Author: Ella

Another travel day but different. We docked in Tromsø at 14:15 but had to check out of our cabin at noon. We stashed our luggage in the luggage room, conveniently located on our deck. Spent a couple hours hangin’ on the observation deck, sipping cappuccinos, chatting with new friends.  In truth, not much to say…

We hit the Trollefjord around midnight last night and then continued towards Tromsø, winding through the waterways. Arrived Tromsø at 14:15, self checked into.our apartment, wandered around the town.

I forgot to include information about the Gallery we stopped in on our brief tour of Lofoten. Galleri Espolin, dedicated to Kaare Espolin Johnson (1907 – 1994), an artist new to both of us. Kaare struggled with poor eye sight from a very young age and as a young man, lost the sight in one…

Post by Ella. Stunning, mighty. The Trollefjord, a two kilometer long fjord is well known for its majestic nature. Only 60 meters wide at its narrowest, impossible for the super cruise liners but for our relatively small ferry with an experienced captain, yes indeed. Troll stories abound about this fjord. It was formed by the…

Post by Ella. This evening, after an early dinner, we got off the ship at Stamsund, located on the island Vestvågøy in the Lofoten archipelago, to board a “Highlights of Lofoten” tour bus bound for Svolvær, located on the island of Austvågøya also in the Lofoten archipelago. At Svolvær, we rejoined the ship. The bus was…

Post by Ella. Bodø, a town of 55,000, is situated on the Norwegian Sea just a few degrees north of the Arctic Circle. During the Second World War, the town was mostly destroyed by the Germans. The town was rebuilt quickly and a train station and airport added. Having only 2 hours to explore this…

Because of the earth’s rotational tilt, the latitude of the Arctic  Circle varies by 2° over a 41,000 year time period. Right now, the Arctic Circle is approximately 66°33′45.6. Cause for a celebration with a glass of champagne. Or if you prefer, get ice poured down your back and you get a free shot of aquavits….

Follow the red dots on the map below. From Rorvik to Bodø (for a 2 hour stop, ready, set, run to stroll around Bodø), then on to Stamsund (where we hop off and take a “highlights of Lofuten” tour this evening, then we meet the ship again to re-board in Svolvær.

Post by Ella. We were warned. The announcement over the intercom, which, by the way, is given in Norwegian, German and English, tells us to hang onto our hats, rough seas with swells twice as big as the night before, to begin in 30 min, lasting a couple of hours. Put away glassware (if you’ve…

Post by Ella After sailing away from Ålesund yesterday, we cruised through Molde and Kristiansund, then arrival at Trondheim. After time in Trondheim, we pulled up anchor again and are heading towards Rorvik. Only 3 hours in Trondheim so we crowded the gangplank at 9:45am, ready for the mad dash, to the Cathedral, the old…

Post by Ella Facts about Norway The most purchased vehicle in 2022:  Tesla Has 239,057 islands Food most consumed: Pizza Ice Cream Unique flavors: Lofopils (beer), Brunost (brown cheese), Tørrefisk (fish). I tried a taste of each. beery, cheesey, fishy, respectively. I had a bowl of…care to guess before peeking? Sea sick anyone? Neither of us…

Post by Ella. This morning, we dropped anchor at Ålesund, a port town of around 48,000, that sits at the entrance to the Geirangerfjord. Having been rebuilt after a fire ravaged the town in 1904, many buildings feature the Art Nouveau style.  First order of business in Ålesund: climb a bunch of steps. 418. To…

We had three ports of call before arriving at Alesund, all about 15 minutes for pick up and drop off. Florø Arrival: May 24, 2023 at 2:45 AM. Departure: May 24, 2023 at 3:00 AM Måløy Arrival: May 24, 2023 at 5:15 AM Departure: May 24, 2023 at 5:30 AM Torvik Arrival: May 24, 2023…

Post by Ella. I imagine it to be like a downscale cruise. The passengers are dressed sensibly for exploring. Even at dinner.  Most look fit (and many at least as old as we are and that’s pretty old). There are backpackers village hopping, port to port, because at every stop, there are mountains to hike. We’ve…

Post by Ella. Late this afternoon, (now I suppose that would be yesterday the 23rd because it’s early morn the 24th as I write this)  we boarded the MS Nordnorge, run by Hurtigruten, bound for Tromsø in the far north of Norway. We arrive the afternoon of the 27th. There is WiFi aboard so we will…