Originally booked with Michael & Dan for Oct '20, our cruise from Bergen to Kirkenes and back was delayed by the pandemic, then Michael & Dan were unable to join us, which was a pity.
Timely flights made the journey easy, to Oslo and then to Bergen. It was more than a little damp on arrival in Bergen so walking about was limited until our last few hours when the rain eased. We stopped in Bryggen, the historical area with centuries old wooden trading houses from the Hanseatic trading days, which have rightly been preserved with World Heritage status. Restorations have sometimes required lifting the entire building to repair foundations, as well as what must be an ongoing programme of timber replacement. They are colourful and the alleyways interesting. Unwittingly, we chose a restaurant for dinner - Bryggeloftet & Sturne - not far from the hotel to limit getting wet and on the waterfront, which turned out to be quite famous and popular when we read up about it later!
Restaurant
In the afternoon after a short taxi ride, we checked in for our cruise on MS Richard With, named after Hurtigruten’s founder, and set sail in the mid evening after dinner with about 25% capacity on board so there was plenty of space. The food is good, briefing and information very adequate as well as amusingly delivered by our expedition guides. The time of year means the days are quite short and will become shorter as we progress north.
It was rather choppy for our first night as we pitched and rolled out at sea. We also discovered that our very nice and spacious cabin was just behind and above the foredeck so we were subjected to serenades of anchor weighing and mooring rope winching during the night at our three stops before reaching Alesund. It seems that our cruise ship also carries freight and passengers between the ports of call on our route. Some stops are only 10 mins, just enough to tie up, discharge & take on freight, cars or people, before the weighing and winching begins again and that wasn't in the brochure!
The noisy, but necessary, stuff!
The sun shone but it was just above freezing in Alesund and we took a walk around the town, famed for its art nouveau architecture. Many cafes were closed as I suppose the peak season has passed, maybe compounded by the low passenger numbers. The town’s wooden houses were destroyed by a major fire in 1904 cause unknown, which gave rise to the new look.
Alesund
The route to Trondheim had just one stop, we sailed in and amongst the coastal islands so it was calmer, but we were welcomed with drizzle for our walk about town. We looked at, but didn’t enter due to time constraints, Nidaros Cathedral, then walked across the old town bridge, from which could just be seen a bicycle lift - a track in a gutter at one side of the road where the cyclist places one foot to be pushed up the rather steep hill beyond the bridge. Trondheim claims to have the highest ratio of cafes to population of anywhere in the World! It seemed so too.
Trondheim
Memorial to those lost from Trondheim
in the massacre of students on Utoya Island on 22 Jul 2011
Nidaros Cathedral
Old Town Bridge
Leaving Trondheim, we were treated to mussels on the observation deck as we passed by a unique lighthouse where families used to live with their children tethered to prevent them falling into the sea. What would Human Rights say about that nowadays? It is now an automatic lighthouse but the building can be rented for a stay with a difference!
After another calm night in an among the islands, maybe more used to the anchor and winch noises now, we stayed on board during the short stop at Ornes and longer one at Bodo due to a combination of rain and hail. A few on board views of the essentials:
Ornes
Bodo
Staying among the islands gave us another calmer night before we arrived at Finnses where freight, people and cars were offloaded, showing more how part of the business is a shuttle ferry between ports on its routes. One Hurtigruten ferry was departing as we arrived and another arriving as we left, so Finnses seems an important port.
Sun peeks above mountains at 10am
The day was more chilly, especially when exposed to the breeze on deck as we sailed to Tromso. The approach is through a narrow channel, also quite shallow so timing and position are important plus knowing which way it is flowing (seemed obvious) we were told. As we reached Tromso at 2pm, we could see daylight already fading with sunset having passed at 1:51pm! So, our walk around town was mostly in dusk, but the lights around the town and waterfront made it quite pretty. It was far different to my last visit here in 2016 on my Harley, in summer, when it was still daylight at 3am!
Approach to Tromso
Arctic Cathedral
The Arctic Cathedral was prominent across the bridge on the mainland and the snow capped mountains added to the good viewing. Snow had recently fallen and the threatened rain kept away for our walkabout briefly into the town and then along the waterfront.
Arctic Cathedral
Left of centre, leaving Tromso
Onward through inland waterways, so quite calm, stopping at last of all at Havoysund, to join a queue of Hurtigruten vessels dropping off and picking up, we then passed over the 7km long undersea tunnel that I rode through in 2016, which connects the mainland to the island and reached Honningsvag.
Early morning sky
Havoysund
Mageroya Island (Nord Kapp)
From there, it was coach up to the plateau and Nord Kapp, 2 German and 1 English, so maybe that profiles the mix of passengers on board.
Well, what an ideal day it was for a visit to Nord Kapp, weather-wise. Unlike my previous visits, foggy and then windy, it was calm with clear visibility and wonderfully coloured skies. We arrived at midday, just an hour before sunset, which was hard to appreciate! But, the snow and ice helped it stay bright even after sunset, but sometimes fooling the camera or phone taking a photo. Still, the effects do reflect most as we saw it. Apparently, from next week the sun will not rise and it will become polar night time.
Oops, sorry!
Hello, another selfie going on?
Air Force fly past
Sun below the horizon
The views were enjoyed, photos were taken and we spent some time in the visitor centre, watched a film of superb photography of Nord Kapp in different seasons. Mind you, the seasons there are quite different to ours in UK and cover extremes from whole days of darkness to midnight sun from winter to summer. I was fascinated to hear the stories of some 5,000 indigenous Sami reindeer that spend the summer on the island and are then shipped to the mainland by road or ferry for the winter when the snow denies them access to food. They seem to know when that happens too, according to our guide.
The first tourists arrived at the cliff bottom by sea, to be helped up the 307m cliff path by local fishermen, the visitors in their Sunday best and the fishermen in their uniforms! When we departed at 2:30p it was pretty much dark although the mountain above Honningsvag could still just be seen.
Bye Honningsvag
After leaving and under a clear blue sky, we were treated to a brief showing of the Northern Lights:
A few more stops in the night, then Vadso over and early breakfast, it was to the furthermost point of our journey, Kirkenes. It is only a short distance from the Russian border and Cyrillic script could be seen on some road and building signs. Free passage is possible for residents both side of the border in its region and, as with Ireland, they cross the border for items cheaper on the other side. Unleaded petrol is about £2/litre in Norway, so cars are refuelled in Russia!
Our approach was in a bitter wind, with sleet falling and -4deg. The sun had apparently risen somewhere in the grey sky at 8:30am, but it couldn’t be seen. After a short coach ride, the wind had dropped, the sleet had stopped and the sky was a little clearer as we arrived for a husky sled ride. It was really ideal. After meeting our young Danish musher and being told a few things about the dogs, we were off and it was just fabulous.
The team in front dived off into the ditch, seeking to roll in the soft snow as they apparently do, and that sled came to an abrupt halt, although still upright with passengers intact. So, a few of our team followed suit! After some minutes and getting the one in front back onto the track, we were off again.
The other thing we learned is that the huskies can poop on the run, but that it is often preceded by flatulence - Jean vouching from the front! Thankfully for her, it was second right so not the worst!
We then had an unexpected treat with a visit to the adjacent Snow Hotel, which is built over a giant balloon, and includes sculptures made from ice blocks harvested from a nearby lake each January. The blue lighting gave it an eerie ambience and, although covered in hide, the beds are pretty hard as Jean could probably tell.
Santa's sleigh is ready!
Our bus took us to a high point above the town with a view to our ship.
Back on board for lunch at 1pm, the sun was just setting and the grey hue returned to the sky as we set sail! The early sunset is explained because this part of Norway wraps around the north of Finland and has a longitude that is nearer to Istanbul, but the whole of Norway stays on the same time zone.
Bye Kirkenes
And to complete the excellent day, we once again had a showing of the Northern Lights:
Near to Hammerfest, we passed the island of Melkoya, which is a bulk gas storage and distribution facility, interesting in some respects. But, the hearty coffee given on the snow covered deck as we passed it by allowed enjoyment of a wonderful sky as the sun dropped behind the clouds. It was bitterly cold because of the wind, but the thick coffee (with cinnamon and ?) certainly hit the spot!
Melkoya
We stopped at Hammerfest for a walkabout, fresh snow having fallen overnight, but were sheltered from the wind. Apparently, it shares the same latitude as Siberia and it felt like that on deck while at sea!
The grey skies were returning as we set sail at 1pm.
It was then on to Harstad to disembark fairly early. We had booked The Taste of Verstalen excursion and the predominant flavour was wet! In fairness, it did deny the dramatic fjords and scenery in their best bright summer light, but the sun didn’t ‘rise’ until 9:37am, an hour after we had docked and joined our coach in any case and ‘set’ just after we returned to our ship at 12:30pm. However, it just made for a different experience.
First stop was Trondenes Kirke, the parish church where we were greeted by the priest and treated to a short service in English, German and French. The church dates from medieval time and was originally constructed in wood until the stone outer was built and the wooden inner dismantled. Nearby was a museum, which traced some local history that included Viking times through to the enslavement of Soviet POWs during WWII, who were forced to build coastal fortifications for the northernmost part of the Atlantic Wall. Some 100,000 were involved, of whom nearly 14,000 died because of the terrible conditions. But records of their deaths were collected centrally in Germany and became evidence in later war crime trials. Beside it was a mock up farm.
Then it was onward with a few stops on our coach journey, peering out at steep mountains rising from the water, more typical of what we know as fjord. One short bridge spans a tidal flow that see salt water flow one way and then the fresh the other as the direction changes.
Madness?
The rain continued to pour as we crossed the island, then took a ferry over a short stretch of water to another island and finally a bridge to Sortland, where we rejoined the ship. The ship had meanwhile called at another port after leaving Harstad. Timing is so well understood that the ship passed under the bridge as we passed over the top of it, the ship’s horn sounding and the coach driver replying with his horn. Passengers waving from the deck had been told to expect this!
Yep, that puddle will do!
MS Richard With approaches the Sortland bridge
Even our guide commented on the willingness, or madness, of our mixed English, German and French group to leave the coach in such wet conditions!
Onward into the greying sky, we sailed south to Stokmarkness, home of the Hurtigruten Museum, which we missed because of the inclement weather.
Another brief showing of the Northern Lights as we left Svolvaer, despite a lot of ambient light:
Next morning, in a howling wind and heavy rain, we passed the globe on a small island that marked where we left the Arctic Circle. We had passed it in the night while northbound:
The wind howls!
As quite a few passengers were due to disembark at Trondheim, the Farewell Dinner was held two nights before we were due to finish at Bergen. A glass of complimentary champagne awaited us at our table, along with selected members of the crew and chefs all lined up to toast us before we ate. It was really quite nice!
Departing Trondheim for the second time, we had a mixture of bright clear and heavy rain skies as we headed south for our next stop at Kristiansund, where the rain fell heavily for most of the time. Then it was into the night , a choppy sea and the last few stops before Bergen.
The last two legs back to Bergen had mostly heavy rain and visibility and visits ashore were not attractive, so we lounged about and made the most of onboard activities. It was pouring in Bergen when we arrived, but that is common in the southern areas, often over 200 days per year!
We had a timely arrival and transfer to the airport and onward journey to Oslo. The weather came up trumps again, arriving in of evening of drizzle, changing to dry sunshine the next day for our walkabout.
First, it was trombone walk after breakfast at Central Station as I got the location of local buses confused with the long distance ones, but a helpful chap guided us over this and that to find the right stop in the end. Then it was on to Bygdo and the museums. Last time, I crossed to the peninsula by ferry, but this stopped at the end of October.
First, it was the Fram Museum, to learn about the extraordinary explorer Roald Amundsen. He was a meticulous researcher and planner, first around the Arctic and then discovering the Northwest Passage, before beating Scott to the South Pole. You can’t help noting that he achieved the first and every one of his team came back alive, unlike Scott’s.
Good representation of life on board in the high seas
Then to another extraordinary Norwegian explorer, Thor Heyderhal, first with his Kon Tiki expedition in the Pacific on a balsa wood raft, then reed rafts Ra1 and Ra2 in the Atlantic and Tigris in the Indian Oceans. Nowhere the same qualified seaman as Amundsen, his achievements were nonetheless laudable ventures of planning and bravery.
Last, we had a short time in the Holocaust Museum to learn about the history of Norway's Jews during Nazi occupation, once again a harrowing story of racism and dehumanisation, with about one third of its Jewish population lost in Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp.
And the fine skies continued:
After a brief trip around what seemed to be building to a Christmas Market in the centre, it was time to find a watering hole and somewhere for dinner, before saying goodbye to Norway next day.
So, what better, if atypical, way to finish but in The Dubliner Irish Pub nearby our hotel, where we were accompanied by a lively reunion of Norwegian guys out for a night on the town:
Nah, it'll never displace a Harley!
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