Our voyage last night was very rough, with the captain deciding to bypass one of the stops during the night because docking would have been too risky. We awakened to a continuation of the blustery weather – with shades of grey all around. Since we had gained some time, he took a more scenic route between islands. Small fishing and farming communities dotted the shoreline. Very beautiful, as the occasional red painted house or barn splashed a little color on our photographs.
Leaving Sortlund, The Seven Sisters Mountains, Over 10,000 feet
Seven Sisters Mountains In The Background
Communities Along The Shore
Nestled In The Protective Cove
Small Bay Cradling A Community
This was a ‘sea day,’ meaning that we would not have an opportunity go ashore. The BIG event for the day was crossing the Arctic Circle on our path south towards Bergen. The traditional ceremony to mark the crossing is to drink a spoonful of cod liver oil. Not good! Not horrible! All of us remembered our parents forcing us to drink a spoonful every morning as part of a regiment to prevent winter colds and flus. The good news is that they have managed to tame the pungent odor and taste. Well, it’s either that or our taste buds have dulled considerably. It appears that today’s generation of Norwegian children continue to be subjected to this anti-culinary practice.
Arctic Circle Line Marker
Yummy Cod Liver Oil Keeps The Doctors Away
By evening, the harsh weather subsided and brought new hope that we might get clear skies and see the Northern Lights. Roselie declared that we would see them tonight! We optimistically headed for the top deck at about 9 PM, then at 11 PM, and finally again about 1:30 AM. No one else was on deck! Cloud cover everywhere. I guess we didn’t get the memo. Obviously we didn’t see them – disappointment all around.
Arriving In Trondheim
The good news is that the weather improved as we arrived at Trondheim early this morning. The sun was shining – the sky was blue – no clouds anywhere. The city was just coming alive, with nothing open except for the occasional coffee shop. Since this was a two-hour stop, we went ashore early and walked through the center of town, past a statue of King Olaf Tryggvason who founded the city in 997, to the city’s cathedral – which was still closed.
Channel Surrounding The City Of Colorful Buildings
Trondheim Cathedral
Original Bridge Survived The Last Big Fire
Another, more famous King Olaf (there were many King Olafs) during the 11th century ruled an empire that spread from western Russia to Newfoundland and included Iceland and Greenland. Trondheim served as the capital of Norway until the 13th century. Following the Reformation, the empire was broken up and ruled by the bishopric of Denmark. As with most Norwegian cities, it suffered several devastating fires and it served as the Nazi naval base during WWII (covering northern Norway). In contrast to other cities we’ve visited, it was not bombed, and the Nazis did not destroy the town when retreating. Today, it is the third largest city in Norway, behind Bergen and Oslo, with close to 200,000 people.
Munkholmen Island In Trondheim Harbor
Back on board, we started on our final leg of our journey. As the sun began to set, later than we’ve been used to, we stopped in this beautifully situated little town of Kristiansund. It is spread across three islands. Its economy is based on the fruits of the ocean – cod and klipfish processing and curing. As the bounty of the sea is diminishing, it is evolving to servicing north Norway oil and gas fields. As is the case with so many towns, it was heavily bombed during WWII, hence lacks the architectural charm of it’s past. We had all of a half hour to get a sampler of the near-port area that is at the center.
After several more stops this evening and night, we are scheduled to arrive in Bergen tomorrow afternoon. Tonight will be our final night with an opportunity to see the Northern Lights. Prospects are good, as the forecast calls for clear skies. Roselie declares that we WILL see them tonight.
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