NORWAY CRUISE - JULY 2013

NORWAY CRUISE

1 July – 26 July 2013

We had cruised the Norwegian fjords in June 2003 but had only sailed as far as the North Cape. This cruise was longer and went as far North as the ship could sail safely.

All flights were on Lufthansa. We boarded the Seabourn Pride in Copenhagen, Denmark on 4 July. As usual, we went to the embarkation port early to acclimate to the time change. Having been to Copenhagen several times previously, we simply enjoyed walking in the city and window shopping.

We boarded the ship and had a couple of sea days on our way to Norway. We almost always book a tour when cruising. We like to know what we’re seeing when we’re out and about.

 

STAVANGER

 Clear skies and brilliant sunshine reigned as we sailed up the fjord to dock in Stavanger. Here we took a tour which was a cruise of Lysefjord. Leaving the port area, we sailed under the "Town Bridge" which connects a number of islands to the mainland. 

Our guide pointed out museums and other points of interest as we passed. We passed the island of Tingholmen, a park, where King Olav Thyggvason held an assembly in 998 which united Norway. 

We saw a salmon farm near the shore as well as sheep, goat and dairy farms on the green hillsides. 

Many homes, both summer and permanent, lined the waterline. After we turned into Lysefjord, the walls became steeper---fewer, fewer and then no summer homes. We did see a mussel farm where mussels are grown commercially  by lowering weighted ropes into the water. 

The rugged granite walls soared above us and algae turned the water a deep green. 

At one point we sailed into an almost hidden cove and surprised a paddle-boarder.

 

Pulpit Rock protrudes from the cliffside 600 meters above the waterline. It is about 25 meters square and people walk out onto it, lie down and look over the edge. This even though there is no railing! 

We saw a couple of waterfalls and a small grassy area where a farmer summers 3 goats. 

The steep, rugged walls impressed us and the sun caused the wet granite to sparkle. It was a day for postcard photos. 

 

 

 

 

We turned around about a third of the way up the fjord. Our only stop was for coffee, tea and Norwegian waffles. It was shortly after noon when we returned to the ship. Stavanger is the center for the Norwegian petroleum industry and has a Petroleum Museum.

FLORO

 The sail into Floro was a beautiful one under blue skies and through sparkling water. Our tour here was called Nordfjord Exploration; our guide was Ausmund, a 17-year-old-high-schooler. We left the port around 10:30 and drove in a somewhat circular pathway. Leaving Floro we drove along the Eikefjord and then north until we reached Hyie. 

From there we followed the shoreline of Nordfjord until we reached Sandane where we stopped at the Nordfjord Folkemuseum, a collection of historic buildings moved together for preservation. We enjoyed the 45-minute tour. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was after 2:00 when we arrived at the village of Skei where we had lunch at the Skei Best Western Hotel. We made one more stop at Huldrefossen, a waterfall named for a mythical female siren with a cow’s tail; she lured men to her lair and then ate them. 

 

From there we returned to Floro, arriving back at the ship about 5:30. The stunning scenery along today's route was as beautiful as any we've ever seen: blue skies; rugged granite mountains; glaciers rushing streams; green lakes; waterfalls. Combine these with small farms and holiday houses and picturesque becomes more than an idea. 

Shortly before sailing at 6:00, the Captain announced that we had taken two pilots aboard and would be sailing North through the inland passageway and islands to avoid five-meter-swells and a thirty-knot wind. We passed Torghatten, a huge granite monolith with a hole through it; the hole is said to measure 35 meters. Legend says it was caused by a giant's arrow.

SOLVAR

 We docked in Svolvaer on one of the Lofoten Islands. It's obviously a fishing town. We crossed the Arctic Circle shortly after midnight, so we're now in the polar region and will be for several days. We bundled up as today's high was forecast for the mid-50s and it was overcast with off-and-on-rain. Our tour here was called "Lofoten Vikings." The comfortable tour bus took us through a landscape composed of rugged granite mountains and green pastures made even bleaker by the mist and rain. A few clusters of buildings and isolated farms occasionally dotted the landscape. We left one island, crossed another and were at the small village of Unstad on a third island in about an hour and a half. There were very few houses and the church looked lonely and cold sitting way off across a pasture; the sheep looked wet. The driver backed the bus over a quarter mile down a one-lane road to get near the water. We walked to the shoreline and took some photos of mountains shrouded by mist. The somewhat ethereal views definitely gave meaning to tales of trolls and other supernatural creatures. 

After reboarding the bus, we headed back the way we came. This necessitated making a very sharp 90 degree turn from one narrow road onto another. A house sitting no more than 10 feet from the corner complicated the problem. Our driver had no difficulty but had to leave our bus and get into the second bus because that driver, a summer transplant and temporary, was unable to make the turn after repeated tries.  At Borg, we visited Lofoton Viking Museum erected on the site of a Viking farm. We saw a video and some artifacts in one building. Then we walked through rain to see the reconstructed chieftain's house. Built on the site of the discovery, at 83 meters long it is the largest Viking Age house ever discovered. Inside are some exhibits, replicas of clothing, furniture and tools. Docents demonstrate some of the crafts. 

Svolvar is the cod fishing capital of the world. The cod are air dried from March to May and there are even drying racks visible from the harbor. Around 7:00 we entered Troll Fjord and made some photos of the beautiful scenery. The Captain turned the ship 360 degrees in the center of the fjord to let everyone get a good photo. 

TROMSO

 We got a map of Tromso and walked over to the Polaria Museum where we paid 160 NK for admission. We saw two excellent films: The Arctic Lights & Spitsbergen. Then we wandered through the exhibits including the aquarium. In one spot we walked below the seal pool and they swam above us. We also watched feeding time for the 4 seals before leaving. We walked into town and up and down the shopping area. The morning was partly sunny; the afternoon totally overcast. There was a breeze from the water and the temperature was in the low-60s. 

HONNINGSVAG

 The sun was shining when we awoke but skies soon began to cloud over. The wind picked up, too, and was quite gusty. The Captain idled the engines and almost stopped the ship for a while. By the time we reached Honningsvag, the gusts were too strong to tie up at the pier and the Captain announced he would wait for the wind to subside a little. We were about 15 minutes late docking. We boarded abus  for our drive to the North Cape. The landscape between the town and the cape is fairly bleak and the guide did a good job of trying to keep us informed. We actually saw some cod drying on racks near the edge of town. After a brief stop at a ""Sammi" camp, we arrived at North Cape Hall.  Although we were bundled up, the 7 degree C temperature and the gusty wind blowing the cold rain into our faces made the walk from the bus to the building unpleasant. Once inside, we looked around a little and then mailed postcards. We watched a movie about the Cape, made a photo of the globe outside, 

looked through the souvenir shop, and had coffee and hot chocolate. At 3:00 we reboarded the bus for the trip back to the pier. As we sailed from Honningsvag, 

 

the captain announced that we could expect swells of at least 3 meters during the night but should have calmer seas by morning.

SEA DAY

After a rocking night, we awoke to calmer seas. Except for passing Bjornaya [Bear Island] shortly after 2:00, it was "water, water everywhere...." Everyone---including us---was amazed at the calm seas.

LONGYEARBEN

We awoke to calm seas, brilliantly sunny skies and islands off the starboard side. The islands appeared to be barren except for some patches of snow and glaciers. Clouds formed backdrops for the islands but the mountains appeared flat and rounded without peaks. We saw some sea birds, what appeared to be a research station and a couple of small ships---either research vessels or fishing boats. Around noon we sailed into the Adventfjord and between grayish-green granite mountains crowned by clouds. Bright sun made the water sparkle and glaciers glisten. Some remaining snow appeared to be drizzled down some mountainsides.

 We docked in Longyearben on Spitzbergen Island in the Svalbard Archipelago just a few minutes before 1:00. 

 

Founded by an American named John Munro Longyear in 1906 as a coal mining town, there is still one mine working in the area. There is not much to see in the small town of some 2000 people. 

 

There is no real hospital, so expectant mothers must leave and go to the mainland several weeks before their due date; also, no burials are allowed because of the permafrost. The Svalbard Museum----dinky---occupies a modern building. Displays really highlight polar bears but also show the past history of whale hunting, trapping and mining. 

 

Our tour bus took us along the road to see housing, abandoned mines, the disused cemetery and the church. 

 

 

 

Our next stop was near the public dog kennels because people do not keep dogs at their apartments because of the barking.  

 

 Nearby were some nesting Eider ducks 

 

and some Barnacle Geese. 

 

Then we went to the husky kennel to learn about and pet the dogs before returning to town. 

 

A drive past the ship and commercial harbor, took us by the Seed Bank where many nations store seeds for food crops in the advent of a catastrophe. After turning around at the airport, 

 

we returned to the ship where we were greeted by Santa Claus and other crew dressed in Christmas costumes and Christmas music.

 

Because of the clear sky and the brilliant sun, we stayed up until midnight to photograph "the midnight sun." 

MAGDALENA FJORD & POLAR ICE

 Bright and almost glaring sunshine greeted us as we awoke. Outside our window we saw black, snow-laced mountains. Until almost 11:00 we sailed beside mountains. In the distance, everything looked like a blue monochromatic scene as sky, snow, mountains and water blended into many hues of the same color. Closer views revealed black, barren mountains with white snow. Some appeared snow-capped; some seemed to have been drizzled with snow; others appeared to have huge splats of snow as if a giant hand threw white stuff on the mountainside. Many glaciers adorned the landscape; some were huge, smooth-looking swaths of white filling indentions in the black mountains while others swooped to the waterline ending in icy blue cliffs. We had never seen a comparable landscape with only snow, mountains and ocean as the composing elements. Around 11:00 we entered Magdalena Fjord, an 8 kilometer long indention. Some ice chunks, remnants of glacial calving, floated in the icy blue water. A lone polar bear swam toward shore doubtless hunting food. Recent glacial calving and the resulting ice prevented the ship from going all the way into the fjord, so the captain stopped the ship for thirty to forty minutes and passengers enjoyed the scenery; a temperature in the low-to-mid-40s and no wind made the decks somewhat comfortable. 

After exiting the fjord, the ship sailed toward our next attraction, The Polar Icecap. Sometime after 1:00, we left the islands behind as we sailed farther North under sunny skies and in smooth waters. Around two o'clock the skies began to cloud up and were completely overcast within an hour. As we sailed farther North the skies became grayer and wisps of fog appeared. Around 6:00, the Captain announced that we had wended our way about as far North as possible and fragments of polar ice floated near the ship. After bundling up, we went outside to make photos of small ice bergs and floes. The Captain stopped the ship at 80 degrees, 26 minutes North and we watched as polar ice floated by. [The North Pole is 90 degrees, 0 minutes North.]  After thirty or forty minutes, he announced that it was time to turn back and sail South toward warmer, less icy---and foggy---waters. We did sail out of the fog and ice but skies remained overcast. 

NY ALESUND

Bright, sunny skies greeted us as we docked in Ny Alesund, Norway after 8:00. There were chunks of glacial ice floating in Kongfjorden [King's Fjord] and several glaciers were visible from the ship. The glaciers on the side of the settlement didn't reach the water's edge but those opposite did.  This is a small research station with a population of around 3 dozen---mostly scientists. It is an international center for arctic environmental monitoring and research. Located at 79 degrees North, it is known as the northernmost functional settlement on Earth. We walked ashore and obeyed the "stay on the roads" rule. Our first stop was the Information Center which had several videos and lots of photographs. We walked to the store where we looked around before crossing the road and entering the museum which contained artifacts from the mining era and a gas bottle from Amundsen's dirigible. By that time, skies had become overcast and a fairly strong wind blowing off the water made things feel much colder. We scurried back aboard ship. Skies became more overcast and clouds which had only decorated mountain tops began to ooze lower.

SEA DAYS

 Day 1 - Skies were overcast and being on deck was unpleasant.

Day 2 - What happened to the sun? More gray, dreary skies this morning and the forecast included some rain showers. At least the seas were still fairly calm and the sailing smooth. According to the information from our TV, the midnight sun is past as sunset is now around 11:00 p.m. and sunrise around 2:00 a.m. During breakfast several orcas---maybe dolphins---briefly appeared off the stern. At noon the Captain announced that he expected rough weather to begin after dinner and continue until around 2pm Thursday.

Day 3 - The Captain was correct about the rough weather but off on the timing. It began shortly before 9 p.m. and didn't really moderate much until twenty-four hours later. Waves of 5+ meters do not make for comfortable sailing. It was probably the longest spell of rough seas for us in over 35 cruises.

ALESUND

 Most of the rocking had stopped around midnight but there were occasional surges until around 4am. Maybe because the Captain had reduced speed but we were about 15 minutes late docking in Alesund at 8:45. 

 

Here we toured The Unique Islands of Giske and Godoy. Our guide explained the history of Alesund as a fishing village, especially for cod, and the process of salting it. She spoke of the disastrous fire of 1904 which destroyed virtually the entire town and left 11,000 of the 12,000 residents homeless. She explained the rebuilding in the Art Deco style and the efforts to preserve those buildings today. 

 

 

 

Our first stop was Aksla Viewpoint perched atop a mountain 150 meters above sea level; here we got a panoramic view of the area. 

 

From there we drove through the city itself and then to the island of Giske via bridges and tunnels which lie 150 meters below sea level. We saw the settlement on the island and visited the Giske Church, erected in Norman style sometime in the 12th century. It was restored in 1756. A local guide talked of the restoration, the elaborate wooden altarpiece carved by Jacob Giske-Gaard in 1756; 

 

he also carved the door/gate in the altar rail 

 

and the pulpit. 

 

The altar was draped with two cloths, the embroidered and somewhat yellowed under cloth was dated 1688; the top white one was modern.    

 

In the entrance way there was a Bible from the 1500s as well as a genealogical chart for  Queen Elizabeth II of England showing her ancestor as Gange-Rolv or Rollo, the first Duke of Normandy, and native of this area. Outside we saw the original doorway and on the back of the nave were 3 small crosses; known as the kissing crosses, they are said to offer remission of sins for the past hundred days when kissed by worshipers. After leaving the church, another tunnel and bridge brought us to the island of Godoy and the tiny village of Alnes. We stopped at an abandoned lighthouse keeper's home and had pancakes, spongecake, coffee and tea. 

  

The lighthouse, now automated, functions and some climbed the tower; we did not. We left there and retraced our route to Alesund. A brief driving tour and more explanation preceded our return to the ship. We walked into town for a while where we went into a few shops---buying nothing---and made photos of some of the architecture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

GEIRANGER

 The entire fjord is a UNESCO site and the tiny village---year round population 250---huddles at the very end. It's not as pristine as the last visit as camp grounds and RV parks have sprung up. The view is still spectacular. 

 

Our tour drove up and up and up via 11 hairpin turns to a toll road which twisted us higher to the top of Mt. Dalsnibba, some 5000 feet above the fjord. Fog dissipated and we were able to see the fjord and surrounding area including the Blue Glacier and the mountains known as the Sunnmore Alps. The sun shone and snow, ice and water sparkled. 

Then we twisted our way back down making another photo stop for the panorama of fjord, waterfalls, and farms. Once back in the village, we drove through it and up the mountainside to view the scene from the opposite side at an overlook known as Eagle's Nest. 

 Goat cheese is very popular here and we saw several herds of milking goats. Sail away was shortly after 5:00 and we stayed out and made some photos of the sail down the fjord. The Seven Sisters and The Suitor, waterfalls on opposite sides of the fjord provided sparkle. 

 

 

We made other photos of rock formations and the Wedding Veil falls as well as the scenery. 

 

OLDEN

 We were sailing into Nordfjord when we awoke and anchored at Olden around 7:45. 

 

After breakfast, we met our tour in the lounge and rode the first tender ashore for our Scenic Nordfjord Tour. Our route took us out of the village and through a tunnel for a drive along Lake Homindal, the deepest in Norway. 

 

Although the sides of this fjord are not nearly as steep as yesterday, much of the landscape appears to be very vertical.

 

  

 

We saw some small farms with sheep and dairy cattle. Some contained racks of drying hay which we were told was fed to dairy cows if they got an infection because it would cure the infection without having to discard the milk for 6 weeks as was required with the use of antibiotics. 

 

 

We made a photo stop or so and then made our way to the village of Nordfjordeid. Here we walked a street lined with old buildings and saw an unexcavated Viking tomb. 

 

 

 

At the Bryggen Hotel, we had an hour's break for coffee, tea and cake. After reboarding the bus, we headed back toward Olden this time driving the road along the edge of Nordfjord. We made a photo stop for a glacier hidden behind clouds 

 

and another where there is an almost vertical 550 meter drop to the water in the fjord.

FLAM

The day began well with a beautiful sail into Songefjord, the longest in Norway. 

 

Hillsides are less steep and there were more small farms. Brilliant sunlight and cloudless blue skies promised a warm day. Our tour left about 10:30. We drove through long tunnels to Gudvagen and then through more tunnels to reach Stahlheim Hotel where we enjoyed coffee, tea and pastries. The hour-long stop provided spectacular views of the valley below from the hotel's gardens. 

 

After reboarding the bus, we took the old road down---13 hairpin turns with a grade of between 18 and 20 percent; at least it was one-way. 

 

 

Once down we went through more tunnels and headed up toward the town of Voss. We stopped at Tvindefossen, a waterfall. 

 

Then it was on to Voss and the Fritzhoff Hotel for lunch. At 2:20 we met at the train station; the train was late because there was a problem between Voss and Bergen. Around 3:00 they decided to split the train and send the last 2 cars to Myrdal, the opposite direction. We and the people from the other ship in port boarded. There were not enough seats and some of us stood. The person operating the train put it in reverse and our two cars rammed the stopped train headed for Bergen; result: our train inoperable and several people, including me, battered and bruised. I fell into the floor because I was standing in the aisle. We then detrained and returned to the hotel to wait for instructions. We left Voss about 4:40 and retraced our route to Flam. 

 

 

No train ride for us today! While everything was handled well, disappointment was high. Fortunately we rode the train on our last trip here but some were not so fortunate.

BERGEN

 Bright sunny and blue skies greeted us as we sailed into Bergen 

 

and docked just across from Rosenkrantz Tower. 

 

After breakfast we returned to the suite and then went ashore to meet our "Heights and Highlights" tour. 

 

Our guide did an excellent job of telling us what we were seeing from the bus windows. We drove by the old Hanseatic Warehouses and around the end of the fjord and by the Fish Market for a photo stop on the opposite side of the harbor. 

 

Our route took us through the city near old wooden buildings 

 

and the Theater and beside the piano-shaped concert hall named for Grieg. We stopped at the base of Ulriken Mountain and took the Ulriken Cable Car for a panoramic view of the city from 2100 feet. 

 

We enjoyed cinnamon rolls, coffee and tea before descending. Because of the beautifully clear day, the views were fantastic. We then drove sort of out of the city and past Gamlehaugen, the home of the royal family, 

 

to the Fanthoft Stavkirke, a reconstruction of a 12th century stave church burned by an arsonist in June 1992. The reconstruction was completed using original plans and wood from the same forests. Returning to the ship we made another swing through the town and other areas to see wooden buildings. We walked into the Bryggen area and looked around.

Returning to the ship we made another swing through the town and other areas to see wooden buildings. We walked into the Bryggen area and looked around.

COPENHAGEN

The ship sailed back to Copenhagen where we disembarked and boarded a plane for Paris.