The last leg of our journey saw us travelling back south from Finnsnes to Bergen and it was this part of the trip that made me realise just how different the landscape it between this mid-section of Norway and the north.
Day 9 was another day of double excursions for me starting with a hike with the Expedition Team at Vesterålen, which was a little bus ride, followed by a little ferry ride, another little bus ride, and then a really good hike where I got to try snow boots for the first time. The snow boots were definitely an interesting experience, but once you got used to the new feel and new way that you need to walk it actually became quite fun.
The views from the top of the hill were as beautiful as we were beginning to expect on this trip and we even got to look at some dry large moose hoof prints in the snow. Thy are absolutely massive. Unfortunately we didn't get to see any on the actual walk, but did get a glimpse of one as we were driving back to the ship.
We also got to hear a little bit about Vesterålen, which is a group of islands that, slightly unusually for Norway, has a large amount of land that can be used for farming. Apparently they grow really good strawberries there as well and are famous for it. Maybe we should return in the summer to test this out.
The lecture for the day was on the history of Hurtigruten. Not really something I would normally go to but more interesting then I was expecting.
We also got to attempt another look at Trollfjorden, this time with more natural light. It still wasn't possible to get a good photo of it but it was much easier to see all the way down to the end this time. We also got to hear the troll story, involving a troll king who kept lossing his one eye and didn't listen to his daughter, connected to the formation of this fjord.
After an early dinner I set off for my last trip which was called 'Lofoten by Horse', Icelandic ponies to be precise. These are an interesting breed with tough, stocky little legs and a good thick coat. Their gallop is also very different from other horses in that they always keep one hoof on the ground at all times, making it a bizarrely smooth run. There's no bumping up and down, and you feel quite safe on the saddle. I had quite a stubborn boy who was sweet enough but really didn't want to go very fast at all, but instead wanted to go down every route no one else was taking (and which suspiciously looked like it led back to the barn). They also showed me footage of him working out how to get out of his harness. He required quite a lot of cajoling, but I liked his personality. The only downside to this trip was that it was dark, cloudy, and snowy so you didn't really get a good view of the land around you or the night sky. So whilst it was interesting getting to know more about this interesting breed and remembering how natural riding feels, maybe summer time is a better time to do this. Especially as the circuit you take is quite a closed circuit.
Day 10 tooks us back from Bodø to Rørvik, and therefore back over the Arctic Circle. The ceremony this time was a spoonful of cod liver oil.
As a vegetarian this obviously wasn't something I could have but my Mum very kindly took two teaspoons of cod liver oil so that I could get a free Hurtigruten teaspoon as well (thanks Mum!). This teaspoon now sits proudly with the few bits of cutlery I have.
The Point of Interest was the mountains labelled the Seven Sisters with the Suitor waterfall on the opposite side (unfortunately this waterfall isn't that obvious this time of year). This is my favourite troll story and is, as you would expect, very weird. It also, as you would expect with Norwegian folk stories, has a very sad and dark ending, that just seems to be how they go.
After lunch there was an opportunity to learn some Norwegian Folk dancing, which my Mum and me jumped on as we love that sort of thing. Not surprisingly there wasn't a lot of men, but we didn't really need any and had a good laugh trying out some traditional and some children's dances. The first dance did seem a little sedate, but when you picture it with their traditional costumes it would actually look quite fluid.
Our longest stop was at Brønnøysund. My Mum had a trip booked but I didn't. However, she did give me the task of trying to find a couple of books were looking for. Unfortunately it was Sunday again which meant there wasn't that many places open and after an unsuccessful potter around the centre I shot off towards where the quiet seemed to be.
I found a nice little treed hillock beside an inlet all covered in snow and ice, and so so quiet. After 10 days on a ship surrounded by people the whole time this was a nice, much needed break. I stayed there as long as I dared before heading back.
Our last full day was day 11, starting at Trondheim and ending the day a Ålesund. As before, our longest stay was at Trondheim and this time we got to see it with all the shops open. To be honest it wasn't that much different then when it was Sunday.
We tried to find another book shop for some of the art books we were looking for but had no luck this time either (it obviously wasn't meant to be). However, we did pop into a souvenir shop to buy some gifts for friends and family, and where I basically spent £50 on trolls.
The Point of Interest was the Munkholmen island again, but I just went up to look at the view as the day was so clear. There was also a talk about how to fillet a salmon. I went as I thought there might be some interesting facts, but there wasn't much for a non-fish eating individual, so I went back to staring at the scenery.
The highlight of this day was the talk on 'Norwegian History in a Nutshell'. It covered a lot of information pretty quickly, including previous Kings, how Norway is such a young country, and its current relationship with Europe (interesting information from a Brexit point of view).
And so began the start of 'the last time'. Dinner was the last time we would sit and eat with our fellow table 25-ers (a great bunch of humans). As well as the last time we would get to be out on desk 7 staring up at the night sky. Due to that I wrapped up really warm and, despite the cold, sat outside on a desk chair, with a warm cup of tea, for as long as I could handle. I've never felt so British.
The last day was the sail from Torvik to our end point of Bergen. We packed up our bags in the morning and left when outside to be collected and taken off the ship for us. This was followed by what was probably the best lecture of the whole trip, 'A Typical Norwegian'. Full of information, including the unexpected, very funny, and an interesting look at how Norwegian's see themselves.
The last thing we did was to go and stand out on desk 7 as we passed through Steinsundet for a listening section of Norwegian classical and contemporary music.
It was a lovely way to end the trip, especially as there was a lot of sunshine and clear skies in which to view the sea and mountains.
I think I can safely say that I am not a traditional cruise person and won't be doing any real cruises any time soon. But this was a great trip and I really enjoyed my time on board. The staff were great and really helpful (with so much work clearly going on behind the scenes), and the Expedition Team really put in a lot of work in taking expeditions, giving talks and information, as well as answering all our very many strange and wonderful questions (and there were a lot). Not a job that I could do for the length of time that they do. Definitely a big thank you to those guys.
One of the things I liked most about the Hurtigruten Cruise was the Hurtigruten Foundation they had set up which donates to a select number of organizations and causes with an environmental agenda. Your able to contribute to this cause directly or just by requesting your room not be cleaned on a regular basis (you can also apply for funding from this foundation if your work is in one of the areas they operate in). It could just be green wash, but I'm trying not to be too cynical about these things and at least it's something.
And now to leave you with my favourite song that I got from this trip as a thank you for making it this far.
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