** AN ARCTIC ADVENTURE **

** CHAPTER FOUR **

** THE HIGHWAY TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE **

This page's latest update was 8 March 2005

I left the minibus and went to my Arctic chariot, declining the offer of a shop-seeing trip to VESTRE from which I 'd be returned later - all at no extra cost. I had known about this in advance, but opted for unpacking and settling into my cabin - and hopefully receiving further documentation, including a booklet specific to this trip.

I had arrived at the Lofoten at the Frielenesquay at about 3.15pm, fully in the knowledge that the departure was not until 22.00hrs and that the 24-hour cafeteria didn't open until 19.00hrs tonight. (Thereafter, it would be continuously open.) The deciding factor to opt out of the `shopping' visit was because of the piss-istent rain. Far better to get used to my room and its environs which I would explore.

The Hurtegrute LOFOTEN.

I found the `Reception' (spelled `Resepsjon') just up a ramp into the boat - and the guy said that my cabin is ready - and led me to it! (How did he remember me with all the numbers involved? That means we now have, at least, two Norwegians who speak in English!) I got the cabin to feel like home (which,indeed, it would be for the next 11 days) and then explored the vessel whilst it was still in the harbour (then 4.30pm). I looked at the area from the boat mainly - due to this rain!! Parts of each deck are sheltered and parts open.

As darkness fell on the harbour and its surrounds, the lights created a beautifully romantic air that wasn't present whilst in the natural day-light. This was despite, or maybe because of, the combination of rain with the light in both situations. It was just interesting by day, but t'was more beautiful at night with the natural darkness and with the rain being lit by a myriad of lights around the harbour. Pity that there wasn't anyone present to share these feelings with. However, as the 11 days and nights would come to pass, the solitude with one's own thoughts, explorations and experiences would arise as a bonus! I would see things that I had learned about many years ago at school. Solitude would be a benefit for relating those thoughts and aspects of experience.

I viewed the harbour from all aspects and all levels from the vessel.

The lady that I approached, in the cafeteria,for some refreshments at 7.20pm, said "Are you Mr Peters?". [Never seen her in my life before - Honestly!]. I answered in the affirmative. She told me that, despite the lack of a meal, which was normal on the `first night', could I please join the Captain on this Special occasion in the restaurant? Again, I gave an affirmative response and she showed me to my "special table" in a corner near some windows. That would be my `reserved table' for the whole tour. She would ask an English-speaking Norwegian guy if he might want to share it with me. I was the only English person on board. So I had a meal, - rather than refreshments, - that meal consisting of Norwegian Soup and a buffet of cheeses and meats. The Captain introduced himself, wished me happiness on the trip - and gave me some "reading matter" which was in a package and included a brochure of the Voyage. I already knew that this route has, for years, been known as Highway 1. Moreover, Hurtigrute means Express Route.

As the 22.00hrs time arrived , the vessel slowly got under way, passing the magic fairy-lights in the harbour, the fjord (including an item that might have been an Oil-Rig, but it was too dark to discern) plus the settlements on the fjord's edge. As we moved out further from Bergen along a sparsely lit network of fjord's, I was entertained by a self-appointed Male-Voice Choir in straw hats, boaters etc.. They were singing and drinking everywhere on the boat. They were `youngsters' - like college boys - singing numbers like "Raindrops keep falling on my head" (the music was unmistakable but it was all in Norwegian!) and many others. Quite an atmosphere!!

I turned into my cabin after indulging in this atmosphere - going to bed very happy. Around 01.00 hrs (now 5th Nov 93) I was awoken by the gentle rolling of the ship. By 01.15hrs, the severity of this rolling had increased such that my bedside drink in a Tupperware beaker (only water, your Honour!) tipped off the chair which was acting as my bed-side table!

Very large roll amplitudes arose by 2.15am after a period of comparative calm. What an introduction to Coastal Waters !!! I got washed and dressed by 3.45am and went to the 24hour cafeteria for some coffee and cake at 4am.. I can see many reasons for, and advantages of, the 24 hour service. I also established that my legs weren't long enough (see Chapter Two), really, for the D1 cabin's relatively primitive facilities. My thick hard-backed copy of Jurassic Park would have come in handy during this trip!!

At Floro , I watched the loading and unloading of some items by the skilful crane driver aboard our vessel. A couple got off but no new passengers got on. I, and the singers, wandered off onto the quay - exchanged pleasantries and returned to the boat for its journey Northwards. I stayed awake through the narrowing Fjords to Maloy - all in virtually total darkness - a pleasant experience as the diesel-powered craft crept its way through the narrow fjords.

At Maloy, after watching the start of the operations, I fell asleep, - understandable because I hadn't had much rest during this exciting night so far.

Whilst I am asleep, perhaps you may wonder why anyone should want to go to the Arctic Circle, particularly in Winter. What is so special about the Arctic Circle and places North of it? To avoid disrupting you unnecessarily at the moment, I give the reasons why the Arctic is so special in Annex B. It is not that one falls off the edge of the world there - but the world does have different properties from the Non-Arctic regions. Read them now or, at your leisure, later. It is the area of the globe North of 66degs 33mins North.

Later that same morning, I woke up!! I proceeded to the restaurant trying to adapt to the large amount of rolling of the vessel. I could eat breakfast under these conditions (Surprise! surprise!), furthermore, I enjoyed the smashing view from my breakfast windows,despite the very cloudy conditions, whilst having a `Norwegian (similar to `Continental') breakfast . The camera indicated that "it is too dark for any photos" (unless `under flash' within seven feet of the camera) so I couldn't record the views. This was LATE morning too!! Later, I risked it anyway with the Heroy Bridge to Torvik!! This was taken through the window of the large observation lounge at the front of the vessel. [Had the flash not gone off (no option with this automatic ) it would have been a reasonable low-light photo without the reflected flash from the window.]

Half an hour before this, I had seen my first snowy mountain of the trip.Also, I had evidence of the cleaning staff operations on-board as one cleaning-lady did my cabin whilst docked at Torvik !

Before the midday arrival at Alesund, I studied the information brochure on the place (in part of the Captain's package which he left me). The two main items of interest to me would be the Aquarium and the Aksla Mountain (a hill, really). I planned, in my mind, the walk around the harbour to head for the aquarium visit - but noted the point where I could turn off for an ascent of Aksla mountain.
Alesund from Aksla Mountain.

I took the brochure map with me as a constant guide for paths and roads and headed round the harbour towards the aquarium. A woman from the boat seemed to be taking a long route in getting in the direction of town - and she had seen that I'd been studying the map even on the boat. I wondered if I ought to offer helpful suggestions.

However, her constant stopping for window-shopping would have put my sight-seeing schedule in jeopardy, had I gone back, so I continued to the aquarium having passed the Aksla Mountain turnoff point. On my arrival at the aquarium with no obvious entry sign and no-one around, in a backstreet, I gingerly investigated the interior of a building, the doors, the steps etc. Through one door, I got in - but no-one occupied the reception/ticket desk of what was obviously the Aquarium. Waiting a while for a person who never appeared, I progressed further inside and came across a small but very interesting collection of fish. Some I had never seen before in any aquarium, big or small. In virtual solitude, I saw all the exhibits and went out the way that I had come in. I believe that this was the exit anyway - there appeared to be no entrance! Still, zero cost for a small show wasn't bad! Carry on Roy !!

Retracing the route to the turnoff for Aksla Mountain, and looking at the map and my watch, I deemed there to be sufficient time remaining before the boat's departure to make an `ascent'. Through the network of hilly streets bordering on the fjord, I climbed to the local Park that led onto the foot of this hill (hardly a mountain!). My map showed the paths clearly, so I ascended by one route and descended by another. That is my normal practice if maps are good enough. The view from the top revealed a bird's-eye panorama of the town which is built on three islands. After having descended to the middle of the Park, I met a familiar face. The person was in familiar clothing. It was the apparently-lost lady that I had left to her window-shopping earlier. Her command of English was poor - but infinitely better than my knowledge of Norwegian! So we chatted on the way back to the boat. (She had apparently learned English at school but forgotten most, though not, fortunately, all).

I learned that she isn't going far on the Hurtigrute - indeed, this is where she changes to go home - her home being on the island of Runde. Readers of this may well remember Runde featuring on UK nature programmes on TV. It is famous for its bird inhabitants, notably for delightful little Puffin, which is a protected species. Runde is, in fact, Norway's largest bird-rock. It also has 31 other species amongst its half a million nesting birds (Who counted them, I wonder?).We parted company at the point where she turned off to catch her `bus' home. `Bus' is the English word that she used - but it may well be a good translation of whatever it was in Norwegian, bearing in mind the fact that boats are used for everything in this beautiful Country.

The boat sailed at 15.00 hrs, returning to its northward trek. (Can boats, even Hurtigruten, trek?) After a late midday meal, I watched through the front lounge windows as we approached Molde and the Romsdal Alps. The view from Molde, of these Alps, is undoubtedly, one of the scenic highlights on this trip when passing by daylight. There are 87 snow-capped peaks to be seen in one gorgeous panorama. The philosophy of the trip as per the brochure is to call, at least in one direction on all places in the daytime. Seems a good idea! So our 1800hrs departure from Molde might be offset by a different departure time a few days later when travelling South. Checking the schedule I see that a different time is indeed allocated - specificly, 21.15hrs!! Molde on the Northbound route is considered the daytime stop. Of course, at any other time than winter it would be light. Disappointments are bound to happen. I then surveyed the schedule to see whether I would miss anything else MAJOR in both directions. I noticed one disappointment would also be arranged for me further North. Namely, the spectacular Lofoten mountains would be in darkness in both directions. That is the disadvantage of having just a couple of hours daylight per day. It would be advisable to consider the phases of the moon (not involved in my planning as in Chapter two) when visiting Norway in the Winter. I'll remember next time. Our very thin crescent moon during this trip didn't provide enough light for even the Human eyes let alone the camera!

By this time, I was very weary and not in a frame of mind for holidaying - entirely due, I believed, to the lack of sleep during the previous night (with my wanting to see everything, both day and night, syndrome). Because of this `not with it' feeling, I decided there and then to get proper overnight sleeping -as it was dark anyway and make absolutely full use of the available daylight. That meant either sightseeing, from the several decks of our craft, of the unique coastal scenery or using every moment available for on-land exploration, from the moment of docking to casting-off.

But the night had to be reserved for sleep so that I was fit to enjoy the restricted hours of daylight `to the full'. Maybe the night was meant for sleep, but I would have real reasons for sightseeing at night -- the Aurora Borealis was one of my reasons for being here - remember ?

Anyhow, no Aurora tonight (or previous night for that matter!) due to the overcast very cloudy conditions. Thus SLEEP was the number one priority tonight - especially as we have our longest stop on-shore tomorrow. We will have six hours in Trondheim (from 06.00 hrs until 12.00 noon)! Guess I'll miss a bit at the start then. So, Goodnight for now........

......................................


Well, not all that good a night! The open-sea stretch from the exit of the Molde Fjord near Bud as far as Kristiansund is an excellent opportunity for the Lofoten to practice its Rock-'n'-Roll gyrations! After the arrival at Kristiansund (following that wildish journey) I just lay on my cabin bed whilst we were in the Quay there (9pm - 11pm). Peeping at the scene through the venetian blinds was quite sufficient! I did leave my bed to visit the 24 hour Cafeteria - more coffee and cake!! Then a return to the bed was a sensible move. Tomorrow would be 6th November!

I awoke and looked through the blinds at 6.10 a.m.. We've arrived in TRONDHEIM. I got up and walked on the cold quayside, noticed a town-map,
Harbour-side Map.

then went back to the cabin to write cards to friends and relations before the Norwegian breakfast. I then ventured further afield having compared the map at the quayside with that in my book from the Malvern Library. From that comparison, and also observation of brochures received from the Captain, I decided to visit the Nidaros Cathedral (known to the locals as the Domkirken) and also the old fort known as the Kristiansten Festning. This was situated at the top of a hill with, it was said, lovely views of the city and its surrounds.

I would first go to the Nidaros Cathedral by way of the Kjopmannsgata and turn left into its own precinct just before Bispegata. This put me into the back entrance, but I walked clockwise around the Medieval building - and it looked like any other grey building - only revealing its REALLY decorative aspect round the `front'. There were very many statues built into the large facade - some statues being clothed, some un-clothed - and there was even St Denis ( I remember him from the Notre Dame in Paris, easily recognisable because he's carrying his head on a plate!!).

Taking photos would be difficult in the very low light. However, I attempted one full- frontal of the Nidaros Cathedral after I'd taken a frontal close-up. The negatives turned out, expectedly, somewhat thin - the processors (Truprint) performed a minor miracle (appropriate for such a building!?) in producing any photos at all. The closer-view did not, however, show the hoped-for detail in the multitude of statues embedded in the wall - but the longer-shot (outside the fence) was brighter with more sky and sun. It was mid-morning by now - the sun having only recently risen with its feeble light.

I walked around the streets in the area in front of the Cathedral in order to pick up some of the atmosphere of the neighbourhood. After that successful mission I performed an anti-clockwise semi-circle in order to retrace my steps to the way that I had entered the precincts. I retraced them for a further 100 yards, roughly, to see the old bridge over the river (the Nidelva ) that led up to the FORT via Brubakken and Kristianbk. Brubakken was a very steep bank with a curious contraption at its `foot' which turned out to be ( I established on my return, later) a Cycle Lift.

Cycle lift bottom.

I continued to the top of the bank, went to the nearest side of the fort and did a clockwise loop of the building. Good views were certainly had in abundance up there. At its opposite side to which I entered, there were abundant grassy areas and a wall which over- looked (at 1-2 Km range) the harbour area on the Trondheim Fjord. Visiting families were walking their children and dogs around here!! It certainly was the best view of the city from there.

I descended on a slightly different route, but still managed to see and photograph the cycle-lift mechanism. It required the user to insert his bike in a slot, insert a coin in another slot, - and ....Whoosh !! (Who knows what happens ?! Nobody used it whilst I was there - and my OWN bike was last seen a few years ago when I escorted it to the local `skip' and bade it a very fond farewell!)

I continued to sightsee, starting from the Very Old Bridge ( called Gamle Bybro ) near to the start-point of the Cycle Lift. The bridge was erected approximately the same time as the fort was built ( 1681 - ish!). Actually, they were built AFTER the great fire of 1681 which devastated most of Medieval Trondheim. I returned by the river's side via Kjopmannsgata towards the harbour and the patiently waiting M/S Lofoten. A certain isolated shop (more a kiosk) in the proximity of the harbour, had all sorts of goodies on view through the window. However, due to my absence of knowledge of the language, the currency - and my shyness - I did not visit the inside. Hopefully, my confidence would grow later.

Before boarding my chariot, I took the good photo of Trondheim's Map that was displayed on a board at the quay-side. We leave at High Noon - so the sunlight is quite good now!!

On leaving the quay at Trondheim (which, incidentally, is Norway's third largest town with its 135,500 inhabitants) we passed the famous Munkholmen. In the Middle Ages, the Nidarholm Abbey was on this small island, but it was abandoned in 1531 after the first fire. In the 17th Century, it became a fortress but the cannons couldn't quite reach the mainland from there (The Swedes occupied it and tried!)

Both coastlines, port and starboard, were very interesting and beautiful as we made our way down the fjord. There was the Manor of Reinkloster and the Austrat Castle even further on (both to starboard). Austrat was owned by Lady Inger who ruled her property empire from there - AND continued her intriguing lifestyle that involved the archbishop and many of the noblemen of the Country. The present Castle is owned by the State. We first see Austrat Castle in the forested area when heading approximately West. Then boat turns left as two fjords intersect and turn us roughly South - so my eyes are kept to the right (starboard) to look at the low-lying flat country known as Orlandet. The radars that I can see on this rich farming land are part of the Norwegian Air Force's main air base for the county of Trondelag. That is the base known as Orland, around which we turn right and head North with vast numbers of islands to negotiate. It's getting late as we arrive at the narrow, twisting Stokksund Sound which the crew skilfully navigates.

There are islands all around the craft in this magical coastline. There are numerous caves in the cliffs, the best being Herkak Cave, which were often used in the past as hiding places for fugitives from the law. On the island of Stokoya , too, there are more caves as well as a very good bathing beach, the best in Sor Trondelag. Best cave along this stretch of coast is Halvik Cave, at Osen, a few miles further North. About 300 yards from its mouth it broadens into a lofty hall.

During this stretch of coast, the fantastically prepared and tasty fish-lunch was enjoyed. It was later revealed as the attractive (at least on a plate!) Halibut.

I had the pleasure of seeing a beautiful sunset as " I watched the sun go down on Stokksund Sound" (not Galway Bay - although that tune and its lyrics were passing through my mind at the time). So, sunset was at 15.48hrs (3.48pm) and this is the last full day before entry to the Arctic Circle (I calculated, approximately, that it would be at about 7.20am tomorrow).
Return to Arctic Adventure title page for next selection.

or Go To Chapter 5 .

EMail (?) to: Roy's Location.