A Walk Above the Arctic Circle

June 24, 2013 (Posted July 22)

Following the Silver Cloud's departure from Geiringer Fjord, we spent a day "at sea" traveling more than six hundred miles north to Harstad, Norway. Harstad, at latitude 68 degrees north is just above the Arctic Circle.  Michael and I would not see the sun set again for nearly two weeks.

None of the Silversea tours offered at Harstad were particularly appealing so we had decided to look around the town and see what was available. I was hoping to see the Trondenes Church, a structure dating from the thirteenth century built as a fortress as well as a church.  It is said to be the oldest medieval church in northern Norway. Google Earth showed the church several miles out of the downtown area but I was happy to see as we sailed into Harstad harbor that the distance to the church was reasonably walkable.

Harstad, with a population of approximately 22,000 people is the third largest city in northern Norway and a center for fishing, ship repair, and support site for the Norwegian North Sea oil and gas industry.  As we noticed throughout Norway, the townspeople are reasonably well off and the local economy appears to be booming.  We arrived during the annual Festival of Northern Norway celebration and the downtown plazas were filled with tents. Later in the day, we saw people selling arts and crafts, flowers, vegetables and food.  There was a small stage with live singers too.

Michael and I were off the ship shortly after 8:00 am, well before the festival opened.  We saw a few people setting up displays while a few others swept the cobbled streets of the pier side plaza.  We had arrived mid-festival still the early morning atmosphere was sleepy and slow moving.

We picked out the modern church on a nearby hill, noted as a tourist attraction on our map, as a destination.  The climb was steep but we managed it relatively easily. At the top, we found a road sign indicating that Trondenes Church was 2 kilometers further on the same road. 

We had an opportunity for a real walk, the first chance since Copenhagen to stretch our legs.  It took us a little over an hour with several photo stops to reach the church.  When we arrived, we found a tour group from our ship already there checking out the inside of the historic landmark.  We were in luck as the church opens only for tour groups when between scheduled services.  The church was wonderfully historic and photogenic.

On the far side of the churchyard we discovered a monument, in Russian, to Russian prisoners of war who had died on the Trondenes peninsula. A historical preservation group had recently created a walking path around the remains of a Nazi prison camp.  There were a number of placards showing photographs from WW II.  From 1943 to 1945, The Germans held several thousand Russian soldiers prisoner under brutal conditions in rudimentary housing next to the medieval era church.   The Nazis used the Russians as forced labor to build a gun battery on Trondenes point.  Over eight hundred Russian soldiers died there.

I had no idea all this history had taken place here.  Nothing about a prison camp appeared in any of the reading I did prior to our trip.  I suspect since no Americans or west Europeans were involved it just wasn't mentioned in the English speaking world.  Norwegians have good feelings toward the Russians even today because Soviet troops liberated Norway in 1945 and then withdrew without making Norway part of the Soviet sphere.

Norwegian historical sites seem to emphasize either the Viking era or World War II.  The Viking times were a heroic age, the war a time of heroic resistance.

We concluded our visit to Trondenes point with a visit to the Trondenes Historic Center, on the other side of the church.  At the Historic Center, one could pay eight or nine dollars to see a film on Bronze Age and Viking history or spend an equal amount at the snack bar or gift shop.  We did not spend much time there.  On the way back to the dock we passed almost all of the remaining tourist sites marked on our map, a maritime museum and an art gallery.

Michael and I made the correct decision to go out early.  Shortly after returning to Silver Cloud after our five-mile walk, the skies opened up and we had a rainy afternoon.  We did venture out briefly in the drizzle to see the festival and check for free Wi-Fi.  Norway, as a rule, has no free Internet except at libraries where the instructions are in Norwegian.  We returned to the ship empty handed and with no e-mail updates.

The sun came out as we sailed away from Harstad at 11 pm.  From the sun's position on the horizon, it appeared more like 6 pm than 11 pm.  Of course, this was the first evening we would not see a sun set at all.  Some of our fellow passengers stayed up until two or three am taking pictures of the "midnight sun" and were able to tell us later that, indeed, the sun does not set in late June above the Arctic Circle.

The Beauty of the Fjords

Saturday June 22, 2013 (posted July 16)

The Silver Cloud left Bergen at six pm Friday evening for a short overnight sail to the Geiringer Fjord.  We were to make two stops at small towns on the fjord.  The main purpose of visiting this fjord is to view the absolutely stunning scenery.  Geiringer Fjord is a world heritage site famed for large numbers of waterfalls tumbling down high cliffs and little farms perched precariously on the rocky slopes.

We were already well inside the fjord when Michael and I woke around six am.  As soon as we could get dressed for the cool wet weather, we were on deck, cameras in hand taking pictures of the mountains and waterfalls as they slid by.

The Silver Cloud docked at 8:30 am at a tiny town named Helleysit at the end of one arm of the fjord.  We stayed there only two hours, as the purpose of the stop was to let off passengers who had booked a bus tour across the mountains to Geiringer at the end of a longer arm of the fjord.  Our pre cruise information said that no one else would be allowed off the ship.  Fortunately, the cruise director announced that anyone who wanted to could go ashore; we just were required to return to the ship by 10:00 am.  Michael and I immediately took advantage of the opportunity to explore this tiny town with a waterfall running through it.

The weather was overcast with occasional drizzle.  The temperature was in the high 50's F so bundled up appropriately and carrying umbrellas we went out to see the town.  I was beginning to learn that in Norway there is always the possibility of rain.  Maybe that contributes to the Norwegian sense of humor: very dry – about the only thing that is dry.

Michael and I hiked to the top of the waterfall and took a stroll down a street that led back into the hamlet.  We stopped at a very pretty church and took some pictures.  Helleysit was a great spot for photography. I took many shots of water, walls, flowers and interesting buildings.  There seemed to be no one around except for a few of us from Silver Cloud and a handful of Japanese tourists who arrived by ferry.  Norway runs the Hurtigruten ferry system connecting towns and cities all the way up the west coast to North Cape in the far north.  Even tiny Helleysit has regular service.  We saw at least three ferries in the two hours we were there. In spite of a brand new pier just big enough for Silver Cloud, a small cruise ship, Helleysit is not likely to become a lively cruise destination.

Before starting on the cruise, I had decided to make a quest to find a good Norwegian sweater at a reasonable price.  The sweaters for sale at the market in Bergen were very expensive.  I thought Helleysit might be less expensive since it was off the beaten track so to speak, so I dragged Michael into the gift shop near the pier.

Michael got into a conversation with the sales clerk, a young woman from Lithuania working on a doctorate during the school year and selling trinkets in Norway as a relatively high paying summer job.  While they talked, I found sweaters and jackets at prices much below those in Bergen.  I couldn't decide between a fleece sweater and a faux suede jacket. The sales clerk advised me to buy them both. I think I surprised Michael when I decided to do so.  Within hours it became evident that this was a good decision as I wore one or another of them almost every day after this stop.  I had brought a raincoat and several sweaters in my luggage but did not fully anticipate how windy and rainy Norway would prove.

After a half hour delay to locate a missing passenger –he or she was most likely on the bus trip and didn't get accounted for properly until the captain and staff captain intervened – we continued along the fjord to Geiringer. I can't say much about the passage except that my two hundred pictures are gorgeous.

Geiringer town was the opposite of Helleysit.  Geiringer exists solely for the tourist trade. The Silver Cloud was one of four cruise ships anchored off shore.  The Hurtigruten ferry landed more tourists, enough to fill six tour buses. The town of 600 full time residents had temporarily swelled to about 20,000.  Two blocks of tourist shops and fast food places lined the elaborate tender pier. Carved wooden troll statues were everywhere. There were several tourist hotels and two RV parks in what passed for a downtown.  The tourist information center on the dock offered numerous tours into the mountains. Had it not been raining we might have taken a tour to a lookout point to view the fjord from above.  As it was, after a walk around the immediate area we were done.  

As we made our way back to the tender pier, it stopped raining so we decided to hike up the road, up being the operative word, to a small church that overlooked the fjord.  The church was interesting and we appreciated the exercise. 

As cruising and other forms of tourism become more affordable, more and more places will come to resemble Geiringer.  The spectacular scenery is being loved to death.  It is hard to appreciate nature's beauty when one is part of a mob of thousands.  The trip in and out of the fjord, watching the waterfalls and rugged mountains go by was well worth the aggravation of the town of Geiringer.

 

A Rainy Day in Bergen

June 21, 2013 (Posted July 16)

Bergen, Norway was our last stop in a city with historic ties to the Hanseatic League.  Its old waterfront, called Bryggen, has colorful wooden buildings that have been rebuilt and repaired many times keeping the look of the original fourteenth century structures. The wooden buildings have been destroyed by fire about once a century.  Although the look is original, the actual buildings date from about the mid nineteenth to early twentieth centuries.  This, I have learned, is how history is preserved.

Bergen was an important Norwegian city before the Hansa merchants arrived.  Officially founded in 1070 at the end of the Viking period, the city in the 13th century was Norway's first capitol.  We docked next to the old fortress, Bergenhus festning, where Norway's early kings were crowned. The fortress, which included historic Haakon's Hall and the Rosencrans tower, was visible from our window on the Silver Cloud. The old port was just to the north toward the main city, an easy walk from the ship.

We had been advised that it rains in Bergen 200 days per year so we were prepared.  We left the ship early to walk to the cog rail station and a ride up the mountain.  It was overcast when we started out but by the time we reached the top of Bergen's 1000 ft. "Mount Floyen", rain had started to fall.  Michael and I started along a walking path hoping for a short hike but the rain intensified.  We did have some wonderful views of the city and harbor below before fog closed in.

Back at sea level, we walked on interesting back streets to the railway station to check out a hotel Michael had stayed at on his rail tour of Norway fifteen years ago. He wanted to see if the hotel was still there and still in business. It was, but it appeared to him that it was somewhat run down since he last saw it. We wandered through the main shopping district and the fish market.  We needed our umbrellas but the temperature was pleasant.

The fish market is now mostly a tourist attraction selling sweaters, woodcarvings and other knick-knacks.  Fish and seafood was available mostly as fast food.  I did see raw whale meat for sale.  Norway while very eco conscious still allows whaling.  The bloody whale meat was repulsive looking. I won't eat whale no matter how it looks. As Michael put it, "I won't eat anything smarter than I am."

We returned to Silver Cloud for lunch and dry socks before venturing out to inspect the ancient fortress.  We were able to wander in the rain around the grounds, a Norwegian national park, but we decided against paying admission for Haakon's Hall, now undergoing reconstruction and only partially open to tourists.  We looked at the floor plan of the tower and declined admission there too.  I was not interested in climbing 300 steps for a view of a misty harbor.  We had a better view from the top of Mt. Floen before the rain closed in. Even in the rain it was interesting to see buildings that had existed for the better part of a thousand years.

Michael and I walked to the St. Mary Church, supposedly a must see attraction begun in the fourteenth century and successively remodeled through the late 1700's according to our travel notes. It too was closed for renovation. It would seem that historic and authentic is are constantly being created.

Michael and I really enjoyed our day in the rain exploring Bergen.  Silver Cloud was one of five cruise ships docked in Bergen that day yet there were few tourists out on their own.  Most were on bus tours, not on the streets.  We were only aware of large numbers of visitors as we waited sandwiched between large tour groups at the entrance to the funicular railway up the mountain.

Because Silver Cloud was the smallest of the cruise ships in port that day, we were able to dock right in the historic harbor area and walk easily around the entire downtown area.  The larger ships were at long piers further out or even across town at the large passenger and cargo ship terminals.  No wonder their passengers were on bus tours.  Michael and I had a good view of some tall sailing ships and a really strange red ship with a helicopter pad on its front that we later found out is used to resupply Norway's oil and gas rigs in the North Sea.  Oil and gas are big business in Norway.

Bergen lived up to its title of "rainy city" yet we enjoyed walking around it immensely.  This was my first experience in Norway.  I could not understand the language but had fun sounding out the words on the street signs. Many, when sounded out, were close to English or German words.  Norwegians speak English well so I really liked my first Norwegian city.  Not understanding the language made little difference.

A Very Personal Tour of Copenhagen

June 19, 2013 The First Day of a New Cruise (posted July 11)

Our friend Jannik met us at the gate to the pier at 9:30 am this overcast Wednesday morning.  Jannik took us on a leisurely walk from the ship along the shore and past the nearby "Little Mermaid" statue.  There I took pictures of Japanese tourists taking pictures of the small statue.  There must have been ten tour busses lined up nearby.  Next to the statue were two souvenir tents full of women selling miniature statues, postcards,
t-shirts, mugs and other silly items.  For some reason this monument to the Hans Christian Andersen character is the most popular spot for foreign tourists in Copenhagen.  Souvenir sellers, at least, are making a nice profit from it.

From there we walked along a quay past the Maersk shipping lines headquarters, and past a small museum Michael had visited years before.  This museum, with no signs on or above the door, houses replicas of great works of statuary art.  A full size copy of Michelangelo's David stood outside.  Other statues and busts were in each window.  Michael told me when he had been there years ago it was open only one day per week. He had been lucky to be there on a day it was open to the public.  Michael had had no idea how to find it again.  Now he was delighted our walk went past this odd attraction even though the museum was not open.

Jannik's real destination, although I suspect he knew Michael's interest in the museum, was the Amalienborg Palace, the official winter residence of Denmark's royal family.  We had come upon two elaborate little pavilions on the quay and I asked their purpose.  Jannik pointed to a yacht anchored in the harbor and said the pavilions were where the royal family waited for a boat to take them to or from the royal yacht.  He had taken us to the harborside entrance to the palace complex.  The Amalienborg Palace is really four identical rococo palaces surrounding an octagonal palace square.  A sudden rain shower occurred as we entered and watched a small group of soldiers march by to relieve a guard at the entrance to crown prince's palace.  The rain ended by the time the brief ceremony was done and we continued on through the main entrance to view the Marble Church further down the block.  This church isn't really marble but is a small replica of St. Peter's basilica In Rome.  A block away, we saw the gold leafed onion domes of the Russian Church.

We followed a route that led to Nyhavn, the old port of Copenhagen filled with colorful old houses that appear on many postcards of the city.  Nyhavn was just around a corner from the Royal Theater.  Michael wanted to see the Old Stock Exchange and Jannik chose a path that took us through the Storget (supposedly the world's first pedestrian only shopping streets) and a detour to cross a canal that had an underwater sculpture. He had taken us to a street that gave us a great view of the Old Stock Exchange.  The three hundred year old building has a spire of three, twisted dragon's tails representing Norway, Sweden and Denmark.   The three countries were all under Danish rule when the exchange was built.  Norway and Sweden have not yet forgotten nor forgiven that history even though their royal families are all interrelated..

Our walking tour took us twice to the Town Hall Square: once to each side.  There is a large construction project in center of the square.  Jannik told us that Copenhagen, like Amsterdam, is building a new underground subway line.  Construction will tear up this popular tourist area for several years yet.  We eventually worked our way through the construction to the central railway station.  The three of us took a local train to the contemporary Louisiana art museum half an hour ride north of Copenhagen.

I was somewhat surprised, though by now I probably should not have been, that Jannik had a membership and was able to get Michael and me in at a reduced fee.  The museum had a great food service.   We were able to have a very nice lunch, take a quick walk through the museum and view the sculpture garden before we needed to head back to the Silver Cloud.

Jannik, Michael and I walked three or four miles and saw perhaps a third of the wonderful sights to see in Copenhagen.  I certainly haven't described all the ones we saw.  If it weren't for the short rests on the train rides, I would have been totally exhausted.  Copenhagen is most certainly a city worth multiple visits.  It was exceptional to have someone who lives there show its highlights to us.  We had such a good time.  I did not even mind walking back to the Silver Cloud in a drizzle that had held off until late afternoon.