Norway Adventure Mehamn – Tromso

Saturday 16 March
Steps: 8654 with 9 flights
Song: Happy birthday

Cruise day 8

Mehamn – Kjollefjord – Honningsvag –  Havøysund – Hammerfest– Øksford – Skjervøy – Tromsø

I was woke up to birthday greetings from family back home, and birthday pressies from David, who also organized champagne at breakfast and more importantly, carried on the family tradition of flowers around my placemat. Not to mention a cute fluffy husky to remind me of this trip. I also got a gorgeous troll. I felt very special.

We had a 2 hour stop at Hammerfest, which is apparently the world’s most northernmost town at 70°39”48’. We walked to the Museum of Reconstruction which shows the evacuation and destruction of the town under Hitler’s sorched earth policy, intended to stall the progress of the Soviets. The museum also shows how the people returned to rebuild their city and it is one of the better museums we have been to in Norway.
We also stopped at the offices of the “world famous and exclusive society,” The Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society, where you can only join in person and get a badge as proof that you visited the World’s Northernmost Town.  Although we did not become members, I did support the gift shop.

At dinner, there was another treat. The dining room staff appeared with a delicious cake and sang a “Spur-like” chant (in Norwegian). What a lovely day and thanks to all who made it happen.

At 11:45, we stopped in Tromso and went to a concert in the Arctic Cathedral. There was a soprano, a saxophonist and a piano/organ player. They were all excellent and the acoustics as I have said before are amazing. The music absolutely fills the church. They sang a collection of Norwegian folk and religious music. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if they had included one or two more familiar pieces or at least explained what they were singing about.

What I learnt: On our bus ride to the cathedral and back to our boat, we saw more people out and about that we saw in Oslo. They were walking around, waiting at bus stops and queuing outside what must have been a nightclub. Tromsø is the largest city in Northern Norway and has a “mild” climate because of the warming effect of the Gulf stream. In the early 1900s, it was the starting point for expeditions to the Arctic and was known as the “Gateway to the Arctic”.