Heavenly Huskies

Tromso was at one time known as The Paris of the North and was the starting point for many an Arctic Expedition. Again I was up on deck in the early hours to watch our approach. Despite the early hour the sun shone brilliantly and there was not a sound to be heard as we glided slowly through the smooth waters. What a way to start the day.

The excursion started on rather a sour note due to a most objectionable woman who took exception to the fact that I was apparently sitting in the place on the coach where she normally sat. The fact that we all take different excursions on different days and that there are no reserved seats on any of the coaches did not seem to matter to her. However, I was certainly not going to let such a pathetic person spoil my day.

I will skip the early part of the tour which meant very little to me and concentrate on The Wilderness Centre which I had been looking forward to visiting for weeks. It was here that I was to get to see the Husky dogs belonging to Tove Sorensen and Tore Albrigtsen who compete in the Finnmark Race. Over 200 dogs were in the compound each chained up to its own little kennel. They were as eager to greet us as we were to greet them. I was in amongst them in an instant. Mouths with very sharp teeth wrapped themselves around my wrists but only in the friendliest manner. Huge paws rested on my chest and fluffy faces rubbed against my neck. I knelt down and was almost licked to death ! With those that were a little calmer I wrapped my arms around them and cuddled and cuddled. Many of them had eyes that were ice blue, others had eyes of different colours. All were absolutely adorable. As I made my way around I noticed that some of the dogs had dug themselves holes next to their kennels and were curled comfortably up in these. But what was that little hut over in the corner? Oh dear, it was the puppy enclosure !!!! Enough said. After an absolutely wonderful hour it was back onto the coach where I found that tears were streaming down my face. It had brought back all the memories of Lucky. I stank to high heaven with the musky smell of dog but I really didn’t care – this was the highlight of my trip.

On Top of the World - in search of a Sami Shop

After a night at sea we crossed the Arctic Circle at 9.30 am with the sun shining brilliantly on the blue waters. An enjoyable day was spent on board and I attended a couple of classes on the basics of digital photography which proved very useful for the unintiated such as myself. I was up on deck early the next morning to take lots of photos as we passed the North Cape – the northernmost point of Europe. It was bitterly cold and I was able to don my huge white (fake) fur hat which kept my ears lovely & warm. After yesterday’s classes I was able to practice with the self timer on my camera and for once have a photo of myself up on deck. In Honnisvaag we were again berthed in the middle of the fjord and had to go ashore by tender. The sea was quite rough as we set off in the little boat and a few screams were emitted by passengers as we rolled about on the waves. I had experienced far worse at Cairns in Northern Australia last year so for once I was one of the calmer passengers !

The tour I had booked took in a couple of fishing villages and included a stop at The Christmas Shop – a tiny little cottage selling nothing but Christmas goodies all year round. Being a sucker for Christmas I was looking forward to this but was deeply disappointed as I found most of the produce was “Made in China” rather than being locally produced handicrafts. However, the village was very pretty and the trolls were smiling on us for the sun came out – apparently for the first time in weeks. It was beautiful to see reindeer grazing contentedly by the side of the road – they seemed to know that I wanted a good photograph for they immediately “posed” for me.

On the way back to the ship I went in search of something other than the normal tourist shops but all seemed the same. Machine made woollen mits being sold for £45 per pair – one would need to take out a mortgage if a coat was to be purchased ! Then, on a corner of the quayside I noticed what appeared to be nothing more than a shack but outside hung a variety of reindeer skins and wooden products. I ventured inside to be greeted by three very large, very happy Sami ladies all dressed up in their colourful traditional dress. “Oh, have I found a Sami shop?” I exclaimed with beeming face – yes, indeed I had. It was a little treasure trove and I could have spent a whole afternoon browsing through its contents and chatting to the ladies. Alas, the last tender was due in 10 minutes so my time was severely limited. I managed to find a lovely reindeer muff and scarf in that time and was delighted with my purchases as I knew that these were locally made and they were half the price of the tourist tat in the other shops. As I mentioned before it is the Sami people who own the large reindeer herds and depend on them for their living so here I felt I was able to buy one or two things without feeling sad for the animals – after all we eat cows, pigs and lambs. The Sami people eat reindeer. I was delighted when one of the ladies allowed me take her photograph and I gave her great big hug. They were all curious about my big fur hat and I let them feel it to show them that it was only fabric and not real fur. I waved them goodbye and set off happily back to the ship.

 

The "boys" from the ship were on hand at the quayside handing out cups of hot beef tea to warm us up as we waited for the tender to tie up. I might add that this was VERY welcome.

Andalsnes - Land of the Trolls

Wednesday morning saw our arrival in Andalsnes and as we were berthed right in the middle of the fjord we had to go ashore by tender – or in otherwords in Arcadia’s lifeboats which the Captain refers to as his “Ducklings”! This is always something of an adventure as one tries to negotiate the way from the side of the ship into the little boat at water level. A junior member of crew acts as “Captain” and after a few safety announcements he deftly whisks his craft away from the ship towards the shore.

This morning’s tour took me past The Troll Wall and up the Trollstig Road with its 11 hairpin bends. My research had told me this drive was not for the fainthearted and many passengers had chickened out of booking it for this very reason. Me – well I just found myself a window seat in the coach and prepared to be scared out of my wits. I was not disappointed. Half way up we met a car coming down. The road is very narrow and our driver had to carefully manouevre the coach to the very edge of the road. I made the mistake of actually looking down at this point and to my horror I saw nothing but the vertical drop. I – and a few others – let out a scream at this point!!! Wow, what a drive. On the way up we passed youngsters who were walking up, others who were running up, and yet others who were cycling. I think we chose the best option!

At the top we were rewarded with coffee and cake and SPECTACULAR views. I wandered off on my own for 45 minutes and meandered in and out of a few shops. I felt as if I were in Trapper’s Land for the stalls were hung with the pelts of reindeer and foxes. I fondly stroked the pelts of beautiful red foxes and felt very sad at the thought that they may have been killed for the tourists. The mounted head of a reindeer looked forlornly out from the side of one stall. I realise that furs are an essential part of clothing in cold climes such as this and there is nothing I would love more than to feel the soft fur wrapped around my neck in the depths of winter or to don a beautiful pair of reindeer boots. But then I am tormented with the commercial aspects of the trade. If these pelts were being sold further north by the native Sami people who own their own reindeer herds and depend on them & hunting for their livelihood then I would be tempted. But these were being sold in the south by tourist touts and I could not persuade myself that it was right. I stroked the deep red fox pelt again and tried to put these sad thoughts to the back of my mind.


Then it was time to head back down the Trollstig Road (the Path of the Trolls) and back to the ship. People say that trolls bring happiness and that troll magic can cause wishes to be fulfilled. What is your wish?

Eidfjord - The Orchard of the Fjords

Having crossed the North Sea in gale force winds with rain lashing the deck it was a relief to reach the calm waters of the fjords. I was up on deck at 5.30 am all wrapped up in waterproof gear to watch our approach into Eidfjord. The clouds hung low over the mountain tops but every now and then a deep ravine filled with snow could be spotted high up amidst the crags. Small villages nestled in valleys at the waters edge surrounded by lush green grass. This area is known as “The Orchard of the Fjords” and proves the perfect place for growing cherries, plums and apples. At this unearthly hour I was alone on deck apart from one or two of the deck crew who are forever concerned about my safety. “Please mind the slippery deck” – “Please be careful of the strong winds” – “Please avoid the water cascading from the awnings”. I was, indeed, very careful but nothing could induce me to stay inside because this is my first trip to Norway and nothing is to be missed.

Arcadia tied up at her berth at 8.30am and an hour later I was being whisked off in a coach along the Hardangerfjord to the little village of Ullensvang where a very welcome cup of coffe was provided - along with a slice of delicious apple cake. It was interesting to see that many of the small alpine type houses had roofs planted with grass and herbs. The roofs were also provided with ladders for easy access when the chimney pots needed sweeping. I wandered through the village past the 13^th. Century church and found my way down to the edge of the fjord. The crystal clear water acted like a mirror reflecting the towering mountains topped by the Hardangerjokul Glacier. This was certainly a very beautiful place and for the first time I became one of those very annoying people who are late back to the coach!!!!!

Sailaway was at 3.30pm and by this time the rain and winds had returned making for another rough night at sea. I didn’t mind at all and slept soundly feeling like a cork bobbing around in the sea.

Stormy Seas

Here I am back on board the wonderful ship m.v. Arcadia – the same ship on which I made those magical journeys last year. As I arrived at the Mayflower Terminal in Southampton I was again completely overawed by her size and was just as excited as I had been on that snowy morning back in January 2009. However, this time I had some idea of what to expect and was able to make directly for that “hole in the wall” where suitcases are so unceremoniously chucked in. Then it was off to check-in followed by the humilitation of that first meeting with the ship’s photographers! “Big Smile” please – so I grinned inanely and made a mental note to be one of the first at the photo gallery the next morning (in order to HIDE my photo from view).

My paperwork had told me to arrive at 2pm for boarding but as is normal for me I arrived very much earlier. My dear old Dad had always taught me to be early rather than late and it is something which has stayed with me all my life. My early arrival meant that I was able to go straight up to The Belvedere Restaurant (way up on top of the ship) and have some lunch. Oh how, I enjoyed those Chinese and Indian lunches last year. P & O chefs come from the Indian sub-continent and excel at their craft. I tucked in ravenously and was not disappointed.

After lunch I wandered down in search of my cabin which is tucked away at the aft of the ship on E (Egypt) Deck. I think I am going to be “as snug as a bug in a rug” in here. Desmond, the steward, popped in to introduce himself and I found that he is a very pleasant young man from Goa. I pity him having to work around all my clutter !

At 4pm it was time for Muster Stations Drill and 5pm saw our Champagne Sailaway Party round the Aquarius Pool on Deck 9. However, with the champagne being £3 a glass I (and many others) turned it into a “cup of tea” Sailaway Party !! Then it was off to get ready for dinner and to meet my table companions – which is always a trip into the unknown. I was joined at Table 140 by Trev, John, Geoffrey, Richard, Caroline and Cherry. All apart from Trev appear to be seasoned cruisers and they are already tempting me with wonderful tales of other voyages – “you just HAVE to experience sailing into Venice at dawn”. It is apparently another of those very magical experiences that is not to be missed. I will forever remember the feeling of sailing past the Opera House into Sydney Harbour with helicopters circling around our funnel, ferries hooting their greetings, and the fire boat leading us in with water spraying high into the air. This is one of the very special memories from 2009. I wonder when I can fit a cruise to Venice into my schedule !!!!

But what of this coming adventure. Where am I going? Oh have I not said! Well the author Tor Age Bringsvaerd described it thus: The way to the North has been regarded as a route that is hard to find, difficult to tread and fraught with unspeakable dangers.

As for me - well, I am just looking forward to meeting the husky dogs of the Arctic Circle - once we get through these VERY stormy seas!!