Over the top and back down the west side of Norway

Back again everyone!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the internet connection again as it failed a few times last time and prevented me putting up a couple of the photos I wanted you to see. Oh well. When one is sending a blog from a moving ship at sea, one must be grateful for what one can get! I'm not complaining as I've had worse connections from some TAFE campuses. [cheeky grin] Do you like this photo I took yesterday?
Tuesday 24/6 - Stories of Midnight Music and Sea Eagles
But first let me tell you about last night. The afternoon 'Nanna Nap' helped because when the bus picked us up from the wharf just after midnight, I was bright, wide awake and ready to party! [laugh] Its a pity that the blue sky was so short-lived as I still don't have a picture of the midnight sun as such...however here is a photo of what the sky looked like at midnight, just before we left. And it didn't look a lot different when we got back just before 2am.

The midnight concert was just lovely. Only 3 people performing so it was more of a recital than a concert, but it was in the Arctic Cathedral which is a majestic church with white, sloping walls that soar high above and mimic the snow covered mountain peaks. The acoustics were amazing and no amplification was needed at all as the sounds of the instruments (piano, trumpet, organ) and voice (baritone) rang out clear and pure. The performance was of Norwegian folk songs, hymns and other traditional songs so we couldn't understand the language but it was quite ethereal and beautiful, made more so by the time, place and setting. I had one of those 'moments' one sometimes gets whenI thought to myself..."I am sitting in the Arctic Cathedral in a little town in Norway, listening to beautiful music at 1am...and it is daylight outside. Wow." Sometimes 'real life' seems so far away and I guess this is what makes a 'real holiday'. [smile]

Got up late the next morning but still in time for breakfast. We had booked a 'Sea Eagle Tour' for the afternoon so just before 4pm the Cruise Captain called all participants down to the hold where a door was opened in the side, and a small boat was attempting to match our pace and dock alongside the ship. Tentatively we stepped over to the little boat and took off for the Troll Fijord, leaving the Vesteralen to follow laboriously on behind. If anyone has cruised Milford Sound on the South Island of New Zealand you will have an idea of what the Troll Fijord is like....soaring cliffs, waterfalls cascading down the side and breathtaking scenery. The Troll Fijord is too hard to describe, and its definitely one of those 'you just have to go and see it for yourself' kind of places.

But we were there to see Sea Eagles too! A couple of crew hands began by throwing bread to the gulls as I think the activity attracts the Eagles. Now these aren't the same as your local sea-gulls although they come from the same family. They are larger, have dark-coloured backs, a hump on the top of their bills...and they fly silently. No silly screeching. This was a good sight in itself as the gulls kept up with boat, swooping and playing on the air currents as they expertly caught bread in the air or swooped down to take some themselves.

But then, everyone was pointing high into the air as the boat stopped and everyone watched a Sea Eagle gracefully circle around. The crew hands (two young girls) quickly swapped the bread for a fish and threw it out into the water. The Sea Eagle dropped out of the sky and swooped down to grab the fish before turning the manouvre into a vertical climb, back to the high cliffs above.

All together we saw 6 Sea Eagles but after a couple of hours were getting very wet and cold so headed to a small town where we were once again, reunited with the Vesteralen.....and hot coffee and dry clothes. [grin]

Wednesday 25/6 - More beautiful views but Norbert is only seeing the inside of his eyelids
Unfortunately, Norbert became ill during the night and has spent the day in bed today and missed seeing some of the lovely sights slipping by us as we continue to make our way southward, down the west coast of Norway. We have crossed the Arctic Circle again...marked this side of the country by a pillar of stone topped with a globe (on a small island), so although the sky is still cloudy and the wind is cold, we are slowly making our way back down to the lower latitudes again.

Norbert got up for breakfast but only made it for 20 minutes before retreating back to the cabin...and he has been there since. Not sure what it is but I'm crossing every finger and toe that it isn't contagious!!! Some kind of gastric bug I think...hopefully the 24 hour kind. At least he picked a good day because we had no specific activities booked for today and apart from the fact that he is missing the lovely scenery passing by the windows of the ship, he has the time to lie in bed and get well again. I'm spending my time enjoying the scenery for both of us, writing this blog and drinking tea. [grin]

I'm getting really used to the 'rythm' of this ship, so it will be a bit hard to leave it tomorrow morning. The day revolves around meals, meeting for coffee in one of the lounges, staring out at the amazing scenery that just passes by and enjoying walks ashore during the frequent port calls. The bumps and groans of loading and unloading are starting to become just normal background happenings, and one ceases to notice the feeling of movement underfoot. Mind you, its pretty calm as we sail between islands so even somebody prone to sea-sickness (like me) would have no problem.

Here's a photo of me sitting in the Panorama Lounge, just relaxing and looking out at one of the cute little villages. Are you jealous? [laugh]

Anyway, I'll try to hit 'Post' and pray that this connection doesn't crash again. I have to go and sort out accounts, get washing 0ut of the dryer and pack for both of us so I have a busy night ahead of me! We leave the Hurtigruten Cruise at 8am tomorrow and then its 'back on the bus' for the last leg of our trip....down to Oslo. Bye all!