We crossed the Arctic Circle this morning, entering the land of the midnight sun. The sun will not set here for our next few days of travel, making everyone appreciate their blackout drapes. As we head north, we’ll sail close to the Norwegian coastline, providing an opportunity for spectacular scenic cruising.

Tromsø, Norway

Tromsø has several attractions that make it an appealing city. The most distinctive building visible is the Arctic Cathedral. It’s known for its unique triangular shape and the large stained-glass window behind the altar.  It sits close to one end of the Tromsø Bridge, a 3,400-foot-long structure that connects Tromsø Island with the mainland and has a good path for people to walk.

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Arctic Cathedral pipes from the organ

Arctic Cathedral stained-glass window

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On the mainland, visitors can ride the cable car up Mt. Storsteinen for great views back to the island - weather cooperating. Polaria, the aquarium and experience center, is another distinctive building looking like blocks of ice sliding out into the ocean. The whole city is pedestrian friendly with wide sidewalks and some pedestrian only areas. Ornate wooden houses and churches from the 18th century mix with extremely modern structures. It’s all quite attractive.

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Polaria Aquarium

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We are docked several miles from the main tourist areas, so shuttles are available to a location in the heart of town. We are struck by how much snow is visible, not only on the beautiful peaks that surround the city, but still on the ground in big piles. The temperature is in the low forties, but we are dressed in several layers and find the walk comfortable.

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Street art in Tromsø

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After several hours of wandering the streets, passing the Troll Museum, the Polar Museum, an assortment of churches large and small, dozens of bronze sculptures, unique street art and an endless supply of souvenir shops, we decided to revisit the Arctic Cathedral. We could have walked but the distance over the bridge was longer than our energy level permitted, so we had an Uber take us over. For a small fee, one can enter the chapel and enjoy the massive and colorful stained-glass window and the equally impressive pipe organ. Another Uber brought us back to the pedestrian walking area where we reboarded the shuttle just as the sun disappeared and the rain started.

Small church and cemetery

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Honningsvåg, Norway

A few short weeks ago, we were in Ushuaia, Argentina which calls itself “Fin del Mundo” or the end of the world. Now we are approaching Honningsvåg in Northern Norway for a visit to the North Cape, what we are calling the “other” end of the world. We remember that the North Cape refers to itself as, “Top of the World.” By any name, we are all excited to have made it from pole to pole!

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North Cape

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The North Cape is about 20 miles from Honningsvåg and is of course the number one shore excursion destination. It claims to be the northernmost point on the European continent, although there is reason to dispute that claim. There is a modern visitor center showing videos of the remarkable landscape surrounding this big rock. Everyone wants to get up close to the beautiful globe-shaped monument that marks the spot, set up about 1,000 feet from the Arctic Ocean below.

On our way to Honningsvåg, we passed the North Cape and many were out at 6 am to see it from the water side. Today it was Arctic rolls (we can’t help calling them Panama rolls) served with coffee on the very cold forward deck.

There are a few other excursions here - an ATV Safari, a ride in a sea raft to learn about and eat King Crab and a bird-watching safari to Stappen Island.

The town of Honningsvåg has a surprising array of facilities, although it seems to be primarily a fishing community as well as the gateway to the North Cape. We decided to stay in town. It’s an expensive transfer to the North Cape and having been there in both wonderful and dismal weather, we decided to rely on our memories of the great visit and instead explore the town.

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Marina in Honningsvåg, Norway

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And what a wonderful day we had. It was cold but clear and windless when we left the ship at about 10 am. We made our way through the residential streets to the start of a hiking trail up the side of the mountain that dominates the landscape. Part way up is a viewpoint overlooking the harbor and a large part of the town. We had seen this trail on our last visit here in summery conditions, but today it was a challenge with still deep snow and ice along the path. Although we had on hiking boots, we were not really prepared for the conditions, so we decided to only go as far as the viewpoint. It was an invigorating walk with a splendid view.

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Charming houses on the coast in Honningsvåg, Norway

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Exploring Honningsvåg, Norway

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Heading back to town, we stopped for coffee and a pastry at a café before walking in another direction. We discovered a whole other side to the town not visible from the harbor. The houses all looked so neat and well cared for, despite what must be very harsh winter conditions. And although it seems very remote here, there are hotels, supermarkets, several schools, restaurants and pubs, galleries and gift shops, churches and even a beach a few miles out of town. There is interesting artwork throughout, especially some unique collages made from trash that are part of an environmental teaching program. We bought a few things at one of the souvenir shops and sat in the sun with a second cappuccino to extend our day, reluctant to say goodbye to Norway.

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For those who missed viewing the North Cape at 6 am, we made another stop at 9:30 pm on our way out.

With the sun not setting, it was like the middle of the afternoon. It became an outdoor party with cheese fondue, mulled wine and hot chocolate on what we heard was a very chilly back deck.

We were able to see it from the comfort of an indoor window and having just finished dinner, we couldn’t appreciate the refreshments.

Canaletto dinner with splendid views

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Two days at sea will bring us to Djupivogur, Iceland, the first of four ports in that country we will visit over 5 days in a row. Iceland ho!

Fondly,

Wendy and Steve 

Continue Reading:

A Bon Voyage! | Costa Rica & Panama |  Ecuador and Northern Peru  | Wendy's Adventures in Peru | Steve's Adventure in Machu Picchu | Arica and San Antonio, Chile | Robinson Crusoe & Southern Chile | More Chile & Argentina | Antarctica | Falkland Islands | Montevideo & Punta del Este | Brazil | The Amazon | Salvation Islands | Arriving in Africa | Canary Islands & Morocco | Gibraltar and Barcelona | Spain & Portugal | France, Belgium and The Netherlands | Scotland and Norway | More Norway | Iceland | Greenland | Canada & New England | Voyage Summary 

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