It might as well rain until September (Bergen, Norway) Part 1

Call it a senior's moment, but I was quite remiss not to mention Cruise Critic in the last post. Being ignorant of Cruise Critic is a positive thing, dear reader, and no thanks to Mary who cheerily introduced us to this erudite forum in the weeks prior to our departure. In short it is a website, but you need to become a member. There is no monetary cost, but the cost to your sanity is something else. Once you've joined, you can find your upcoming cruise, or look at others, and read the commentary from the members through a section called 'Boards' where a roll call group is created.

For our cruise there was, on completion, 21 pages of comments. I didn't count the number of individual contributors, however, from memory, one was from Scotland, one from England, two from Australia and the rest were from the USA. Not surprising given a Viking representative said that 85-90% of their business is from the States. Of course I am not one of the Australians who contributed to the pages. I lurked, dear reader, and maintained the safety of anonymity as the war of words was raged. Oh yes, it was quite nasty at times. Passive aggressive replies about dress codes, outright aggressive commentary about pre-booking shore excursions. Always concluding with some ludicrous, 'have a nice day' comment, while meaning the entire opposite. One person actually said, "I don't judge" while doing exactly that.

Who would have thought I would be demonstrating disrespect towards the staff by wearing jeans to dinner, as one overly judgemental person stated. I'm certain my jeans didn't impact on their wages and I've been treated nicely by suits and pearls as well as overalls and jeans. The reverse is also true, although there was more abuse from the nicely dressed. Money does not buy class.

Early morning heading to Bergen.

Here is a link to the 'Boards' page, but you'll have to join for access. Good luck, it is a slippery slope.

Back to the agenda. Bergen. We have overstayed our welcome, not because of something we have done. Well, it is really. There is only so much to do in this beautiful town and the weather restricts some activities. When rain is likely for 239 days a year, consecutive days without rain are miraculous! We achieved this feat on our first two days here.

Cruising into Bergen.

And so to today's title, It might as well rain until September. A 1963 classic from Carole King. It felt like it was going to rain until September. The locals are all very stoic about it. Dress appropriately and the rain is a minor inconvenience. Interesting in a town that is eminently walkable.

I'll break up the next section into the tourist attractions we visited as part of the cruise onshore experience. We were aware that opening hours can be seasonal. This is the lesser of the two shoulder seasons and some attractions are open for limited hours on one day a week.

Beyond the port, Bergen is etched into the hillside.

As previously stated, we arrived in Bergen a couple of hours late and all the tours were pushed back. This actually meant we would not be able to make our Chef’s Table reservation that evening if we attended our last shore excursion. That was still hours away and we boarded a bus for a 4.5 hour Panoramic Bergen tour which proved, happily, to be more off the bus than on.

Bryggen

Initially, we weren’t seated on the bus for more than three minutes. Given we’d been on board the ship for two days straight, I would have preferred to walk. However, we piled on and then filed off the bus and stood on a street corner while our guide, Ani, provided the background to the Bryggen area.

Decorations on houses were used instead of addresses.

The buildings that line the street, or wharf if you prefer, are all wooden. The various colours of the painted timber make for a picture postcard scene. It is an UNESCO world heritage site, like the Great Barrier Reef, although the Norwegians care about their heritage sites. There are a number of buildings undergoing restoration which is problematic. As a heritage site, they must be repaired using the same techniques and technology that was used in their original construction. While I understand the desire for authenticity, surely modern methods could be used if they weren’t going to damage the integrity of the historic aspect of the building?

Bryggen.

Ani then deftly switched the point of the walking tour and made his way through the group. Those that had situated themselves next to him were now at the rear. I’m sure my smirk was visible. One aging man (insert country of prejudice, oh alright, he was American) with a walking stick was clearly unhappy with this new arrangement and stepped from the footpath onto to the road to gain ascendancy and the front of the group. Sadly, the driver of the adjacent car anticipated his stupidity and drove around him as his wife called out, “Be careful, Jim.” One deftly placed shoulder on my behalf could have ensured his permanent removal from our group.

Bryggen Nightclub. Definitely no smoking.

Obviously, fire was a significant issue in a community of wooden structures and the area has burnt down several times. This, despite the absolute prohibition of any fires in any of the houses for either heating or cooking purposes. The subsequent rebuilding on dodgy foundations has had its impact and some buildings appear not to have been constructed with the use of a spirit level or string line. Extensive restoration work is being undertaken both inside and underneath several of the iconic houses as the sinking water table is impacting negatively upon the already undermined foundations – hence the list to one side. In fact, they are channelling natural rainwater run off into pits underneath the houses in a bid to keep the water table afloat.

Of course it is level.

While timber was a plentiful resource, fire is a necessity in such a cold, wet climate. Despite this, and the abundance of stone, it was rarely used as a construction material. A couple of houses and the church were the only evidence of common-sense building.

The oldest building in Bergen is made of stone.

The brass manhole covers that dot the Bryggen and wider area are decorated with a symbolic graphic of Bergen.

Very decorative.

The Assembly Hall

The assembly halls where the Hanseatic workers were fed were also constructed of timber and in some cases, no fire was allowed, which meant cold food only. Cold food was not an issue in a town where the temperature was barely 3° in early spring. Everything was cold. The preference was obviously for hot meals and so a system was devised to ensure that was possible. Each group had their own kitchen preparation area and eating area in the main hall.

A bull's penis used to whip those who break the rules.

The kitchen area was downstairs and was built of stone and a metal stove was built into the dining area above. To ensure fire safety, it was fed from the kitchen so there were no open flames in the dining room. A tile was placed over the chimney top to stop sparks flying out and landing on rooftops. Some of the rooves and buildings were coated with tar to combat the intense elements, but this meant the exterior was flammable. Hmmm, could that be a problem? Imagine if they'd built with stone.

Where the important people sit.

The assembly halls were multi-purpose communal buildings that also served as courthouses and general meeting places. It was also a heavily male dominated society, hence the sexualised punishment of being whipped with a bull's penis. You can't make this up. Who comes up with this stuff? It takes a lot of effort to make a 'cane' like that. And wouldn't it be so emasculating? Or should that be homo-erotic? I'm undecided. Either way, it's just weird. Or private boys' school. Or both.

The stove heating the hall, fed from the kitchen.

These were tough times that weren’t made easier by the climate or the choice of building materials.

A row of pots in the kitchen.

St Mary’s

The stone church was more of a walk-by on the way back to the bus, although Ani recommended that we return and go inside later, if we had time. Apparently, it is quite beautiful. 

Looks good from the outside.

And return we did, the next day to discover that opening hours this time of year equated to Fridays 12-2pm. We walked around the perimeter, like the other disappointed tourists, snapped a few photos and continued on our way. When it re-opened, we would be aboard a train to Oslo.

That's about all we could see.

On the bus

Back on the bus, we were treated to a guided drive around Bergen itself. The second largest city in Norway, Bergen is apparently still getting over the fact that it was once the capital and home to the royal family but now one of its main claims to fame is as the wettest city in Europe. It's not the only European city still lamenting a lost past. I'm looking at you Vienna.

The drive was a fascinating look at Bergen and its history. We passed the fish market and were recommended a restaurant to try. The outdoor market has yet to open for this season. Not far away was another community of wooden houses, all painted white. They were almost totally destroyed in WWII but a rebuilding and restoration program has ensured they will be around for a while longer.

Flowers are hard to come by at the moment.

Up the hill we went past a grassy, park-like area with views back to the harbour. Quite a pleasant spot, until it was explained that is where Bergen’s witches were burned at the stake. It seems an intelligent, opinionated woman was not trusted in Norway either.

The “new” church, was built in 1763. Not quite so new. Back in the day it was given the tag and it has stuck. The new church is visible from many parts of Bergen and I’m sure it a significant landmark. However, it is currently wrapped in plastic, Laura Palmer style, as work is carried out on the exterior of the building.

They love trolls in Norway.

There is an interesting statue of Henrik Ibsen that turned out to be across the road from our hotel. Ani described him as “the second greatest playwright in the world. After Shakespeare.” Hmmm. Not sure about that. How about Chekhov? Or Pinter? Or Beckett?

Ibsen has crazy eyes.

We also drove by the area where it is mostly student accommodation. Bergen, after all, boasts two universities and the students account for almost 20% of the population. In contrast, we also toured the most expensive suburb. What made it so expensive? Well, price obviously, but why? It was the part of the town that received the most sun. Now that I completely understand.

And that's where I'll end it for today. I need to split Bergen into two posts otherwise you'll never get anything done, dear reader.

Until next time.

Northern Lights (Narvik to Tromsø, Norway)

A pedestrian title perhaps dear reader but a legitimate one nonetheless. Northern Lights is a 2018 song by Death Cab for Cutie. The musical intro goes some way to capturing the swirling, spiralling light. Have a listen. 2018, I know, I'm almost relevant musically. Don't despair, it probably won't happen again.

How's the serenity?

The return to the ship on dusk was quite spectacular. As we approached the darkening port carpark, the ship with its vast array of lights was silhouetted against the arctic backdrop and there was a beautiful mirror reflection on the still waters of the fjord. 

From the bus, we could see a fire blazing on the dock. A welcome back on board BBQ? A beacon to guide us back to the ship? A Sámi traditional ceremony? No, it was a small fire pit around which the ship/port security staff were huddling to keep warm in between screening guests on and off the ship.

Jayne thought it was a light to guide our way.

Tromsø

We sailed through the night once again, dear reader, to arrive, by lunch time the next day, in Tromsø, AKA the gateway to the Arctic. This is Norway's largest city within the Arctic Circle and the second most Northerly port on our itinerary. Our passage into this city revealed a fjord coastline almost totally occupied by waterfront houses, leading into the main settlement area.

A colourful hillside coming into Tromsø.

Tromsø is much larger than Narvik and the city straddles an island and the mainland, connected by a streamlined bridge that arcs over the waterway, just adjacent to the dock. The bridge is vital to the operations of daily life in Tromsø and in fact, if it closes due to extreme weather, the city grinds to a halt. Keep in mind, what we call extreme and what the locals call extreme are two radically different things and the bridge is very rarely out of business. As we have been told several times, up here, there is no bad weather - there is only bad clothing! 

Tromsø from the Cathedral

It is said that visitors from the South, surprised at the sophistication of the community and its cultural pursuits, have termed Tromsø the Paris of the North. Hmmmm ... not so much. Tromsø is, however, certainly more picturesque than Narvik and its desirability as a place to live is reflected in its real estate prices; in Norway, it's ranked second only to Oslo.

Citizen Science

The first excursion of the day was a solo one. Four hours wandering the frozen woods outside Tromsø with a biologist from the Arctic University doing bird things. Who would have thought Jayne would not be interested? Today we were installing nesting boxes for the local populations of tits, specifically the Great Tit and also removing some other boxes that don't make the grade.

Arty shot. Oh, come on, flowers are not a thing.

Optimistic as always, I brought the 300mm lens, hoping to photograph some of the local wildlife. Arriving at the bus, I immediately experienced lens envy. One of the other passengers had a 500mm lens. 

Picnic anyone?

Seven hardy souls and our guide set out for the forest which is on the main island and is surrounded by human habitation. There is a recreation area before you reach the wooded area that contains an ice hockey field, a basketball court and a picnic area. Currently, the depth of snow has rendered some of the facilities useless.

I could slam dunk on that court.

The paths in the area are well worn. Skiers have their own paths and right of way. We strapped on our snowshoes and our guide led us into the snow, explaining the concept of the project as we walked. Or, more accurately, crunched. The noise our shoes made would scare off any wildlife braving the conditions.

Note the ski path. Lock in and go.

The forest is, at present, still naked and barely showing signs of spring. The snow is still deep on the ground and snow shoes are a necessity once you deviate from the established paths. We stopped to examine droppings and tracks in the snow. Fascinating. We saw evidence of the Norwegian White Grouse (ptarmigan), hare and otters. Aside from a magpie and some jackdaws (crows), birds were not visible.

That is the handle of the spade 1.5m into the snow.

It was all very scientific and we used an app to locate, roughly, where the boxes were, although a keen eye helped. Before a new box could be placed on a tree, it was necessary to check the depth of the snow. We were placing boxes at about the 1m mark. In the summer, a ladder will be required to see if the box is inhabited.

A bird nesting box in place.

This project is being run by Wild Lab Projects. They are involving citizens in a number of different projects, all worthwhile, all focused on nature and ensuring the damage humanity does is minimised. Check out their website here.

The work we did today was insignificant really. However, if more and more people get behind projects such as this, the impact will be far greater. The money I spent participating was well worth it and I will be looking for similar projects back home.

Northern Lights at a Sámi Camp

The second excursion of the day commenced after dark and involved a bus ride, for both of us, out of town to Camp Tamok. This is home to a Sámi family, traditional owners of the Sápmi lands that form part of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Russia. During this excursion, they share with cruise guests an experience of the Sámi lifestyle, culture and the chance to see the Aurora on land away from the city lights.

We were greeted by the father of the family who invited us into their communal lavvu to sit by a warm fire, drink some tea and be introduced to the rest of the family. Especially his daughter Carolina, who unlike many Sámi children, has decided to remain in the traditional lifestyle. She works with her father to maintain the reindeer herds as well as supporting the tourism aspect of their existence.

Our host in traditional dress.

Together, they led us out firstly to meet the camp dogs who were extremely friendly and receptive to all the attention from our tour group. We were cautioned not to feed them anything, not that we had anything to offer, but physical interaction was encouraged. Each dog has its own kennel with its name on it, set out in rows just along from the lavvu. While they were quiet when we were with them, later, after we were inside again, a chorus of howls would periodically commence and increase in volume - a little bit unnerving for the uninitiated. The Sámi paid this no heed so apparently this was not an alarm about some impending threat.

I'm not from around here and I'm cold.

Next we drove a short distance from the main camp to meet some of the reindeer herd. These creatures, like the dogs, were very excited and receptive to group interactions. We could pat them but were warned to look out for their horns which might unintentionally get in the way of a close up greeting.

Reindeer and the northern lights.

The Sámi had already flagged that the Aurora was active tonight and on the walk over to the reindeer enclosure, the opportunity to again capture their shimmering images presented itself. This was achieved despite having to constantly dodge other wandering group members as well as the far reaching spray of snow that a road plough crew delivered all over us as they cleared the road. We could just imagine the workers laughing at the out-of-towners trying to run through the snow to escape a torrent of road slush, cannoning across the dark, snowy landscape.

A lavvu and the fading lights.

We then headed back to the lavvu to eat a traditional Sámi stew, bidos, consisting of a variety of locally grown vegetables and the lovely creatures we had just been patting a short time before. Well, not those exact reindeer, but certainly a relative. Not only are reindeer nice but they also taste good too. Bidos is always served as part of the Sámi wedding feast - a celebration that often gathers literally hundreds or even thousands of family members from across the Sámpi lands.

While we ate, Carolina told us about many cultural Sámi aspects including how intrinsic the reindeer are to their existence. In Norway, the Sámi alone are allowed to keep reindeer and while they obviously know their herds well, the reindeer are only semi-domesticated. Carolina then informed us that we had met only a small part of the herd - the majority were inland some way off because it is too warm near the coast for them (it was a mere -7° outside). The warmer temperatures result in the snow melting and setting, thus losing its powdery quality, which makes it too hard for the reindeer to dig down to find pasture to eat.

Lavvu in the foreground.

The reindeer provide food and clothing as well - Carolina was wearing boots she had made herself from reindeer hide which are waterproof and lined. She was also wearing a Sámi belt from which a knife hung. This was given to her by her father and is a vital everyday tool both in her work with the herds but also domestically. Even though Carolina is only in her early 20s, she has been in possession of her knife since she was a small child - "If you're old enough to walk, you are old enough to own a knife." How would that translate in the US? Just asking.

The office at Camp Tamok.

The father spoke with pride about his daughter working with him but he explained that his herd is quite separate to her herd - neither can know exactly how many reindeer each owns as this brings bad luck. The child receives a reindeer from the parent each year as a birthday present.

A last flash of colour before it's gone.

Carolina explained the symbolism of her traditional dress decorations which denote your Sámi tribe. The dress is usually made out of wool but again, Carolina's dress was a different fabric because the weather was too hot for wool. Aside from the knife, her Sámi belt sported round silver buttons to denote that she is unmarried - square buttons are for married people. In addition to the buttons, Carolina showed us a silver necklace that she always wears as the Sámi believe that silver protects its wearer. Parents never let their children venture out without some item of silver.

Exit through the gift shop.

They also spoke about their voice in the Sámi Parliament and their foundational connection to the Aurora and nature. More on this in the next post. Too soon, it was time to board the bus to drive back to the city and the ship, but the opportunity to hear indigenous people talk about their life and culture was really worthwhile and a highlight of the journey thus far.

Until next time.

Tonight's the Night (Amsterdam to Narvik, Norway)

And so, dear reader, we sat at port in Amsterdam. We could have spent the entire time at the Rijksmuseum had we known. The benefit was we had the ship to ourselves, almost, while everyone was off touristing. The afternoon was a lazy one, lunch, drinks and time in the cabin reading.

The coast outside the sheltered harbour where we waited for spare parts is lined with wind turbines. The kind that Dutton said will kill the whales if we install them off the coast of Australia. There are turbines a plenty but not one dead whale that I can see. Another piece of scaremongering from the naysayer. As I tap away at the keys, we are now on the move, as is the weather. Heavy rain is coming in from the North Sea.

Turbines are everywhere off the coast of The Netherlands and Norway.

The Restaurant

There are four restaurants on board, three of which have a dress code. The Restaurant is one of those, so not wishing to break the rules like I did on a previous cruise when I wore shorts to the dining room, I changed my joggers and jeans for chinos and shoes. While there were people dressed far more formally than I (wankers), there was a lot of denim as well as sneakers from the aged American crowd.

First sunset at sea (first visible sunset since leaving home).

We eat early. By way of explanation, Jayne is from the country. We arrived at the restaurant around 6:15pm and it was already quite well populated. The window tables were all gone. Not that there was much to see anyway. Rain and the North Sea swell. The tables were situated much closer together than they were in the The World Café.

The food was very good and the menu changes daily. The level of noise made it difficult for me to hear Jayne across the table, although I could have easily joined in the conversation four tables away. It was that sort of loud. Perhaps given the age of the clientele, it was a case of hard of hearing, speak louder. Or not. Some nationalities are just loud, as was explained to me in China. They added thoughtfully, it might be accepted but it is still unnecessary.

The pool deck. The roof retracts - in good weather.

There was a table of four women next to us. Loud, denim clad, sneaker wearing women. Next to them, as Jayne later told me, was a table of four men. So quiet I didn't even know they were there. The women's partners. The men at one table, the women at another. "It's like an Aussie BBQ," quipped Jayne. As the cruise continues, perhaps they'll opt for separate restaurants.

Following dinner, we adjourned to the Explorers' Lounge for a nightcap before being rocked to sleep by the rolling swell.

Saturday

The time lost in Amsterdam, waiting for the parts to arrive, has been made up over night and we are back on schedule. The rain is coming in bursts and the swell is around 2 metres but it is choppy. There is quite a bit of lateral movement which can facilitate unexpected meetings with fixed objects like walls.

The clouds has cleared long enough to allow a post-breakfast wander around the deck. The infinity pool at the back of the ship is heated, of course, but it is no less inviting. The indoor pool has continuous wave motion, courtesy of the sea swell.

The Wintergarden.

We attended a lecture in the afternoon on seabirds. As a bird nerd, I was excited. As someone who desperately longs to see a Puffin, I was beyond excitement. There is a real possibility that we will see an Atlantic Puffin. That would be another box ticked.

We dined at The Restaurant again. Same story, the food was very good but the tables being so close is not an enjoyable experience if you have a loud group nearby. I smashed the dress code, jeans, joggers and long sleeved T without a collar. And I was not alone.

The swell was unchanged through most of the day and sea sick bags suddenly appeared, placed discreetly all over the ship. We weren't even remotely uncomfortable. The wind had begun to abate late in the day which reduced the chop and the movement of the ship a little. Another night of being rocked to sleep.

The first sight of Norway.

Sunday

Sometimes in the early hours of the morning the rocking motion of the ship disappeared. I'm sure this made many people happy. We had reached Norway's inside passage. The water was calm and the cloud had gone. It was the best weather we'd had since leaving home. I went out onto the balcony to take a couple of shots of Norway. It was about 4° but it didn't feel that cold.

It looks like a toy boat.

The Inside Passage is created by a vast archipelago stretching along the coast of the mainland. Some of the islands are large enough to support habitation, many are not and are barren. Although this is where the sea birds breed. Some of the more distant islands are populated by wind turbines. The Australian LNP would be apoplectic about all this coal free power being generated.

The coastal villages are all so colourful

Several of the islands are breeding grounds for the Atlantic Puffin. Sadly, they are too remote for us to get to once the cruise is over. But, if I see one, you'll certainly read about it. This morning before breakfast, I spotted Kittiwake and Fulmar, pelagic birds of this area, flying alongside the ship.

The Inside Passage is dotted with islands.

Port Talk

We ditched the afternoon lecture and watched a movie in our cabin, sorry stateroom. Barbie. Yep. Jayne has been hoping to see it and to date, it hasn't been available on any planes we've been on. Sadly. I could have lived without it. (Patriarchal perspective clearly on display here... editor's note).

The steeple caught my eye.

Following Barbie was Ken. Actually, it was a Spanish rosé as we whiled away the time before the port talk. If ever, dear reader, you wanted a defining difference between generations, the port talk captured it. There are 900 people on board the ship and most of them will be disembarking at Narvik for a shore excursion. Or at least to walk on solid ground after 3 days at sea. 

A lighthouse.

The talk would be crowded. It was to commence at 4:30pm. We walked into the theatre at 4:15pm and it was already packed. There were very few seats - and that is a generational difference. I could make jokes about lack of mobility and people needing to get seated early, or suggest hearing issues were the cause of over-punctuality, wanting a seat near the speaker. Or, as you age, just that mentality that develops to be early to ensure the best seat or being first. Whatever.

Environmentally farmed fish. Hey Tasmania check it out.

The Cruise Director and his assistant provided almost 90 minutes of information on the excursions scheduled in Narvik tomorrow as well as a brief history of the area. It was quite a significant port early on in WWII and was home to a sea battle between German and Allied ships, a number of which ended up on the bottom of the harbour.

We were told the possibility of seeing the lights commences tonight as we cross the line into the Arctic Circle. This will occur around 2:30am when we are, hopefully, sleeping soundly. Clothes and cameras need to be at the ready when we go to bed this evening. There will not be an announcement if the lights are sighted, but those fools, like me, who want to see them, no matter what the time, have a cabin call arranged.

The ship John West rejected. We opted for Viking.

Which brings us inexorably to today's title, a Rod Stewart hit from 1977, remember? No. Well, have a listen. Unlike the lyrics direct, I won't stay away from the window because I want to see the lights and tonight is the night we cross into the Arctic Circle.

Until next time.