All in all,  I have to admit,  our quest for the northern lights cruise was disappointing and frustrating. 

I’m ready for this part to end and go on to our next adventure in Portugal. I must say this has been the most discouraging trip so far, but with very little we could have done to change that.

First you already know we missed 2 days at the beginning due to a Luftansa strike. When we got to Oslo it was very cold but we did get out a little to explore. I had a migraine the 1st full day, so Emmett Adventured without me to the sculpture gardens.

Then you already know about the weather, snow mostly for the first 3-4 days in the Arctic. Then in Tromso, the excursions were canceled due to avalanche danger, so no Northern lights there either. After Narvik we saw a glimpse of green between the clouds but nothing like we had hoped to see.

Traveling south thru the Norwegian sea and then North sea, the swells were high as was the wind, so our Capt slowed down a bit. Consequently we will make it to Amsterdam late….too late to catch our original flight so we had to rebook ( of course at a higher price) on a later flight.

So, you see why I’m ready to move on to the next adventure.

I’m sorry I didn’t ever hear of all the troubles this particular itinerary had had this season, before we joined it, or I might have planned differently.

According to the cruise director, none of the cruises had made the route exactly as planned. A couple cruises were caught in Tromso or Alta for 4-5 days, a couple missed at least 1 port, Narvik & Amsterdam 2x, for instance. One missed the embarkation port and folks were flown to their intended port. This 1 is only late for Amsterdam but all the time excursions have missed their appointments so people are just getting 2 hours to visit Amsterdam on their own. We just missed our intended flight to our next destination, so just an extra expense.

Had I known of all these troubles, however, I think I’d just have down to an Arctic city, like Alta or even Fairbanks, and stayed for a week! Or so. The North Atlantic weather was quite against us this trip. However we planned the right year, even the right month, top of the solar Max 11 year cycle and at the spring equinox when sightings are usually great.

“The best laid plans of mice and men sometimes go awry”

Our last Norwegian port,  Narvik,  an important WWII site for Norway.   We had seen the movie about the Nazi invasion there a few months back,  so we did an excursion which we thought would talk more about that.   We visited their WWII museum

After that,  we went to a cemetery for the war dead

Influential politicians during that period sided with the Nazis, while the king and royal family fled to England until the end of the war.

During our drive thru the countryside, we saw a small herd of reindeer and a NATO convoy.   They have been doing an exercise,  I assume in support of Sweden and Finland joining NATO

Our first day in Tromso was raining snow…. slush in the making, with temperatures just above freezing.   We scheduled a northern lights chase for later and then did a walking tour of the old town.  Tromso was incorporated as a town in the 1790s, and many of the 200+ year old buildings remain since the city escaped damage by the Germans in WWII by just a few minutes.   They were advancing toward they city but were turned back by the allies.   They had brought the damaged Tirpitz, the last of Hitler’s prize battle ships, to Tromso where the Allies sunk it..  Scenes from the city walk

Our second day in Tromso we had a tour of the whole island,  10k x 4k, with 45k inhabitants,  and a short drive on Whale Island,  a bigger island between Tromso and the sea,  where there is a herd of reindeer walking among the houses!  Every reindeer belongs legally to the Sami people,  even those walking free.  We visited the planetarium for a wonderful northern lights movie,  then a drive around the Arctic cathedral on the mainland side of the fjord, however no visit inside since there was a funeral there today.   After our tour, we chose a delicatessen for a wonderful lunch of goat cheese panini with sautéed mushrooms on top with a delicious salad,  and then a bakery for a Pastry of cranberries and cheese

Our sightseeing in Alta today, the City of the Northern Lights! They have built a Lutheran cathedral, the cathedral of the Northern lights, designed to be a monument to the lights as well as to God.  The concrete structure, spiraling up,  with long lights rising like the Aurora,  the bronze statute of Christ looking up to a sky (light), the 18,000 pipes and concrete cylinder all make your eyes rise up to God.  The outside is covered in titanium plates that reflect the weather outside, dull grey in the shade and  clouds,  gleaming in the sun.

We visited the Alta museum,  sheltering a few of the over 6000 rock carvings found in the area from prehistoric times.  Outside, in nature where they are found,  the carvings are allowed to remained covered by snow fall to protect them against harsh weather,  so in winter these inside are the only ones visible

The weather was sunny and bright for our drive and the city is beautifully situated among mountains and forest,  beside the beautiful Alta River and Fjord. 

We treated ourselves to a delightful evening off the ship in this lovely Swedish design cabin.  

We enjoyed a great dinner at the local Sami restaurant,  with local indigenous food specialities,  reindeer stew.  

We returned “home” to enjoy a soak in the hot tub before relaxing in a great adjustable bed… but the skies are still closed, so there no Northern lights tonight! 

This video says it all…..

The northernmost city in the world,  known for its great views of the Aurora…. but it’s snowing.   Pray for a break in the weather before we leave tomorrow night

This morning, March 14, we awake as the ship entered into the Norwegian archipelago,  the islands along the coast!  It is the Norwegian Inside Passage.   The sun was just rising, hitting the tops of the Coastal mountains.  The skies are gorgeous…. at the moment, sunny and beautiful.

Farther north,  more snow and cooler,  but Beautiful today, March 15, the ides of March, the 49th anniversary of the day we moved from Michigan to California

Our cruise is beginning today.   Yesterday we arrived in Bergen and joined the ship overnight here.   Today we were able to do a short tour of Bergen,  before we set sail.  Bergen Harbor,  one of the primary Hanseatic League cities of the 14th and 15th centuries,  still exhibits the wooden houses of that time along the harbor. 

Edvard Greig, one of the most prominent composers of Norway was born here and today we visited the concert hall,  shaped like a piano,  named for him.  

The fortress of Bergen was our last short visit as the weather is moving in,  colder and drizzly rain. 

The ship sails on moments from now.   Pray for calm seas and clearer skies for us,  please!

We have just 2 nights here in Oslo,  since the Lufthansa strike wiped out 2 of our travel days,  but we took advantage and saw a lot.

Emmett went out early to the Vigeland sculpture garden ( I was still a bit under the weather)  his photos are spectacular! 

After his return,  we walked around the city itself.  

Akershus castle Fortress,  built over almost 500 years!  1299 to 1773

The opera house and Munch museum on the harbor are beautiful!  And along the harbor are little saunas. With wood stacked to heat them

Life in Oslo!

Our upper deck 747-8 flight was a once in a lifetime experience!  They are aging out with very few new ones being built…. in fact I think the only ones are the 2 new Airforce one and spare that President Trump ordered,  reversing the expensive order of Obama for a foreign maker!  The upper deck on these were comfortable and roomy but not as private or luxurious as the newer models of Airbus, Of course…. making them, as one critic said. “the worst business class you MUST do! ”  Food was marginal, but the all around experience was amazing!  You can’t imagine how high you are off the ground until you are up there!    Too top it off,  as we were flying at 40 000″ I watched our the window and saw what I believe to be the Aurora !  My pictures are ok in total darkness but they don’t show on FB as you need full resolution to see the faint color.   I just feel blessed we have been able to experience this bucket list item!  God is good!