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Northern Lights (2nd Attempt)
  • Tom Hixson
  • Kevin Sarmento
  • Tom Hixson
  • Kevin Sarmento

Northern Lights (2nd Attempt)

Iceland in November 2023: no northern lights. We're hoping the coast of Norway, Oslo to Tromso in December will be different! Läs mer
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  • Resans start
    7 december 2024
  • Northern Lights (2nd Attempt)

    ARRIVED IN OSLO!

    8 december 2024, Norge 🌙 0 °C

    After a long flight to Frankfurt, followed by a short hop to Oslo, we finally arrived at our downtown hotel Sunday afternoon and will explore the area tomorrow. We board our ship Tuesday for the northbound voyage. But first things first: dinner and a good night's sleep!Läs mer

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  • Northern Lights (2nd Attempt)
    Elements of The Scream" show up in this work
    Elements of The Scream" show up in this workMunch:The Dead Mother and the Child1Munch: The Dance of LifeMunch: Young Girls on the BridgeNorwegian Royal Palace2Christmas Fair, OsloGrand Hotel, ready for Nobel festivities Dec 10, note police at hotel entrance

    Museum Day

    9 december 2024, Norge 🌙 -4 °C

    Museums were on the agenda today, starting with the incredible new Munch museum. Everyone recognizes The Scream, but almost all Munch's work has remained in Norway. We visited here in 2019, and the previous Munch museum was housed in a tiny building with little to see. That's all changed with the completion of this incredible new 13 story museum which houses hundreds of his paintings, bronze castings, woodblock prints, etc. This is a "must see" attraction for anyone visiting Oslo.

    A lively Christmas fair is in full swing along a pedestrian walkway, and the Grand Hotel is gearing up for tomorrow night's Nobel Peace Price award and banquet.

    Next, we took a tour of the playwright Henrik Ibsen's lavish apartment adjacent to the theatre built for his plays. Fascinating tour about a fascinating writer!

    Norwegian Literary Notes: besides Ibsen, check out Karl Ove Knausgard ( "My Struggle") who represents great contemporary Norwegian writing while Sigrid Undset ("Kristin Lavransdatter") packs 14th century Norwegian life into her 1000 page novel. She won the Nobel Literature prize a century ago. I'm almost finished with it but it could have used, in my humble opinion, some judicious pruning. Fascinating nevertheless.

    Note to myself: don't order Mexican food in Norway.    Läs mer

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  • Northern Lights (2nd Attempt)
    Tom in front of Kon Tiki museum, Oslo
    Tom in front of Kon Tiki museum, OsloKon Tiki raft2Kon Tiki raftKevin with the (tall) Norwegian Fram crewFram Officers' Mess, Christmas dinner1Officer's cabin on the FramFram

    Polynesia to the Polar Regions

    10 december 2024, Norge ☀️ -5 °C

    More museums today. We started at the amazing KonTiki museum which houses the original Kon Tiki raft built and sailed by Norwegian Thor Hyerdahl from Peru to Tahiti in 1947 to prove that early South American mainlanders could have traveled to Tahiti and other Pacific Ocean destinations. Much later, DNA evidence from Easter Island natives (and their chickens) demonstrated that there had been ties with the southern continent. When we were on Easter Island in 2022, we saw stone walls identical to Inca construction in Cusco and Machu Picchu and also learned about Heyerdahl's excavations on that island. Several hundred small carved statues from Easter Island are included in this excellent museum. Heyerdahl comes across as a great adventurer who was also a bit of a crackpot, but the museum is fascinating.

    Across the street from the KonTiki museum is the Fram museum, housing the ship Norwegian explorers Fridtjof, Sverdrup, and Wisting unsuccessfuly sailed in 1893 in search of the North Pole; in 1911, Roald Amundsen took it to Antartica where he was first to complete an expedition to the South Pole. The ship is in great shape now, and visitors can wander its decks and cabins and see where the sled dogs slept en route.

    When we got back to downtown Oslo, we learned that our ship had been delayed so they're putting us up overnight and busing us early tomorrow to Kristiansand where we'll board and continue on as scheduled. We're getting anxious to see some Northern Lights!!!    Läs mer

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  • Northern Lights (2nd Attempt)
    Haugesund at 9 am (yes, it's still dark!)
    Haugesund at 9 am (yes, it's still dark!)About to board the TrollfjordHaugesund architecture characterized by towersMarilyn statue near film festival headquartersGlass studioQueen Sonia is a major patron of the arts in HaugesundMore towers

    At sea!

    12 december 2024, Norge ☁️ 4 °C

    We boarded the Trollfjord yesterday in Kristiansand and sailed with smooth seas overnight to Haugesund . The ship is very nice with excellent accommodations and large enough that, with 300 passengers, it does not seem at all crowded. Many lounge and observation areas and multiple dining options, as well as a gym and sauna, make for a very comfortable voyage.

    We arrived in Haugesund early this morning and took a walking tour (only 9 in the group) with a local artist. The city is lovely with interesting public and residential architecture. We were able to visit several art studios, including an art glass factory. Many beautiful artworks and sights on this tour.

    Fun fact: Haugesund has an acclaimed international film festival, and the city boasts a connection with Marilyn Monroe. It seems that the man who married Marilyn's mother was from this city and his name appears on her birth certificate...but apparently the mother had a number of "gentlemen friends" in the months leading up to Marilyn's birth so there's doubt as to her paternity. But Haugesunders cling to their version, hence the Marilyn statue near the festival headquarters.

    Headed now to Alesund, where we dock early tomorrow, so stay tuned for the next adventures!    Läs mer

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  • Northern Lights (2nd Attempt)
    Alesund harbor
    Alesund harborTraditional Norwegian costume storeRollo, 10th century Viking from AlesundTypical Alesund stone buildingAlesund harbor with lighthouseAlesund city viewAlesund Art Nouveau CenterKevin on top of city peak, 425 steps upView of Alesund harbor

    Alesund (gps says Denmark..it's NORWAY!)

    13 december 2024, Danmark 🌬 4 °C

    We arrived early this am in the beautiful city of Alesund which has quite a history. Rollo was born in the 9th century, according to local legend, near Alesund and went south as a Viking warrior to found what is now known as Normandy. One of his descendants was William the Conqueror. Thus, he was a distant ancestor of the UK royal family.

    Alesund was a sleepy port until the 19th century when the fishing industry created great wealth, but a fire in 1904 destroyed the entire town of wood structures. With the help of Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm, the city was rebuilt, but this time in brick and stone and all in the current Art Nouveau style, so it is now an architectural treasure trove. We were fortunate to take a walking tour of these amazing buildings and soak up the beautiful scenery highlighted by the open ocean, snow clad mountains, and fjords dotted with islands.

    The city has a moving monument to the Norwegian resistance fighter, Knut Haukelid, who masterminded the efforts to blow up the "heavy water" plant Nazis were using to develop nuclear weapons. The Heroes of Telemark is a 1965 film starring Kirk Douglas which depicts this saga.

    Back on the ship and it is now raining/snowing and the captain just announced that we would have heavy seas for the next 2 hours. Guess we'd better crawl into bed until it's over!

    With cloudy skies, Northern lights look doubtful tonight, but who knows what the next few days will reveal?

    Hope everyone has a great weekend!    Läs mer

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  • Northern Lights (2nd Attempt)
    1Arriving in Brønnøysund
    1Arriving in Brønnøysund2Kevin shows off his cramponsA fire awaits us with mulled wine on the return from our hikeThe trolls used the sharpening stone for evil purposes or something like thatWhite spot in middle is hole thru the mountain2Torghatten from the shipArctic moon4

    Trolls vs Geology/Lights Update!!

    14 december 2024 ☁️ 0 °C

    [UPDATE! See latest pictures added. At 1 am, the crew announced that the Northern Lights were on display, so we quickly got dressed and went out on the deck to see a fabulous display of shimmering green lights. Absolutely amazing! The lights would become bright and then disappear so quickly it was hard to set the camera before they were gone, but what a sight nevertheless! The next 48 hours should be great as well, but we're so grateful we at last got to see this amazing vision. Back to bed!]

    Today, we reached exactly halfway up Norway's coast, 840 KM from the south tip and 840 KM from the northern tip. Here in the port of Brønnøysund, the sun came up at 10:30 and set at 1:30, but any interval of daylight was subdued due to heavy cloud cover and light snow. Because of the sun's angle at this latitude, light looks very different, even unearthly, so today's long walk to the Torghatten mountain seemed like walking in an Ansel Adams' study in whites, greys, and blacks. Stunning!

    The highlight of our trek was a visit to Torghatten mountain, a huge rock with a hole through the middle (you can barely make out the hole in the attached photo but it's big enough to sail a ship through). Forget what the geologists have to say about its formation---ancient lore includes a saga involving troll kings, naughty troll maidens, a hat, a bow and arrow, and..too convoluted to convey but for more information, check out the true story at

    https://www.hurtigruten.com/en/inspiration/coas…

    Trolls are slovenly and ugly with fat bellies, misshapen features, and dirty unkempt hair, but if you can't tell for sure if it's a troll or just one of your unsavory neighbors, check out the toes or fingers. Trolls have 4, not 5, on each appendage.

    We are crossing the Arctic Circle in an hour, and by the time we get to the Lofoten Islands tomorrow, the sun will disappear for good (or at least until we get back to Oslo Tuesday). The long black night should help in our quest for the aurora borealis!    Läs mer

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  • Northern Lights (2nd Attempt)
    3Sunrise without a visible sun
    3Sunrise without a visible sunHenningsværHenningsværLarge scale painting of a Lofoten seaman's funeralVillage along the wayTrollfjord Holiday Tree3Trollfjord Holiday Tree

    Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands

    15 december 2024, Norge 🌬 -1 °C

    We were a little groggy after last night's aurora awakening, but arrival at Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands energized us (as did the 28-degree weather with snow and wind). We're far enough north that the sun doesn't appear all day, which is not to say it's pitch black the whole time. The sun hovered below the eastern horizon for a couple of hours producing brilliant orange and red skies (just like The Scream) so it almost seemed like we were on another planet.

    We drove to Henningsvær and were able to cross bridges which connected the many small islands in this region. This is a quaint village peopled by seafarers as well as artists who focus on the incredible landscape of lofty peaks and snow-covered cottages, especially charming now that everyone has their homes tastefully decorated for Xmas. Not a single plastic blow-up Santa or Snoopy, as many Americans seem to relish. We visited an art museum that housed an outstanding collection of 19th and early 20th century Lofoten paintings (see the immense painting of a seaman's funeral attached).

    The Lofoten Islands must be quite charming in the summer as there are lots of little beachside cottages that look promising, hiking trails, and various boating opportunities...but not at this snowy time of year! Another trip, perhaps?

    On our way to Tromso now, but the prospect of more Northern Lights appears questionable. However, as the locals say, the weather at any time is either wonderful or "authentic."
    We're anxious to check out Tromso tomorrow, but at some point we'll have to catch a flight to Oslo before heading home Tuesday. Let's hope the weather is not too "authentic"...    Läs mer

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  • Northern Lights (2nd Attempt)
    Tromso panorama
    Tromso panorama

    Tromso and Journey's End

    16 december 2024, Norge ☁️ -8 °C

    We just arrived in Tromso where it's a bracing 18 degrees and snowing...catching a flight to Oslo tonight and then home Tuesday. But first, I made Kevin accompany me to the Troll Museum. We don't need to do that again.

    We came to see the Northern Lights, so mission accomplished! But even if the weather had been uncooperative (like last year in Iceland), it would have been an amazing experience. As in life, it's always the journey, not the final goal, that gives meaning to everything we do.

    We wish wonderful holidays to all our friends and look forward to seeing you in 2025.

    Safe travels!

    Tom and Kevin    Läs mer

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    Resans slut
    17 december 2024