SB Day 7: Vardø Bound

I mentioned that Kirkenes is further east than either İstanbul or St. Petersburg. That’s true, but it wasn’t the furthest east point of our journey. That designation goes to Vardø … the first port of the southbound leg of our voyage.

To get to Vardø we had to cruise north out of Kirkenes. With the weather nice, we were outside to enjoy the sail away. I spotted the Bøkfjord Lighthouse — which was rebuilt between 1947-49 … the original 1910 structure was destroyed during WWII. What I didn’t spot was the Rødberg Torpedo Battery, left unfinished by the German forces … I was under the mistaken impression that it was on the port side rather than on the starboard side. Oh well.

Since our arrival in Vadsø wasn’t scheduled until 4:05p, we spent much of the rest of this portion of the cruise relaxing in the Havblikk Lounge on deck 9 forward. When the Globus Radar System appeared on the horizon, we went back outside again. This highly advanced radar system is operated by Norwegian Intelligence Services … in cooperation with the USA. I later read that the purpose of the installation is to track space objects, ballistic missiles, and the like. Its proximity to Russia makes me think there’s more to this installation than what meets the eye!

The Vardø Lighthouse from 1959 slowly made an appearance as we closed in on Hornøya Island. No puffins, however … they are long gone since the breeding season has ended and the pufflings have fledged.

We stayed on the forward bow on deck 6 for the remainder of the sail-in to the colorful city, spotting the Vardø church with its distinctive shape and the words “Make the North Great Again” on the front of a red building overlooking the harbor. It’s apparently an art project from 2020, poking fun at you know whose “Make America Great Again” slogan.Read more