the outside temp was -14°. The sea around us was covered in floating ice.
    The ship docked at 9am and we were off promptly on our much anticipated excursion to the Snow Hotel - it did not disappoint!
    A bright sunny day and thankfully it warmed up to a balmy -5° as we enjoyed the 20 min bus ride to the Snow Hotel. There are many lakes in Kirkenes, we passed four, all completely frozen over and covered in snow. Everywhere looked beautiful in the deep snow as it sparkled in the sunshine.
    On arrival, we were taken to meet the working husky dogs who pull the sledges for the husky rides. We didn't have a ride, but it looked great fun, especially for the huskies who were impatient to get away! We were encouraged to stroke the huskies who were not running - their thick coats are so soft and they seemed to enjoy the attention. However you don't mess with them while they're running and in work mode!
    The Snow Hotel is amazing, each bedroom a different theme with fantastic ice sculptures. It is kept at a temp of -4°, apart from the restaurant which is heated (presumably the loos & showers too). I really wouldn't want to spend a night there having felt how cold the beds are! Who wants a headboard made of ice in a room made of frozen snow!
    The dome shaped hotel itself was covered in fleece, normally done from April to preserve the ice, but a milder than usual March meant it had to be covered a month early.
    We were offered a warm drink and a reindeer sausage as a snack - I declined the sausage, Syd couldn't eat his, it was pretty awful apparently.
    We were also able to visit some reindeer, much smaller than you would imagine them to be with soft pale coloured fur.
    On the drive back, we were taken to a view point with an amazing panoramic view over Kirkenes harbour.
    Back in time for lunch on board. Lunch consists of a selection of small plates
    Each section of the trip has some dishes on the menu that are relevant to that region as well as the regular choices, these are Fiords, Polar, Artic and Islands.    Read more

  • TravelerNorway Voyage
    Day 7

    Snow Hotel - more photos

    March 25 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ -5 °C

    More pics and a video of the huskies.

  • TravelerNorway Voyage
    Day 8

    Hammerfest and Oksfjord

    March 26 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ -6 °C

    Another gorgeous sunny day, still perishing cold! We're heading south now and have been at sea since leaving Kirkenes at 12.30 pm yesterday, with brief stops at 7 ports until reaching Hammerfest is the most northly town in the world and centre of Sami culture. We arrived at 11 am this morning, departing again at 12.45 so not much time to explore.
    Last night there was a Northern Lights call out, I bravely went up on deck while Syd wisely stayed in bed - I couldn't see anything and after a while retreated back to bed. I probably gave up too soon as others said it was a good show -typical!
    Just before reaching Hammerfest, we passed the island of Melkøya (Milk Island) as it was known for dairy farming. In about 2008 gas was discovered in the area, and the island was chosen for a power plant to liquify the gas which is exported all over Europe, particularly useful when Russia invaded Ukraine.
    The plant is currently closed for Easter and the workers are enjoying their break, skiing in the mountains.
    The town centre of Hammerfest is on the opposite side of the bay from where the ship docked so it's about 25 min walk to get there. At -7° outside, Syd & I decided to stay on board but Karen & Alan wrapped up warm, took their spikes and set off in search of a shop selling tonic to go with our smuggled on board gin! Along the mountains above the bay are many fences to protect the town from avalanches.
    In the summer, massive reindeer herds migrate from inland to the coast, many invading the town - popular with tourists but unwelcome by the local population.
    The views from the ship as it navigates between islands this afternoon are awesome.
    It still astounds us whenever we spot isolated houses on the coast as the mountains meet the sea.
    Another brief stop at Oskfjord. Temp -9. This is a small harbour with houses hugging the coast.
    We're sailing through the beautiful fiord, close to the surrounding mountains.
    Soon after dinner this evening, we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights. You need to photograph them to see any colour, otherwise it's just changing cloud like shapes across the sky. Still exciting to witness though.    Read more

  • TravelerNorway Voyage
    Day 9

    Lofoten Islands

    March 27 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 0 °C

    It's another clear sunny day for today's continuing journey south. There was a brief stop at Harstad at 8am where Syd and I took a stroll round the deck to enjoy the fresh air. Overlooking the dock are some very smart apartments that we could look straight into from the deck - I guess the lack of privacy is compensated by the beautiful view when there are no ships in!
    Next we approached Risoyhamn via a marked narrow channel that has been dredged to allow ships to enter the harbour. Flocks of sea birds scattered as the ship made its way. After a brief 15 min stop, we sailed under the Andoya bridge across the channel.
    We pass through the Lofoten archipelago to our next few stops, surrounded by beautiful views. It's noticeable that there are more trees hugging the side of the mountains and it is becoming warmer. Quite a few passengers are sitting outside, still wrapped in warm coats and hats but enjoying the sun.
    As we approached the next port, Sortland, for a bit of fun we were invited on deck to wave flags at the excursion bus as it passed over the bridge above us.
    We then docked at Stockmarknes for an hour, just enough for a brief walk.
    The temperature was a balmy 1°! There is Dypp Sauna on the quayside - a sauna followed a dip in the freezing water did not appeal!
    The Hurtigruten Coastal Express Museum is located here, where the coastal express route was started in 1893 to serve the local communities between Trondheim and Hammerfest. It later became the Bergen to Kirkenes, now served by both Hurtigruten and Havila.
    We're now passing through narrow straits of the Lofoten Islands, navigating carefully around small islands, with mountains rising on either side. It is stunningly beautiful. I spotted a house on one of the tiny islands - how remote is that!
    Impossible to capture the sheer beauty of this area in a few photos.
    When we dock at Svolvaer, Syd & Alan will be visiting the Lofotpils brewery .
    The Aurora was visible again last night but we didn't venture out on deck this time.    Read more

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