SB Day 10: Brønnøysund

Today’s long stop — one hour and 15 minutes in Brønnøysund — was scheduled for 3:00p. By then, any hope for sunshine was gone.

The small coastal town greeted us with a stiff wind, that occasionally carried rain drops with it. We didn’t let that deter us from going ashore. The locals were smarter … at home, at work, or in the mall … cozy and warm, protected from the wind.

We went for a wander around town, following the waterfront. We passed the mall … though we did walk through it on the way back; strolled by the local pub, which used to be a barber as well as a bar at one time; found the Brønnøysund sign that marks the geographic center of Norway … Lindenes Lighthouse 585 miles (840 km) to the south; Nordkapp an equal distance to the north.

Continuing from there, we crossed over to the park on Lille Brønnøya (Little Spring Island) … using the bridge that connects it to the rest of the town. Billed as a cultural hub and a place for festivals, the park was all but deserted today. So, we continued inland from there toward the church, which was consecrated in 1870. Alas, it was closed, so we had to be satisfied with wandering the grounds … where we found a memorial from 1859 to the fishermen from Brønnøysund who lost their lives at sea.

We were hoping that we’d find a place for a quick bite on the way back, but nothing really grabbed our attention, and the ice cream shop was closed. So, we meandered back to the ship, arriving a few minutes before the all-aboard.

Around 6:00p, we joined Andy and Wendy for dinner at our assigned table … but did have to beg leave later to go out on the bow on deck 6 forward when the cruise director advised that we would be making a quick detour for a glimpse of the hole in the center of Torghatten, a granite mountain that is 850 feet (258m) asl.

The scientific explanation for the hole … it was carved out of the softer rock by glacial ice and water during the Scandinavian Ice Age.

But what mountain with such a unique feature wouldn’t have a legend associated with it? 😄

According to Norse folklore, the hole was made when a troll king shot an arrow to stop the beautiful girl he was trying to abduct from escaping his clutches. The king of Sømna threw his hat in the path of the arrow to stop it from hitting the girl … and the hat turned into the mountain with a hole … which explains the name … Torghatten = the hat of Torg.Read more