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m/s Richard With from Hammerfest to Trondheim |
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target was to get to the North Cape but it proved more difficult than we
imagined. You had to go the last piece by Snow Mobile and we simply did
not have enough time. This is what happens when you travel out of season
with the snow thick on the ground. We got of the bus ride from Ivalo in
Hammerfest and spent the night at the Northern most town in the world at
70o 39' 48" North. It was not as cold here in Norway as it
was in Finland due to the relatively warm current that flows down the
coast.
Planning our route down to Oslo we decided to look at going by sea. Our first thought was the FFR which really hugs the coast and is sort of a "Fjord Taxi" but that would have taken too long. We finally decided on the cruise ships that are very popular in the summer. We had no problem getting a nice berth and did not need to book at all, just walked onto the boat and checked in. The route from Hammerfest to Trondheim cost 805 Euros for both of us which is fairly reasonable at that time of year. It was a four night, four day journey. The scenery is legendary with the snow still covering the mountains. The ride was really relaxing and at this time of year the boat was not even half full.
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| We joined the boat in Hammerfest and head South for four days. Norwegian houses are painted many colours but bright red and blue appears to be most favoured. |  |
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We spent lots of time in the observation room watching the world pass by. Did loads of reading too, so thank goodness there was a library on board. |
| For our money we got a double cabin on deck 5 with a porthole and our own bathroom. Very comfortable indeed. |  |
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Just to show that we did go outside on the deck. It was however bloody cold. so you needed to dress up real warm. |
| The cruise passes through many fjords and villages. They are really colourful against the snowy background. |  |
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So here we leave the Artic Circle. It is marked by this globe and lighthouse. This imaginary line marks the spot where there is at least one full 24 hour period of light (or dark) a year. |
| The Captain did not know what he had let himself in for by letting us on his bridge. "Hey what's this button here?". "AAARRGGHH Don't push that!!!!" |  |
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Another stop in the evening. The villages are really beautiful and I think we need to spend more time exploring them. Next time maybe. |
| Parting shot! |  |
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© Copyright Scott Smith and Renée Pattle Includes all text and photograph |
