Jun 21. Honnigsvåg, Norway

 Jun 21. Honnigsvåg, Norway

Honningsvåg is the most northerly settlement in Norway; off the coast is where the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans meet!

Overcast, 4°!  BRRRR….  At least it didn’t rain!

Last night it was still bright at 12:30, 3:30 and 6:30!  The land of the midnight sun!

Our tour today was unguided, which means they took us by coach to Nordkap ( the North Cape Cliffs) the northernmost point of continental Europe. We travelled across a rather barren landscape  to the tourist centre located on top of the cliffs

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Is that a reindeer I see on the side of the cliff?

Or is it just snow?  LOL

These are Sami (Indigenous People) tents

Mary got her outdoor photos before we went in and then we explored a bit in the centre. There were exhibits showing the history, culture and ecology of the area.  We even saw the mythical Norwegian Trolls!!  You can read about them in this link! 😂

                                   A German Battleship

                                      Birds of the North Cape

We watched the panoramic film about Finnmark and North Cape.  The photography was outstanding!

We had a half hour wait for the bus to return to the ship and it was very cold!!!  I could hardly wait to hop into a hot shower!

After a good dinner - French Onion Soup, Spring Rolls, and Chateaubriand  with Flourless Chocolate Cake and Lemon Meringue Cheesecake for dessert we are waiting for the show to start.  It’s a repeat of 5 Skies tonight!

Off to Tromso tonight!  

Stay tuned!

The Norwegian Travellers

Jun 20 At Sea

 Jun 20. At Sea

                                 Photo taken about 10:00 PM!

Today is the first day of summer!  We officially crossed the Arctic Circle at 4:51 PM.

Not much on our agenda today except a couple of port lectures for Honningsvag and Tromso.  So I decided to make some general comments about Norway.

I was surprised to learn that it has one of the largest economies in the world! Its economic success is built on the responsible management of its natural resources, particularly oil and gas, combined with an emphasis on social welfare and with a focus on long term sustainability.  The country's large sovereign wealth fund, derived largely from oil revenues, plays a crucial role in stabilizing the economy and funding public services.

The fund was set up to shield the economy from ups and downs in oil revenue. It also serves as a financial reserve and as a long-term savings plan so that both current and future generations of Norway get to benefit from oil wealth.

The ‘happiness’ and high quality of life in Norway is partly due to an environment where people don’t have to worry about the cost of living as the government pays for health, education, and unemployment benefits.  Income tax rates are high - about 45% - but having the expense of basic needs paid by the government balances that. This creates a sense of equality among its citizens.

There is high importance placed on ‘family’.  People trust the government as there is little or no corruption.  The crime rate is extremely low.

On our drives we noticed how clean the cities are. We didn’t see trash on the streets and the air is so fresh with no signs of air pollution.  Over 90% of vehicles are electric, greatly reducing pollution.  Many electric bikes are used to get around.

Most Norwegians earn a good wage so the guides and bus drivers do not expect tips.  We have not been in any stores to compare prices so I can’t comment on that.

All in all this is a well managed, beautiful country! The one big drawback would be the climate - winter months with little or no sun and cold weather. 

Tonight is formal night again!  People have been commenting that Princess is not serving lobster on these nights as they used to!  That’s not an issue for us as we prefer other choices.

Phillip Browne is the entertainer for a return engagement tonight so that will be an enjoyable performance.

On to Honningsvag with no sunset for the next few nights!!

Two Travellers

😀😃

Jun 19. Trondheim, Norway

 Jun 19. Trondheim, Norway

We are making our way north up the coast of this beautiful country.  Our port for today is Trondheim.

Showers, 15°.   Although it was overcast we only had a brief shower as we were about to enter the cathedral!  

Because we have such a late start we decided to have breakfast in the dining room instead of the buffet. We waited until about 8:45, knowing that we won’t return to the ship until close to 4:00 - too late for lunch!

We were seated immediately and it felt like we were ‘swarmed’ with waiters and assistant waiters!!  One to put the napkin on our lap, one to bring the menu, one to put water and offer coffee, and then one to take our order!!  Then along came the guy with the pastry tray - but they didn’t have our favourite banana bread!  Next came one of the guys I call the ‘suits’ (managers ) to say he would send someone to get it for us!  I think we were in an area close to the kitchen so there was a passing parade of waiters delivering meals!  The suits were hovering, taking away empty plates etc!  Whew!  Busy!

 We left around 11:30, so a chance to relax in our room until then.  On a driving tour of the city we saw several important buildings and varied architecture as we made our way to a viewpoint that overlooked the entire city.

Our next stop was the Nidaros Cathedral founded in 1152.  The Cathedral took 230 years to complete and houses the remains of St. Olav, Norway's patron saint. The western façade of the basilica displays sculptures depicting Norwegian kings and saints. 

From the cathedral we took a short walk to the Archbishop's Palace, built in the 12th century. The Palace Museum is also home to the Norwegian Crown Jewels.

 

Our last stop was Kristiansted Fortress, completed in 1684.  From the Fortress there were great  views of Trondheim. The fortress played a crucial role in repelling a Swedish invasion force in 1718.

When we returned to the ship we had a coffee and a cookie to tide us over until dinner time!  

The show tonight was Cruise Director, Dan Looney’s, story.  We enjoyed it just as much the second time.

And now we have a sea day as we continue north to Honningsvag.

Night! Night!

😴😴

Jun 18. Olden, Norway

 Jun 18. Olden, Norway

Here we are in Olden 

Forecast: Showers, 13°

Wrong!!!  We had no rain (just overcast) and it reached 17°!

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words!  But these pictures  of our day cannot do justice to the beautiful day in Olden!  Our sightseeing tour took us out into the countryside starting with a drive along the north bank of the fjord.  Each turn in the road brought us past another breathtaking view of the mountains, the water, the farms!

Our guide, Fred, was black, born in Jersey Shores, later joined the Marines and lived in Seattle.  One day he was walking in the city and spotted a girl ‘with the longest legs he had ever seen!’, and asked her out on a date.  Next thing he knew he went to Norway to meet her family and  they never left!He was informative and had an engaging style with just the right combination of facts and humour!  He made this a memorable day!

Here is a sampling of some of the scenes….

We went through several avalanche tunnels, the longest just over 2 km long!

We enjoyed the scenery yesterday, but this was so much more!!

Back to the trough for dinner!  It’s going to be quite a rude awakening when we get home!  For starters, Split Pea Soup for Dorothy and Cold Mango Soup for Mary followed by Shrimp Cocktail.

The main course was Roasted Chicken breast for Mary and Pork Chop for Dorothy!!!  It was like a small roast of pork for a family of four!!!  Oh my God!!! It was obscene!!!

                                   I just couldn’t do it!  

Leaving room for dessert…. Caramel Turtle Cheesecake for Mary and Warm Hazelnut Pumpkin Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream for Dorothy!

 

And now we are waiting for the show to start.  Tonight’s performer is David Nathan, a magician!

We have a later start tomorrow in Trondheim which will be nice.

We’ll keep you posted!

Two Happy Travellers

Jun 17. Skjolden, Norway

 Jun 17. Skjolden, Norway

After a scenic, winding trip through the Sognefjord, the longest and deepest fjord in Norway, we are in Skjolden.  We were sleeping when we passed some of the most scenic places, but will enjoy these on our passage out of the fjord later today.

 

 
We left the port just before 8:00 AM to head to the Jotunheimen National Park.  Our bus driver took us on the Sognefjellet National Tourist Route with its many hairpin turns to go over the mountain! 🙈! The highest point of the drive was about 1450 m, the highest in Northern Europe.

Our  luck may have run out in the weather department as we went through light rain and temps around 10°. Snow was visible at the higher elevations and there was still ice on the lakes!  The rushing glacial water looked frigid!!!

One of the interesting things we saw were skiers in the distance training for the Olympics.  They were too far away to capture without a long distance lens!

Our ‘lunch’ stop (at 10:00 AM!) was next at Elveseter hotel, a 50 year old property.

It was a quaint building on the side of the mountain that is open from May until September for tourists.  Lunch was Moose Patties with lingonberries and mashed potatoes. Dessert was a rather non descript pudding - or maybe it was Mousse!!!  LOL

Back on the bus where we set out for Lom, a village that is known for the Norwegian Mountain Museum and the Stave Church.

It was a good day with great scenery! 

Back to the ship!

Dinner and the show topped off our evening - and I suddenly realize how tired I am!!  Off to bed early. We need to be ready to go on another tour tomorrow!!

Night! Night!

Two Weary Travellers

Jun 16. At Sea

 Jun 16 At Sea

Last chance to relax and take it easy before three consecutive days of tours.

Our first Norwegian port of call on this itinerary is Skjolden ( pronounced SHolden).  Tonight we’ll wind our way to a village at the end of world’s longest and deepest fjord, surrounded by steep mountains with spectacular waterfalls.  Unfortunately we won’t be able to enjoy the beauty of it until we leave tomorrow afternoon.  

Today we just lazed about!  This morning Sue Beard, the destination expert, did her presentation on Olden and Trondheim.  It’s good to be able to scout out the upcoming ports - especially so I can evaluate the physical demands ahead of time.  It looks like these will be manageable.  

The next activity in the theatre was an interview of some of the cast from the production shows.  Cruise Director Dan asked them about life at sea and about the process of becoming singers / dancers as members of the performance team.  Always interesting.

Lunch today was in the Piazza - sandwiches from the international cafe and another try for gelato!  Success!!!!  Pistachio was one of the flavours!

One of the activity team was giving dance lessons which we watched from the comfort of our ringside chairs!!  

And then, all of a sudden, it was nap time!

Back to the Soleil Dining Room for dinner.  We have our same table and waiters, Liberty and Basnet, for this cruise and seated beside us for this cruise is a pleasant English couple from Essex.

Phillip Browne will entertain us tonight; he was the Princess Entertainer of the Year in 2019.

Three ports in a row coming up!

Stay tuned!

🚢🚢