Hi All,
We are now headed back to the starting point of our cruise in Bergen. We arrived back in Tromso at 11:45 PM. At midnight we were walking through freshly fallen snow to board a bus back to the beautiful church we visited a few days ago. There we enjoyed a wonderful musical concert. Then it was back through the snow to our ship.
Love
Sandy & Carl
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
Hi All,
After breakfast, our tour manager, Axel Leonhart, had one if our daily meetings to tell us about the places we were headed, the history and culture of the Norwegian people in the area and a special topic like Scandinavian history, local heros or the North Sea oil & gas production.
First stop today was Hammerfest where we toured the local church then shopped our way back to the ship.
We spent a quiet afternoon on the panorama deck watching the snow covered mountains slip past.
Love
Sandy & Carl
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
Hi All,Today we docked at Kirkines, very close to the Russian border. A tour bus took us to the border crossing where Russians pass freely to shop in Norway and the road signs are in both Norwegian and Russian. The border used to be open for Norwegians to shop in Russia. However, when the Norwegian government realized that the only thing people bought in Russia was cheap vodka, the border was closed.For those who do not understand the subject of today's post, recall that when VP candidate Sarah Palin was asked about her foreign policy qualifications, she said that she could see Russia from Alaska! Iron ore has been mined in the area since 1906. Near the mine we spotted a bus stop shelter made from a used ore scoop. The town was bombed heavily during WWII and 2,500 residents hid in caves for three months until liberated by the Russian army.Love
Sandy & Carl
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
Hi All,
Today we docked at Honningsvag the northernmost port on our trip. A 22 mile bus ride across the island brought us to North Cape, with no land between us and the North Pole, 1289 miles to the north. We are now at 71 deg 10 min 21 sec N latitude. The locals call it an early spring but with temps in the 30's, 25 mph winds with sleet and freezing rain, it sure seemed like winter! The monument and cliff overlooking the ocean was about 100 yards from the building so our walk was fast and brief. While at North Cape we also saw a movie depicting the four seasons here in the land of the midnight sun. There was also a display describing the nearby sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorst during WWII. In Honningsvag we saw the statue of Bamse, a St Bernard that was the ship's dog on a Norwegian pilot boat that fled into exile in Scotland. During the rest of the war, stories and photos of the dog buoyed the spirits of the folks back home and Bamse became a local hero.Back on the ship we watched a Norwegian folk dance performance.
Love
Sandy & Carl
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
Hi All,Late morning we stopped at the small town of Finnsnes where we took a short walk. After lunch we docked at Tromso, known as "The Paris of the North" due to the large numbers of bars and cafes. Historically, Tromso was the gateway to the arctic, the port where Nansen and Admunsen began their epic voyages of discovery. In more recent nautical history, during WWII, this was the site of the sinking of the German Battleship Tirpitz, sister ship of the Bismark. We had a bus tour of the city, stopping at the Polar Museum and a beautiful church with a magnificent stained glass window. Some shopping brought an end to a great day.
Love
Sandy & Carl
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
Hi All,
Our final stop of the day was in Svolvaer. During the one hour we had in port, we toured the ice sculpture museum. It was interesting, though clearly intended to separate tourists from a few additional Kroner.
Love
Sandy & Carl
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
Hi All,
We awoke at 6:30 in anticipation of crossing the Arctic Circle at 66degrees 33 minutes north latitude. A small globe shaped monument marks the spot. To add to the excitement, we spotted a white tailed eagle, known locally as a sea eagle, soaring nearby. The scenery in this area is spectacular and the weather gods continue to shine upon us. We continue to learn about Norway history, geography and economics from daily lectures from our tour manager, Axel. Mid mornin,g King Nepture appeared and annointed some passengers with ice water to celebrate crossing the Arctic Circle. After lunch we docked at Bodo and went on a walking tour. Unlike previous stops which had many historic buildings, this town was completely rebuilt after the Germans carpet bombed Bodo during WWII. A quick look at the church, a statue of King Hakon 7th, an indoor mall and we were back on the ship.
Love
Sandy & Carl
PS: We have limited Internet on the ship. Please delete the photos before you reply. Thanks
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
Hi All,Our day began at 1:58 AM with a PA announcement that the Northern Lights were visible. Out on deck the aurora was subtle, with a diffuse green glow and a vertical shaft of light towards the zenith.Later in the morning we docked at Trondheim and went on a bus tour of the area. The third largest city in Norway has a beautiful cathedral and nearby the northernmost synagogue and Jewish community in Scandanavia. Back on board we cruised along the Trondheim Fjord past picturesque lighthouses and through a 120 foot narrow channel. We then continued sailing northeast towards the next stop at Rorvik.
Love
Sandy & Carl
Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone
