Adventures in the Arctic

TSH and Diva are now above the Arctic Circle. The Silver Spirit has made no acknowledgment of this and when Diva asked when the crossing would be, neither the shore concierge desk nor (more scarily) the bridge officer, had any real idea.

Going ashore in Svolaer, in the Lofoten islands, involved a hazardous transfer into a bouncing tender. Further hazards included a single track road tunnel where the bus met a car coming the other way, a drive up a narrow winding road (unsurfaced) with a steep drop on one side and a five point turn at the top (better than the alternative which was to reverse down the narrow road!). The purpose of the latter was to provide a phototstop. Not very popular when you are above the clouds. Throughout all this, Diva was too busy being terrified to be able to continue to worry about the hazards of the journey back to the Silver Spirit.

The highlight of the excursion was a visit to a reconstructed Viking long-house which belonged to a rich local leader. The modern day Viking who explained the site was knowledgeable and very funny. 
The misty drizzly weather means that the wild dramatic Lofoten scenery looks very atmospheric. The jagged mountain tops continually appear and disappear through the mist.

TSH is persevering with learning to take inferior pics with the smartphone.

No suitable T shirts located yet.

Arctic Adventures

Fortunately, crossing the Arctic Circle was nothing like last time. Hurtigruten hold a ceremony with Neptune putting ice down people’s tops. TSH and Diva were shocked and did not join in. No party, no ceremony, no Greek Gods this time.

The early morning call was too late for TSH, who got up at 05:30 in a frenzy of expectation to watch the arrival and docking. Diva was not well pleased when the bath plug (one of those with a plunger) did not work and there was no proper bath, in spite of using many gallons of excess water. And then when en-suite breakfast was delivered, the butler had forgotten her bread roll, although this was quickly put right.

TSH’s early venture on deck delivered the useful information that it was quite warm and both changed to lighter clothes. Silver Cloud docked but Voyager had to anchor in the bay and use the tenders.

The Lofoten Islands matched expectations. The scenery is a bit like Greenland with much less snow and no icebergs or whales to be seen. But plenty of rocky jagged peaks. And coral beaches!! It was not known until the sixties or seventies that coral could survive at these latitudes. Lots of oyster catchers and lupins. None of the cows had mattresses. The cod drying frames were empty except for the heads, which were awaiting export to Africa.

Lunch was the second pizza of the holiday and the second with no red wine, which is normally ‘the law’. TSH was so full he did not have pudding but Diva had cherry clafoutis.

First sail away of the voyage where TSH and Diva drank champagne on deck.