Norweign Fiords & the North Cape

In late May and early June 2012, Ellie and I cruised the fiords and cities of Norway from Oslo in the south to Honningsvag in the North, way above the Artctic Circle at 71 deg. N. Latitude. The cruise was on Holland America's Ryndam (1200 passengers), departed Dover, England with the first port of call the capital of Norway, Oslo. We had been to Oslo previously. The newest addition was the modern ski jump on high ground above the city and built for the 2011World Ski Championship. An amazing facility to see and very high tech.  Sensors imbedded in the track accurately measure the distance and judges have an enclosed viewing area to judge on style.  On the other side opposite the judges suite is the Royal Box. Also, there is a new Opera House in a very modern style of architecture that you'll either love or hate. The beautiful City Hall remains as it was with paintings or murals inside. An interesting site to visit is the Resistance Museum. Norway was occupied by the Germans in WW II and 400,000 German soldiers occupied the entire country.

From Oslo we cruised North to Stavenger.  A beautiful city with a 12th century Domkirche that is Norway's oldest cathedral. Unfortunately, it was closed the day we were there.  The city lies on the Lysefjord fjord, and has a beautiful "Old Town" with narrow cobblestone lanes and quaint wooden houses and shops.  It is also widely referred to as the "Oil Capital of Norway." From the town, we took a cruise in a much smaller vessel (one of the local passenger ferries) to Pulpit Rock, which rises 1500 feet above the sea.  On our way, there were several beautiful waterfalls with a stop for traditional Norwegian waffles with sour cream and jam.  We saw mountain goats on the rugged mountainside and the ship went up to the steep hillside and goats came down to be fed by a crewman!  We also stopped at one of the waterfalls and a brave soul (passenger) took a steel bucket and collected water (getting soaked in the process), and we all had a drink of very good tasting water.

Next stop was Molde.  We elected a shore excursion taking us over the Atlantic Ocean Road to a spot where we boarded a replica of a Viking ship, traveling to the Haholmen archipelago. Here we watched a fascinating movie about the three Viking replicas built by Ragnar Thorseth, which he sailed across the N. Atlantic to Greenland, Newfoundland, and America.  It was fascinating to watch the workmanship in building these vessels using traditional tools and methods.

After two days at sea, we arrived above the Arctic Circle to the town of Honningsvag, which is a fishing village of about 2500 and claims to be the northernmost city in Europe.  Critics say that claim depends on how you define a "city".  A bus from the dock took us the North Cape, 71 deg. n. latitude and the northernmost land on the European mainland. There is a lovely and comprehensive Visitor Center which has a wide screen 14 minute film (just music, no narration) of the town and the Cape.  There is also a coffee shop and very large gift shop with beautiful leather goods and knitted sweaters, gloves and hats.  As all things in Norway, very expensive, but very high quality.

To step outside and visit the globe monument was to be either very brave or very stupid, as the weather was awful; 60+ MPH winds, raining sideways, and about 40 degrees F.  No one stayed out very long!

After leaving Honningsvag, we sailed south for two days and the weather was challenging on the first day.  There is a TV channel which gives you meteorological information such as barometric pressure, winds, wave height, ships position and the like.  We had 62 knots of wind across the bow and 15 foot waves.  Even with stabilisers, the ship pitched and rolled about 10 to 15 degrees.  It was not enough to keep you awake at night, but walking got somewhat interesting.

Eventually, we arrived in Alesund which is known for its Art Nouveau district.  The town essentially burned to the ground in 1904, and was rebuilt between 1904 and 1907. After the fire, more than 10,000 people were left without shelter. We went up into the hills above the town where the views are spectacular.  You can see the 7 islands which make up the city.  The Germans built massive concrete fortifications from this high ground during the WW II occupation which you can see today.

We opted for a cruise on a passenger ferry to tour the 20 mile long Hjorundfjord, which provided absolutely priceless views of the surrounding mountains and small towns and villages and summer holiday properties.  At this time of year the snow is still on the mountains, and the waterfalls are simply monstrous and abundant.

From Alesund, we sailed down  Sognefjord 127 miles to Flam, a small town of 2500.  The fjord has a maximum depth of almost 4300', and is the longest and deepest fjord in Norway.  The main attraction here is the Flam railway, which passes through 20 mountain tunnels with a stop at the spectacular Kjosfossen Waterfalls.  We stopped at Vatnahalsen Hotel there for what else, waffles with sour cream and jam!  After the return trip, you shopped for Norwegian goods in several shops at the pier.

Our final Norwegian port was Bergen, the second largest city of Norway. There is a beautiful old part of the city right at the waterfront where merchants maintained their businesses and homes hundreds of years ago.  We opted for a bus tour which took us on a small vehicle ferry, then along the Hardangerfjord.  We stopped at the village of Holdhus and visited an ancient small church, (the Holdhus Kyrkje), begun in the 12th Century and was in continuous use until 1820.

Next stop - Kvamskogen, a ski resort for lunch at the hotel.  A traditional Norwegian buffet, with numerous types of fish and seafood like salmon and pickled herring. Back on the bus to the Steinsdal Waterfall, which was really roaring. You can walk up the hill and go behind the waterfall, but bring your rain gear!

From Bergen, overnight and the next day and night cruising on the N. Sea, we arrived on the morning of the second day in Dover.  Options were to take a bus to London for a post cruise stay, a visit to Bath, or drive straight to Heathrow and several other options.

Some interesting facts about Norway: Everything is very expensive, including the shore excursions.  Gasoline is $10.05/US gallon, the VAT is 25%, the lowest income tax rate is 28% and goes up from there.  A Big Mac meal (Big Mac, fries, and soft drink) will set you back about $16 US!  Many Norwegians have boats, from little rowboats to some very nice yachts and sailboats.  Passing a large marina, the guide said that a weekend activity would be to go to your boat, and socialize with your neighbor, and never leave the dock because the fuel is so expensive!  As mentioned the reindeer leather wallets and purses are buttery soft and very well made, but expensive.  Same for the knitted wear available.

Despite that, Norway is a beautiful country of mountains, fjords, lakes and thousands of islands with very friendly people.  If the opportunity arises, it is well worth the trip.