Month: February 2016

The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Bergen to Paris

We have received our disembarkation lecture and guess what the tour director is German – that explains a lot. We call in at Trondheim, and have a lovely walk around the town. Farewell dinner tonight because many people leaving here.

Last day and we really just sit around awaiting to arrive at Bergen. Big hug from Ms Hendrieksen fare welling us (Kerry has a headache so she misses out). Arrive at Bergen and we get a cab to the hotel in the heart of the city. Just down the road is the funicular to the top of the hill behind Bergen CBD and we take the trip to the top. Wow and the wind is just as amazing. A hot chocolate, a visit to the souvenir shop and we head to the 17th century fish market a UNESCO world heritage site. Very interesting and it is bitterly cold. Time for dinner and Pepe’s Pizza is in sight. A couple of pizzas 2 cokes and a bottle of red Krona 1160 about $240.00 – Norway is expensive when it comes to dining out.

Back to the hotel and some real room and a nice shower – boat trip was wonderful but 12 days is enough. Awoken by a severe shake of my leg. Kerry is up and I have slept through the alarm. Ablutions, dress, breakfast and the cab arrives. It is too small for 4 people and 7 pieces of luggage despite being told when booking the cab. In fact, he had a trainee with him so could not even fit 4 passengers. Order a new cab – we learn that there is an excess baggage fee and our cab ride hiked up to almost double the cost to travel in from the airport (krona 714 or $103.00). Kerry is most upset. Still we arrive in time to catch the plane which we do and fly to Oslo where we catch another plane to Paris CDG (Oslo – got off the plane went by bus to the terminal and then walked all the way back to the international terminal to catch our next flight – one way to ensure we get enough exercise).

Arrive in Paris and travel from CDG to 16th arrondissement (it took a considerable time and only cost euro 61 (including baggage fee). The cabbie had no idea where to find the hotel but got us there very directly once he found it in his Referdex – Yes Referdex. The hotel is down a mall (part of Rue de l’Anonciation) and it is just another door off the side walk. The room is small but manageable (we are back to finding which hotel can have the smallest bathroom). Wandered around locating ourselves and the metros. Found “Susan’s Place” a neat little “cafe de the” but no bookings available tonight then find Le Passy a bar and restaurant and had a drink (they had not heard of Kahlua and milk and were quite amused by it). Doug not feeling well, stays home while we trip into Champs Elysee and we walk down to Rue de Rivoli and around to Place Vendome and into Rue Marche du Honore where we find a superb spaghetti restaurant Fuxia and have dinner before going home.

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The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Trondheim

Next morning, we cross the Arctic circle going south. The ship holds its crossing the circle presentation which is a memorial spoon off which you take cod liver oil followed by a schnapps chaser. I still have the spoon. For the statistics buffs the Arctic Circle is at 66 degrees 33 minutes 39 seconds north latitude and we travelled to 70 degrees north (69 miles or 111 klm per degree means we travelled over 300 klm north of the Arctic circle). Caught up on my emails and continued reading a book from the library until we came to Bronnoysund where we walked through the town had a hot chocolate in the shopping centre and wandered back to the ship. Not much to see really until we got back to the wharf where I noticed the water was so clear you could see the fish swimming in it. Not just fish but clouds of fish and then for no reason that I could see many of them started jumping. Others stopped including a Dutch couple with a telescope and they consider that this was salmon. The gulls were also interested and we watched until the jumping ceased and re-boarded the boat

February 26 and we land in Trondheim again. We have made friends with the female tour guide “Ms Heindreksen”. We caught her smoking in the bus shelter the first time we landed in Trondheim and used this to leverage her help in calling a cab (city centre 20mins walk) so when the cab came the driver was looking for Heindreksen and would not take us so we caught the bus. On returning to the ship I checked her family name and sure enough it was Heindreksen and from that date forward she has been “Ms Heindreksen” and I have been “Gwen”. This time Kerry and I relished the walk but our friend gave us a few tips and we found a renovated dry dock area similar in concept to dockside. After that we walked down the old streets to “Dromadarie” (Camel) a tiny coffee shop where we enjoy a “kaffe choc” coffee and chocolate combined. Back to the ship and we set sail with our disembarkation instruction lecture shortly (Norwegians are a bit anal like the Germans about precision).

While walking through the village I came across the village notice board where some local girls were displaying their argument for renting of space. Very Scandinavian!

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The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Sortland via Harstad

Rise and shine we are off to Sortland via Harstad – more bus travel. Our first stop is a medieval church. Very hard to date this church as it started life as a place of worship for a Viking chieftain and was added to with Romanesque construction and completed in Gothic style. It seems to be accepted as a 12th century church which appears to me to have been decorated in Russian orthodox style but is now Lutheran. The church is right on the fjord with the cemetery of 9 centuries surrounding it. Alongside the church is a museum which explores the history of the area and particularly the church.

After that it is just a bus trip through the country side to catch up with the ship in Sortland. We beat the ship into port and that extended the bus travel (meaningless). Lunch was much needed and I settled down to write these few words but suddenly we are docking at Stokmarnes, the home of Hurtigruten. We only have an hour but we get off to see the Hurtigruten museum which includes the MS Finmarkken an early Hurtigruten ship. It is interesting to see the similarities with today’s ship and to learn that the coastal express started in 1890’s offering the world’s first 24-hour service. Back on board the boat I collect tomorrows programme and there is a lot of sea and not much to do.

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The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Hammerfest then the Arctic Cathedral Tromso

Next morning, we enjoy a lie in and a peaceful preparation for breakfast. Today we go to Hammerfest at 10.15 and then Tromso at 23.45 for the midnight concert. Hammerfest is a really pleasant town but shame about the weather. The tour manager recommends we buy spikes for this visit due to the icy conditions. The best advice. They stretch over your shoe and provide a very efficient set of spikes for walking on ice and icy surfaces. As I said earlier I spotted two outstanding churches in this town as we departed going North so I have the opportunity to see them. They are certainly remarkable but there are churches everywhere in this town including the Seventh Day Adventists. The Polar Bear Club is located in the tourist info centre and to see the display is free but you can join the club for what purpose I don’t know.

Home for lunch a walk in the gym (the decks are still icy – we are in the Arctic circle) on the treadmill. Whilst I had a nanna nap to prepare for tonight, the boat moves on to Tromsø, a city in Norway, which is a major cultural hub above the Arctic Circle. It’s famed as a viewing point for colorful Northern Lights that sometimes light up the nighttime sky. The city’s historic center, on the island of Tromsø, is distinguished by its centuries-old wooden houses. The 1965 Arctic Cathedral, with its distinctive peaked roof and soaring stained-glass windows, dominates the skyline. Dinner, read my book then at 2345 we join the rush to the concert. The obligatory bus ride to the Arctic Cathedral.

Wow it is surprising. My first impression was a mini Sydney Opera House. It is made up of a series of inverted concrete “Vs” with the ends closed off with stained glass windows. Very simple design with stunning effect. The concert turned out to be a presentation by a soprano, female flautist and male pianist presenting Norwegian instrumental and vocal pieces, and Sami folk music called “yoiks”. They started off at the organ on the mezzanine (a 26-piece pipe organ) and progressed to the temporary platform at the front. Very pleasant and the musicians superbly accomplished. To bed as we are off again in the morning at 0800.

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The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Vadso

An hour in the gym and then Kerry wanted to get off at the next stop – that’s now! Shower, dress for the snow (still – 10 degrees but now the wind is gusting to 20 knots) and out into the wilds of Vadso. Not heard of it? Vadsø is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vadsø, which is also the administrative centre of Finnmark county. Apart from a memorial (which was covered in snow and we could not see it) and a fort which was treacherous due to wind and ice there was not much to see.

Back to the boat share an orange whilst the ship leaves port.

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After dinner they show a DVD on Pomor trading which showed that Vadso was the most important centre in this trade with the Russians from around the White Sea. The Russians were traditional orthodox and were being persecuted by the new order in Moscow. So they commenced trade with the Norwegians to buy fish which helped the Norwegians who were very poor.

Pomor trade, is the trade carried out between the Pomors of Northwest Russia and the people along the coast of Northern Norway, as far south as Bodø. The trade went on from 1740 and until the Russian revolution in 1917.

The pomor trade began as a barter trade between people in the area, trading grain products from Russia with fish from North Norway as the main trade. With time it developed into a regular trade against money: in fact the ruble was used as currency in several places in North Norway. The pomor trade was of major importance both to Russians and Norwegians. The trade was carried out by Russian pomors from the White Sea area and the Kola peninsula who came sailing to settlements and places of trade along the coast of North Norway. The pomors were skilled traders and sailors, and they did also explore the areas around the White sea. In addition to their trade westwards, they established a trade route east across the Ural mountains to North Siberia.

Bloody shame they did not show this before we arrived at Vadso.

Off to bed. I am buggered but just able to finish my book before tumbling into sleep. A disturbance during the night woke me at 1.30am. Out of one eye I saw Kerry go out the door – meeting her boyfriend? No the northern lights – Kerry is off for some photos and I fall straight back to sleep.

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The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Hammerfest, and Honnisvag

When I arose this morning we were just leaving Hammerfest. It was 0615 and -8 degrees. An hour walk around the deck and it had dropped to -10 degrees. I saw two most spectacular churches this morning and look forward to seeing them on our return journey south.

We visit Honnisvag this morning. It is on an island which claims to be the most northern settled island in Europe. I visit our neighbours who are just arising. We have decided we don’t need a bus trip to see another monument, so we have tramped the town and found a wonderful little museum on the history of the island and other things. Pictures of life for the Sami residents were fascinating. We found the statue of a local hero -a gnome of giant proportions who befriended Kerry.There was a moving story about a St. Bernard dog which served in the Norwegian navy in the Second World War called “Bamse”. It ended up on a mine sweeper working off Montrose in Scotland and died there with a monument erected to its memory and duplicated here in Honnisvag where the story started. This really felt and looked Arctic. I think it’s -10 degrees today. We continued to look around the town with the black ice making it interesting.

There was a seafarers’ church made in timber and surrounded by ice but worth the trip to see inside.

On board the ship we were tempted onto the back deck to see some King Crabs. These crabs originate from Russian seas to the east but the Russians transplanted them in an experiment and they have grown in numbers so that the Norwegians now harvest them. Have a guess what was on the menu for dinner. Stopped long enough to get some photos but with the temperature dropping to minus 14 degrees a short spell was all I wanted. Of course on the coldest night we receive the call for more lights. I poked the camera out and got one good photo.

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The Retirees go Abroad – France Norway UK and Ireland – Kirkenes

Its Nerida’s birthday. We meet at the breakfast table and she breaks open the gifts. Kerry kept her busy in Bodo whilst I secured the gift and despite carrying it with me in her company around Bodo she never once asked what it was that I bought.

It’s an early start and I have not had my walk (too f****n cold but I missed it) and feeling a bit grumpy. We are off to do dog sledding at the Ice Hotel in Kirkenes. Kirkenes is a town in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, in the far northeastern part of Norway. The town lies on a peninsula along the Bøkfjorden, an arm of the large Varangerfjorden. All aboard the bus with the tour led by our little Miss Heindriksen (we caught her hiding in the bus shelter to have a ciggie) and off we go turning right at the turn off to Murmansk USSR otherwise we would have been looking at Russian guns not Norwegian Huskies.

On arriving we had to change into our winter gear. We walked past the Gabba Restaurant – yes the Gabba. Then we got acquainted with the dogs. The dog sledding was good as for the first time I got to ride in the sled instead of helping the dogs push the damn thing. Bumpy ride but those little dogs raced across snow, ice and fjord without breaking into a sweat (it was -10 degrees). Getting dressed and undressed for these occasions is the killer as you feel like a blimp with all the gear on over the top of your own warm gear.

We also inspected the ice hotel which was different from our experiences in Quebec some years ago. I was not tempted to stay. We farewell Kirkenes and started our trip back to the South. It has been very dry in Norway with not much snow. Well that has changed as it has now been snowing for an hour and no sign of stopping. Oh yes this is where Kerry lost her IPhone. It is somewhere on the fiord.

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The Retirees go Abroad – France, Norway, UK and Ireland – Camp Tamok and Sami village

Next morning, we arose late at 0730 and dined at 0830 with Jim and Mary before docking at Finnsnes and heading off to Camp Tamok for our wilderness adventure. Finnsnes is a small town located in the municipality of Lenvik in Troms county, Norway. The town is located on the mainland part of Norway, across the Gisundet strait from the island of Senja. Our bus driver had a hole in his throat and used a hand held “microphone ” which he held at the hole in order to speak. While travelling through the countryside he took a call on his mobile – the mobile in one hand, voice enhancer in the other and driving the bus with his knee – no trouble! On the way we passed a 4 wheel drive that had slid off the road just to show how much of a risk he was taking.

2 hours on the bus then we were greeted by Rufuo a Sami who became the tour leader. A change into warmer gear (it is now -10c) and I was heading off to snow mobiles (skidoo) while Kerry went with Doug and Nerida on the Husky sledges and Reindeer ride. The snow mobile was exciting but most of the participants were novices so the guide took it easy particularly after there was a rollover by one of the snow mobiles. I was conscious also that I had a passenger a Dutch lady travelling with her girlfriend. Then having finished the snow mobile ride we went to the reindeer where Rufuo introduced us to his animals and told us a bit about Sami life (including that he kills these animals and butchers them for meat for his family). Riding on the traditional sleds was very peaceful and slow. Temperature -14 degrees. Back to the Sami village (a mock up) to the Sami lavu (tent) for some of bambi in a stew and a cup of tea. Then another one and a half hours in the bus to catch the boat in Tromso.

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