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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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May 18, 2014 04:00 PM Low - cost flight...
Most of the people use airport (flybussen) bus going from the city to Bergen airport. I just want to warn you: don't go in the last minute. When I was boarding bus at the bus station it had only few seats left (coming from Radisson hotel). Standard travel time is 25 minutes, but very often there are traffic jams so you can spent 40 min or more on this bus. Then there is security control - very strict ladies. If you carry even small amount of toothpaste, after shave water or cream take it away from your carry-on baggage and put into provided plastic bag... :)
To avoid extra fees I was traveling with Wizz only with the small cabin baggage ( the strict limit is 42x32x25 cm ) My pack was slightly thicker, but at the gate nobody measured it. We departed on time and after 2 hours I landed in Gdansk.
One more interesting voyage is over. Now I have to work during the summer to save enough money for the next one. :)
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May 17, 2014 04:00 PM Bergen in the sun and fresh green...
In the morning we were saling through the picturesque Steinsound - full of little rocky islands - they say it is as much as 1700 of them. Different size and different shapes. The tour leader wanted us to leave the cabins at 10 am. Why? Because they want to clean the cabins for the next sailing. I was writing in the lounge till arrival to Bergen at 2 pm,
Sun was shinning, 19 deg Celsius and fresh green around...
When we were starting sea voyage 12 days earlier the colors were rather grey...
It took me 20 minutes by foot from the pier to Marken Guesthouse where I plan to spend the night before flying home. Room with shared bath cost here 650 NOK. Norway is very expensive - it is hard to find something cheaper! I had enough time to take a walk through the old part of the town and to take a funicular to Mt Floyen for the panoramic view of Bergen. RT ticket for adult cost 85 kr. But you can take only way up for the half and walk down by foot - that's' what I did. View is great but it is better to be there in the morning since in the afternoon the sun shine against you.
I walked again through Brygge - the World Heritage Site where locals sip the beer in the street gardens. Nice atmosphere.
It was great journey but tomorrow I am flying home... My Wojtkówka is waiting for me...
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May 16, 2014 04:00 PM National Day parade in Norway
Morning in Trondheim port... Ship's restaurant was pretilly decorated with flowers and national colors at breakfast. In addition five ladies and gents in the national costumes came to give us a concert of Norwegian music. They were singing very nice.
Sun was shinning when in the afternoon we were entering port of Kristiansund. This town is nicely located on the 3 islands connected by high bridges and ferries. Flags, flags everywhere... We also got Norwegian flags and the band comes to the pier to take us to the parade. Hundereds people in the streets, many of them in the national costumes, kids, music - a lot of fun! The route of the parade headed us to the hospitals so the sick people were also able to see some joy - they were waving their hands in the windows. The parade was marching about an hour, then they conducted us to the ship, captain blowed the horn and we sailed out.
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May 15, 2014 04:00 PM South through Arctic Circle
Locals say that the high Lofoten Islands form the climate barrier. It could be true... Today - after crossing Lofoten we have cloudy weather, fog and light rain. In the morning we crossed again Arctic Circle. Only two days left to the end of the sea voyage. It is good time for the little laundry (this is not a cruiseship so nobody offerrs such a service) and lecture.
In the afternoon we visited another two little ports - Sandnessjoen and Bronnoysund. What a nice green! It is so nice to see here the fresh green of early spring after snows and yellow grass of the North.
Every settlement in Norway is getting ready for the tomorrow's celebration of National Day. We will celebrate too!
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May 14, 2014 04:00 PM Trollefjorden in the sun.
We are lucky again: the bright is shinning since morning, and the water in the fjords is amazingly blue. After bereakfast we departed from Harstad saling along the snowy mountains. Great wiews on the way - Grytoya Island was exceptionally beaautiful. But the highlite of the day was sailing through the narrow Raftsundet passage it form the norder between Vesteralen Island and Lofoten. Both sides of the sound are very picturesque, bur in the middle of 20-kms passage there is another attraction - "Lofoten" makes a detour to the 2-kms long Trollenfjord. It is only 100 m wide, but on the both sides it has almost vertical rocky slopes up to 1000 m high... I did not see any trolls there :) but the landscape in the sun was exceptional.
Sea eagles wonder around and those who have enough money can go by small boat to "sea eagle safari" sorry -not me...
In the evening we docked in the capital city of Lofoten - Svolvaer just to jump on the bus and go for the excursion coveryng 3 of 7 Lofoten' islands. The tour was dissappointing. We stopped in one fishing village and just passed through other ones. But I had a chance to see othet landscapes of Lofoten then from the sea. 25 000 people live on 7 islands from the artic cod (harvested from Feb to Apr) and summer tourism.
Anyway - I think that it was the most interesting day of our voyage...
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May 13, 2014 04:00 PM Easternmost and northernmost cities?
Days are long in the Arctic. We have sunset at 11 pm... Yesterday in the evenning we docked at Vardo - little fishing settlement at the entrance from the bay to the Barents Sea. Strong sun was shining giving great photo opportunity when we passed little fishing port. But Vardo is worth to recommend for the other reason. In 1737 Norway built here a little stronghold which is well preserved till now. And till now it is the easternmost city of Norway. It is 10 minutes walk from the dock to the wall, canons and original builldings in the fort courtyard. Everythinng in colors and bright sun! I spent there so much time that later I was running to the dock and boarded "Lofoten" as last passenger after they blowed the horn. :)
Today, sailing south in the strong wind and snow (yes, thick snow on May 14th!) we reached Hammerfest - quite large city. They describe themselves as "the northernmost city in the world" Hmmm.. I visited few towns in the far north. Longyearbyern, Tiksi, Grise Fjord. Barrow in Alaska has probably the best chance to be on the top of the list. Hammerfest is larger then any of this places (more then 10 000 inhabitants) so if we will use this criteria they are right... :)
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May 12, 2014 04:00 PM Arctic - 10 kms from Russian border...
The north ocean was rocky last night - we were sailing on the open ocean (in fact -Barents Sea), not protected by the islands. But in the morning I saw through the cabin window a huge bay and only small waves.
At the southern end of this bay lies Kirkenes - little town (5000 inhabitants) often described as "the end of Norway". It is only 10 kms from the town to the Russian border. Streets and shops here have their names also in Russian alphabet. Once, being in Russian Murmansk I saw public minibuses going to Kirkenes. There must me a lot of traffic through this border.
There is not much to see in Kirkenes: church, war shelter, War Mother monument in the market and thanksgiving monument to the soviet soldiers who liberated Kirkenes in 1944. But the feeling to be somewhere at the end of... is unusual.
Kirkenes is our turning point: in the afternoon "Lofoten" will start the return journey south - to Bergen, visiting during the daytime ports visited at night during first leg. The crew say that so far we were very lucky regarding the weather. I do hope that it will be sunny when we will come to Lofoten Islands...
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May 11, 2014 04:00 PM To the Nordkapp!
The northernmost point of Europe lies on the Norwegian island of Mageroya connected to the mainland by tunnel and bridges. In the morning we docked in the little port of Honnigswag, which lies on Mageroya, so there was no need to use the tunnel. From the port it is still more then 30 kms to the Cap in the beautiful and harsh scenery of the Arctic. At this time Mageroya is still almost completly covered by snow. Bus is going there from the port (490 krones for round trip). Surprise: I found that the young lady driving us to the Cape is from Gdansk. Her name is Monika!
On the way to the Cape we made a stop at Sami indigenous people camp to see reindeers and national costumes. Then affter 20 minutes drive we reached 300m high cliff. This was Nordkapp! Weather was good so I am bringing nice pictures under the "globe" monument...
Then, heading east on the open ocean we got high waves and our old ship was rocking... In the late afternoon we passed Nordkyn cape - the northernmost place on European Continent. No monument there...
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May 10, 2014 04:00 PM Sunday in Norwegian Arctic
The advantage of travel with Hurtigruten (they translate it as Coastal Express) is that the ship always docks in the center of the town so you do not waste your time for transfers. Ships are sailing on time. And you have from 15 min to 6 hours to explore each of 34 ports on our route to Kirkenes.
Today in the morning we were sailing at the bottom of picturesque mountains. More and more snow of them and it is much cooler then yesterday.
In the afternoon on the horizon I saw a high bridge spanning both sides of the fiord. This was famous Tromso Bridge - more then 1020 m long.
On the continental side of the bridge they built a modern Arctic Cathedral - one of the landmarks of the city. They charge 40 NOK for entry. Close to this place you will find cable car who ca take you for hefty 200 kronen to the top ofvthe snowy mountain for the view of thd city and whole fiord... They have Polaria museum wih aquarium and Polar Museet dedicated to the early days of Tromso, whale, seals- and polar bear hunters etc... Nice day. I pray for a clear weather for tomorrow, expecting that I will see Nord Cap.
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May 09, 2014 04:00 PM Crossing the Arctic Circle one more time...
At 7.11am I crossed Arctic Circle again... On little rocky islet I saw a monument - little globe. The ship blowed the horn. A lady from Germany won the contest and get the diploma from Neptune on the open deck. Then she was first in the line to get Arctic baptising - a big spoon of icy cold water under her collar... Brrr... But the newbies has around a great scenery of high islands and snowy peaks to have their pictures with Neptune...
At 12 pm we entered Bodo harbor. Bodo is second town in Norwegian North. We had 2,5 hours to explore the city (that's enough if you are well organized). There is contemporary cathedral, Bodin church and Aviation Museum to see
In the afternoon we were heading to the high "wall" of Lofoten Islands - famous for its beauty. Most of the passengers take there a tour to attend "Viking feast" , sorry - not me, because the tours are here very expensive (as is everything in Norway). So I will explore the site again by foot...
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