Month: May 2023

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 Grubb At midnight our boat slowed to turn towards the narrow entrance of the Trollefjord. Sheer rain-slicked cliffs of dark slanted rock loomed larger and larger as they leaned in closer and closer. The Nordic bite of the breeze got colder and colder, and the sun, in its Norwegian golden hour, filled the…

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 Grubb After our boat passed the island, or large flat rock, that had the globe marking the arctic circle, passengers blinking away the icy rain were offered champagne. Later we were invited on deck for an arctic circle celebration. No sleety rain this time, but plenty of cold wind to remind us where…

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 Grubb Last night as I sat clutching the dinner table watching people topple over while my stomach lurched between the plunges and upthrusts of our pitching boat’s battle against an angry sea, the thought of eating a meal made me feel nauseous. The few passengers who had staggered to their seats like barflies…

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…