Travel Zette

Arriving in Tromsø on 21 June, we continued with grey skies and light rain. Even in this dreary weather I could see this is a beautiful and vibrant city. We visited the polar museum and walked the streets. They were preparing for the midnight sun marathon with music and food stands being erected. There were beautiful flowers everywhere and I could imagine the beauty on a sunny day with mountains, fjords and islands all around.

We continued north that night to Honningsvåg at the top of Norway. Arriving in the mist and grey skies, we docked in a small harbor right in town. The town is small and charming with not much open on a Sunday but we walked a bit in the rain and then enjoyed visiting the Artico Ice Bar.

In the afternoon our excursion to Nordkapp, which claims to be the farthest north (for most tourists) on the European continent and overlooking the Arctic Ocean. Actually, Knivskjellodden point, just to the west is a bit farther north. The 45 minute ride looked lovely even in the rain and we saw a few reindeer too! At Nordkapp (Nord Cape or North Cape) we were unable to see anything as we were in a cloud of mist. Disappointing not to see the view but happy to have reached this place. I can now say that I have been almost pole to pole. In December 2009, I was in Antarctica at McMurdo Station which is 850 miles miles from the South Pole and at Nordkapp, Norway I was 1306 miles from the North Pole. The trips shared a few things in common, both were aboard ships (icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov and cruise ship Ryndam), both were during the solstice with 24 hours of daylight (December and June) and both were long voyages at 30 days and 28 days. They both had a Russian influence as well, Antarctica on a Russian icebreaker and we will visit St Petersberg on this cruise. Pole to pole could also describe my journey over the past 5 years. The trip to Antarctica in 2009 began a personal transformation of self love and acceptance allowing me to begin a life of following my heart.

Heading south, we arrived in Geiranger fjord 2 days later, greeted by sunlight and amazing scenery. In this town where 250 people live, we anchored with a short tender ride to the dock. Everything is within walking distance including a waterfall and little shoppes with incredible views. In the afternoon, we took a rib boat down the fjord for a closer look at the seven sisters, the suitor and bridal veil waterfalls. I can’t seem to find enough words to describe the beauty of Geirangerfjord and perhaps after 5 days of grey skies, the sunshine and stunning beauty of the fjord was all the more spectacular.

Our great weather continued as we docked the following day in Bergen. We were able to walk off the ship and tour the town as well as taking the cable car to Mt Fløan to see the awesome views of Bergen, with islands, lakes and fjords in every direction. We sailed away in pure sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. They say there are more than 200 cloudy days here on average. We were all grateful as we sat on the lido deck to take in the scenery as we headed back out to the North Sea on our return to Dover.

Norway is more beautiful and spectacular than I imagined.  There is an energy in these fjords and a serene beauty to the landscape. As a last minute trip planned less than 30 days before sailing, it has been an unexpected pleasure and I’m grateful for the opportunity and experience.