*AN ARCTIC ADVENTURE*

I  left the Lofoten in the harbour and entered the delightful streets of Honningsvag on the North
Cape. We are now up to 71 degrees North (at 26 degrees East) and just 1311 miles from the
North Pole ( it says so at the harbour in easily readable signs!!). The roads and pavements are
very icy and there is also much compact snow around. The conditions make for excellent
RALLY practice for the inhabitants. Drivers are obviously very skilled, motoring as fast in
those conditions as we do on clear roads.

     We pedestrians get excellent practice on ice-walking  -  and that's only in town! I thus
wandered around town picking up the atmosphere of the place. I was investigating shops, housing
estates etc - and, later, their mountains and snow. I see one house and think ".. that guy's either had
an avalanche in his garden - or been very busy with a spade!! I had longer here than expected
originally due to the early arrival (courtesy of a "good wind", I quote!). I could thus enjoy the cold
beauty of this very Northerly town on the Island of North Cape. Because of the icy pavements,
however, I thought it prudent to walk on the roads, be they `main' or `side'. The Norwegians, being
sensible, always face the oncoming traffic in these situations - much more so than the British! I feel
I am amongst like-feeling individuals.

     It's quite an experience seeing oncoming traffic, at high throttle settings, heading directly for
you, then missing very safely by their pure driving skills. All this is done on a carpet of partial ice
and partial road!

     Because films for photography were now getting low, I looked for shops that sold film (I have
been doing so for quite a while now!). In one shop that has film, I asked about the disc films, the guy
responding with a "No!" However, he indicated " 400 metres that way - and it's called `Photoland`".
Having already walked about 350 metres to that point , I therefore retraced my route , covering
perhaps , 600 metres. No such shop was found - either on the main road or the many side-streets.

     I need to be quick now for two reasons. Firstly, there is the late midday meal; - and secondly,
sunset is imminent! I can't be too quick because of icy pavements. The need to share the roads with
'rally drivers' in the fading light (facing them, remember!) tends to be quite exciting! It has well gone
lighting up time at 1pm!! Thus I arrived , in the dark, back at the Lofoten for the midday lunch (25
minutes late but OK!)

     The FISH meal was excellent, as always, - and BIG - as always! I then relaxed quite a bit
before the trip to our next port-of-call at Kjollefjord. 

     That turned out to provide us with the worst leg of the journey to date. First, we rolled wildly,
then pitched wildly, then a mixture of random movements  -  and they continued until the last few
minutes before docking at Kjollefjord.  That was sheer 'heaven' there!! I got out for a short walk
because, although not sick, I wasn't feeling too well. It was a nice little place with heavily compacted
snow and ice. The stop was for a short period around 5pm..

     Today, I can still recall the pleasure of the calmness of the waters beside the towering rocks
as we entered and departed from that port. It was in the half-light and was in such contrast to the open
waters.

     One of my friends from the crew said that strong winds are forecast for our next, overnight,
leg! They would be far stronger that what we had just suffered, and he offered me some pills. Nice
man! Despite my previous problems with travel sickness, which I then related to him, I said that I
believe that I have now overcome them and was able to say "I'll be OK, thanks a lot though !!" Two
wide fjords are oriented North/South so would not protect us much as we passed their mouths (that
was the reason for the previous leg's problems - namely the Porsangerfjord  and the Laksefjord!)

     The next legs would obviously be even less pleasant on the stomach! From Kjollefjord to
Mehamn, I relaxed on the bed in my cabin whatever the boat did (with my eyes closed). I avoided
movement and any visual cues to the brain to avoid the `system' being 'upset'. On that leg of the
journey, they provided me with a beautiful evening  meal with REINDEER and some other meats of
a savory nature. Reindeer, itself, is a fantastic taste (the first time that I've experienced it) - having the
taste of beef and the texture of pork - rather like the texture of swordfish (which I've had twice over
a period of a quarter of a century). So reindeer is like a `bully' version of swordfish !! I didn't actually
eat during the sea-leg, but during the stationary phase at Mehamn - our most northerly point on the
journey at around 8pm. That precaution avoided any potential travel-sickness problems.

     Mehamn has the inevitable NORCARGO terminal (everywhere along the coast seems to have
them!!)_ - and this one contains good numbers of Arctic Cats (Snowmobiles) and a selection of Arctic
camping and survival gear (again, many places in this part of the world seem to do this).

     Similarly, I relaxed on the next leg to avoid sickness from the peculiar motions of the boat.
Arrival at Berlevag showed that it is only a big lump of concrete in the middle of nowhere - at the
end of a long breakwater. There is very little of interest here - but at least it's different, so I had a
small walk! I then returned to my cabin and fell asleep for the night..

                                                        


     I awake in the early morning at 5.10 a.m from the clattering of leaving of the dock at Vardo. 
 I hadn't even been awakened by our arrival - which would have been expected!! I had clearly slept
through the arrival at, and the departure from, Batsfjord. That would have been around 1.00 - 1.30
a.m.!! It is now 10th November and today our boat reaches its half-way, and turning, point at Kirkenes
- which is the next stop later this morning  - and only three miles from the border with RUSSIA!!

     I got off to sleep again and reawoke at 8.10a.m. whilst approaching Kirkenes. The snow on
the mountains to the right, during the seabound approach, comes right down to the sea. Well, not
quite,- it only comes down to peak sea-level as anything lower is melted away by the comparatively
warmer sea. Thus we have a few feet of bare rocks above the sea to the lowest snow. It is the most
level snow-line that I've seen in my life!

     As there is about an hour and a half for the scheduled stop (from 8.15 - 9.45a.m.), I quickly
got a breakfast before my partial walk into town from the docks. I did this in a Country & Western
shirt as "The End of the Trail" is appropriate for Kirkenes. It really is 'the end of the trail' as this is
the furthest point along the coast that we ply from Bergen. It is only 3 miles from the Russian border -
 so, given more time, I could have walked to Russia & back from here.

     It's only a trek across the frozen tundra. After passing a car from the USA (an "Armbruster
Stageway" BUICK) which on closer inspection turned out to be a hearse, I headed off towards Russia,
joining the main road to town from the link-road to the docks.

     Along this icy walk, there were experienced car & van drivers in these conditions -  and at
a collection of shacks and shops (signposted 1.5Km to town), I surveyed the  situation, digested it, and
reluctantly headed back towards the Lofoten. I returned on the opposite side of the road (kind of a
path, I guess!) and my eyes witnessed a site to remember for the rest of my life. It was an old lady
pushing a pram-ski-zimmerframe contraption.

     I rapidly crossed the road in the poor light to get a closer glimpse - and one of my feet sunk
six inches deep through the crust of the snow (in retrospect, that must have been the start of the road
from the pavement!!) I was in my walking boots, only slightly higher than my shoes, and so the
trousers got a snow covering towards the ankle section.

     No time to investigate clothing at this moment, - I was too interested in seeing this 'vehicle'
being pushed by the old lady. It was like a zimmer-frame, but was on skis. She had shopping on top
of it. Looks a crafty design!!

     On questioning my `Oslo-Geordie' friend about this on my return, he said that it's a common
device in Norway (and, presumably elsewhere in the Arctic?) and he drew me what he thought I had
described. Where the old woman had her shopping, he said, younger women normally push a child
to the shops Their bags would also be carried on it, - and it's general name is a Sparkstotting.
Indeed, I was to witness this mode of shopping later in the trip -  and also on TV since my return -
especially during the Winter Olympics at Lillehammer!!

     I chatted with `Oslo Geordie' all the way from Kirkenes to Vadso at which we arrived at 11.45
a.m approximately - i.e - a trip was entirely in daylight! That makes a change!! It was a pleasant
journey across the Varanger Fjord. Geordie is an intelligent (very intelligent?!) retired guy from the
shipping industry. We spoke on a number of subjects on this leg of the journey - the topics on this
leg including Computers, Education and places that we've both visited in our lives. He has a Compac
486 computer at home, having retired just over 10 years previously from techniques to improve the
shipping industry. He'd heard on the radio, overnight, about a Russian trawler that had caught fire in
the area - and he pointed it out to me. He was a very interesting companion, not only on this particular
crossing - but on our many meetings over the several days of our acquaintance.





     I walked on my own, as usual, around Vadso, with its wonderful drivers on the local
compacted ice and snow around town. Not so much a town as a coastal village from what I saw of
it. The snow was treacherous for walking even - the slopes being steep - but it made for an interesting
walk!!  I had to be back at the boat by 12.15 hours. Whilst doing some photography on the walk, I
met two girls  from the boat doing  even more photography in the failing light (the sun is already
setting now!) . Their `shots', taken in flash will produce photos of questionable worth. There were
interesting houses - and even more interesting views in the other direction , - a bay with its surface
almost completely frozen over with ICE.

     Back on the boat, my crewman friend, Roy, told me that these girls were working in and
around the kitchen and elsewhere in an effective training capacity gaining work-experience in this
venture.

                                                                              


     Midday lunch, this Wednesday, was a beautifully cooked and prepared, very tasty lamb. The
continuous high quality of the food, its preparation and its taste, is something  to marvel at.

     By mid-afternoon we found ourselves arriving at Vardo where we had about an hour's stop.
In retrospect, it seemed like several hours because I had two walks with a return to the boat at half-
time! It was the first time that I did some Supermarket shopping in Norway - just as I was beginning
to think that they didn't exist!! Sure enough, too, young women had children and shopping on their
`sparkstottings'. Even one guy was giving his lads a more speedy, sporty,  ride down these streets with
the best snow so far encountered. It was really pleasant, but the sun had set a while ago. My
supermarket shopping raised my store of eatables and drinkables in the cabin by a large amount. Not
that any was really needed because of the marvellous `fare' in the restaurant at meal-times!! I obtained
two plastic bags full at a not unreasonable cost. I also bought a soup for use at home back in the UK -
 as soups here in Norway are really tasty. That shopping trip was on the first walk, the return to the
boat being for putting on my `treaded' walking boots because of all the snow and ice.

     On the second walk, I went in, mainly, the other direction (a very enjoyable walk) although
I did return to the `SHELL' station near the supermarket in an attempt to buy a disc-film for my
camera. The supply that I had brought from England is getting low.

     Back in the boat after failing to buy any film, we are now on the leg of the journey to
Batsfjord and on this leg I enjoyed more conversations with the `Oslo Geordie'. These last two stops
were more interesting visits to these two places in the morning, because then (very late night/ early
morning) I was `in the land of Nod'.

     My boat left Vardo at about 4.30pm and then embarked on the 3-hour leg to Batsfjord. The
boat provided me with the necessary banking facilities - especially the cashing of travellers cheques.
I decided on another œ40 worth (for the purchase of 412 Kroner this time!) One hour into the trip, I
noticed a single band of Aurora - and had a further chat with my mate from Oslo  (the Geordie).before
clearing away the shopping that I'd done in Vardo.

     I had missed Batsfjord on the way North (1.30a.m), so it would be a better chance seeing it
at 7.30 pm, while I'm still awake. More than that, it turned out to be a beautifully delightful port area
leading to the fishing village of Batsfjord. It was a case of up-and-down the icy slopes, impossible to
drive them in England - but simple for the Norwegians!! The two girls (seen in Vadso) were again
photographing each other with flash cameras in the poor light.

     Back in the boat again, we were in for the pleasure of another exotic fish dinner (my
preference for tonight!) in the restaurant. It was prepared in a fantastic way. Being rather indulgent,
I then progressed to the fantastic pork schnitzel topped with a small fish in oil. Furthermore, I even
had a second helping of that!

     What an evening of beautiful food! After that, I went up on deck for a short, more active and
intense, Aurora display.Then a rest period in my cabin before returning for more of the aurora.
Unfortunately, it was less impressive later - but on speaking with the captain (who'd seen marvellous
displays many times in his life before)  I learned that the display, earlier that evening, had been a
"very special one -very impressive".

     At Berlevag (9.30 - 10.00pm), although earlier in the day than the previous time here (at
1.30am) just less than 48 hours earlier, I stayed in the cabin because I was so unimpressed (visually)
with this great lump of concrete in the sea last time. Interesting to have walked it just the once though.
In earlier years, people would have had to transfer to small boats for visiting this place. From 1975,
a solution was sought by building a breakwater. Not a simple solution, however, because they have,
twice, been smashed by the storms. Their current solution is these tetrapods, huge intersecting concrete
blocks varying in size from 15 tons to 25 tons.It's better because they've survived 30 foot waves since!
It can be rough here, for example in 1882, when every single fishing boat was sunk by the storm. It
happened also this century. Despite, or because of these stories, I stayed in my cabin.

     I went to sleep but woke up at 23.28hrs in mid-voyage to Mehamn. Off to sleep again, with
a further re-awakening at 0.37hrs accompanied by tyre-screeching outside the windows. No! We have
not arrived at Silverstone on a practice-day - it indicated the docking at Mehamn. Since it was calm
here, I ate and drank some of my on-board resources from the Vardo Supermarket. After this, I tried
to get to sleep again, but got no proper sleep between Mehamn and Kjollefjord - but, at least, it was
a `rest'. The back of my neck was perspiring far too much for comfort or sleep. It is now 11th
November, a Thursday.

     Our vessel arrived at Kjollefjord at 3.15 a.m. and I could see, through the slats in the blinds
on the cabin window, that, although there was NO snow or ice on the harbour roads, there were piles
of snow existing from the clearance of these roads. A small amount of eats & drinks were consumed
by me here (within the cabin) to give me sustenance for the next leg  of the journey to Honningsvag
on NORTH CAPE. Eating was done now because that `leg' crosses the mouths of two fjords and hence
the boats will obviously be adversely affected by the strong southerly winds blowing out of them.
After that, at 3.32a.m., we were ready for takeoff and another small sleep. I wished myself 
`goodnight' and the next thing I knew was the 5.45a.m. arrival at Honningsvag. This was my first
arrival at a place that I already knew in Norway in terms of streets, shops, layout etc).

     I got washed and dressed with eager anticipation and then explored the place further than I
had done last time (9th November). Not only was the distance extended, but I investigated the nature
of people's  houses more, their window displays (like Holland's  - I wonder if it is for the same
reasons!), the shop contents (an undue excess of Barbie-dolls, I thought ) and 600 metres past the
previous 600 metres. The 400 metres to `Photoland' has thus taken me about 1200 metres and has
proved unsuccessful. I had also looked down side-streets `just in case' - all to no avail! One
treacherous, icy, street that I did not investigate could have contained the elusive shop.

     On returning to my cabin to change into `indoor gear', I then enquired whether we would go
the other way round North Cape (i.e. via its North coast) on the way back. I was told that we follow
the same channels back in winter - but sometimes they go that way in summer. This crewman said
hat there is insufficient time in the current schedule to go `the long way round' the island. On a walk
a little later, I got a hearty `God Morgen' in response to my cheery `Good Morning'. Since we left
Honningsvag at 6.45 a.m and there was a wait until 8 a.m for breakfast in the restaurant, I went along
to the cafeteria, arriving in my blue Country & Western (`End of the Trail') shirt. This time, the music
included "John Brown's body" (with Norwegian lyrics) and, after I'd finished my chocolate drink, a
new number (to me) called "Stand & Deliverance" with English lyrics - but neither an English singer
nor English speaking D.J.. Since back in the UK, I have indeed heard it.

     On the South East and South coasts of  Nord Kapp, the snow is all the way down to sea-level
with terraced and tilled slopes. Breakfast time came along and (still in my C&W shirt) we had more
good music. Unfortunately, I could not understand the lyrics and didn't even know the tune. However,
one later sounded like "Here I go down that wrong road again" with a voice not unlike the Irish singer
Philomena Begley ( but it wasn't her). The following song was a `Country' one as well - but I only
understood two words " ... in Tennessee". It was a perky voice , very similar in style to the great
Dolly Parton's.

     These sounds caressed my ears as the beautiful North Cape drifted past the boat. Good music
for the good scenery. That equates to heaven, -or something appreciably better! Back in the cabin on
the other (south) side of the boat one deck lower, there was the beautiful pre-dawn red sky. This
formed a fantastic back-drop to the foreground mountains of the mainland. It is just 8.30 a.m at the
moment. The headwind, or probably an opposing current in the waterways, is making us late for
Havoysund. Whilst waiting in the foyer to the lounge, there is a fabulous `Country Rock' song by
Jacobsen. Norway, if indeed it is Norwegian, could get a runaway win in the Eurovision Song Contest
if they chose to enter this one!! It is a GREAT number which I've never heard before. It would also
`go down a bomb' in any dance-hall too !!

     On reaching Havoysund, there is only time for a 5-minute walk there. I used this time to go


for an investigation in the opposite direction to that which I took last time (on 9th November). Back
on deck, I met a new friend, a guy who wanted to practise his very good English. He was a very
chatty, friendly, person who comes from the area we are currently in. It was a great `encounter'! He
fishes around the islands off Havoysund and he's been to London many times on business. He told me
a lot about the character, habits and practices of this Northern area. He confirmed the `head on' current
and he said that an 8 knot current sure plays havoc with the `times' for a 15 knot boat.

     The sun is getting higher now, at three quarters of a degree above the horizon (well, it's
10.04a.m !!). Every day we have an opportunity to see one other boat in the integrated fleet of eleven
vessels. Which ever one it is, it will of course be heading the opposite direction to ourselves!

     Right now, we see the Ragnvald Jarl passing on the port side. This boat is a similar vintage
and size to our own (the M/S Lofoten). Ours was built in 1964 whilst this other one dates to 1956.
Both were rebuilt in 1985 , both have 4-6 car spaces ( hardly ever used this time of year).

     By 11.06 a.m. the sun had risen to one and three quarters of a degree in elevation!! Earlier,
at 10.15a.m., the port-hole acted as a pin-hole camera. The opposite wall of my cabin  had two
`pictures' produced by the low-angled sun. The lower 'picture' was the sun directly through the port-
hole whilst the upper one was a moving picture produced by reflections from the low-incidence angles
from  the waves on the sea. The moving picture was intriguing, in contrast to the lower static
counterpart. 

     Hammerfest was getting closer and I was now getting more and more excited.


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