A last-minute booking on a Fred. Oslen cruise ship, the ‘Balmoral’ departing from Rosyth took us to the Lofoten Islands and Tromsø, land of the midnight sun. June 21 is the longest day in the northern hemisphere, and we were in Svolvær on that date. Of course, too, the Arctic Circle is renowned for the Aurora Borealis during the long winter months.
CROSSING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE
Following a long tradition, all those who cross the Arctic Circle into the polar regions are visited by Neptune. A ceremony that includes ice poured down the back is referred to as the ‘blue nose.’ The term ‘blue nose’ is supposed to reference the freezing temperatures of the Arctic, and it is awarded when a person has passed 66.56° north.
THE SECTIONS BELOW
I have a heading image for each port of call taken from Fred Olsen’s journey guide (except for when we crossed the Arctic Circle, heading south).
LEKNES, Lofoten Islands
Our first port of call inside the Arctic Circle. We walked around the small town and took a coffee in what was a very popular coffee shop. Then in the afternoon a coach tour which highlighted some of the wonderful scenery and fishing ports.
SVOLVÆR, Lofoten Islands
An anchor port, with the shoreside accessed by using the ship’s tenders. The capital of the rugged Lofoten archipelago, with the harbour overlooking the beautiful Vestfjord.
On passage from Svolvær to Tromsø
TROMSØ
At some 350 km north of the Arctic Circle, it’s known as the gateway to the Arctic. Famed for its viewing potential of the Aurora Borealis during the winter months. On our visit, the renowned Cathedral was closed, as was the Fjellheisen Cable Car (under repair). Shame!
The city had many fine old wooden buildings, mostly built from Russian timber. Also, an exhibition on the explorations of Roald Amundsen, who launched several Arctic expeditions from Tromsø.
Northwest Passage 1903-1906, the South Pole 1910-1912 and the
Northeast Passage 1918-1920
SORTLAND
Nicknamed ‘Blue Town’ as many of the buildings are painted in various shades of blue. The surrounding waters are home to a diverse wildlife, from seals and seabirds to cetaceans.
CRUISING SOUTH TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE MONUMENT
A daytime sail passing the Seven Sisters Mountain Range, in some cloud cover. These impressive women stand some 3,000 ft above the shoreline and are best viewed from the water. We also passed Torghatten Mountain on the island of Torget. It’s a mountain famous for a huge hole through the middle, a remnant from the last Ice Age when loose sediment was eroded. Alas, this was shrouded in complete cloud.
KRISTIANSUND
Our last port of call before sailing back to Rosyth (Scotland). We jumped in a taxi and explored the route to one of the world’s most scenic roadways, the Atlantic Road. With sweeping bridges and ocean views, it’s a true feat of engineering.
«Sundbåten»
It’s a small passenger ferry, serviced by three boats, that’s loved by tourists and locals alike. Operating since 1876, which locals quickly called ‘the strait boat’, or Sundbåten. The name stuck, and a great legacy was born! “Framnæs”, built in 1908, and a new boat “Angvik”, taken into service in 2005, along with “Rapp”, built in 1958.
The passenger boat «Sundbåten» is a trademark of Kristiansund. The people here are very proud of their long tradition in the harbour. Like the cable cars in San Francisco, the Sundbåt is amongst the world’s oldest public transport companies still in operation, established in 1876. There are several ways of exploring the town using this charming boat, crisscrossing between the islands of Kristiansund. A round trip on your own takes approximately. 15–20 minutes with hop-on/hop-off possibilities. Departing only a few steps from the cruise pier.
It was remarkable to see that just 10 minutes later, all the boats were gone!
The morning started with a drizzle, brightening up as the day progressed. As we had made a very late booking on this cruise, once again, all the organised trips were fully booked. We took a leisurely walk around the town, which was very interesting. As we passed the town’s taxi rank, we opted for our own trip down the Atlantic Ocean Road and across the Atlantic Bridge.
Atlantic Ocean Road
Photo Credit: Eline Karlsdatter
It connects Averøy with the mainland via a series of small islands and islets spanned by a total of eight bridges over 8274 metres.
Our departure, and we await the regular «Sundbåten» little ferry boat ‘Arkvig’ crossing the sound before we pass one of the famous Norwegian inter-coastal ships, the ‘NORDKAPP’, a Hurtigruten vessel arriving at Kristiansund as we leave en route back to Rosyth.
ooOoo