Bergen

From Olden we headed for our last port of call, Bergen, Norway's second largest city, it was bathed in a warm sunshine glow as we disembarked.

We took a coach and went for a drive around the city, our first destination was the funicular train which took you high above the city. From the top you were able to see for miles around, in one direction out to sea, and in the other over the Norwegian countryside. Our time there was peaceful and relaxing but despite this being a large city in Norway it is comparatively small to those back home.

View over Bergen with our ship Arcadia in the distance

From the hill top we descended back down in the train to our waiting coach. From here we went for a drive around the city. The most famous sight we took in was the Bryggen, a Hanseatic wharf which is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is a symbol of Norway's trading empire of the 14th Century. The Bryggen is a brightly coloured set of wooden buildings that line the quayside, a quayside that is now home to many a luxury cruise ship but it was not to difficult to imagine the sea going vessels of yesteryear.

We continued further around the city, passing the theatre, The National Scene, which is home to a 3.5 metre statue of playwright Henrik Ibsen. From there we headed down into the modern part of town full of well known high street chains and coffee shops.

Bergen is a lush vibrant city which makes you feel welcome and offers many cultural delights. It is a city that I will visit again, as this was our last port of call and the weather was warm the ship's pool was calling and therefore Bergen did not get the attention it deserved from me.

Bryggen

We set sail from Bergen and headed home to Southampton. All in all this cruise was an eye opening experience for me. It made me realise that there is a big big world on my doorstep that is waiting to be discovered.

My cruise highlights have to be the isolation and delight of Olden, the impressive Nidaros Cathedral of Trondheim and the visit in to the Arctic Circle to the North Cape for the Midnight Sun.

Norway surpassed all my expectations and is a country I shall visit again. Next year in fact when I visit Oslo on my Baltic Cruise. Until then Happy travelling and Bon Voyage!

Olden

Olden

As we docked along side the sleepy village of Olden, a light rain dusted the balcony. The air was crisp and all around us was calm and sleepy. That was until the locals spotted the 80,000 tonne ship parked on their doorsteps as all the houses along the dockside suddenly reivented themselves as tourist shops, selling your average Norwegian gifts, viking helemts, troll mugs etc.

Olden looked a very uninspiring place, all the excursions were based outside of the village and since we hadn't booked on one we thought we would disembark and take a short stroll around the village. To our delight, when we arrived on the quayside there was a small road train ready to ferry passengers off around the surrounding areas. We trundled off at walking pace, passed the petrol station and then a small convenience store I was at this point not feeling very optomistic. However, if ever there was a moment that taught me to be patient it was this, we travelled passed the greenest grass I had ever seen, passed some of the highest mountains I had ever witnessed, all with trickiling waterfalls tumbling down their sides.

Our first stop was beside a lake, the water was as still as a mill pond, the surface almost looking like glass. literally two minutes down the road we enjoyed the complete opposite of that, standing over the gushing white rapids of the flowing river that had just fallen down the side of the mountain, water so fresh you could drink it.

Our last stop was a delighful little wooden chuch, built in 1759. It is not in use anymore as a newer brick built church was constructed in 1934. The feel inside was one of serenity and calm. It felt like the parishoners had just left and were to return at any moment.

Olden 'Old' Church

Interior of the chuch

I don't really have much to say on Olden as there is isn't really anything there so I thought I would let my pictures do the talking. Needless to say Olden was my trip highlight, It was definately the surprise package of the cruise and is a truly inspiring place. It makes you feel a very small person in a very big world, it felt a million miles away from home but I loved the isolation, I would have been quite happy for the ship to sail away without me and for me to live the most peaceful and undisturbed existance possible.

Blog interupted

Ladies and gentlemen, I interupt my Norwegian travels to bring you the astonishing news that I, yes little old me, have been nominated for the stylish blogger award. This nomination comes from a very dear friend of mine and an excellent writer, Mrs G Lee. Gill has been ever so encouraging, supportive and an inspiration to me over the past four years that I have known her. So to be even thought of as worthy of a mention on her wonderful blog is an honour in itself.

Now then there is a catch, I have to tell you all 10 things about me that you don't already know and pray that a) you don't disown me and b) you don't contact the local constabulary. So here goes....

1. I once got hit on the back of the head with a chip at Deepdale. It put me into shock and I missed the rest of the match.

2. When I was little I was frightened of dogs, now I love them and have one of my own

3. I don't eat vegetables

4. I am developing an unhealthy obsession with cruise ships (think along the lines of a train spotter)

5. I have a duster in the shape of an elephant in my car called Ellie

6. My car is called Gabby

7. A man dressed as a bear caused me to throw up whilst on holiday ( I was 3 )

8. I once fell over running for a bus, the driver stopped the bus, got off to help me. All I could say was 'go on without me' (such a martyr)

9. I was walking down Deansgate in Manchester when a gust of wind blew a man's flat cap off his head and into my face, it got stuck on my lip gloss and I walked into a lamppost. (stop laughing)

10. I stole a milk bottle from Ryan Giggs' house.

There we have it, my deepest darkest secrets for all the world to see.

I hope you still love me!

Trondheim

The Nidaros Cathedral (West Wall)

From Tromso we headed for Trondheim, Norway's third largest city and home to the impressive Nidaros Cathedral. Built on the site of the final resting place of St.Olav, the patron St. of Norway, the Nidaros is an excellent example of medieval architecture which is said to have taken it's inspiration from both Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. As you turn the corner from the northern side of the building you enter a square, as you turn to look up at the western facade of the cathedral you are greeted with a truly magnificent sight, with a statue of each Saint placed in it's own niche along the western wall, the building is immense and towers over you. The intricate detail of the sculpture and the stunning rose window are both awe inspiring. Inside the cathedral is just as equally as impressive as the exterior with the most beautiful stained glass windows letting in streams of red and blue light which bathe the interior in a colourful glow.

Next door to the Nidaros Cathedral is the Arch Bishop's Palace. It is here that the Norwegian Royal Regalia is housed. Trondheim has played host to many of the Coronations of Norway's monarchs, sharing the honour with both Bergen and Oslo, however, in 1814 it was decided that Trondheim was to be the permanent venue for the Coronation but it didn't last long as nowadays no coronation actually takes place, only the benediction blessing now forms the ceremony as it is seen that the Coronation holds no legal significance, this blessing service is still held in Trondheim.

Stiftsgarden Royal Palace

Despite the glamour of the Crown Jewels and royal ceremonies, Trondheim has so much more to offer than the Nidaros Cathedral. It is a beautiful city, with impressive buildings such as the wooden Stiftsgarden Royal Palace, home to the Norwegian Royal Family when they visit. We also visited the university which specialises in Science and Technology in Norway. With new developments being built on the quayside, the old and the traditional sit very well side by side.

A trip to the Nidaros Cathedral was one of the main reasons we chose this cruise and it did not let us down. I felt a true connection with the history of Norway in Trondheim, more than I did on any other stage of this cruise. It may be a little off the beaten track with regards to the bigger cities of Bergen and Oslo but Trondheim is well worth  going that little further north to uncover this true Norwegian gem.

Panoramic view of Trondheim

Tromso

After the tranquillity of the North Cape, our next stop, Tromso was altogether different. Situated in North-West Norway, Tromso is a bustling little town situated on a sheltered island in the Norwegian Sea. Many of Tromso's landmarks could be seen from on deck of Arcadia, including the impressive Arctic Cathedral, a magnificent white building were the walls stretch up high in to the bright blue sky as if pointing towards heaven. Our other destination on our tour for the day was the Polaria Centre, like the Arctic Cathedral, this building is built in all white and resembled a set of ice blocks that have tumbled down and stacked on top of each other, like ice block dominos.

The Polaria Centre

We disembarked and boarded our coach on the quayside and headed firstly for the Polaria Centre, this was the closest I was going to get to any polar bears or puffins on this cruise so I was quite excited. The centre is a wonderful resource for anyone who is interested in polar life. There was a short video to watch all about the wildlife and how they live and survive in the harsh winter climate. You are then guided through an exhibition complete with life size models of all the animals featured in the video, I have to say, coming face to face with a life sized polar bear was definitely an experience! We left the model animals behind and went into see some seals being fed their lunch, they had two seals at the centre that day and they both got equal attention from both the handlers and the crowd, they were a hit! The Polaria Centre was interesting if not very big. It gave a great insight into life just further north of our previous destination, but I would say it was one definitely for the kids.

The Arctic Cathedral

So, back on the coach we made our way through the town, it was by far the busiest place we had visited on the trip so far. It has a lively town centre, plenty of shops and places to eat. Our next stop was the Arctic Cathedral, perched upon a hill, I had high hopes for this building, from the pictures I had seen in the brochure it looked like a magnificent building, but one that needed a bright sunny day in order for it to gleam and sparkle. Unfortunately we didn't have the bright blue sky but surprisingly  it still impressed. Unlike any other cathedral I had visited before this was modern, crisp and sleek. The interior was very plain and simple but it did, however, boast a beautiful stained glass window and an exquisite organ. It was lovely and peaceful inside, despite its town centre location. From the outside it's pointy exterior resembled triangles all stacked one against another with their sharp tips seeming to reach high into the sky, trying to pierce the heavens above. From the top of the hill you get a great panoramic view of Tromso, with its ski jumps and ski lifts its winter life is never to far from your mind. When the snow comes, Tromso is a town that closes down for the winter and reawakens when the first sign of spring appears.

On the whole, I liked Tromso, it's not a huge place but the people were very friendly, it was very clean and is somewhere I would recommend people visit if doing a Fjords cruise. It can be so tempting at times to stay on board ship when the port of call does not look that interesting but so many wonderful treasures, like the Arctic Cathedral can be missed that way.

My next port of call, Trondheim, had a different cathedral altogether. Based on Westminster Abbey, the Nidaros Cathedral was to be one of my trip highlights.

Honningsvaag - The North Cape - 27th August 2010

The day after departing Andalsnes was spent at sea due to the fact we were heading to the top of Norway to The North Cape, billed as the high light of the trip we were to see the Midnight Sun and the chance to stand as far north as we could in Europe without enrolling ourselves on a North Pole expedition! At one stage The North Cape was considered the most northern inhabited point of Europe.

Next stop, the North Pole

We were now deep into the Arctic Circle and much of the landscape we were going to see would be covered under a thick layer of snow and shrouded in darkness in the winter months. But we were visiting in August and the air was crisp and clear and the skies were bright blue.

We docked in the town of Honningsvaag, this is the point that many North Pole expeditions leave from and it also provides an ideal base for visiting The North Cape. We travelled by bus along an extremely varied landscape. There were no lush green trees or azure blue fjords that we had become accustomed to so far on our trip. Instead the landscape was barren, bearing the scars of the savage winters with many a reindeer roaming the flat grounds.

Interior of a traditional Sami home

This area of Norway, along with the northern parts of Sweden and Finland is home to the Sami, believed to be Europe's most northern inhabitants, they live off the land and are expert coastal fishermen, shepherds and most famously reindeer herders. We were lucky to come across a small settlement en route to The North Cape. Dressed in his traditional clothing we were invited into his authentic home and were even allowed to pet the reindeer (one of my trip highlights was all the reindeer!). I can still remember the feeling of total isolation and I can still hear the absolute peace and quiet, not a car or any other modern luxury insight. Further up the coast we arrived at The North Cape. There is a wonderful visitor centre with a truly amazing video which illustrates how the area looks and all the different wildlife that visit throughout the different seasons of the year.

After all the visitor attractions have been visited and the gift shop perused you step out behind the centre to the cliff edge. Perched on the top is a huge metal globe with a signpost underneath stating that you are at 71 degrees North. Despite the fact that there were many tourists around I felt absolutely alone, standing on the cliff edge staring out to sea knowing that there was absolutely nothing ahead of me but the deep blue ice cold Arctic Ocean is an amazing and very humbling experience. It also struck me how so very far away from home I was and it made me realise just how big the world is and what a tiny part of it we really are.

The North Cape from Arcadia

The Midnight Sun

Back on board ship we departed in the early evening, the sky was covered in thick cloud and there was rain in the air but as we sailed past the North Cape cliffs back towards civilization the clouds lifted and the sun shone down onto the metal globe making it gleam like a beacon. As the night wore on the light never faded. One half of the year sees the northern lights the other half the midnight sun, we were lucky to have the latter.



This trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity and my words and pictures cannot do it justice, it was simply breathtaking.



Andalsnes 25th August 2010

We departed the EidFjord and turned left back in to the North Sea. Our overnight course was to follow the Norwegian coast line northwards. At some point overnight the ship entered in to the Romsdalfjordan where our destination was the working town of Andalsnes. With the sun forcing its way into the cabin, I awoke and drew back the curtains. I was greeted by the bright, crisp clear scenery of the Norwegian hills. The water resembled a deep ink coloured mill pond and the greenery was akin to a lush velvet green cloth that had been draped over the ragged edges of the hills.

We docked in the centre of the fjord and used the ship's tender to get ashore. On first impressions Andalsnes was a busy working town with a strong community spirit. We were however to leave Andalsnes and venture into the surrounding countryside, travelling deep into the valley and up high into the mountains. Our first stop was the 'Troll Wall' or the Trollveggen as it is known locally. At 5950 feet it is Europes tallest vertical cliff face, with over 3000 feet of it being a sheer vertical rock face. We made a coach stop beside part of the wall to take pictures and to gaze up at cliff edge. Local legend would have you beleive that the raggedness of the summit was made after the trolls were caught out after midnight and were inturn turned into stone. It is also said theat the clouds that shroud the summit are the fumes coming from the witches couldrens as they cook up a poisonous broth that they intend to feed to the trolls, the poor trolls! The Trollveggen Wall is in stark contrast to the lushness of the countryside we had left behind in Andalsnes just 15 minutes previously, with it's grey, ragged surface and dust laden base it is surrounded by other hills and mountians giving you a feeling of total isolation, the peace and quiet was spectacular which was commanded by the awe that it invokes to those stood at it's base.

During the winter the area is covered in a blanket of snow, the roads impassable for 4 months of the year, even then, in August traces of the winter snow still clung to the side of the rocks.

From the Trollveggen Wall we headed along the valley floor to the start of the Trollstigen, or to give it it's English name the Troll Road. We had seen pictures of the road in the excursion brochure, it contains 11 extremely tight hairpin bends, we innocently thought it would make for a pleasant and relaxing journey which would take in some lovely scenery, but unfortunately we underestimated the tightness of the bends and the height of the mountain it winds its way up. However, it was too late to turn back so off we set, sandwiched between 2 other coaches we crept ever so slowly along the first stretch of road. The first bend was not too bad, we were still at street level and we didn't really get the full impact of the bend. We carried on climbing, creeping passed trickling waterfalls, we came to the 6th bend the coach only just made it around the corner, nearly scraping its side along the rocks but we made it. Onwards and upwards we went, all the time getting breath-taking views down into the valley and along to the fjord at the bottom. It was only when we got to bend 10 that things got a little frightening; another coach was heading in the other direction, as we were on the outside the driver had to manoeuvre the coach as close to the cliffs edge as was deemed safe enough to. As I looked down I could see little rocks crumbling away from under the tires. Thankfully we came out of it unscathed and we stopped at the biggest waterfall for a breather, more for the driver than for us! Much to the drivers credit, we cleared the road and climbed closer to the summit of the mountain where there is a viewing platform offering astonishing views back down to the fjord where we could see the sun glistening of the hull of Arcadia. It was obviously still beautiful sunshine in the town but up there it was grey, cold and damp. We were offered coffee and a sample of traditional Norwegian food to help us overcome our eventful journey and to calm the more nervous members of the group down. After leaving the visitor centre our driver said he wanted to take us higher to the summit of the mountain. We drove for another 10 minutes to the flat top of the mountain. Perched along the roadside and placed along the ground were peculiar stone monuments that passing tourists added to with each trip. However the locals would like you to believe the trolls were building towers to outfox the passing tourists.

We made our descent back down the Trollstigen and back along the valley road towards Andalsnes where Arcadia sat peacefully on the water waiting for us. This trip was the start of my love affair with Norway. The isolation, the quietness, the rugged scenerey and the overally beauty of the country had captured my heart. I eargly awaited the our next stop of Honningsvaag which was to include the trip highlight of the North Cape and the Midnight Sun.