Above: Oldest inhabited Viking village, Norway
Visiting Norway, Finland, and Sweden
August and September 2019
While Big Sky is on the hard in Portimao, Portugal receiving her annual spa treatment, we flew to Norway to find out for ourselves why it is referred to as one the the world’s most beautiful countries.
We booked a journey by ship through the fjords, into the Arctic Circle to Kirkenes, shouldering Russia's north. With our car rental, we explored by land. Norway is a small country with the second longest coastline in the world. Canada has the longest. Norway is the land of the midnight sun. Visiting in August, the darkness arrives about 9 pm and we’re a bit too early in the year for the Northern Lights, but never say never.
August and September 2019
While Big Sky is on the hard in Portimao, Portugal receiving her annual spa treatment, we flew to Norway to find out for ourselves why it is referred to as one the the world’s most beautiful countries.
We booked a journey by ship through the fjords, into the Arctic Circle to Kirkenes, shouldering Russia's north. With our car rental, we explored by land. Norway is a small country with the second longest coastline in the world. Canada has the longest. Norway is the land of the midnight sun. Visiting in August, the darkness arrives about 9 pm and we’re a bit too early in the year for the Northern Lights, but never say never.
August 23, 2019 — Arriving in Oslo by plane we rolled our bags into the hotel in the wee hours (12:30 am). Our five-minute taxi ride from the airport to the hotel came to $50 (Canadian equivalent). To say things are expensive in Norway is an understatement. A few hours of sleep, followed by a delicious Scandinavia breakfast, (smoked salmon, mackerel among many delicious items) we were back on our way to the airport to board a train for Bergen on Norway’s southern west coast. (Airports in Europe are a transportation hub.) We had eight hours of spectacular viewing out the train windows. Photos below were taken from the train.
August 24 — Bergen is a charming city tucked into the base of a fjord created by the cold North Sea. Houses are semi hidden in the green trees and shrubs, climbing up both sides of the fjord. Bergen was named the European City of Culture and music was and is its main theme. It’s impossible not to walk your feet off in this city. There’s a Heavy Metal Festival going on, with some band members staying in our hotel. Sitting beside a band member for breakfast a fan interrupted him offering his hand, “I’ve admired your music ever since I was a kid... saw you in Vegas...” The young man thanked him for his time, shook hands again, collected his own guitar and left. The band members look out of place in the morning, some wearing Gothic clothes, many, maybe all with tattoos, and long hair. We were an eclectic mix of people, hikers, old folks travelling in tour groups, the Goths, and us.
Cruise ships, ferries, leisure boats, fishing boats, freighters all dock around the Bergen peninsula, drawing a varied crowd. Bergen has attractively blended old and new and built the city around the water. When there's water, it’s not hard to look appealing. Our hotel is more than 100 years old. With our corner fourth-floor room, we have a 90-degree view of the city and water through our two large windows and walk-out patio. Walking through cobblestone alleyways, along park paths circling the peninsula, passing colourful wooden houses, and into the heart Bergen we stumbled into a political scene and Con had his photo taken with Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg. We managed a table in Bryggen Fish Market for dinner. It was twice as much as in Portugal, and just a bit more than in Canada, but all in all, an awesome location to end our evening.
Cruise ships, ferries, leisure boats, fishing boats, freighters all dock around the Bergen peninsula, drawing a varied crowd. Bergen has attractively blended old and new and built the city around the water. When there's water, it’s not hard to look appealing. Our hotel is more than 100 years old. With our corner fourth-floor room, we have a 90-degree view of the city and water through our two large windows and walk-out patio. Walking through cobblestone alleyways, along park paths circling the peninsula, passing colourful wooden houses, and into the heart Bergen we stumbled into a political scene and Con had his photo taken with Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg. We managed a table in Bryggen Fish Market for dinner. It was twice as much as in Portugal, and just a bit more than in Canada, but all in all, an awesome location to end our evening.
The first buildings in Bergen were in Bryggen in the 12th century, across the peninsula from where I’m standing above. A fire in 1702 ravaged the city to ashes and it was rebuilt as seen in the photos around the wharf. It’s a delightful place to get lost, with winding narrow alleyways, overhanging galleries, museums, and the busy fish market.
Bergen boosts the warmest weather in the country. Despite its location at 60 degrees latitude, Bergen stays warmer and less harsh in the winter because of its proximity to the Gulf Stream. (The Gulf Stream is a generous weather gift for Norweigians.) We took the funicular rail from the old part of Bergen to one of the seven mountain ranges, 300 meters up for spectacular views of the entire peninsula. During the Nazi occupation in WWII, the whole region was draped in Nazi flags. Once the region was back under Norwegian control, they painted the two rail cars, one blue and the other red representing their Norwegian flag. It has remained that way ever since. During WWII the Norwegian King escaped to London and the Nazi’s set up headquarters in Bergen from 1940 until their collapse in 1945. The Germans needed an ice-free water way and the iron ore from Sweden, making Norway a strategic mark for Hitler. The photo of the tall ship below was taken from our hotel balcony. The poster of the Heavy Metal Bands playing this week in the Music Festival, pictured. Gothic-dressed fans have gathered in town to enjoy the bands.
August 26 — Excited for our reservation in the most popular sea-food restaurant in the Fishing Harbour, we were seated early, placed our orders, I provided my spiel about shell food allergies and asked about cross contamination... sadly, they told us they couldn’t serve us. I had an anaphylactic episode in the 90s in a restaurant and cannot be complacent, but poor Con. I told him to stay and eat, but he wouldn't. We had pizza in an Italian Restaurant. Our few days in Bergen have been fabulous. Weather yesterday and today was absolutely perfect! We gravitated to the quays to watch the sailboats come and go and wandered the streets observing the colourful architecturally unique houses. It’s similar to Amsterdam, but with their Norwegian flair, specifically colourful houses with pointed roofs gives it away. The locals are casual, wearing hiking-like clothes, either running shoes or hiking boots. The women look beautiful, fit, blonde, with healthy skin. The men are tall, fit, and attractive. We took the Fløibanen funicular yesterday, and Con filmed the whole ride down.
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Right, I’m leaning against the statue of Edvard Grieg, the Norwegian composer and pianist most famous in Bergen, who lived in the Troldhaugen neighbourhood in Bergen. Trold meaning Troll, of Norse mythology and lots of troll statues and figurines populate the city. Listen to Grieg music here: https://youtu.be/x463zoWpiVI
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August 28 — Boarding MS Richard With
Last night, we stepped aboard the ship and settled into our delightful suite, bursting with excitement for our seven-day journey through the Norwegian fjords. Our ship was named after the founder and politician Richard With part of the Hurtigruten Fleet. The shipping group has been delivering people and goods up and down Norway’s coast for 125 years. Left, our cabin. We have wifi, English television with a channel showing a video cam facing forward, and gourmet meals. There’s a gym, two hot tubs, a sauna, and a track of sorts for exercise around the ship. The sun is brilliant, and the sea calm. For a country that promises one non-rain day in four rain days, we have had sunshine every day for six days so far. Richard With has 35 planned stops along the way, some for 10 minutes, and other stops for longer so we can go out to explore the delightful towns. |
The night’s sail was smooth, only slightly rolling when we met with the mouth of the main Storfjorden fjord from the open Atlantic. We traveled more than 200 kilometres into the Storfjorden fjord, going about 15 knots, entered another and then a third fjord within called the Geiranger Fjord, the “Jewel of Norway”, 15-km long. Tall mountain cliffs reach straight out of the narrow waterway like skyscrapers and waterfalls plunge dramatically down and into the fjord. A few farm houses sit on the edge of plateaus with no access by land, only by climbing like mountain goats can you reach them. The farm land pictured below is at water level. A real threat is annihilation from a tsunami. Scientists are closely watching the cliff sides and hopefully have a system in place to let the farm owners know. A large section breaking off and falling into the fjord would wipe out towns and farms at water level. It has happened in the past with devastating loss of life. A fjord is defined as a deep, narrow waterway off the ocean, with no exit, high mountains, and narrow across. The sun felt wonderful during our journey and we spent lots of time out on deck. We watched about a dozen salmon jumping and can they swim fast! They enter the fjords this time of year from the northern Atlantic Ocean.
In the photos below, you can see what Disney saw in the area, since they fashioned Arendelle in Frozen from this gorgeous fjord. With a warm breeze still blowing late in the afternoon, we lazed in comfy chairs on the 7th deck and fell asleep in the sun (or I did).
In the photos below, you can see what Disney saw in the area, since they fashioned Arendelle in Frozen from this gorgeous fjord. With a warm breeze still blowing late in the afternoon, we lazed in comfy chairs on the 7th deck and fell asleep in the sun (or I did).
Our sister-in-law Elserine’s aunt is from Alesund, giving us added enjoyment walking around the pretty town (below) situated just north of the Jewel of Norway (Geiranger Fjord). The stops are short and sweet. Sometimes there is time to get off and walk around, and other times, it’s just for people leaving, new passengers boarding, and for goods being delivered from one port to another. Our meals aboard have been extraordinary, providing something for every taste. The wine package (a glass each for a week with dinner) would have cost $1000 Canadian. You can imagine that we’re happy drinking water.
Still enjoying Day 2 aboard, we joined a social at 9:30 pm learning more interesting facts about Norway. The fjords were formed long ago by ice melting creating deep narrow rivers, packed by heavy snow over time becoming glaciers. As the glaciers melted they shaved the mountain tops flat, leaving the deep gorges or fjords (a universal Norwegian word). The northern daylight nights are becoming dark, and by 10:30 pm, we arrived in Molde, the town where another sister-in-law Lorna’s ancestors are from, pictured below in the dark.
August 29, Day 3 — At 10 am, we docked in Trondheim (two daylight photos above) and with just a few hours to explore on foot. It’s Norway’s fourth largest city, sitting on the 63rd parallel and also where our good friend Ellen’s grandma is from.
We paid 110 kr each ($32 Canadian) to visit the Nidaros Cathedral. Outrageous and to me, it was not worth the money. Sitting outside and enjoying the structure and reading about it on Wikipedia would have been enough. Rain threatened but “wet is wet” as we tell grand daughter Hailey, and we set off, returning soaking wet. Another couple arrived just as the ship’s plank was lifted. She (with her male companion following her) ran to the edge of the Trondheim dock following the ship as it left the harbour frantically shouting and waving “Wait for me! Wait for me!” Still chasing the ship, she continued shouting and waving a scarf stepping on the breakwater rocks. Her mate picked up his pace and we believed the woman was going to leap into the water the ship. Con and I had empathy for them as it’s easy to make a mistake, however, this may be their most expensive mistake. Read below for their fate.
We had our longest sail; twelve hours into the Arctic Circle. Sailing out of the Trondheim Fjord, we passed the Kjeungskjær Lighthouse-- which guides ships in and out of the waterway--a location that can be very stormy. For us, it’s raining cats and dogs but the ocean is flat. The lighthouse is octagonal and bright red, and looking sopping wet in our picture.
We paid 110 kr each ($32 Canadian) to visit the Nidaros Cathedral. Outrageous and to me, it was not worth the money. Sitting outside and enjoying the structure and reading about it on Wikipedia would have been enough. Rain threatened but “wet is wet” as we tell grand daughter Hailey, and we set off, returning soaking wet. Another couple arrived just as the ship’s plank was lifted. She (with her male companion following her) ran to the edge of the Trondheim dock following the ship as it left the harbour frantically shouting and waving “Wait for me! Wait for me!” Still chasing the ship, she continued shouting and waving a scarf stepping on the breakwater rocks. Her mate picked up his pace and we believed the woman was going to leap into the water the ship. Con and I had empathy for them as it’s easy to make a mistake, however, this may be their most expensive mistake. Read below for their fate.
We had our longest sail; twelve hours into the Arctic Circle. Sailing out of the Trondheim Fjord, we passed the Kjeungskjær Lighthouse-- which guides ships in and out of the waterway--a location that can be very stormy. For us, it’s raining cats and dogs but the ocean is flat. The lighthouse is octagonal and bright red, and looking sopping wet in our picture.
As night moved in on Day 3, we stopped at a small harbour for supplies. We learned that the two people who missed the ship could have purchased €85 flight tickets to our next port, arriving in time to connect, but the flight was totally booked. Their only option was 4.5-hour taxi ride! Based on our five-minute, $50 Canadian taxi ride, we believe this particular mistake was very painful to their pocket books. Others speculated it cost them a minimum of $1,000 (Canadian equivalent). We watched them board, not looking too pleased.
August 30 — Day 4
Sailing for 20 hours (about 250 NM) again over calm seas we woke early to be witness to crossing into the Arctic Circle just after 8 am. The globe marks the Arctic Circle. The circle marks a spot on Earth (Arctic Circle) where for one day during winter solstice the sun does not strike within the Arctic Circle because of the Earth’s tilt on the axis.
There are small hamlets along the banks, a few fishing boats, and ferries too. We haven’t seen much wildlife. I’m watching for eagles, whales, and dolphins, so far we’ve spotted a few small porpoise and the salmon the other day. People aboard are desperate for wildlife viewing and rushed to the windows to view the porpoise. It left me with the sense of how blessed Con and I have been living aboard Big Sky encountering whales, dolphins, porpoises, sword fish, flying fish, and birds of all kinds. Aboard Richard With, I’m still on the lookout for beluga whales. Late last night, we entered Svolaer, Lofoten Islands, learning from our Calgary friend Ellen that Alex, her son was DJing at a festival in the small town. Oh yes, the world is a small place.
Sailing for 20 hours (about 250 NM) again over calm seas we woke early to be witness to crossing into the Arctic Circle just after 8 am. The globe marks the Arctic Circle. The circle marks a spot on Earth (Arctic Circle) where for one day during winter solstice the sun does not strike within the Arctic Circle because of the Earth’s tilt on the axis.
There are small hamlets along the banks, a few fishing boats, and ferries too. We haven’t seen much wildlife. I’m watching for eagles, whales, and dolphins, so far we’ve spotted a few small porpoise and the salmon the other day. People aboard are desperate for wildlife viewing and rushed to the windows to view the porpoise. It left me with the sense of how blessed Con and I have been living aboard Big Sky encountering whales, dolphins, porpoises, sword fish, flying fish, and birds of all kinds. Aboard Richard With, I’m still on the lookout for beluga whales. Late last night, we entered Svolaer, Lofoten Islands, learning from our Calgary friend Ellen that Alex, her son was DJing at a festival in the small town. Oh yes, the world is a small place.
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We’re at the highest latitude we’ve ever experienced and still sailing further north. Sunday, we reach the most northern point of our journey with the ship. Our stop in Tromsø lasted a few hours and we visited the Polar Museum. While walking through town, we stopped to study the demonstration taking place. A large group along with the mayor was in support of immigration holding signs saying, “No Racism”. A smaller opposing group had the message “No Muslims”. It’s baffling how people can oppose migration. The demonstration was confusing.
We sailed further. The landscape is breathtaking! Rugged mountain ranges are so close it’s as if we could reach out and touch them. Snow and glacier ice is becoming more prevalent. Norwegian are sailing in small sailboats and the air temperature is still pleasant, but we've dug out our winter coats. |
September 1 — Day 6 Con Nearly Misses the Ship!
The ship stopped in Havoyson, a pretty barren place on an island nearly at the top of the world and the announcement was called, “Ten 10 minutes ashore.”
The ship had a 15-minute stop to unload cargo. "I'm going to walk to the Circle K store to take a picture for Dex; he'll get a kick out of that," Con announced.
"You can't make it in time Con," I said with authority.
He responded, "Coming?"
"No," I said dumpfounded adding, "do you have your watch?"
He nodded.
Everybody made their way back aboard at the 10-minute mark, including me. I walked up to the fifth floor to watch for Con. No Con.
At the 15-minute mark, the gang plank lifted. Still no Con. I couldn't believe it! There was no airport on this island, but there was a road that could take him to Kirkeness, but that was a seven-hour taxi ride. He didn't bring his phone or wallet!
The cargo doors began to lift and I hustled down to the third floor where guests enter and exit the boat and asked the door agent who logs people off and on, if Con had boarded. With a feel-sorry-for-you face the woman responded, "No."
I thought about all the things I'd need to do to change our itinerary. We were disembarking in the morning in Kirkeness. We had a car rental booked, and a hotel a few hours from Kirkeness. I'd have to change the rental to my name, cancel the hotel, and hope Con can find someone to loan them a phone or internet.
I went back to the fifth floor for one final look as our ship was now well on its way. Turning to head to our room to begin the itinerary change I see Con! He's walking toward me trying to hide his guilty face with a nonchalant smirk. The relief I had in that moment was so filled with emotion, I nearly spanked him right there in front of everyone!
Apparently, Con didn't hear the time limit ashore correctly. As he casually rounded the bend, the ship in his sight, he saw the gang plank already lifted, lines being tossed, and the cargo doors nearly closed. He sprinted, leapt, landing on the closing cargo door! Staff spotted him and lowered the inside elevator so he could step down. He was lucky! YES! Imagine the chaos if he was a second or two later.
The ship stopped in Havoyson, a pretty barren place on an island nearly at the top of the world and the announcement was called, “Ten 10 minutes ashore.”
The ship had a 15-minute stop to unload cargo. "I'm going to walk to the Circle K store to take a picture for Dex; he'll get a kick out of that," Con announced.
"You can't make it in time Con," I said with authority.
He responded, "Coming?"
"No," I said dumpfounded adding, "do you have your watch?"
He nodded.
Everybody made their way back aboard at the 10-minute mark, including me. I walked up to the fifth floor to watch for Con. No Con.
At the 15-minute mark, the gang plank lifted. Still no Con. I couldn't believe it! There was no airport on this island, but there was a road that could take him to Kirkeness, but that was a seven-hour taxi ride. He didn't bring his phone or wallet!
The cargo doors began to lift and I hustled down to the third floor where guests enter and exit the boat and asked the door agent who logs people off and on, if Con had boarded. With a feel-sorry-for-you face the woman responded, "No."
I thought about all the things I'd need to do to change our itinerary. We were disembarking in the morning in Kirkeness. We had a car rental booked, and a hotel a few hours from Kirkeness. I'd have to change the rental to my name, cancel the hotel, and hope Con can find someone to loan them a phone or internet.
I went back to the fifth floor for one final look as our ship was now well on its way. Turning to head to our room to begin the itinerary change I see Con! He's walking toward me trying to hide his guilty face with a nonchalant smirk. The relief I had in that moment was so filled with emotion, I nearly spanked him right there in front of everyone!
Apparently, Con didn't hear the time limit ashore correctly. As he casually rounded the bend, the ship in his sight, he saw the gang plank already lifted, lines being tossed, and the cargo doors nearly closed. He sprinted, leapt, landing on the closing cargo door! Staff spotted him and lowered the inside elevator so he could step down. He was lucky! YES! Imagine the chaos if he was a second or two later.
At noon, we arrived in Havoysund, Finnmark at the top of Norway in the Barents Sea at 71 degrees latitude, in the land of reindeer, puffin birds, and Sámi (the Arctic people). The reindeer are all owned by the Sámi people. An interesting fact about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. He is a she. In the summer, the male reindeer have long strong antlers and lose them by winter. The females grow them in the winter. So, Rudolph is a female. Thirty percent of the colourful-beaked Arctic puffins live in Norway. They arrive in May, breed, raise their babies, and leave by the end of August for a life on the sea. We’ve just missed them. We are in the land of the Northern Lights, which if we’re lucky we may see, but more probable is to see them during winter. The skies are blue. In this region, people experience Polar Nights from November to January when the sun never shows itself!
Above, a statue commemorating the famous Norwegian St. Bernard named Bamse, in Honningsvåg, who became the mascot for Norwegian freedom during WWII. Bamse went to sea as a pup aboard a Whaling Ship and when war broke out, the whaling ship was drafted into The Royal Navy in 1940 and Bamse became an official crew member. He stood at the front gun tower and the crew fashioned him a metal helmet. He saved a crew member from a knife attack by pushing the assailant into the sea among many endearing acts. While in Scotland, he’d break up fights by putting his massive paws on their shoulders, calming them. He was given a bus pass and would round up crew members to lead them back to the ship, getting off the bus at the regular watering hole. If they weren’t there, he’d get on the bus himself and go to the ship. Bamse died in 1944 from heart failure and 800 children attended his funeral. Great story! And you can see he has a massive fan in Con.
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September 2 — Day 7
Our awesome cruise came to an end. The Expedition Crew were exceptional giving excellent lectures two and three times a day on whales, land formations, fjords, birds, the Sami people, Northern Lights, and Niri, an excellent expedition leader read to us a section from a historic Norwegian book about the Battle of Trollfjord in 1890. It doesn’t sound exciting, but it had us on the edge of our seats. Outside on the 7th deck, the expedition team offered local foods (fish cakes), pointed out areas of interest, introduced us to Sami and Norwegian music, and kept us busy all day and late in the evening too. The MS Richard With will turn around and go back to Bergen today. Con joked that, “Now we can have a break!” We booked affordable tickets on a bus to the airport to pick up our rental car. It’s a brand new hybrid. Driving to Imari, Finland was tricky as I dodged dozens of reindeer, and major potholes. That night in the sauna, we reminisced about our day’s sights, including two red Arctic foxes at the side of the road. |
We entered Finland and Sweden for a few days
September 3 -- Last night’s sauna knocked me out by 8:30. Beehive structures were built to optimize Northern Lights viewing, and one of them was the private sauna we enjoyed. During high season, November to January the cabin are all booked. The night light shows should begin in September, so fingers crossed. Breakfast was excellent and after we hit the road for Rovaniemi (Santa’s Village).
We’re traveling in northern Finland to Rovaniemi, the largest city in Lapland (the largest region in Finland). The Gulf of Bothnia is to the south, Russia to the east, Sweden west, and Norway north. This morning, we drove for 100km only seeing four, maybe five cars. In total, we drove 326 kilometres today, passing as many reindeer. They are very well behaved, eating at the side of the road, never running out in front of our car. There was a moment I had to break for an enormous goose waddling down the highway. When first spotted, he looked like a monkey! We checked into the Arctic Light Hotel, a fabulously big room. We get to shower with a polar bear.
September 4 -- In Rovaniemi, Finland we visited Santa Clause in Santa’s Village situated in the Lapland on the division line between the Temperate Zone and the Arctic Circle. The village is made up of Christmas shops with scads of trinkets. In the afternoon, we visited Arktikum, a fabulous science museum that explores northern nature, culture, and its history close up. And, by 8 pm we were doing what the Finns do, having a sauna. Ahhh.
September 5 — We woke to a foggy morning in Rovaniemi, and it’s the International Grand Market today. We’ve been told that people wait all year round for this day. Once we scour the market for Cloud Berries, with no luck. They are an Arctic amber-coloured herb similar to a raspberry. We set off further south to Luleå on the Gulf of Bothnia.
Self-Driving Car!
I was in awe and wonder behind the wheel of our Toyota Corolla self-driving car. Within the first 20 minutes driving, startled I said, “Con, the car is behaving weird, my steering wheel is moving on it’s own!”
“It’s likely the slants in the road Barb.”
A bit later, I proved to Con that the car was driving itself, “Watch!” I took my hands from the steering wheel as it rounded the curve in the road, and then correcting itself. The car has built-in sensors and once cruise control is set, it speeds up and breaks on its own, if there’s a car ahead, or pedestrians. I hope it can break quicker than me if there’s a moose on the road. There seem to be only two things the car can’t do. 1. Adjust the speed to the posted road speed, and 2. Make us a cup of coffee.
Self-Driving Car!
I was in awe and wonder behind the wheel of our Toyota Corolla self-driving car. Within the first 20 minutes driving, startled I said, “Con, the car is behaving weird, my steering wheel is moving on it’s own!”
“It’s likely the slants in the road Barb.”
A bit later, I proved to Con that the car was driving itself, “Watch!” I took my hands from the steering wheel as it rounded the curve in the road, and then correcting itself. The car has built-in sensors and once cruise control is set, it speeds up and breaks on its own, if there’s a car ahead, or pedestrians. I hope it can break quicker than me if there’s a moose on the road. There seem to be only two things the car can’t do. 1. Adjust the speed to the posted road speed, and 2. Make us a cup of coffee.
To Sweden, Finland, and back to Norway
September 6 — Waking early in Luleå, Sweden at the northern tip of the Gulf of Bothnia, we visited two places that couldn’t be more opposite. First, we followed the massive overhead electrical lines to the one and only location outside of the USA where Facebook has set up headquarters. They call it the Node Pole, where they cool down their 11 football-field sized warehouse of Facebook data. Then we drove to Gammelstad, a 15th century church town still standing as it did then. The church is the centre of the town and people come from far away to attend and then stay to socialize. They overnight in one of the 424 wooden cottages there. Nobody is allowed to live there permanently.
We drove four hours to Akaslompolo, Finland, staying in the number one cross country ski and hiking area. We dodged the beautiful reindeer all along the way. Late afternoon, we had a short walk in the rain, but returned for a sauna which was a much better idea. Once in our cabin, we weren’t allowed to wear our shoes and at the door had to don pointed-toed slippers.
September 7 -- Today was an eight-hour drive with a few interesting stops. First to Alta, Norway for the Rock Carvings which date back 7,000 years telling stories of life in the Alta Fjord region century by century as carved by the people who lived in the region thousands of years ago.
We carried on through changing terrain leaving the densely forested area to thick deciduous treed forests. Temperatures started at 7 degrees, rising to 10 the closer we were to the top of Europe. The Gulf Stream creates a pleasant weather system, and we watched the stubby trees then further north become taller and greener. Once we entered the tundra-like zone, trees disappeared altogether and heavy shale rock cliff hung over parts of the highway. Landslides must be the greatest hazard, as they were evident on both sides of the road. We turned north, taking the highway straight up toward the North Cape. At a high point, we pulled over to get a good shot of the bay below, and I’d accidentally stopped in front of three Sami’s gutting an enormous reindeer.
On the map above, you can see where we entered the underwater tunnel, driving down to 212 meters BELOW the ocean for a 6.8 km long tunnel to Honningsvåg. When we entered, visibility was poor due to fog in the tunnel. This is our second time in this town, the first was by ship.
We drove four hours to Akaslompolo, Finland, staying in the number one cross country ski and hiking area. We dodged the beautiful reindeer all along the way. Late afternoon, we had a short walk in the rain, but returned for a sauna which was a much better idea. Once in our cabin, we weren’t allowed to wear our shoes and at the door had to don pointed-toed slippers.
September 7 -- Today was an eight-hour drive with a few interesting stops. First to Alta, Norway for the Rock Carvings which date back 7,000 years telling stories of life in the Alta Fjord region century by century as carved by the people who lived in the region thousands of years ago.
We carried on through changing terrain leaving the densely forested area to thick deciduous treed forests. Temperatures started at 7 degrees, rising to 10 the closer we were to the top of Europe. The Gulf Stream creates a pleasant weather system, and we watched the stubby trees then further north become taller and greener. Once we entered the tundra-like zone, trees disappeared altogether and heavy shale rock cliff hung over parts of the highway. Landslides must be the greatest hazard, as they were evident on both sides of the road. We turned north, taking the highway straight up toward the North Cape. At a high point, we pulled over to get a good shot of the bay below, and I’d accidentally stopped in front of three Sami’s gutting an enormous reindeer.
On the map above, you can see where we entered the underwater tunnel, driving down to 212 meters BELOW the ocean for a 6.8 km long tunnel to Honningsvåg. When we entered, visibility was poor due to fog in the tunnel. This is our second time in this town, the first was by ship.
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September 8 — Nordkapp
We’ve returned to Honningsvåg. This is the smallest city in Norway, having been given the title of “city” with shy of 2,400 people, so they could claim to be the “most northern city in Europe”. The guidelines say you need 5,000 people, but it seems there are no exception to breaking rules. Honningsvåg is on the island of Nordkapp, connected to the mainland by the deep underwater tunnel. (Above is the photo taken from the inside of the nearly 7 km long tunnel.) Cruise ships visit here, as we did last week to get as near as possible to the red marker left. Honningsvåg sits on the 71st parallel. You’d think it would be a lot colder, but again, thanks to the Gulf Stream for the gentle climate, Honningsvåg is warmer in the winter than Oslo in south Norway. With sunny skies, we ventured to the north end of the island for a grand look over the Barrents Sea toward the North Pole, a 40-minute drive. |
We arrived at the North Cape. There wasn’t a breath of wind and the sun was shining under a brilliant blue sky. There were reindeer everywhere, eating along the roads, in the field, and around the rocks, in every view we took along our winding trek to the top of Europe, there were reindeer. The landscape is shockingly rugged, mostly rock landslides, or hills made of rocks. The ground is most places is covered with low growing greenery and the reindeer love it. Pools of fresh water are dotted everywhere, and there’s the occasional wooden house. Only the Sami’s live here.
Getting to North Cape was like driving on beautifully paved road on the moon. By car, we climbed 307 meters to the spectacular cliff plateau at the end of the road in Europe, for breathtaking views of the Arctic Ocean. It’s hard to imagine that just more than 2,000 kilometres north over calm blue sea is the North Pole. The ocean conditions can change within minutes and become violent, as we learned in the museum at Cape about the various history of the area and the losses of young men and boys during WW11. We viewed the beautifully stuffed birds are on display. This is one of the premier places on earth to view a variety of birds, including the puffin. No penguins here. No Polar bears either on the mainland, or the North Cape Island. We drove to Gjesvær, a fishing hamlet of 80 people, and booked into a cottage on stilts over the water (pictured above). This is the only known place from the Viking Age. The population here is 80, 82 with us. It’s Sunday. We didn’t bring food, believing we’d have a nice dinner at the restaurant, and stop at a coffee shop for breakfast. The nearest store and restaurant or coffee shop that is open, is 50 kilometres away. The proprietor sold us a package of cauliflower soup, some milk, bread, and some kind of spread, so we have dinner. We sat at the picnic table outside, on the 71st parallel, enjoying the sun, the quiet, and the beauty surrounding us. Visa is challenging us. First it blocked Con’s credit card a few weeks ago, and booking flights back to Canada, then they blocked my card. It’s our only form of payment! Con managed to contact them using our Portuguese SIM card telling them, “You have no idea what you’ve done. By blocking my card and now my wife’s card, you may be condemning us to a life on this remote island!”
September 10 — While in Kirkeness, we drove a few kilometres to the Russian border and back. The GPS was confused and we assumed it was government interference. Kirkeness is in full autumn colours and with the river running through and toward the Arctic, making a spectacular backdrop. Sunning on two rocks in the centre of the river were two Razor Bills, similar to penguins. The bird photo below is from the museum. Autumn in northern Norway, and our rental, the self-driving car.
September 14 -- In between the 200 Cultural Events taking place in Oslo right now, we’ve enlightened ourselves by visiting the Viking, Kon Tiki, Fram, and Polar Museums. The latter two are about Amundsen, the Norwegian who was the first to reach the South Pole. We joined a city walking tour learning about Oslo’s colourful past. The oil and gas industry has taken Norway from the poorest country in Europe in 1960 to one of the most progressive. They are inviting people from all over the world to come for free university education!
Below: three Viking ships were found on a farmer’s field, spring 2018, south of Oslo. The ship were used for burials, and bones and artifacts were also discovered, all dating back to 800 AD. The Kon-Tiki boat is the third photo.
Below: three Viking ships were found on a farmer’s field, spring 2018, south of Oslo. The ship were used for burials, and bones and artifacts were also discovered, all dating back to 800 AD. The Kon-Tiki boat is the third photo.
The Cultural Festival of Oslo is taking place around us, with a light show on the roof of the Opera House, the Friday 13, Harvest Moon featured. Music filled the streets, and churches, and some folks enjoyed the floating sauna on the Oslofjord.
Above: Clock on City Hall;Oslofjord behind me at the Oslo Fortress; ice berg art in Fjord; King’s fortress.
For our last full day in Oslo, a cool, but dry day, we set off by city bus to Frogner Park for a pleasant surprise. We expected a few sculptures but what we saw was exceptional. The beautiful sculptures designed by Gustav Vigeland are captivating in their human expressions. The park has so many water features, a lake, bridge, flowers, and enormous chestnut and maple trees. Vigeland, a Norwegian, born in 1869, was also famous for designing the Nobel Peace Prize Medal.
Tomorrow we fly to The Netherlands for a week with family, ending our awesome journey through the Norwegian fjords by ship and countryside (including Sweden and Finland) by car. Big Sky will look like new as she’s lowered back into the Atlantic in a week, and we sail her back to Lagos. Visit our For Sale pages for details on the sale of Big Sky.