Monday 25 March 2013

And then ...

 .. the postings stopped and you may be wondering why?

Unfortunately, I caught a stomach bug that had been doing the rounds of the ship. It took me several days to get back to feeling okay again and normal life (blog included) ground to a halt in the meantime.

Now I am back home I will be able to post some info about the last few days of the cruise. And once I have sorted through my photos, I will be able to update some of the earlier blog entries as well.

Monday 18 March 2013

Day 8 (Sun 17th Mar) - Honningsvag to Tromso

The ship set off southbound from Kirkenes overnight and made early morning calls at Honningsvag and Havoysund. Mid-morning we tried an 'energy' coffee .. A mixture of coffee, chocolate and chilli, which had the expected kick in the tail and a warming effect (ideal given the below zero surroundings).

At Hammerfest we had time to go ashore. There was only about a foot of snow lying around and it was very icy. The temperature was -3C but with the wind chill it felt much colder (even colder than it had at North Cape). There was a strong wind blowing the whole time but the gusts increased dramatically and we were having trouble staying on our feet, despite the grippers. So we headed back towards the ship.

Before boarding we stopped off at the Polar Bear Club (or to give it the full title "The Royal & Ancient Polar Bear Society") which despite it's name, was only created in 1963. You can join the club and as well as a certificate signed by the town mayor, you get a lapel pin of a polar bear and the right to attend the annual meetings of the club in Hammerfest Town Hall.  I think it is quite an imaginative way to raise funds to protect polar bears. But if the half a million members all decide to attend the AGM one year it is going to be a very packed hall.

The wind was still very strong as we made our way to Oksfkord. We watched the world go by from the observation lounge on deck 8 for a while, then later on had dinner before heading for bed at 9pm. Sounds early I know, but after several late nights looking for the lights I was feeling worn out. And I knew I needed to get some sleep because we had booked ourselves on a very late excursion.

I had set the alarm for 11:15pm and we got ready to leave the ship at 11:45pm when we docked at Tromso. The late excursion was the Midnight Concert at Tromso Cathedral. The concert was a collection of Norwegian folk songs .. the soaring soprano voice of the lead singer, along with the other two voices and with flute and piano accompaniment at times, made for a wonderful experience, with the acoustics of the cathedral enhancing the atmosphere.

We did not return to the ship until 1:30am and it took a little while to settle down and go to sleep. Which was a bit of a shame because with immaculate planning we had booked ourselves on Monday's excursion which started at 8:15am :-) 

Sunday 17 March 2013

Day 7 (Sat 16th Mar) - Kirkenes

I was very lucky last night. Feeling worn out from two late nights watching the northern lights I wasn't really sure I had the energy to get dressed up to go outside on deck yesterday evening. I decided I wouldn't bother so was in my pyjamas and had been reading a book. Before laying down to sleep I decided to look out of the cabin window in case I could see anything. So imagine how pleased I was to see the lights in the night sky up above. I was able to watch and photograph the lights from the comfort of our cabin.

I took my last photograph at 12:50am so no wonder I didn't wake up until just after 8:30am this morning. We had a leisurely breakfast and got talking to the couple next to us - it turned out they are from Stroud. What's that they say about going on holiday to far-away places and bumping into people who live nearby? We docked at Kirkenes soon after. This is the northern-most port of call on the cruise and the turning point. It is 1540 miles from Bergen where we joined the ship and started our journey. 

We are above the arctic circle here, at around 69 degrees North. The local temperature was -20C and once again we were lucky with the weather .. It was bright sunshine and there was no wind. However, despite the sunshine, the water in the fjord was a sheet of ice just to prove how cold it is. We had a slight moment of panic when leaving the ship. The steps that are lowered began to move upwards and inwards as we went to leave. And the doors back into the ship had been locked. I had to use the emergency phone to call reception and get them to stop what was happening. Thankfully they stopped quickly but we were unsure what was going on and naturally had visions of being squashed.

Panic over and steps down again, we donned our spikes and walked into town. Despite the cold temperature, it didn't feel as cold as I thought it would. Maybe it's because it is a dry cold rather than the wetter type we get in the UK? My only problem was my sunglasses steaming up from my breath. The scarf I had over my nose and mouth had a layer of frost on them by the time we returned to the ship.

We got round to using the gym on the ship after lunch. It is the first time I have tried running on a treadmill on a ship that is rolling on the waves (though thankfully, not rolling around too much). Then afterwards, we used the jacuzzi on the deck outside. Sitting in a hot tub, on the deck of a ship, with the outside temperature at around -10C has to be one of the most surreal things I have ever done.

The forecast for the lights is good again tonight (still set at 3). I am in bed at the moment .. we have set the alarm for 11pm and will go up on deck later to see if any lights can be seen.

(to be continued)

We were woken at 10:45pm by an announcement that northern lights could be seen. We got dressed as quickly as possible and went outside to watch and photograph them. They didn't seem as good as on previous nights (we spoke to someone after breakfast who said we should have been there just before the announcement!).

We needed to come in after a while for a hot chocolate drink to warm ourselves .. we went outside again afterwards but the lights had not improved so we called it a night.

Friday 15 March 2013

Day 6 (Fri 15th Mar) - Hammerfest to Berlevag

I've realised I forgot to mention the captains's little lesson which took place outside on deck 8 last night. We have seen fish drying on racks as we have been travelling around - the captain wanted to teach us a little more about this. He explained how the fish is gutted and hung up to dry in February/March and left there until May. After that it is taken down and salted. He showed us how hard the fish becomes by banging it on a table and joked that the police use them as truncheons. Then one of the crew members demonstrated exactly how hard it is .. by chopping it with an axe as if it was wood! However, despite all the joking around, when they passed round samples it was surprisingly tasty :-)

Something else I forgot to mention is some of the characters you meet on cruises. There was one guy I christened "Mr Tour Guide". I think he left the ship at Tromso as I have not seen him for a day or two. But he seemed to wander around with a sheaf of papers under his arm and behaved as if he was in charge, collaring people to speak to them. If you caught his eye he would buttonhole you to pass on whatever gems of information he thought you might need to know. It must have been a very good act as I heard more than one person ask him if he WAS a tour guide.

We have also bumped into someone a couple of times who I have christened "Mr Been there, seen that, done that, eaten that". He and his wife .. mostly referred to by him as "the wife" .. are keen walkers. He was interested in hearing how we had walked the Thames Path and were planning to walk The Ridgeway. But was much more keen to tell me how he has walked the Pennine Way and how 'hard' it was compared to what I have done. He is ex-Army and if given the chance he will regale you with tales of where he has been, what he has seen and what he has eaten. We have ended up at the same table over lunch a couple of times and had to listen to his tales. And each time he finishes off by asking . "Do you think this ship is too hot as well?". 

We docked at Honningsvag earlier today and our excursion was to North Cape. This is the most northerly part of mainland Europe. It is a 30km drive from the port and on a plateau 300 metres above the sea. As you can imagine, with the amount of snow they have here the journey could be difficult if not impossible at times. But we were blessed with brilliant sunshine and light winds. I heard one of the guides saying how lucky we were as only last week the conditions were blizzards. But even with the good weather, our five coaches had to travel the last 10kms up the road in a tight convoy behind a snow plough.

The scenery all around was stunning and I took the obligatory photos of the globe on the cliff of North Cape. With the sun shining in my eyes and the cold wind, I'll be surprised if I managed to smile .. it's more likely to be a grimace of some sort. While I was having a hot chocolate afterwards some people nearby seemed to be getting excited and were pointing out to sea. They were too far away to see them properly but from the spouts of water shooting into the air it was obvious this was a group of whales just offshore. The tour guide said afterwards it is the first time he has ever seen whales offshore at North Cape in the 39 years he has been here and the locals thought they were minke whales.

We should be passing a spectacular sea cliff called "Finn Church" in around 15 minutes time. And then we are promised the "cardinal" of the church will be coming aboard with some king crabs.

(to be continued ...)

Well, the sun had almost set as we reached Finn Church so the photos weren't quite as spectacular as hoped because the light was fading. And the "cardinal" of the church was obviously just one of the local fishermen. However, the king crabs were just as big as expected .. their body the size of a mans outstretched hand and each of the legs almost a foot long.

As it's Friday night I decided after dinner it must be time to go shopping. So I have just been to spend my complimentary NOK 250 for taking part in the focus group yesterday. Some "Hunting The Light" t-shirts caught my eye and I managed to find the only one in XL size. Just in time as it happened .. as I was paying I heard an American lady behind me enquiring if they had any t-shirts in XL??

The forecast for the northern lights has improved from 2 to 3 (on a scale of 1 to 9). So shortly I will be organising my outdoors gear and getting it ready at the end of the bed in case the lights appear again tonight. 

Day 5 (Thu 14th Mar) - Harstad to Tromso and beyond

We had travelled to Harstad overnight and by 8am we we on our way again, this time heading for Finnsnes. After breakfast something a little different - we had been asked to take part in a 'focus group' as a local company were wanting to get tourists opinions on local products. They we interested in hearing what sorts of things we might consider buying as souvenirs. As a little sweetener for spending an hour chatting to them were were each given NOK 250 to spend in the shop on board ship. And came away with a free sample of one of their products .. Cod liver pâté. I suggested they advertise it with the strap line .. "Go on - you'll like it really" and explained about cod liver oil that children used to be force fed years ago!

After passing through Finnsnes late morning we headed for Tromso and arrived there around 2:30pm. Before we arrived we had lunch and shared a table with a German couple. With him trying his best to remember his English learnt 50 years before, and Margaret speaking what German she could remember from her earlier years, it was an interesting half hour which we all enjoyed! Danke schoen Hurtigruten.

This afternoon's excursion was the dog sledding so given how far north we now are (69 deg 38min North) even more layers we needed before we went outside. I know I keep mentioning them but once again we were glad to have our spiked grippers on our feet. Now we are so far north, snow is everywhere in great abundance and I think I would struggle without them. 

The bus journey to the dog sledding centre took 30 minutes and you can't help but admire the ingenuity and be impressed by the engineering and roads. Given the surroundings and the land features tunnels are used extensively in some areas. It was the first time I had been in a tunnel where you come to a roundabout deep underground and can choose which exit tunnel to take. I don't know how deep this one was but I recalled our guide Benny in Trondheim mentioning a tunnel under the sea to the adjoining island being 150 metres deep. 

The dog sledding was everything I expected. As soon as you arrived you heard the sound of the huskies all around you. We were given a tour of the facilities and they explained how the young dogs are kept separate while they get used to humans and each other. And little by little, create their own order amongst themselves with some ending up, literally, top dog. As they grow older they are put into teams with those that fight each other, kept apart. After coffee and cake in a Sami lodge we changed into weatherproof gear and then were led to our waiting sledge and team of huskies.

The ride itself was really good fun. I was fascinated by the way the team of dogs were able to respond to the commands of the driver. They had explained that the strong male dogs are tethered near the sledge as they are the powerhouses of the team. They put the female dogs at the front as they are said to be more intelligent and quicker to respond to the commands. It was snowing as we rode around and I was soon covered by a thin layer of snow - but did I care? Of course not! All too soon it was over and we were back at the centre.

Luck was on our side last night. We eat early (6:30pm) and had finished our meal and were planning a coffee afterwards when the announcement we love to hear rang out over the ship .. "Ladies and gentlemen, damen und herren .. We have lights on the port side of the ship". As quick as we could, we rushed back to the cabin, put on more layers of clothing and went outside. We spent a good 45 minutes watching and photographing the lights again but before long, the combination of the below zero temperatures and icy wind meant we had to head inside for a hot drink.

Having now seen the lights on two nights running, we stopped at reception to cancel the alarm calls should the lights appear. There is a tv channel that announcements are made on so we can use that should they not appear before we go to bed on other nights. I 'think' I have some reasonable photos of the lights but it's difficult to tell on the small LCD on the camera. So I will just have to wait until I get home to see them properly.

Day 4 (Wed 13th Mar) - it just goes to show ...

It just goes to show you never can tell. Late in the evening, just as we were settling down to sleep, we heard the announcement that northern lights had been spotted on the port side. So we hurriedly got dressed and spent 30 minutes outside, watching and photographing the lights.

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Day 4 (Wed 13th Mar) - Ornes to Svolvaer

Overnight we had travelled towards Ornes and at approximately 7:50am we crossed into the artic circle at 66deg 33min north. As I mentioned yesterday, there was a special 'artic circle' baptism later on this morning. I went along to see Neptune, who welcomed us to his domain and let us know we now had the same rights as cod and other fish. If we wanted, he would baptise us and lots of us, myself included, queued up to receive his blessing. Which was to have some ice cubes poured down our neck. Given the cold wind blowing at the time the ice cubes themselves didn't feel that cold. Or maybe the small tumbler of the local liqueur afterwards helped warm me up again.

To mark the crossing there was also a chance to get a special 'artic circle' stamp on postcards. My postcards have been written, stamped and posted so they should be winging their way to people courtesy of Hurtigruten. I have to say at this point, the Hurtigruten ship runs like clockwork and things happen seamlessly. So I am hopeful it will prove to be the same with the cards and I don't arrive back before they do. The company have obviously learnt over the years exactly how to run a cruise ship so that nothing goes wrong and the customers are happy and have no complaints.

While we were lunching the ship docked at Bodo. If you a not careful you can spend all day sitting around on the observation deck watching the world go by. So we got dressed in our outside gear, fitted the grippers to our boots and set off into town. Bodo is the capital of the Nordland county and mainly an administrative centre. We wandered around the centre for an hour or so seeing the cathedral and town hall on our way round the town centre streets.

We also saw a bird which we didn't recognise which had a crest on the top of its head and a pinky-brown colouring and were thinking we would need to look it up on the Internet when we got back to the ship. However, at dinner tonight one of the couples we sit with had seen the bird before and we're familiar with it. The couple are from the Scilly Isles and told us it was a waxwing. Apparently, waxwings are one of the birds from the Scandinavian countries that use the Scilly Isles as a stopover when migrating. 

After leaving Bodo we travelled the Vestfjorden towards Stamsund. The surrounding islands were mountainous and with the skies mainly clear and with brilliant sunshine they were very photogenic. So while the conditions were like that I went outside for a while to take some more photographs. I was hoping there might be a beautiful sunset. But as we steamed towards Stamsund, the weather around us closed in and the clouds obscured some of the distant views.

Dinner each evening is reserved seating at specific tables (rather than choosing any table as happens at breakfast and lunch). The other couple we sit with we're not at dinner tonight. They had booked themselves on an excursion to go to a Viking feast. We we pulling their legs that they would be rolling back later drunk on too much mead and hoped they would find their way back to the ship before we set off again for Svolvaer.

It seems to be too cloudy to see much tonight and the forecast for the northern lights is still set at 2 (on a scale of 1 - 9). But we have been told over the last day or two that the chance of seeing the lights only increases once we reach Tromso and head further north from there. We don't get to Tromso until tomorrow afternoon, when we will be going on our next excursion .. dog-sledding with huskies. I'm really looking forward to this next excursion - I just hope it lives up to expectations!

As for tonight .. I have decided to give the fish rissoles at 11pm a miss. I will check the weather conditions before I go to sleep and if I think it is worth it, lay out my outside gear in case the lights appear. But it doesn't sound likely this wil happen so I am not expecting a phone call or any announcements over the information channel on the tv.

Day 3 (Tue 12th Mar) - Trondheim to Rorvik

The grey up ahead I mentioned in yesterday's blog wasn't mist .. it was snow showers. With the weather closing in there was no chance of seeing the lights last night. By this morning the snow had stopped but it was a bit grey and overcast. I slept better last night so perhaps I am getting used to the motion of the ship? 


Overnight we had made our way up the coast to Trondheim. We had booked a bus tour of Trondheim which started at 8am so an early breakfast and then onto the bus for a tour of the town followed by a visit to the Nidaros Cathedral. Another Hurtigruten ship was in the harbour - the MS Lofoten which was on the southward journey back to Bergen. This was leaving at 10am and meant the bus tour was shortened so the passengers from that ship could be back in time. 

So we decided to walk back to the MS Finnmarken as the guide assured us it was straightforward. We didn't have a map so I hoped that wasn't just "guide talk". It turned out to be just as easy as she had said it would be - and the grippers came into their own again on the snowy and icy pavements. Even though you know it is going to be cold at this time of year, the icy, biting wind reminds you very quickly just how cold it can get. The ice crystals blowing in the wind sting your face and eyes .. I think next time I venture out the sunglasses will come in handy and a scarf to cover my nose and mouth. 

We got back at around 10:30am and set sail again at 12pm making our way out of Trondheimsfjord. This is one of the largest fjords which I think the guide said was 120km long. Sitting at the front of the observation deck we soaked up the views all around us and reached the end of the fjord sailing amongst stunning coastal scenery and islands. Most of the time it is sunny, but every now and then we would skirt by or sail through snow showers. We also got closer to the open sea again which meant the gentle swell that rocked you gently had become a larger swell that made the ship move up and down a lot more!

Later in the afternoon we reached a narrow channel called Stokksund. We hadn't moved from our seats at the front and an announcement was made to let all the passengers know. We looked behind us a few minutes later to see rows of people standing behind us waiting to view the channel and to take photos as we passed under the bridge. I took photos but made sure I stood up and sat down again quickly so that I didn't spoil anyone else's view.

It was a beautiful evening with a few clouds around. But after sunset it clouded over again and still seems to be the same. We didn't think we would see the northern lights again but we have out our name on the list of cabins to be phoned during the night if they should appear at any time before dawn. We noticed the stars were visible last night as we went to bed. So we went to bed with our outdoor clothes on in case the phone rang or any announcements were made. I woke up later in the night so they obviously didn't make an appearance.

We docked at Rorvik late last night and overnight we will be making our way to Ornes. And tomorrow looks interesting - we cross into the artic circle tomorrow morning and there is an artic circle baptism for first-times like us, performed by Neptune no less. We can also buy special artic circle postcards and stamps to celebrate the crossing into artic waters. If we are still up and about at 11pm tomorrow we are promised free fish rissoles. Personally, I can hardly wait! :-) 


Monday 11 March 2013

Day 2 (Mon 11th Mar) - Bergen to Kristiansund

The MS Finnmarken set off at 10:30pm last night just as we were going to sleep. Or rather, trying to. Because we both found the motion of the boat (and the overnights stops) meant we had a disturbed night.

There was a stretch of open sea we were crossing at breakfast time which meant the ship was rolling around and we were swaying and staggering around slightly. During breakfast .. Norwegian-style so it included cheese in my case which Margaret found highly amusing .. we overheard some people nearby talking about seeing the  northern lights last night. Not for long and not very much. But we were too tired anyway and wouldn't have got up .. and I'm sure there will be other chances.

At 12:00pm we docked at Alesund and had booked ourselves on a 2hr walking tour. The first chance to try out the strap-on steel-tipped grippers on our boots and I'm pleased to report they worked a treat. Although we were walking on ice and snow I didn't feel unsteady at any time (and for my running friends .. I'm guessing they will be suitable in future if I decide to go running in ice and snow ). Back to the tour of Alesund and thanks to my fleece-lined trousers I didn't feel cold at anytime despite the fact it was snowing. 

We were lucky to have a very knowledgable guide who gave us lots of interesting facts as we toured the centre. Amongst other things he explained about the fire that Alesund suffered which meant lots of the town centre burnt down as the houses were wooden and close together. The town was rebuilt in the style popular at the time .. art nouveau. The snow stopped and the sun came out so I was able to get some photos of the art nouveau houses and also the harbour area. The harbour area is surrounded with riverside houses which are hotels and apartments now - but which were used as buildings for the fishing industry in the past.

We are back on board now and earlier on, while booking an excursion at Trondheim tomorrow, we were asked if we would mind taking part in an interview for market research purposes. We will get 150 NOK to spend in the shop for taking the time to do this. 

I'm in the observation lounge on deck 8 while writing this and after the sunshine and snow showers of earlier on at Alesund, the weather has closed in again. It looks grey up ahead and there is mist (or maybe snow?) obscuring the view of some nearby islands. But we're told the forecast for the week is looking good so fingers crossed we will get clearer skies tomorrow and more chance of soaking up the amazing views we are seeing as we make our way up the coast.

Day 1 (Sun 10th Mar) - Bergen

Day 1 (Sun 10th Mar) - Bergen

An early start to the holiday. We had stayed near Heathrow but still needed to be up by 7am to get to check in at the airport at a reasonable time. We had pre-booked breakfast but didn't have time. We always find the Premier Inns that we stay in good value. This one was comfortable but we had a couple of small complaints about the shower gel and soap running out. We mentioned this at checkout time and were amazed to be told our room rate would be refunded under their "good night" guarantee! This Heathrow room rate included 15days parking as well .. So a totally unexpected start to the holiday.

So was losing my way on the short journey to the airport. I managed to miss the turning for Terminal 3 and sailed past. Luckily I remembered the perimeter road so we drove around the whole airport in an anti-clockwise direction. Second time round I managed to find my way to Terminal 3 without problems and reached the car park. Dropped off the car and made our way through check-in, security etc. Breakfast finally happened courtesy of Pret A Manger but then we had to rush for the flight to Oslo and got there just in time. Very smooth flight then a short wait for our onward flight to Bergen. Another smooth flight (thank you SAS) then a wait of an hour or so for the bus to the Hurtigruten terminal and check-in before boarding the MS Finnmarken, our home for the next 12 days. We finally boarded at 6pm and found we have a really nice cabin with a large window for views of the coast.

Once on board, after unpacking, and a buffet dinner and coffee afterwards, we had an informational talk. Introductions of the crew (captain, chief engineer, navigation officer) .. and other important people like the head chef and the man who makes the desserts. Interesting to note that the head chef has a hat approximately 12"tall but the dessert chef has a glorified flat cap :-) 

You soon realise that the cruise, while it is relaxing, has various routines you need to stick to. Like checking the weather report each day. And picking up the daily itinerary which keeps you updated with what excursions are available and the last booking times for each of them. Last but not least you need to keep your eyes and ears open for announcements and forecasts of whether or not there is any chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Time will tell ..

Friday 8 March 2013

Running, walking and cruising ..

In January I set myself a target of running 500 miles in 2013. So far my training has been going well - I am on schedule (current mileage is 107 miles) and my pace has been improving just lately. I haven't entered any races yet - but there are some local 10K races I want to enter over the next couple of months and I am looking at training for and entering a couple of half-marathons later in the year (Sep/Oct).

The idea of walking the Ridgeway is definitely still on the cards. I have booked a week's holiday in May but I haven't yet sorted out the overnight stops or accommodation. But having booked three week's worth of hotels, b&b's etc for the Thames Path walk I don't envisage the Ridgeway taking quite as much organising.

But before any of that I have two weeks of relaxation to look forward to. Apparently when I turned 60 last year I was 'officially' old enough to go on a cruise! So on Sunday I head off to Bergen for a "Northern Lights" cruise up and down the coast of Norway. Of course, there are no guarantees I will actually manage to see the Northern Lights. But I understand this is a good time of year to see the lights and a good year generally, so fingers crossed!