Norway, Hurtigruten cruise

Our cruise was for 12 days and hugged the fjords and coastline to the top of Norway from Bergen to Kirkness and return. 34 ports some only 10 mins where cargo is unloaded and many others where we get off the ship and explore the towns.

Day 1 After boarding we waited for our cabins , unpacked and went to dinner as the ship left Bergen.

At two in the morning the alarm went to indicate the northern lights were on show.

The lights were not as good as we have seen in pictures but we are lucky to see them. The lights are best seen with the camera and not your eyes.

Day 2 After a few stops for ten minutes we sailed into Hjorundfjord which is 35 km long its sides 1600 m high made of hard rocks granite, and known as the Caledonian mountains.

The Fjords were made in the ice age 12000 years ago when the ice was 3000 m deep crushing the land

At the end of this fjord is Mount Slogan 1568m high

and we got off and explored the small town of Urke in the Sunnmore Alps and at the end of the Hjorundfjord.

A lovely view over the end of the fjord and some cute little houses in the town including old wooden storage houses built up on rock to stop vermin entering.

Later in the early evening we stopped at Alesund , a town with a lot of art Nouveau architecture.

We walked a suggested route, a picture taken from an info board in town.

In the early evening a lamb tasting was provided on deck and we sailed under bridges, which was quiet spectacular.

The next day we past Munkholmen, a island with a kings round monument which in the old days the king hung heads of people killed for crimes and this was to warn the people to obey the king.

Tonight more northern lights near Molde.

Trondheim Day 3

Founded in 997 by the Viking King Olav Tryggavadon

We did a self guided walk across town

then onto Nidaros Cathredral which is gothic medieval architecture. Amazing carvings on the exterior.

Then viewed the Archbishops Palace 12c . Erkebipegarden .

Then we crossed the river looking back on the green space along the river

Then arrived at Gamle Bybro ( old town bridge) over the Nid river. The bridge dates back to 1681 and has red gables over it.

The lovely houses down the river in the Bryggene area were very colourful , the wharves and storage houses lining the river were built in the 1700s.

Then through the Hanseatic area of Bakklandet where lots of cake and coffee shops are situated.

In the background was Kristainsten fort.

And after 7:5 kms it was back to the ship.

Sailing most of the afternoon past thousands of islands and the 1880 Kjrungskjaer lighthouse.

We stopped briefly at Rorvik but it was mostly dark so didnt ventured out on deck to see it.

Mussells were tried on deck in the late evening and the ship then sailed the Folda sea.

Day 4 ….15 th Sept and crossing the Artic Circle

At 7:50 we crossed the Arctic circle.

sailed past two glaciers ( Svartisen) the second largest in Norway.

Plus some great scenery

and stopped at Ornes for ten minutes .

The scenery today was even better mountains with occasional snow , small villages, islands and little lighthouses everywhere. We had woken to a beautiful sunrise all be it through a dirty cabin window.

A crossing the arctic ceremony occurred on deck with a nordic man tipping ice down shirts was done, we watched but didnt brave the ice bath.

Bodo

Our stop after lunch was Bodo, Norways second largest city , an uninteresting town rebuilt in the 1960 after being totally destroyed by bombing in WW2 by the Germans.

We strolled the harbour and wandered the town looking at the occasional mural and visited a food van market .

The rest of the afternoon we cruised past majestic mountains , Borvass peaks, the famous Skomvaer Lighthouse and quaint fishing villages.

Next we arrived at Lofotveggen , Lofoten wall is a string of islands packed together surrounded by granite peaks. It is 100 kms long and the peaks up to 1000 m high. most pictures of this area are on the return trip as we were on a tour and missed seeing the islands from the ship.

Here we did a tour called

“meeting the vikings” We drove across part of the islands, above pics

and entered a hut saw a very fake presentation to the gods , had a nice meal of lamb and veg and mead to drink. Mead is a sweet honey wine a bit like sherry.

A quick look at the hut and back on the bus to Solvaer to meet the ship.

All too quick and not worth the money.

At midnight the ship went into a very narrow fjord called the Trollfjord , the middle very narrow with high rock cliffs and the dark made it very spooky. We took photos of this fjord when in daylight on our return trip.

16 th September

A few minor stops , washing and attending a few lectures about where we were going next and one on the sami people who are mostly reindeer herders.

We were on board to see where the tide is at its strongest due to a narrow passage Rystraumen (forgot the phone for pictures) before arriving at Tromso, for 4 hours.

Tromso 16th Sept

We walked into town seeing the church, the only building to survive the German burning, they burnt every building in the town to the ground in 1945 just before the end of the war

We walked through the main town down to the 13c Skansen square where bones from pre vikings were found

and then seeing the harbour areas and town, viewing the bridge and the Artic church from across the river

it was back to the ship as the rain started.

At 9pm the ship sailed past the Lyngen alps.

Day 6

The main stop today is

Honningsvag

A cool day and our stop at late morning is this small fishing village of Honningsvag. A lot of people took a tour from here to the north cape.

We walked around the town going to a Xmas shop and a shop where a lady makes collages with scenes from this area.” West of the moon”. We bought three small pictures.

We walked around the harbour saw the statue of a rescue dog called Bamse.

and visited the north cape museum reading about how fishing is the main industry here and how the town was rebuilt after the Germans enforced their” Scorched earth policy” where everything was burnt in sept 44 to prevent the allies and Russians living in the area. A policy that occurred in most of north Norway .

The ship headed to the village of Kjollefjord and Mehamn the trips most northern point and then Berlevag with a huge harbour protected from the Barents sea by large intertwining concrete blocks.

Berlevag

and later in the early evening we sailed past Kjollerfjord and a cathedral rock formation,

We travel through Batentshavet sea at night and arrived at Kirkness at 9am entering the Varangerfjord. Kirkness was our last stop before heading south even though not our most northern position.

Day 7 Kirkness

I got ready for the king crab excursion , unfortunately John was sick which later revealed he had covid .

We were dressed in warm floatation suits and taken by RIB boat to the crab pots and then an island and shed for the cooking and eating of these crabs. All very yummy. The Autumn colours on shore here were beautiful.

We now head south and stopped at Vardo where I visited the Vardohus Fortress 1737.

And saw the witches monument from a distance , there wasn’t enough time at this stop to make it over to the monument, a reoccurring theme on the whole cruise, stops were far too short.

day 8 -12

After the top of Norway we are heading south again to Bergen.

The weather has changed and it is windy and the open sections of water are quite rough.

Our first stop Hammerfest were we didnt get off the ship as it was really windy and the town a long way away. I took a picture of the town and church

then

We stopped at Oksfjord and saw briefly the Oksfjordjokelen glacier .

Then an early night.

Next morning Day 9

Along the islands, And a 1 km narrow strait called Risoyhamn

The scenery changes as we go south from hills to mountains.

After Stockmarknes where there is a Hurtigruten museum we sail along Raftsund .

The scenery along this area was the best on the trip, but the rain stopped some better pictures.

Trollfjord was also a highlight the scenery amazing.

Then on the way to Solvaer we again pass the Vagakallen mointains where dark mountains meet green grasslands plus the Lofotonveggen , Lofoten wall of granite mountains and entrance to the islands. The wooden racks are for drying fish, a common method for storing fish in this area.

At Solvaer we took the tour to

lofotpils brewery a four minute walk from dock, tried six different beers , a good tour, then back to the ship in the rain.

My cold and covid requiring a early night. we wished we had more time to explore Solvaer and this lovely area.

day 10

A day in the cabin sick!

We went past the Arctic circle again going south and more islands and mountains, all from a dirty cabin window.

At Bronnoysund

John did the

salmon tour . interesting but not what was expected.

We missed the captains dinner as I was to sick to go and be around people.

Day 11

We spent most of the day in the cabin sick but in the afternoon rallied to wander the town of Kristiansund a fishing village, where we avoided people .