Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well we had a slow morning but the sun was shining and their was a lot of blue sky which is a shame we did not get more of this on our travels.

Following breakfast we checked out and waited around for several hours in the lobby of the Radisson Blue Hotel until such time as the bus to the airport was leaving. We had decided to use the airport bus, not only would it be a lot cheaper than a taxi, we recognised it had several stops en-route but we were not in a hurry so it did not matter. We had also considered travelling up the funicular but unfortunately Noel Lars problem had kicked in again overnight and se we need to be careful.

At 1500 the bus duly arrived and initially there was a problem as an elderly gentleman fell off the bus but we hope he was OK as looked very pale when lifted up. The bus took a circuitous route to the airport and visited some nice areas of Bergen we did not know existed, ah well next time. We arrived at the Airport new terminal just around 1600 which was 3 hours before our flight and we had to use the machines to check in our bag, print the baggage labels and then affix then move them and scan them as they disappeared down the track hopefully to be seen at the other end. In the old days you went to a check in counter where they did all this for your but now ! but I feel sorry for somebody who has never got used to technology as they could easily get lost.

The queue for security was quite long but actually moved quite quickly and they only asked you to expose a large notebook, but mobiles in bags and also belts and shoes were ok ON but Noel had been pulled aside due to his metal knee and use a special machine. We had read that there was an ‘Upper Crust’ sandwich place at the terminal but we could not find it and so Jen had a nice brown bread baguette with shrimps and Noel some sushi whilst waiting for the flight. On the way to Bergen the flight was really full and we were a little slow on boarding as everybody had rushed in front of the priority boarding (us) and so Jen had to sit with her bag under the seat in front and most uncomfortable and so this time we wanted to be board early. We need not of worried as the flight was less than 30% full  I guess and we actually left 15 minutes early and so had plenty of space for hand carried bags. The flight was interrupted for a call for a Doctor or Nurse, not sure why unless someone had been affected by some light turbulence and we were expecting that upon arrival that Paramedics would come on board but nothing happened. The flight  arrived  30 minutes early and we cleared immigration and had collected our suitcases and was waiting for the taxi driver 10 minutes before the plane was originally due to arrive but the taxi was early so all good.

WE arrived home at around 2100 in time for a nice cup of tea….another holiday complete. Its nice to go away but also nice to come home.

As you can see our trip took us up the Norwegian Coast and above the arctic Circle.

A day around Bergen

Not the earliest of starts and perhaps we missed the best of the weather as Noel’s LARS problem had kicked in overnight and so this made for a late start. We are staying this time in the Radisson Blu Hotel on th waterfront, slightly more modern than the one we stayed in two weeks ago but the rooms are bit more modern and a walk in shower and not the shower in the bat type which is not suitable.

After enjoying the large choice at the breakfast buffet we spent some time getting Blogs up to to date and then about midday we headed off along the side of the harbour , around the end and up in to the town which was pretty soulless with modern concrete buildings ad it could have been any German town as their were quite a lot of German chain shops on the main road that we visited. Whilst walking along we stopped on a corner to take a photo of a bath with yellow daffodils in it and at the same time noticed a lady who seemed to be struggling with two cameras and big tripod attempting to take photos. As we passed her by we said hello and she said that she had taken a photo of me with my bright yellow coat next to the daffodils as she was part of a team working on a Norwegian version TV programme called ‘Bake Off’. Anyway we chatted about the weather and she said that tomorrow would be a lot better, lets wait and see. We took quite a few photos whilst walking around with a couple on this page but the rest on the Smug Mug site.

Earlier on our walk we had passed thro the fish market which not sells fish, crabs etc but is also lined with several restaurants and as now it was beginning to rain a little heavier we headed back their and with the idea of having a nice lunch overlooking the harbour which we were successful in achieving. We started off with a plate of shrimps to share and then Jen had the fish and chips, too much for her to eat, and Noel had a nice broiled Cod and baked potatoes with spinach. It was very tasty even through the bill left a bad taste in the mouth as it was not cheap. We did notice however q few tables of Asian tourists who were attacking the crab and lobster etc so how much they spent I cannot imagine.

On the way back to the hotel in the main square were several approved traders and one being a baker and so we purchased some cakes for later in the evening. Arriving back at the Hotel Noel spoke to his sister and then we decided to watch the next few episodes of the ‘Unforgotten’ which again was good and with the intention of trying to watch the football using a VPN on Virgin but it does not work and so back to a few more episodes of the series and then to bed.

The shuttle bus to the Airport leaves directly from outside the Hotel and so Noel booked tickets for the Wednesday afternoon to be at the airport in ample time to have a snack and then relax pending our flight departure on Norwegian at 19.00

Time to disembark from Havila Polaris in Bergen

One often wonders where time went and in this case its absolutely true. Watching rolling hills and mounts, Islands with lighthouses, villages covered in snow and the interest of watching them load and unload different loads at the various ports seems have made the days fly by.

With usual wake up at around 0800 we had to put the suitcases in a central location by 0900 on our floor for the staff to make them available in the terminal later in the day. So following breakfast we retired to the room for blogging and again just watching the scenery go by. As a background we had chosen a suite for this cruise which gave us quite a large room with a settee and a couple of chairs with two very large windows from which to view he passing world. At the time we thought it might have been an overindulgence but actually it was great and something we would certainly do again.

At breakfast we discussed the days events with the Chelsea FC supporter who was also the Maître d’ of the restaurant and agreed that most likely we would loose to Everton, on time will tell. We had a quick lunch prior to the ship arriving back in Bergen just before 3pm and within ten to fifteen minutes we were off looking at the crowd of people waiting to check in for the next voyage. We caught a taxi to the Radisson Blu Hotel where we checked in at round 1545 and then we caught up with some emails etc.

On the ride from the Airport earlier in our trip and again today I noticed how many Electric Vehicles there were and commented to the taxi driver. Apparently Norway wanted to be all electric and assisted the likes of Tesla in selling cars by reducing taxation and also the cost of electric for same. However after the original panic to get a electric vehicles the dealers are finding it far more difficult it would would appear with suppliers offering rock bottom deals.

Chelsea were playing tonight and I wanted to find out if my VPN would allow me to watch Sky Sports but unfortunately SKY have stopped this access and so I have decided to record the game on my home system and watch it if we win and discard if we don't. It was time for something to eat and so we decided we would visit the same burger restaurant that we visited last time we were here and so we took the 15 minute walk along the port basin and then up the hill to the restaurant where we both had a nice burger and beer. 

On the way back we read all the notices about the refurbishment of this area of old Bergen which is completely replicating the methods and material used when first built all those years ago. see link below for more information.

https://workingbyhand.wordpress.com/2017/09/29/restoring-things-the-old-fashioned-way/

So we watched a couple of episodes of ‘The Unforgotten’ and then the Netflix film about ‘Randy Andy’ and his relationship with a know paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, it was well done but of course Price Andrew and his loyal staff lived inn a box and unaware of the real world.

On our walk around town we found out the the shuttle buss to the airport goes from outside our Hotel which is great and id a lot cheaper than a taxi fair.

One day to go from excellent trip

It was a usual day with breakfast around 0900 and then sit and watch the world (Norwegian coast actually)  slowly glide by. I may have mentioned before that this ship is extremely quiet and no vibration except when pulling in to port which they will do 34 times during this trip. Its powered by LPG and has major electric battery storage and so in many ways its very efficient  and helpful to the do-gooder’s of the work on climate change.

The staff are a mixture of Swedish and Norwegian but they all speak English and the Maitre D was telling us he get 22 days on the the ship and then 22 days off which he fines really good compared to some cruise lines.Jennifer must have read at least six books in the two weeks and every moment she can  she is reading which is lovely. Me on the other hand are blogging and dealing with photos although the  Wi-Fi kis very slow its not possible to upload my photos to my Smug Mug . Lunch was achieved and was a large choice but Jen had the pork ribs and two lots of  sautéed scallops which we understood had come from Canada.

The afternoon was spent with some packing of the suitcases and bit more blogging and some emails to family and friends before heading off for dinner. By now the food choice for Noel was not great and so steak was enjoyed two nights in a row and then back to the cabin to watch another couple of episodes of ‘The Unforgiven’  which is beginning to hot up. There are some well known acting faces in this series , which although now on Netflix, I think was made by the BBC.

The weather outside the ship was not good with lots of rain a nd quite windy and even a little bit of snow, whilst some of the ports we visited in the winter are not exactly the most visibly beautiful. Oh well we get off tomorrow and yes its been a great t rip apart from Noels health problems which have just about gone, a bit late really as it messes up part of Noels holidays.

Anyway I am writing this blog after leaving the ship and at the Radisson Blue Hotel where we spend two days exploring the town before leaving on Wednesday evening.

There is a lot of water here

When you do a journey like this and also the many other cruises we have been on you do appreciate more that the earth is 71% water, most of of it in its natural form you cannot drink. Many ships take in the salted seawater and with their on board desalinisation plant are able to produce water for some the the thousand of guests on board.

Today was another day where we stopped several  times to take on stores or unload some cargo. Some guests went on tours to salmon farms and similar, not quite our interest. The weather was rather mixed and its started of well and then went downhill by lunchtime. I have just checked and we have stopped at six ports during the day and night and so the crew on these ships are kept quite busy, I hope kits profitable as we would like to do this cruise again sometime.

So most of day is spent, along with many other guests on board, just watching the Norwegian Coast line slide by and wonder just how good the Caption and his crew are with some many rocks, ports with a small entrance etc , Our hats off to them.

We had a quick zizz, or something like that, in the afternoon and then went to dinner to find that the Scottish couple were not there but a single guy from Devon who was on his 14th Trip up and down this coast but his first time on Havila Cruise as all the other were on the competitor Hurtigruten. This chap was little deaf but also spoke quietly and a bit difficult to understand sometimes but we did understand that when he did start doing these cruises there were three guys but over the years its down to him. After dinner we sat in one of the lounges and watched the snow covered mountains drift by

I was able to speak to my sister who is in Dartmouth today which was good as I may have mentioned I came down with rather a nasty cold the day after we left Bergen and lost my voice which made it difficult to call anybody.

Finally we watched a Netflix series called ‘The Unforgiven’ on the notebook, however the notebook sound is low and so had to turn on the subtitles to understand what is being said. Tomorrow will be our last full day on the ship and so some packing will take place during the day no doubt so as to be ready for the suitcases to be collected.

Ah well that is for today

We have crossed the Artic Circle -TWICE

Today was a pretty normal day with the usual visits to the restaurant form Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. There is limited choice for food regarding my diet issues but for the rest of guests its perfect.

We pulled in to a number of different ports during the day with passengers getting off and joining tours from snowboarding, dog sledging, u name it they have it but all at a cost.

 Late in the afternoon we crossed over the Artic Circle for the second time only on this occasion it was Southbound. 

On the Northbound leg there is a ceremony held on  deck with glasses of shampoo and the opportunity for the sea devil to come and pour freezing cold water with ice lumps down your back which is a nasty shock to the system. We did not join on the Northbound celebration as Noel was suffering health wise and so no a good idea to stand on deck for a while.

At one port we watched them loading pallets of garden fertilizer and at another boxes of fish with the hungry seagulls waiting for a dropped box or at least spillage.

In the afternoon e decided that an additional two night stay, already part of our original plan, was on and so we needed to find a nice Hotel for two nights. The one we stayed in upon arrival in Bergen ten days ago, was sort of Ok, the shower was a handheld in the bath with no rails to hold on to which I require and so this time the Radisson Blue Bergen Hotel does have proper walk in showers and a much bigger and more friendly area to sit and wait on Wednesday before leaving for the airport. I believe the Airport bus also stops outside the Hotel and this will save us a taxi ride I believe.

I may have mentioned the collection to employ consultant on our attempt to overturn a Woking Council decision to possibly allow the building of over 500 houses and travellers sites next door to our Estate and within 30 hours all the money had been collected , not bad really with still a few laggards not paying or away from home etc. however the magic figure of £12K seems to have been reached.

The weather today was mixed and for about an hour this morning we sat on the balcony in the sun enjoying the fresh air except for when the diesel fork lift loading stuff in the hold down below us passed us by.

As I am writing this we are pulling in to the Port of Sandnessjoen which is quite small but the main town on this area of the coast. As usual u can leave the ship for some tours including watching salmon swim, a bit like watching my KOI in Weybridge

Another day glides by our cabin window

After a while you get in to a rut with breakfast around 0930, lunch about 1300 and then dinner at 1845 , all good food and u must be careful not to eat to much although the servings on board are small with the idea that if you re still hungry you order a further dish. But in between time we spend a lot of time looking at the passing scenery which is rather nice and stopping every now and again for an hour, or sometimes ten minutes to take on shipments, and then back on the road.

We are both impressed by the handling of these ships and they Captains of same seem to do an amazing job in fitting them in to little slots on short wharfs, yes most impressive.

There was no football last night and so we had a quiet evening reading and Noel catching up with photos and blogging and email etc . Whilst we are here there is a lot activity in respect of our estates action to counteract the proposed extremely large and mostly unnecessary development of over 500 houses and 15 traveller sites which equates to 15 caravan per site or a total of 45 caravan plus all their trucks and vans etc. Within our estate we have some residents who have planning knowledge and so six people have started work on the subject and will appoint ‘legal beagles’ to present our case and in a short day we have so far raised over £12K and this is most encouraging.

My cold continues to hand around and although I beginning to feel a little better I keep losing my voice and what there is left is all squeaky just like micky mouse. In the meantime their are activities on the family side back home which will requite some attention by us when we get back.

At the evening meal we sit next to a Scottish couple who own bakery producing shortbread which they sell thro a limited supply chain, nice couple and just enjoying her Birthday trip.

Not much to report really

 Another day gliding through the very cold water of Norway. The ship is most stable and quiet, I did mention previously the lack of music playing everywhere  you go on this vessel and much quieter than any other ship we have been on.

WE are now starting our journey back to Bergen where we will arrive next Monday afternoon and just hoping that the weather will be kind and not to wet. We had our usual visits to the various food venues and after dinner last night sat in the lounge which was pretty much deserted and had a quiet drink before heading back to watch the football. Last night it was PSG vs Barcelona and the second half was more active than the first but still better than the match the previous night with Arsenal.

At one time we had thought we would get off at various stops and walk in the snow but actually there has been a lot more ice everywhere and  therefore we need shoes with metal cramps or similar which we don't have.  Neither of us needs to have a fall on this ice and it is so much safer to walk around the ship whilst on the other hand some of the little towns looked all locked up with lots of warehouses and the odd large supermarket. However we came for the views of the mountains and snow and not warehouses and so our decision to mostly stay on hoard is a sensible one. There are of course lots of tours from crab fishing to bird watching and snowmobile tiding etc but all at extra quite expensive costs.

Noel is still suffering from his cold and perhaps its the longest cold he has ever had and getting fed up with it. We are not sure whether to spend the final two days in Bergen or take an earlier flight home , we shall make that decision in a couple of days time.

So What is behind us doing this trip in the middle of Winter

We have a great interest in travel, as you probably know and so like to watch travel programs and came across several You Tube reports on people travelling on the Havila Line up the Norwegian Coast on ships which not only carry passengers but also cargo and post. The journey round trip takes about 12 days and stops at 34 different ports, some for several hours and some for just ten minutes to offload the mail, unload a couple of passengers and then its on its way. So for those people who might be interested the following may enlighten you the the history of this very special service. see following The 130-Year History Of Norway’s Coastal Ferry Route The Havila Castor vessel in Norway's Trollfjord. Norway’s coastal ferry service has been ferrying local passengers and carrying international ... [+] HAVILA VOYAGES This year, Norway’s historic coastal ferry is finally back in full daily operation after the disruption caused by the pandemic and delays to new vessels. It also marks the 130th anniversary of the coastal route. International travelers know the route as an 11-night roundtrip cruise-like experience from Bergen to Kirkenes, which is a popular way to see the Norwegian coastline. 

It’s especially popular among German, British, and American tourists, many of whom do the route year after year. But in Norway, the service is best known for its local transport of passengers and cargo along the coastline, something that has been in place with government support since 1893. The Norwegian government supports the route financially, using private companies to deliver the service. At least ten different shipping companies have operated ferries on the coastal route over its 130-year history, with Hurtigruten the best known. That’s because from 2006 to 2021, only Hurtigruten ferries operated on the route. Since 2021, two companies—Hurtigruten and Havila—operate ferries on the coastal route. Over an 11-day period, Hurtigruten runs seven of the daily departures and Havila the other four Whether choosing a departure operated by Hurtigruten or Havila, passengers joining the coastal ferry will be taking part in a historic voyage. The Beginning of Norway’s Coastal Route Prior to 1893, mail delivery in the north of Norway was an unpredictable, lengthy process. With very few roads, almost all transport of mail, goods, and people took place by boat. Propellor being loaded on to a Hurtigruten vessel. Hurtigruten and Havila ships still carry cargo to this day. CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES The Norwegian government then decided to introduce a regularly scheduled service to improve communication links with the north and other small coastal communities. Founded by Captain Richard With, the company Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab became the first operator of the scheduled coastal ferry service using its vessel Vesteraalen. 

 To honor this history, Richard With and Vesterålen are used by Hurtigruten, one of the two operators of the coastal route today, as names for two of its vessels. The first journey was from Trondheim to Hammerfest, with port calls at Rørvik, Brønnøy, Sandnessjøen, Bodø, Svolvær, Lødingen, Harstad, Tromsø and Skjervøy. The journey to Hammerfest took 67 hours, at which point the Vesteraalen turned around and headed back for Trondheim. Following the early success of Vesteraalen, a second ship, Sirius from the Bergen-based company Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab (BDS) was put into service on the Hurtigruten route. Towards a Daily Service Several other transport companies obtained the rights to operate ferries on the coastal route, which continued to vary in port calls and timetable. Smoked halibut on the Hurtigruten. Lightly smoked halibut is one of the specialities served onboard Norway’s Hurtigruten coastal cruise ... [+] DAVID NIKEL Initially the route served Trondheim to Tromsø year-round, and Hammerfest in the summer. For many years, different companies operated ships on different sections of the route, including from Stavanger to Bergen, a section no longer in operation. During the 1930s, daily services were offered, attracting more than 230,000 passengers annually. However, it was not until 1953 that a daily connection was established at all ports of call between Bergen and Kirkenes, a route plan that has stayed in place, with some alterations, ever since. Today, 34 ports are served on the full 11-night itinerary, most but not all on both the northbound and southbound legs of the roundtrip. From Coastal Ferry to Tourism The transition from coastal ferry to a cruise-like experience for tourists was a gradual one. From the 1960s, local airport infrastructure began to improve across Norway, as did the road infrastructure for longer journeys. This provided competition to the coastal route for both passenger transit and cargo. To remain economically viable, operators began to put more emphasis on tourism. In the 1980s, newer ships were bigger with more attention given to public areas and dining facilities. Gradually, the Norwegian coastal voyage became a big hit with international tourists, while retaining its core function of a local ferry. Havila Capella coastal cruise ship in Ålesund, Norway. Havila Capella is one of four new ships from Havila Voyages operating on the classic Hurtigruten ... [+] DAVID NIKEL In 2006, the name Hurtigruten was adopted by a new ferry company formed from the merger of two previous Hurtigruten operators: Ofotens og Vesteraalens Dampskibsselskab (OVDS) and Troms Fylkes Dampskibsselskap (TFDS). At this point, the government oficially termed the route Kystruten (The Coastal Route), to distingush the coastal route from the new company. In 2017, the Norwegian government announced it wanted multiple operators to operate the coastal route once again. 

 Eventually it was announced that from 2021, of each set of 11 departures, Hurtigruten would keep seven, with four going to Havila, the tenth shipping company to provide service on the coastal route. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic caused the Norwegian government to suspend operations on the coastal route for the first time in decades. The pandemic and financial issues caused construction delays in some of the new Havila vessels, but since late 2023, all 11 ships across Hurtigruten and Havila are in service. The Norwegian public and international tourists can now look forward to daily departures on the coastal route once more. The Future of Norway’s Coastal Route Hurtigruten and Havila will operate the coastal route until 2030, when the present deal expires. What we do know about the future is that the environmental characteristics of the ferries will become ever more important. With upcoming legislation set to ban all but zero-emission vessels from the UNESCO-listed Norwegian fjords, both Hurtigruten and Havila have invested heavily in green technology. The four new Havila cruise ferries are LNG-powered and capable of running on battery power for up to four hours. Meanwhile, Hurtigruten has retrofitted hybrid technology to much of its fleet, and is taking part in a research project to develop zero-emission ships.

Lots of guest on tours today

There were at least 100 guests  on the tour up to the North Cape drive today which was a three hour return trip to see a metal map of the world and visit some tourist stores in a concrete building, not exactly our cup of tea for about £ 90  each as Noel is not in love with coaches. So instead we stayed on the ship and watched the crew have their safety drill by lowering the lifeboats and driving them around the harbour for a bit of fun.

This, of course, was just a test but apparently on another cruise and guest misinterpreted what was going on and threw herself of the ship in to the water below and therefore  had to be saved. Apparently the crew thought it was rather amusing although the female guest was not of the same opinion.

The safety check lasted about 90 minutes with the majority of the crew being involved but as a result of this the food service at lunchtime had to be changed and the restaurant we would normally use was going to be closed and so we went to the café to have a shared pizza which was actually very good. In the afternoon Jennifer did some more reading and Noel updated the blog but added a new page covering the reason why we are on this cruise and also the history of same which is most interesting.

We had stopped at a couple of ports and some for a list as then minutes, a real fast turn around

For dinner Jennifer had the steak and Noel the cod and both were very good and then we sat outside the restaurant and watched the world slip by. The ship has a windows cleaning system on board much like a car window wash system but more powerful and really cleans the windows up a treat as they get covered with salt water.

So this evening it was time to watch dome football nd after a few minutes trying to locate the appropriate channel and it was my intention  to watch the MNC game only to find that both games were on the same channel, one after the other and so I had to watch Arsenal but was not going to stop up until after midnight to see the second game . There is more football tomorrow so let see what game they put on first.

A day travelling in the snow covered mountains

Pretty much a normal day for us watching the Norwegian coast go by whilst having breakfast.

We arrived in Tromso late morning and it may be an interesting fun place with pubs and cafes in the summer but in the winter its concrete buildings and various branded Hotels

Quite a few people got off the boat here to either do trips away from the ship or just leaving which was our Australian friends did. We sat in full view from whence they came out of the arrival terminal and with a lot of waving at each other and off they went, whether we shall hear from them again only time will tell.

The ship was fairly quite with a number of guests on trips and we were quite happy to remain on  board particularly with Noels current health issues which is most frustrating. In the afternoon we spend time just watching the world go by until it was time for Dinner and so off we went to join the Scottish couple who have ha biscuit factory an we did hear him earlier in the days catching up on some emails and business phone calls. If you have your own business you really never escape  same. With dinner finished we continued to watch the fascinating coastline and they indicating that in the next day or two we may see some whales.

More about Tromso as follows.

romsø (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈtrʊ̂msœ] ^ⓘ; Northern Sami: Romsa;^[3] Finnish: Tromssa; Kven: Tromssa; Swedish: Tromsö) is a city in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the administrative centre of Troms county. The Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland and its Bishop are based at the Tromsø Cathedral in the city. The city is located on the island of Tromsøya which sits in the Tromsøysundet strait, just off the mainland of Northern Norway. The mainland suburb of Tromsdalen is connected to the city centre on Tromsøya by the Tromsø Bridge and the Tromsøysund Tunnel. The suburb of Kvaløysletta on the island of Kvaløya is connected to the city centre by the Sandnessund Bridge.

Map of the major areas of the city of Tromsø (coloured) and portions of the Tromsø municipality (white), in the central part of the large municipality.

The 21.25-square-kilometre (5,250-acre) town has a population (2017) of 64,448 which gives the town a population density of 3,033 inhabitants per square kilometre (7,860/sq mi). The city centre (on Tromsøya) has a population of 38,980. The mainland borough of the city, Tromsdalen, has a population of 16,787 and the suburb of Kvaløysletta on the island of Kvaløya has a population of 8,681. The most populous town north of Tromsø in Norway is Alta, with a population of 15,094 (2017), making Tromsø a very large city for this vast rural northern part of Norway and the northernmost in the world with a population exceeding 20,000.^[1] It is the largest urban area in Northern Norway and the third largest north of the Arctic Circle anywhere in the world (following Murmansk and Norilsk).

The city's largest workplaces are the University of Tromsø (UiT) and University Hospital of North Norway. The Norwegian Polar Institute also has its headquarters in Tromsø. The Northern Lights Observatory was established in 1928, and two companies affiliated with the Kongsberg Gruppen collect satellite data from space using the observatory. The fishing industry is very important. Norway's Norges Råfisklag and Norges sjømatråd (seafood council) both have their headquarters in Tromsø. Sparebanken Nord-Norge also has its headquarters in the city. Furthermore, "Skatt nord", an agency of the Norwegian Tax Administration is based here too.

The city is warmer than most other places located on the same latitude, due to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream. Tromsø is even milder than places much farther south of it elsewhere in the world, such as on the Hudson Bay and in Far East Russia, with the warm-water current allowing for both relatively mild winters and tree growth in spite of its very high latitude.

The city centre of Tromsø contains the highest number of old wooden houses in Northern Norway, the oldest house dating from 1789. The city is a cultural centre for its region, with several festivals taking place in the summer. Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge of the electronica duo Röyksopp and Lene Marlin grew up and started their careers in Tromsø. Noted electronic musician Geir Jenssen also hails from Tromsø.

For the rest of the evening we watched a little TV and it was a UK North East feature series on the Police. The joke is they spend hours chasing people only to see them walk away almost scott free, all rather pointless really

A bit grey out there today

Rather a grey morning as we opened the curtains on the cabin and looked at the barren rocks covered on snow. The vessel is also a ferry and stops a total of 34 times in total on its North and South run and many of these stops take place at night, although quite frankly we don't here anything.

Jennifer spent the day reading and Noel catching  up on family letters and topping up with pills to try and get over this cold which is dragging on. I don't usual get a cold but when I do its always a long winded one to to rid of. We had the light lunch in the small restaurant set aside for suite guest, as against usual cabins, and chatted to the Swedish Waiter about a number of things an it urns out he his a devout Chelsea Supporter and watched the CFC vs  MNU game on his PC as it was shown on Swedish TV.

We stopped at a place called BODO which was very snowy and wet and rather cold and quite a snowstorm at certain times. At least 20 people got off the ship here so we presume the either live here or close by or are tourist splitting the journey, who knows but we watched them dragging their suitcases thro the snow with not a hotel in site but we assume there must be one somewhere. Some of the route which the ship took is quite close to rocks and so it is quite interesting to watch and the ship is quite manoeuvrable with its bow thrusters and also not that large as some of the harbours we have been to would not take a conventional cruise ship. Also Bodo appears to have a lot of interest for Tourists with an aircraft museum and in the summer it looks like a great place to visit with bars and restaurants. Did I mention the cost of booze in Norway, its probably the highest cost in the whole of Europe and so u flinch each time your order a glass of something and so we have cut down.

"Bodø (pronounced [ˈbûːdøː] ^ⓘ;^[4][5] Lule Sami: Bådåddjo, Swedish: Bodö) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Bodø (which is also the capital of Nordland county). Some of the notable villages in Bodø include Misvær, Skjerstad, Saltstraumen, Løding, Løpsmarka, Kjerringøy, Sørvær, and Fenes.

The municipality of Bodø is located just north of the Arctic Circle and the town of Bodø is the largest urban area and town in Nordland county, and the second largest town in North Norway. The 1,395-square-kilometre (539 sq mi) municipality is the 66th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Bodø is the 19th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 53,259. The municipality's population density is 40.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (105/sq mi) and its population has increased by 8.2% over the previous 10-year period.^[6][7]

Bodø was named one of the European Capitals of Culture for 2024.^[8] It is also home to football club Bodø/Glimt, the northernmost club to win a European national league competition (namely Eliteserien, the championship of Norway).

n top of the cold Noel is also fighting the effects of his LARS issues and yesterday was a day of Laxatives and this always brings uncertainty, but there is not much I can do about it. WE  had a quiet afternoon and spent some time in the observation lounge and then headed back  for a quick zizz before dinner came around. The couple who sit next to our table are from Glasgow and on their first cruise and they own a shortbread factory and have two dogs , which just about says it all. They also like their odd glass or two, so good people.

After Dinner we sat next to the Australian couple as this is their last night on board the ship as they get off in Tromso where the spend two nights, then two nights in Helsinki before the long flights home to Adelaide via Doha and Melbourne . We returned to the cabin hoping for a good nights rest

A couple of hours in Trondheim

We awoke to grey skies but as the day passed more blue sky appeared and we were getting some lovely views of the hills and mountains on the route North.  Noel was still feeling a bit rubbish however we got up and went for breakfast and had  a good chat with the Swedish server whose wife also is on board but dealing with room cleaning and prep and we also met her later in the day. Noel retired to the bedroom with more paracetamol and Jennifer did some walking around the ship. We were not to worried about missing out  on visiting Trondheim as we stop there again en-route back to Bergen.

Continuing North we crossed paths with another Havila ship going Southbound.

For lunch we visited the new room set up for suite guests which was nice and there Noel received a phone update from niece Sarah on family challenges in the west country. After lunch we had a quiet time and wandered a bit around the ship and visited the shop where they sell cold weather clothing and the usual stuff you run out off on your travels. We had an early dinner sitting next to a couple from Glasgow and this was their first cruise and were clearly enjoying it which is always nice to see.

Noel had the Halibut tart as a starter and then a steak and Jennifer had a different starter but also the steak which was most tender and tasty

Upon leaving the restaurant we came across the nice couple from Adelaide and joined them for a couple f hours discussing everything from family to travel to health issues and two hours flew by by which time Noel was losing his voice again.

Umm, as I always write the Blog the following day I just noticed that the sea is beginning to get a little bit rough but the ship seems to be handling it nicely.

Not the best of days for Noel

Unfortunately Noel has developed a cold over the last couple of days and know it has come home to roost and he is not feeling great. The ship arrived in Alesund and mice old quant town and Jennifer went for a walk to look at the town and also to purchase some water for the cabin and also some grapes.

Some of the views from the window were excellent but we understand they improve dramatically with a strong chance to see some whales.

During the period the old man of the house had the afternoon in bed trying to get over the problems. We had a light lunch and the ship has a unique way of stopping wasted food by serving only small dishes and if you want more you can order as required which we wonder if any American on the ship would not find to their taste.

In the evening we swapped our free complimentary bottle of champagne for a bottle of Chardonnay which went down with our meal. As mentioned before the plate sizes are not large but the food is really good with not a massive choice but good enough for us. We learnt that the number of passengers on the ship is less than 200 and it does take 500 and so this is why it seems very quiet and in addition their is no music playing in the background all the time which is really wonderful and lift music can drive you up the wall.

Following dinner we met the Australia couple again for a couple of hours chat which was most enjoyable but its a shame they get off the ship tomorrow and head for Helsinki on their way back to OZ. And so to bed

A little bit slow to check in

We had a good breakfast at the Hotel Clarion Bergen in their restaurant which only seems to serve breakfast and no other meals. We needed to check out by midday but check in  at the ship was not until 3pm and we had read how slow this is. So rather than be there at 3pm we hung around in the hotel and left there by taxi at around 3.45 pm and arrived the port ten minutes later in the slight rain and damp.

Yep, there was quite a big line of people with their cases waiting to be checked in  by ONE STAFF member and it was taking her approx 5-6  minutes per time. So with about  25 guest waiting to check in we just had to wait. Eventually a further two staff members arrived but it still took us nearly 45 minutes to do a simple check in task. The signs overhead the check desk said that the ship would be open to board after 4pm and as it was now 4.30 we went to watch the safety video and organise a our dinner table for the duration of the trip. The sign had also said the cabins would not be available until 6pm and so we waited in the café and the server said they always announce when the cabins were ready, only they did not do it this time and so we hung around till 6.15 pm and then noticed there were guests arriving for dinner uncluttered by baggage and so check again.

Whilst waiting we had struck up a conversation with an Australian couple from Adelaide who were both retired schoolteachers and we chatted to them for a while , they are nice couple but they are doing a few days on the ship and not the round trip before heading to Helsinki and they leave there for Adelaide. Anyway at 6.20 we headed to find our cabin and our baggage was already there and so we threw all out stuff in the room and then headed off for dinner.

It was restricted dinner for the first evening and limited choice by Jen had the lamb and Noel the salmon with appropriate vegetable to to accompany. After dinner we stopped for a coffee and then returned to the cabin to unpack all out stuff . The cabin is very nice and of a good standard as the ship is only about one year old.

Unfortunately Noel has picked up a cold and has a slight temp and so went to bed early for what turned out to be restless night . However he did listen to the commentary on the Chelsea vs Manchester United game and it started out with CFC being two goals up but they gave it way at which point I thought here we go again only to be surprised to find out they won 4-3 at the very end.

I think a quiet day for Noel tomorrow. 

An early start for our flight to Bergen Norway.

We set the alarm for 0745 and we wanted to be able to check in early for our flight and then get some breakfast in the terminal. So we checked out and walked down the tunnel from the Hotel and arrived at Gatwick South terminal and immediately found our location to dump our bags. So here modern technology takes over and your do the check in your self by putting either your passport or pre printed boarding pass in to the scanner and finds your booking and asks how many bags do you have to check in? so entered Two and pressed the button to print the baggage labels only it did not work.

So we tried two other machines with same result and so had to head to the Norwegian Airline staff to sort it out which she did. So with our suitcases gone we headed of to to security which is always annoying  as take off your belt, PC and mobiles in separate trays and as I have a metal knee have to go thro a full check, apparently Jennifer's security guy was upset because she was holding her passport when they said do not hold anything?? how stupid.

We went to one of the many restaurants to be found at the airport and our requirement was only a bacon sandwich which the girl on reception said was Ok but when asking the server she said we don't do sandwiches and then we ordered two bits of toast and some bacon and Hey Ho our bacon sandwiches were available. Our flight was running about 45 minutes late, nothing new here and the flight was quite full and as people were going to a cold country they had more hand baggage than usual and so all the overhead bins were full up and Jennifer had her small carry on bag under feet.

Two hours later we arrived at Bergen Airport and had to  wait almost 30 minutes for our suitcases to arrive, so slow for a small airport we thought. The car and driver were waiting to take us to the Hotel which is the Clarion Hotel Bergen in the centre of town . By this time we were both quite tired and elected to have a short rest in bed which we did for nearly two hours and then went to The Big Horn Steak and Burger joint across the road for dinner and the food was really good and then afterwards we walked down town but it was a bit damp and we were still a bit tired and so back to the hotel for a restful evening.

Quite a busy day and off to the Airport

 We finished all our packing and good time and and sorted out the house, turning of electric plugs which we will not use, also turning of the CH and also the hot water , all to save a little money.

The Taxi arrived on time and the journey to Gatwick Airport in the heavy rain on the M25 , I will be complaining  to the Taxi company as 80 mph in heavy rain on busy motorway is not good.

We arrived at the Hilton Hotel at LGW where we would stay the night prior to the flight as otherwise it would be an early morning which we don't like and the also the risk of being late for the flight. After we had checked in we had a drink in the bar which was bloody expensive £ 19.00 for a small beer and a small white wine spritzer , wow ridiculous price. So one drink only and off to bed to watch Tv for a while  before turning of the light .