Tromsø, Norway

            Sunday, 24 Jun 2018  –  The Prinsendam docked at about 7:30 AM.  However, it was nearing 10:00 AM when we made our way to breakfast.  Again, we shared a table with Charlotte and Shirley.

At lunch we shared a table with Nelson and Barbara, of Boston, Massachusetts.  Nelson is an audio physiologist and college professor; Barbara is a biologist.  They met after Barbara started working at a laboratory that Nelson founded.  Nelson is 89; he and Barbara are still working, but Nelson says he is paid from the college’s pension fund, not the regular operating budget.  He is a Prof. Emeritus from M.I.T., Prof. of Physiology Emeritus from Harvard Medical School, and Founding Director (retired) from Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Mass. Eye & Ear Infirmary – and other distinctive associations listed on his business card.  Strangely, our conversation started because his hearing was obviously at least as impaired as Sally’s – but he wasn’t using hearing aids.  He said that research proves that hearing aids, because they magnify sounds, aid in the destruction of the ability to hear in the elderly.  Therefore, he does not use hearing aids!  He said this information has been provided to audiologists.  Sally’s conclusion is that she likes to hear today as much as possible (which is probably about 75 percent of sounds normal ears hear), and not worry about whether her hearing will be worse when she is 90 years old (if she would live that long)!

Roald Amunsen Statue

At about 2:00 PM, we headed off the ship to see the sights in Tromsø.  Although the Internet mentioned a Hop on/Hop off bus availability in this city, there seemed to be none.  We did find what was called the “city train” and were able to charge the cost of taking this – instead of paying cash, since we have no Norwegian Krone on this trip.  An “engine” (no tracks, just regular tires) pulled two passenger cars through the downtown streets of Tromsø.  The audio system was excellent, and we enjoyed riding, not walking!

Tromsø is a picturesque little city.  Although a big fire destroyed 29 houses in 1969, it was not bombed in World War II.  We went into a Catholic Church.  Pope John Paul II had visited here about 1965.  A newer, large Protestant church, the Arctic Cathedral (or Tromsø Church) could be seen on the other side of a big bridge on an island.

Sally had hoped the train would go across the big, high bridge connecting the rest of the city on the island.  People had told us that the wind was very cold up there.  However, Jesse was hoping that the train would not!  (And it did not, probably because its speed is very slow and not intended for faster traffic.)  Soon after returning to the ship, we saw that rain was falling fairly hard, at least for a short time.  (Just as in Alaska, very few people here bother with umbrellas, but we would’ve gotten very wet!)

Later, after changing clothes, as we were preparing to leave the cabin for dinner and/or dancing, the Captain announced that the Prinsendam would be leaving the dock.  Further, for the next 1.5 hours, the ship would be passing through a narrowing of the channel and archipelago of islands.  Although we did go dancing, Sally was distracted by the outstanding scenery; and we sat part of the time by a window.  Our ship even crossed under a bridge.  By the time we went to dinner, we sat alone to eat.

Hammerfest, Norway

            Saturday, 23 Jun 2018 – We barely made it in time for our full breakfast this morning.  (Several items are still available after 10:00 AM, but not the oatmeal and omelets that we prefer.)  Since most people had eaten and our table was being vacated as we arrived, we ate alone.

Between breakfast and lunch, we worked on the Blog.  At lunch we shared a table with Shirley and Charlotte of St. Paul, MN.  We discussed that area first, and then talked about the Sami people.  As we parted company, we found out that they are not just sisters, but twins!

Our ship’s excursion was scheduled for 4:30 PM today and was only two hours long.  During that time, first we were bussed through Hammerfest, which didn’t take long; the city has a population of about 10,000.  Our tour guide was Harmon from the Netherlands.

Hammerfest was almost totally destroyed by the Germans in World War II because orders came from Berlin that nothing was to remain that could be of use to the Russians – a “scorched earth policy” was normal for the Germans.  The only building left standing was a small cemetery chapel built in 1937.  We also passed by St. Michael’s Church, built in 1957, the northernmost Catholic Church in the world.  Some buildings reveal a Russian influence from the early days of trading with Russia, until that was stopped at some point by a Soviet leader.  Today, Hammerfest is almost a “boom town” because of the thriving oil industry.  Our guide told us that jobs are plentiful here, and he thinks it’s a wonderful place to live.

Sami Hut

The main focus of today’s excursion was to visit a traditional Sami hut or “Mikkelgammen.”  Our group of about 50 people entered a round, primitive-looking hut with sod on the outside and a fire blazing inside in a large, central fireplace.  A hole in the roof directly above the flames allowed most of the smoke to escape.  Most people sat on benches along the wall, and some volunteers sat on thick furs on the floor between the benches and the fire.

Who are the Sami?  They are an ancient people who have lived in this area (Lappland) since before written history, much like the Eskimos inhabit the frigid area of North America.  It seems likely that they, the Ainu of Japan, and the Eskimos (and perhaps the Native Americans, also) share DNA.  The ancient Sami followed the herds of reindeer seasonally, having separate winter and summer homes.  Today, the Sami in Norway and Finland own all of the reindeer – there are no completely wild reindeer.  (No one is allowed to hunt them.)

This particular Sami whom we saw today has the name of Michael.  His pants were crafted from heavy, soft leather; his shoes were also distinctive; and his shirt looked a little like a Native American’s.  We listened to Michael tell about his life and family.  (Sally had difficulty in hearing all of what he said, due to his soft voice.  Although he has an accent, his English was surprisingly good since the Sami people have their own language in addition to Norwegian.)  Michael and his wife have two sons and one daughter.  Since only males can own the reindeer, the females are free to attend school.  As a consequence, daughters are well educated and sons are not!  Of course, herding has changed in recent years; the herders move about on snow mobiles, not snow skis, and the reindeer are tagged so that their locations are always known, and their movements are tracked by computer.  The Sami also use drones to keep an eye on reindeer in remote locations.

Someone asked what happened to the Sami people during World War II.  He answered that some of them left Norway and went to Sweden or Finland, but Germans killed the reindeer that remained in Norway.  Another question was about difficulty in keeping their traditions in modern society.  Michael answered that, since the 1970’s, it has become more and more difficult.  Especially with the advent of the internet; this has made it more tempting for young people to leave.

Sally was most surprised by the physical appearance of the Sami.  Although she had expected them to be dark (like Eskimos), they look like the rest of the Norwegians who live in the area.  Although they might have tried to stay “separate,” their DNA has obviously mixed with Caucasians over the centuries.

For the last few minutes of our encounter with the Sami, we were provided samples of reindeer meat to eat by Michael’s wife and son.  His wife’s jacket was trimmed with fringe which, again, was reminiscent of a Native American’s clothing.

Very near the Sami hut was a lookout point, from which could be seen much of the city and surroundings.  Before getting on the bus, most people walked there to see the view.

 Back on the bus, our guide joked about Norway’s weather.  A saying from Bergen, Norway says, “There is no such thing as bad weather – just bad clothing!”  Another joke told goes thus: “In Noah’s time, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights.  Here we call that ‘summer.’”  Although this was a rainy day, it was barely misting, if even that, when we were getting on and off the bus.  So, it could have been much worse.

After returning to the ship, we danced for 45 minutes before dinner.  Some bread treats were brought to our table – whether just brought by the waitress because we’ve been there so much, we didn’t know….  Tonight the pianist played some electronic music and we couldn’t see how it worked.  Then, at their break, she (Nadia) showed us that the piano, though it looks like a grand piano, the structure is actually fake; it’s an electric keyboard.  Nadia introduced herself, as did the bass player (Brad).  The drummer (Mike) had already left for his break.

By the time we went to the Lido Market for dinner, most people had eaten, and so we ate alone.  Some dishes were supposed to be “Viking,” though we didn’t try any.  Sally enjoyed the baked cod and cooked red cabbage.

Today, the Prinsendam had docked near an Aida (German cruise line) ship, which left at about dinnertime.  The Prinsendam set sail at 10:00 PM.

Kirkenes, Norway

           Friday, 22 Jun 2018 – After our alarm awoke us early this morning, we were eating breakfast by 7:00.   Lee and Carol from Sacramento, California shared their table with us, but we had little time to talk because we needed to meet in the Showroom at Sea by 7:45 for our shore excursion.

          Just a few notes here about other ship excursions available from Kirkenes, which reveal some of its history:  The Borderland Museum contains information about the Sami culture and Norway’s involvement in World War II; a fighter airplane can be seen here.  Or, in Andersgrotto, steep stairs can be taken into a cave that once served as an air-raid shelter and bunker while wave upon wave of Russian bombers sought to knock out the Nazi ore shipping facility.  Or, the Soviet Liberation Monument, dedicated to the “brave Red Army” troops who liberated the town in 1944. Or, in Vardo, a witch monument can be seen that was erected in memory of the 91 people, mostly women, who were burned at the stake during the witch hunt in the 17th century.  In Kirkenes, some restaurants serve king crab, reindeer, and even whale.  (All of that could make a return trip to Kirkenes appealing!)

          At any rate, at 8:00 AM we were sitting on our bus ready to start our overland trip called “The Skolt Sami and Finland.”  Our guide was Anita of Finland; Harry was our driver.  Today our journey would be from Kirkenes to Neiden, with 30 miles of maritime scenery along Munkefjord.  Although it was supposed to be a rainy day, it was really only cloudy, misting once or twice briefly, not enough to interfere with our outdoor activities.

          Anita said that spring/summer had arrived early this year.  Last year, considerable snow was still on the ground in July (and one could “ski in a bikini”).  However, this year very little snow still remains and spring flowers are blooming.  In general, the climate is becoming warmer.  We drove through a large military area.  This is a region of Norwegians, Finns, and Russians.  The local streams contain salmon, but fishermen must follow rules, such as fishing for only 4 hours in the afternoon and some at night.

          Sometimes herds of reindeer populate this road, Anita said, though we saw very few today.  Reindeer are very expensive, not available when alive, and cost €500 each for meat when killed.  Anita said there are 10,000 reindeer, and three owners.  [It is unknown how large an area she was discussing.]  The herders don’t like this road, she said, because it interferes with their drive.

Orthodox St George's Chapel

Skoltefossen Waterfall

In April, it is possible to ski over the mountains from Kirkenes.  From mid-May to 21 July, there is no darkness here, making it difficult to sleep until one becomes accustomed to the light.  (Anita was not originally from here, and she said it took her months to adjust.)  Traditionally, they celebrate here when it starts to be light.

          Near Neiden, we visited a tiny, rustic Russian Orthodox St. George’s Chapel (established in 1565).  Though so small inside this brown, wooden structure that no more than a few people might crowd in very closely, beautiful Russian religious paintings create a sacred atmosphere.  (The paintings are surely stored away in a dry environment during the dark winter months.)  Anita said that celebrations are held outside the church.  However, the surrounding grassy area makes for very rough walking.  One wooden cross with two horizontal bars (like the cross atop the church) caused us to wonder if it marked a grave.  From there, we walked a short distance to admire the Skoltefosson Waterfall, a stream filled with rapids and small waterfalls.  Anita said that some ancient bodies (or bones) were taken from the ground near here and sent to a laboratory to be studied to determine racial characteristics, but she didn’t know the result. The bodies had been returned and reburied in the ground.

         We stopped at the Neiden Church, built in 1902 with materials shipped by river to its location.  To Sally, this Lutheran church seems a compromise between Catholic and Protestant customs and is also very old-fashioned.  High on the wall facing the congregation is a crucifix (not seen in most Protestant churches).  In a circular stand near the front are candles, available for members of the congregation to take and light for a loved one.  The pulpit is very high on the right-hand side of the front of the church.  We could see organ pipes in the rear, in a balcony, where the organ is probably located also.  Jesse noticed that our seat had a flat, electric heater under it.

          Harry, our driver, was from a village not far from here.  Although he probably spoke no English, our guide repeated his story from when he was in elementary school.  He would ski 9 miles to school every day.

          Anita lives in Finland, where the time is an hour later than in Norway; since she works in Norway, she needs to be very careful not to be tardy (which she was one time!).  Many people cross the international border daily.  Even though we were told to take our passports, our bus was waved on at the border crossing.

          In Finland, we stopped for 25 minutes at a store.  Like the “general store” of former times in the U.S., it sells everything from fresh meat to over-the-counter medications and simple hardware.  Here, goods could be purchased in Euros, whereas in Norway the currency is in Krone.

          Although we (at least, Sally) expected to see the Sami people today, Anita told us that there wasn’t enough time.  (Why not, since it was she who set our schedule?)

          At about 5:00 PM, the Prinsendam left Kirkenes, which was the most distant point of this voyage, and started sailing back around Norway, from whence she had come.

          Since we missed the Captain’s welcome at the beginning of this cruise, we never heard the numbers of various nationalities onboard.  Tonight, we were seated at dinner with Frank and Desire (a Dutch couple, and her name was pronounced much different from the spelling).  They told us that about 100 people from the Netherlands are onboard (out of about 850 passengers).  Of course, they could board in Amsterdam, which was a huge advantage!  We have met several Australians, Canadians and, of course, the ever-present Americans like us.  German and Italian speakers would have taken the Costa ship, which offers excursions in those languages.

Honningsvåg, Norway

          Thursday, 21 Jun 2018 – At breakfast we sat with Kaax and Inca from Holland, who usually take one cruise each year, mostly in Europe.  However, they have taken a land tour of South Africa; and of California, Oregon, and Washington in the US. (Hardly anyone goes to Iowa!)
          At about 12:00 PM, the Prinsendam docked in Honningsvåg, one of the northernmost cities in the world, lying on the west coast of Norway running up against the Barents Sea [within the Arctic Ocean] on the southern side of the island of Mageroy.  When Honningsvåg was heavily bombed during World War II, survivors took shelter in one fairly large building still intact.  The permanent population on this island is now about 3,300.  Dating back more than 10,000 years, the area thrives on its fishing industry, which is aided by the ice-free Barents Sea.

Thousands of visitors come each year, mostly because of the gorgeous scenery and surprisingly mild weather during summer months.

          Concerning fishing here, it should be noted that the giant king crab was introduced to the Barents Sea by Russian scientists during the 1960’s.  The crab thrived in these waters and spread quite rapidly to the west, where it can now be found along the northern Norwegian coast.  As the number of this species is in the millions, it naturally consumes a great deal and there is increasing concern that it may have an impact on the local ecosystem.  Controlled crab fishing is now allowed.  Its meat is delicious and compares with that of lobster.  The king crab can live up to 30 years old, measure up to six feet wide between its claws, and weigh as much as 22 pounds.

          From the ship, we rode on a tour bus for about an hour for our
“North Cape Transfer.”  North Cape is arguably the northernmost part of Europe (except for one other Norwegian point that is very slightly further north).  En route, the scenery near Honningsvåg consisted of high views of the coastline and, a little further on, reindeer grazing here and there.  Soon, as the bus traversed north on Mageroy Island, the landscape became very barren, being mostly gray (granite?) rock, with very sparse vegetation in the flat areas.  Here and there, spots of snow remained, and occasionally small rivulets of water cascaded down to lower areas.

          The North Cape rises 308 meters (more than 1,000 feet) above the Barents Sea [part of the Arctic Ocean].  It has always been an important point of orientation for sailors in the northern areas, the last point before the sea ice to the north.  Although most visitors (including us) come during the summer months, the time of the Midnight Sun, people do live here also during the “dark” time, amid storms and silence.

          When we arrived at North Cape, first we watched a 14-minute panorama film with beautiful pictures of landscape and music shown on an 180̊ screen, starting with the ending of winter and the bloom of new summer.  Although people arrive in Nordkapphallen (North Cape Hall) on the ground floor, much of the hall is on three underground levels.  Found here are coffee house, exhibitions and history, chapel, and shops.

North Cape Trolls

Some of the historical narrative written on a wall included facts about World War II, including that Hitler insisted on keeping a massive ground force in Norway because he was convinced that an Allied invasion would happen here.  Details were told of interception of messages (after the German code was known); a large German ship was eventually torpedoed with 1,900 personnel onboard because the captain refused to surrender.  Only 23 (no officers) were later rescued after the sinking.

After letting us off, our bus was supposed to return to North Cape with a new load of passengers at 4:00 PM; and then we would be returned to the ship.  However, the bus was a little late, arriving at about 4:15.  All of us had been ready to return and many were watching outdoors for our bus.  Although the temperature was fairly mild, the wind was icy cold.  What added to the confusion was that another ship (Costa Pacifica) was also in the Honningsvåg harbor; busses from that ship were also at North Cape, though they displayed different sorts of numbers!  (The Pacifica is also a larger ship, and had more busses at North Cape.  We had sailed on the Costa Pacifica in 2013 on a Baltic Sea cruise.)  At any rate, after newcomers spilled out of our returned bus, we were allowed to board.  During our quiet trip back down the mountain to the ship, all of us relaxed.

          At dinner tonight, we were hungrier than usual, having skipped lunch.  At first, we sat with Tom & Cindy from Wisconsin; after they left the table, we talked with Carlotta & Dale.  We had shared a lunch table with Carlotta & Dale, previously, and had also sat across the aisle from them on the North Cape transfer bus.  After dinner, we danced for at least 20 minutes.

Day at Sea

            Wednesday, 20 Jun 2018 – We didn’t awake until 8:30 AM, so Jesse missed his 8:00 AM morning Mass.  At breakfast, we sat with Andra, from Queensland, Australia, near the border of New South Wales.  Before boarding this cruise, she was on a river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam.  She has visited several cities in the US and next year, she plans to take a cruise down the Mississippi River, from Memphis to New Orleans.
            At about 2:00 PM, we had intended to eat a light lunch, but we ended up eating soup, salad, and bread pudding for dessert.  In addition, Jesse had pasta and a slice of pizza.  We dressed up for dinner again and went to the main dining room where we joined Karen, from Washington, DC; Carol, from Minneapolis; and Jerry and Sheila, from Vancouver Island.  They were all eating at an assigned table and had eaten together since boarding the ship, but we enjoyed their company.  We danced for about 30 minutes before returning to our cabin for the night.
            When we returned to our cabin for the night, on our bed we found for each of us an “Arctic Circle Certificate.”  Jesse’s states, “This is to certify that Mr. Jesse Wendell Ivy crossed the Arctic Circle at 66 ̊33’ N. on board the MS Prinsendam on June 20 2018 and thus entered the land of the Midnight Sun”   Since the time of the crossing was not given on the certificate, we wondered exactly when we had crossed the Arctic Circle, or if we would be crossing it during the night.  Also, we had forgotten that we had crossed the Arctic Circle previously, on 10 September 2015 when the Caribbean Princess passed north of Iceland, until someone here told us that they had crossed it when they sailed north of Iceland.

Geiranger, Norway

             Tuesday, 19 Jun 2018 – We arose early this morning in preparation for meeting at 9:15 AM in the Showroom at Sea for an excursion.  At first, the room was full of passengers because, even to take a tender ashore, a ticket (and a wait) was required here.  However, 9:15 came and went, until it was obvious that only our excursion remained to be called.  Finally, about a half-hour late, we were called; after taking the tender ashore, we were directed to a bus, where we sat and waited with the other passengers.

Geiranger Troll

            Before too long, we were told that, at first, a broken door handle required a wait for a second bus.  The bus was procured.  However, now they were waiting for a bus driver!  During that time, several passengers (including us) left the bus briefly to use a restroom.  Eventually, we were told that we each had a choice:  (1) wait 30 minutes for the bus driver; or (2) accept a refund for the excursion.  Since we had already waited for a considerable time, we elected to receive a refund.  There was a nearby Hop On/Hop Off bus, which would have required only a 20-minute wait.  Jesse voted for this.  However, Sally was not really interested because the main attraction to this city was a drive (via a winding road) up a mountain, and this road had been closed due to the bad weather.  We had already been informed of this fact while sitting on the bus.  In fact, low-lying clouds were hanging over the tops of the highest terrain, which appeared to have fresh snow, and the normally beautiful view was not lovely at all today.
             Note:  We had chosen one of the “easy” ship’s excursions out of Geiranger.  Some others involved being in a rigid inflatable boat (RIB), kayaking, hiking, or bicycling.

            After returning to the ship, we sat at lunch at a table with Lynn of Australia.  Lynn has traveled the world over, including even a 6-month tour of the U.S. by bus!  (She admitted that bus was probably not the most comfortable way to see the country, but she had visited all 48 continental states.)  Also, Lynn had made many sea voyages on Holland America, including five previous trips up the Norwegian coast (this is her sixth) because she loves Norway.  However, she said that she had never seen such bad weather as today; usually, it rains part of the day, but is also clear for part of it.

While we sat for our lunch, the captain announced that we would be sailing through rough waters and would try to stay fairly close to shore in order to avoid the open sea.  He advised, however, to ensure that breakable items in our cabins are not set upright so that they could fall over and break.

            Later, Sally took a nap and Jesse went to daily Mass.  Although Sally converted in 1995, she believes that it is enough to attend church once a week!  On the other hand, Jesse wants to support the concept of having a priest onboard because, if no one comes, then Mass might be dropped.

            Since we had eaten so much at lunch (because of going late), we danced for about a half hour before dinner.  At that time, the view from the outside windows was riveting.  Whitecaps were everywhere.  At times, our ship seemed too close for comfort to rocks on the shore (or islands).  On the dance floor, we began to feel the tilting of the ship – for several minutes, we felt as if we were dancing on an incline.

Still Light at Midnight

By the time we arrived in the Lido Market for dinner (about 7:45 PM), most people had finished eating and left.  Although we were able to sit by a window while eating, land appeared more distant and the view was less exciting.  However, even at 10:30 PM, our ship was still passing by small islands, rocks, and an occasional lighthouse.  And whitecaps still revealed a churning ocean, splashing up several feet when they hit rocks.  The captain and crew had their work cut out for them during the dark of the night!  We don’t really mean “the dark of night” literally.  It was still light outside when we turned in at midnight!

  

Ålesund, Norway

             Monday, 18 Jun 2018 – Although we had signed up for an excursion that involved riding in a boat in a fiord near Ålesund, that outing had been cancelled because of too few participants.  Therefore, after rising for a late breakfast, we returned to our cabin and snoozed.  Although the sky was fairly dark and it looked as if it could rain anytime, we left the ship in the early afternoon to walk around. 

On Ship (Alesund in the Background)

When we found that a Hop On/Hop Off bus was available, we purchased tickets and rode this bus around the city and to some off-shore islands.  We sat in the front seats on the second level, and listened to a recording on earphones.  Although Sally never hears everything, we still enjoyed the experience.  We learned that “Norway” literally means “the way north.”  The Norwegian constitution is one of the oldest in the world.  When they were subjugated by the King of Sweden at one point, they were still allowed to keep their constitution.  We saw the mountain where Germans had planted guns during World War II.  In 1904 a disastrous fire destroyed much of the city.  Still, some old churches survived, as well as a house (now museum) with grass growing on its roof.  We stayed on the bus without getting off until it returned to the terminal at about 2:40 PM.  Long before that, it had started to rain.

An 8-hour ship excursion (“Romsdal & the Troll Path”) from Ålesund would have been interesting, except that the bad weather would have spoiled much of it, anyway.  This tour involved being bussed to the top of a mountain, where signs of an old road built in 1028 by Viking King Olav still remain.  From the highest point of the road, the bus would drive the famous Troll Path.  A stop would be made at the famous Troll Wall, which has the highest overhang in Europe and is visited by world famous climbers every summer.

After dinner, we danced for 20 minutes before returning to our cabin.