21st and 22nd March 2019. Above the Arctic Circle to Tromso and then to North Cape. Weather is cold and extremely windy!
/A pretty good night with several port visits.
Following dinner, which was very enjoyable, we were advised that we would pass the sister ship. We met the Southbound Hurtigruten MS Finnmarken at 8.45 pm with horns blaring.
At 9.00 pm we arrive at Stamsund. N68.070 E013.50. We spend 1 hour here there is a brewery excursuon and Naval Museum. These are open to the ship and some 150 people make the effort. It is dry but cold
At 23.00 pm we sail though the beautiful narrow strait of Raftsundet. They served real Norwegian Fish cakes. But it is bitterly cold with overcast skies and this was the very first opportunity to see tha Northern Lights, but whilst the predictions for forthcoming night’s are said to be good, not so this evening.
We travelled all morning stopping at 3 smaller ports to drop off and pick up people and cargo the key stop was Tromso the Northern most city, with 78,000 residents a modern city centre, two cathedrals as well as the cable car to a mountain top, then with simply amazing views over the city and port area.
our group departed the ship soon after arrival and 15 of our group travelled with Inger to walk to the bus stop to go to the cable car. We paid our 66 Kroner for two retired seniors and enjoyed the ride to the Cable Car, where we purchased tickets for2 return at a cost of 210 Kroner per person.
The ride up was challenging with another group commanding the best viewing spots, but the view from the top was simply amazing.
We spent 45 minutes at the top then came down and Jeanette and Ken walked the supposedly short trip to the Polar Cathedral. An interesting new building.
By this time it was approaching 4.00pm and a snow storm was approaching, we thought it was a heavy rain shower, but the locals said snow.
We board a bus#20 back to the Centrum (city Centre) as it began to snow lightly.
Some 10 minutes later we were walking to the ship as the heavier snow arrived. We were very fortunate and it snowed heavily throughout dinner.
We had made the most of Tromso thanks to our guide. The cable car was fantastic, we missed worst of the weather,but noNorthetn Lights tonight as heavy cloud banks, rain and snow.
Tomorrow to North Cape and our plastic full day on the ship.
It is a cold and windy morning. We have just received notification that our excursion to the top of the world at North Cape has been cancelled.
The bus company has advised that all of the roads are closed for the day, nothing that can be done, just have to respect the beauty and extremes of nature at work.
So we will leave the ship, go for a walk. Nothing else to be done.