When MV Finnmarken left the port of Bergen, Norway, late in the evening of January 10, we were already asleep in our comfortable cabins. Our party, consisting of my husband, his brother and his wife and me, had got up early to catch the flight to Bergen from Amsterdam and, because we couldn’t board the ship yet, had made our first walk through snowy streets after storing our luggage. We had planned to stand on deck to watch the departure, but after the delicious buffet and the wine we had for dinner, we were all too exhausted to do so and had retired to bed early.
We had been discussing going up to the polar region in the hope of seeing the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis for quite a while. In the end we decided to make use of the Hurtigruten service. This company was set up long ago and employed mail boats to service the people along the coast of Norway. The ships were also used to deliver cargo and ferry the people from one place to the next, as it was often the only means of transport available. When the company threatened to go bankrupt in the ‘80s because air travel had increased a lot, somebody came up with the clever idea to start using the ships as cruise ships as well. The new ships were fitted with cabins, lounges and restaurants and nowadays it is their main source of income. They organize trips when the ships are in port and entertainment when at sea. They also have a pool, Jacuzzis and a sauna, and their coastal kitchen, which makes use of local produce, has become famous. A trip from Bergen to Kirkenes and back takes 12 days, but many tourists go only one way and fly or take the bus and train for the return stretch. The ships still do what they were meant to do: service the people along Norway’s coast.
To have the highest chance to see the Northern Lights, we had decided to do the whole trip. After enjoying a delicious breakfast on our first day at sea, we went on deck to watch the scenery. As it was -6ºC, a mild temperature for this region, but not for us, it meant putting on layers of clothing. Before we left I had bought snow-boots for my husband and me, the best buy ever. We could stand on deck for hours without getting cold feet and, as there was always much to admire, we loved to do that. During the first part of our voyage the sun used to come up just above the horizon for a few hours, but when we had gone over the Arctic Circle, the sun only sent up its rays and painted the sky, sea and the snow-clad, rocky coast in ever-changing, beautiful colours. We kept on trying to capture them on our cameras, but we never managed to get all the beauty.
On our first day we stopped at Alesund, one of the larger towns along the coast. The weather was beautiful and we had enough time there to walk along the harbour. My husband and I had been there about 50 years ago, when he was still a sailor and I had joined him on a voyage, but we didn’t recognize much, only the steps going up to a viewpoint. I also remembered we had gone up there, as somebody had said there was a restaurant with a great view, but when finally we got up, the restaurant was closed and my feet were frozen as we had been trudging through the snow. This time we knew the restaurant was closed and we didn’t make the effort.
During the trip up north, the ship stopped at 33 ports, quite often in the middle of the night. In the smaller fishing villages the ship only stayed long enough to load and unload freight and passengers, but in the larger ports we had time to stroll through the towns and do some sightseeing. Friends of us had loaned us irons to put under the snow-boots when the roads would be icy, but we only had to use them once, as most of the time the sidewalks were swept clean or fresh snow had fallen. Then the boots would give us enough grip not to slip.
In Trondheim, founded by the Vikings in 997, we walked through the city centre to Nidaros Cathedral. Construction of the cathedral was started in 1070 and finished around 1300. The Gothicwest frontis an impressive wall of sculpture-filled niches, with twin towers and a central rose window.
During the third night we crossed the polar circle and the next morning Neptune visited us on the top deck to “baptize” us with icy water and we were given a certificate as proof we were now in the arctic area.
By then we had set up a sort of routine. After breakfast we would go out on deck for a few hours to watch the sun colour the horizon all around us, then we would relax on the panorama deck until it was time for the delicious lunch buffet. In the afternoon we would either take part in one of the activities, walk on deck or relax until Happy Hour in the cabin at four. By then we would have picked up the programme of the next day and would decide which activities we were going to take part in.
The three-course dinner at our reserved table was at 6:30pm, after which we would go on deck again in the hope of seeing the lights. The fourth night we sailed close to the entrance of the Trollfjord, which was lit by powerful spotlights from the bridge. When they were turned off, all we could see were the threatening walls of the fjord and the beautiful, moonlit sky and a shooting star. I immediately wished we would be lucky and see the Northern Lights. That night we were called from our beds because they were there. We did see a vague, green arc and a greenish spot, but it wasn’t impressive. We had to wait until the next night to see the impressive effect of sun winds colliding with Earth’s magnetic field.
Early on day seven we reached the end of our trip up north: Kirkenes. Here we had booked a dog-sledding trip, a wonderful experience. Eight huskies were harnessed in front of our sledge, which was covered with furs to make it more comfortable. The dogs were really eager to go and the ones that had to wait their turn at their doghouses were loudly voicing their regret. The trip took about half an hour and went across a frozen fjord. It had been snowing until right before we arrived and the sun was just starting to colour the sky and the pristine snow. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. After the trip we visited the snow-hotel, which is rebuilt every year. Each room has an ice sculpture at the foot of the bed and different snow murals. Impressive, but I don’t think I could sleep there, despite all the special thermal clothing and furs they provide.
On the voyage down by day we sailed past those stretches of the coast and towns we had sailed past by night on the way up. We never got bored watching the changing scenery and kept enjoying the wonderful food. Almost each afternoon the Chef showed how he prepared a local product that would be used for lunch and/or dinner the next day, e.g. reindeer, king crab and duck. My sister-in-law and I followed a class with him in which we were taught how to cure salmon. An important ingredient he used was aquavit, something like Norwegian rum. Drinking a glass of it was part of the course, after which we were out for the rest of the afternoon. But the salmon we brought home with us after the trip was delicious!
By midnight on day 8 we arrived in Tromsø, called the capital of the Arctic, where we had visited the polar museum on the way up. This time we went to a concert in the Arctic Cathedral. A soprano, pianist and flutist treated us to a wonderful mix of Norwegian folk songs and pieces from Edvard Gried, a famous Norwegian composer.
We had one more glimpse of the Northern Lights, but again they were rather vague, but we were more than satisfied with what we had seen. We had been lucky and had seen the lights, but the whole voyage had been great from day one to twelve.
To see the Northern Lights you have to travel to the arctic area between November and March. If you ever want to try and see them, I think taking a trip with one of the Hurtigruten ships is the best option. And even if you are not so fortunate and miss the lights, you will still have a wonderful time in a spectacular part of the world.
Contributed by Marga Hart
