DINING ON THE KIEL CANAL

Preparing the lock in Brunsbuttel for the ten
hour transit of the Kiel Canal

It was a surprise to learn that the Kiel Canal is the world’s busiest man-made waterway.

Motorcraft tie up against
larger vessels

Over a hundred years old, the Canal is sixty miles long, extending from the North Sea locks at Brunsbuttel to Kiel on the Baltic.

Another interesting fact is that Kiel’s harbour has annually hosted the world’s largest regatta ever since the Canal opened.

Approximately 120 ships make the Canal transit each day, saving themselves a 400 mile detour around the top of Denmark.  Ten major bridges, a rail viaduct and a road tunnel pass across the Canal and there is a great deal of ferry traffic. 

Ready for the off!

Sharing a joke between tunes

Our transit was delayed for several hours because of heavy rains. Water levels in the Canal had risen to the point where lock operations were impacted which required a draw down into the Elbe River before we could enter the lock.

When operations resumed we were fascinated by the various craft that entered the locks with us - cargo containers, bulk carriers, oil tankers and all manner of small sailing vessels.

A dairy farmer, volunteer fire fighter
and pretty good on the French Horn

During our transit we were treated to a band composed of local volunteer firefighters and their children who joined the ship at the North Sea lock while all things German were served for lunch.

The band was fantastic and the musicians lots of fun.  One of the band members told us she was a dairy farmer while another, who spoke English with absolutely no accent at all, told us she had been a nanny in Vancouver.

Sun sets over the Canal

The transit was especially beautiful. Rolling farmland dotted with grazing sheep and cattle, small communities of attractive homes, swaths of forest and a canal path that was frequented by people walking their dogs, cyclists and curious onlookers who waved as we passed -  a cruise ship an evocative sight amongst the commercial traffic. 

The ship's photographer
captures a nice moment

Wind turbines turned lazily in half hearted unison while the sounds of singing birds added to the calm of the transit.  Swans and ducks swam effortlessly in the ship’s wake, unfazed by the procession of shipping. 

Martinis and Canapes to start ....

Later in the transit we enjoyed a special treat - dinner served on our cabin balcony. 

One of Rangsan’s specialty Vesper martinis appeared served with canapés.

Several hours later .......

This was followed by Black & Blue French Onion Soup, Goat Cheese and Candied Walnut Salad, Beef Tenderloin with Asparagus and Mushrooms followed by a sinfully rich chocolate dessert and cheese selection.

The Merlot did a fine job of accompanying the dinner, so much so, the champagne remained unopened.

A mighty fine way to travel from sea to sea.

A killer dessert!

MRS HALL, CAN I TAKE THE TEST AGAIN?

The signature gables of Amsterdam's buildings

There’s a lot of truth to the maxim God created the world, but the Dutch made Holland.  Much of the country lies below sea level, protected from tidal flooding and salt water by dikes and dams. 

Holland has expanded its borders by systemically excluding sea water from an area, washing the salt from the soil and producing land called a polder which is then reclaimed for agriculture.The origins of Amsterdam itself came from the construction of a protective dam on the Amstel River.

Riderless bicycles lean against the railings,
catching a breath before the next assault

Like Venice, much of Amsterdam is built on pilings and as we cruised the network of canals fanning out in a series of concentric crescents from Dam Square, we admired the architectural styles of the gabled buildings. 

Stylish buildings and vibrant greenery

Passing colourful houseboats and all manner of watercraft, we were struck by the incessant stream of fast moving bicycles on the roads adjoining and crossing the canals, their riders intent on the road ahead - pedestrians beware!

Most houses lining the canals are tall and thin, allowing only the narrowest of stairways. Many have sturdy iron hooks set in their roof lines - some quite elaborate in design. Using the hook, furniture can be hoisted to the appropriate floor then pulled through the window. 

We noticed a furniture removal company in action with a specialized crane and small platform utilizing a building's hook moving items from the street to an upper floor. Quite the operation.

A view of bridge after bridge

Amsterdam has many museums and galleries, one of which houses the world’s largest collection of Van Gogh paintings and drawings.  

Be prepared for long line ups -
its worth the wait

Standing a few inches away from Sunflowers, The Potato Eaters and some of his self portraits, it was simply wonderful to get up close to study Van Gogh’s unique brush strokes and use of colour, yellow in particular.

Doug pondered his schoolboy days in Mrs. Hall’s art class when he had been asked to provide a review of Sunflowers.  His response had been that it looked like a bunch of dead flowers. Not surprisingly this was not the critique Mrs. Hall had been looking for.
  
Perhaps it was time for Doug to take the test again.

The world turned on its side - Doug now an art critic of the highest order.
Mrs Hall would be impressed!

PINING FOR THE FIORDS AT PULPIT ROCK

Pulpit Rock from the waters of Lysefjord

No visit to Stavanger would be complete without a cruise along Lysefjord to Pulpit Rock.  This unusually shaped rock lies atop a steep wall of granite rising vertically 2000 feet above the waters of the Fjord. 

The unique shape of the summit of the cliff face was formed during the Ice Age when water from a glacier froze in the crevices of the mountainside.  Over time large blocks of rock broke away and what was left behind was the odd angular plateau which became known as Pulpit Rock. 

From a poster seen in town

The summit is popular with hikers, thrill seekers and, occasionally, those who have decided to end it all.  From our vantage point on the water we felt we had selected the right choice as we craned our necks to study the summit.  

Our stomachs turned as we spotted people walking along the edge of Pulpit Rock.  There are no guard rails and one step too close to the edge could be one's last.

We cruised back to Stavanger enjoying the scenery on either side of the Fjord as it changed from steep cliffs to rolling farmland.

The colourful old town

Norway’s fourth city is made up of a series of islands connected by a network of bridges.  Located on Norway’s southwestern coast, the scenery is spectacular.  The area has also benefited from a robust local oil industry. 

Gamle Stavanger homes

Stavanger is a pedestrian-friendly city with narrow streets that wind past interesting buildings although many of the chains are well represented in town which takes away from the charm of some of the one of a kind businesses.  

However, old Stavanger or Gamle Stavanger boasts an interesting area made up of 18^th and 19^th Century era wooden heritage buildings. A walk along the winding cobble stoned laneways of this part of town took us to another world. 

The white buildings with their red-tiled roofs are decorated with window boxes, pots and baskets that cascade a riot of colour.  

Residents were taking in the sunshine making use of attractive seating areas in their community while artists used their watercolours to capture the landscape.  

This was our final port of call in Norway and what has been a fascinating journey to the Land of the Midnight Sun. Thanks to the friends we met along the way, especially those who came with us.

Table 45 soaking up the views

Such a great trip!

We guessed we would be pining for the fiords for the next little while and would possibly be a little Norwegian blue (with apologies to Monty Python).

HUNG OUT TO DRY IN THE LOFOTEN ISLANDS

Dramatic scenery of the Lofoten Islands

From the remnants of ancient mountains, glacial activity has transformed Norway's Lofoten Islands creating stunning scenery with jagged peaks, deep valleys and picturesque harbours. 

The drama continues in the water with the Maelstrom, the strongest tidal current in the world, coursing between its islands.  

Still above the Artic Circle, the Gulf Stream ensures a temperate climate although as we have discovered on our Norwegian travels, "what will be, will be" is the most reliable weather forecast.

Fishing, farming and tourism are the primary activities on the Islands - with heavy emphasis on the first. Cod is the most abundant fishery and the Islanders claim that Lofoten has the most concentrated cod fishery in the world. Not hard to believe as we passed countless racks of drying cod and cod heads, the aroma pungent and very fishy.

Tor Vegard explains his techniques to an
interested audience

Driving the winding roads and travelling through the undersea tunnels between Vestvagoy, Flakstadoy and Moskenesoy Islands, salmon farming is also prevalent in the bays and inlets.

We enjoyed a stop in the village of Sund and the Blacksmith's shop of Tor Vegard, a genius at creating art from lumps of steel.

The Blacksmith's shop was filled
with his clever creations

Perhaps best known for his beautiful steel cormorants, we were taken with Tor Vegard's seahorses which he created before our very eyes in no time at all. One had to come home with us.  He was kind enough to sign and date the large pebble on which the seahorse was mounted.

Tor Vegard is quite the showman, not just skilled with the forge but a natural at entertaining the crowd gathered to watch him work.

A restored Rorbuer

Travelling on to the next village, we enjoyed the landscapes which were dotted with well kept homes and immaculately tended gardens, the odd house with the trademark Norwegian grass roof.

We noticed many examples of Rorbuers, old fishermen's cabins now restored and turned into accommodation for holidaymakers.

Throughout the day's travels we were struck by the cheerfully painted red and yellow buildings which reflected moodily in the clear green water while seagulls screeched urgently above the drying cod. The serenity of the landscape - and the smell - palpable.
  

Nusfjord waterfront

Overcast skies brightened
by translucent reflections

We stopped for lunch in Nusfjord, Norway’s oldest and best preserved fishing village in the Island group.

With so much cod hanging out to dry it only seemed fitting to tackle some for lunch.  Very tasty too!

Cod hanging out to dry

TRIPPING THROUGH THE TUNDRA IN FINNMARK

The people you run into at the top of the world!

On the plus side, the Gulf Stream ensures there is no hard freeze in the North Cape at the top of Europe - but the weather still makes its presence felt.  Sunny skies, cold mist, strong winds, snow, hail and rain come and go at will - and this is during summer-long daylight.  We shuddered to think of 24 hours of darkness during the depths of winter.

Driving from the port of Honningsvag to 71 degrees north at North Cape we found ourselves on the northern tip of the European continent.  This sparse, treeless landscape still had plenty of snow. Reindeer grazed on the exposed grasslands, their horns discarded for the summer. 

The Northernmost tip of Europe -
over our shoulders the North Pole

The view from the craggy rock face at lands end gave us a sense of the history of the waters beyond the Cape.  During World War II the North Cape area saw a lot of action during the attacks on Arctic convoys to Russia and the Murmansk front.

The main occupation of this region is fishing, and cod hung drying just about everywhere on extensive wooden drying racks.  Sleepy fishing villages with weather beaten houses overlooked protected harbours, their colourful boats bobbing on the incoming tide.  Life must be hard here but the rugged beauty attracts many visitors - campers and cyclists were at the Cape in force.

Colourful homes brighten the stark landscape

The next morning we were greeting in Alta by a howling blizzard, large snowflakes flying in all directions.  Our excursion to Statkraft’s Alta River dam in the Finnmarksvidda region, and home of the indigenous Sami people, had lost some of its appeal but we need not have worried.  The weather’s manic behaviour continued - snow gave way to hail and rain before the cloud cover lifted and sunshine forced its way through. 

The drive to the Alta River canyon took us through lush farmlands and as we climbed from the valley the landscape changed dramatically.  Trees were smaller and many were stunted, large quantities of slate lay on either side of the road, and torrents of water rushed by in overflowing streams, bloated by the Spring melt.  The sun cast an attractive glow over the landscape which bore a generous dusting from the morning’s snowstorm.

The Alta River Canyon

The Alta River canyon is stunning.  A river rich in salmon, prospective fishers apply in a lottery for permission to fish.  The dam’s construction in this pristine environment was hugely controversial and there were vigorous demonstrations against its construction. A consensus was eventually reached and design modifications made that resulted in construction of a powerhouse that is mostly underground.  Water and fish management strategies sensitive to the local waters are strictly enforced.

Pull up a reindeer skin and gather round

Then a change of pace.  Entertained in a Sami Lavvu we sat cross-legged on reindeer skins around a crackling fire.  The wind had whipped up again but the tent was warm and cozy.  

Snacking on dried reindeer meat and maze cake we listened to stories of Sami history and culture from a father and son.  After some training we participated in the joik, Sami chant-like songs.  We weren’t very good but our Sami hosts were gracious.

I have a thousand head of reindeer to tend

Luckily I have a fully loaded Audi to help me

A Sami Lavvu - great protection from the elements

As we left the Lavvu, the sun had all but disappeared and before long blizzard conditions had returned.

We had to remind ourselves it was the middle of June.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Magdalenafjord vista

It seemed unnatural that at 2 a.m. the sky was bright with the sun beaming down on our terrace.  

We were in a zone where even the ship’s navigator was reporting on a daily basis that the time of sunrise and sunset was no longer applicable.

At 80 degrees latitude we had arrived off the west coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard Archipelago.

Sunshine, Wind and Snow all at once.
Remote and Beautiful

750 miles from the North Pole, Spitsbergen has the distinction of being the northernmost place on earth where people live year-round.  These people must be made of very stern stuff.

A long way from home

To gain some perspective we consulted the Atlas.

We confirmed our position at a latitude with the northernmost tip of Greenland but high above Alaska’s northerly border and the Beaufort Sea.  

With Iceland well below us we followed the Arctic Circle around the globe, finding ourselves on a latitude with the Severnaya Islands - Siberia and the Barents Sea to the south.  

Looking at Canadian boundaries, we were well above Nunavut, Canada’s northernmost Territory, Victoria Island and Baffin Bay but on a similar latitude to Ellesmere Island. A moment to be sure when we held pause to consider our remote position.

Blessed once again with picture perfect weather, at 0700 we cruised slowly into Magdalenafjord to craggy snow capped mountains and snowfields with glaciers that swept majestically down to the sea. It was a balmy -7 degrees and as the ship slowly turned in the fiord, an icy blast swept across the bow.  

The weather was in a constant state of change - bright sunlight created beautiful reflections in the water while the wind swept puffy clouds briskly across the sky.  Blinded by sunlight one moment, we pulled our hoods up tightly as snowflakes brushed our faces the next.The fiord was awash with sea ice that crackled like crushed cellophane.  Birds swooped down with curiosity, the only sound that interrupted the silence.  This harsh landscape was breathtakingly beautiful - its starkness accentuated as a reindeer sauntered across a barren snowfield.

This is the Great White North

We left Magdalenafjord with a heading to Ny Alesund, a research station established in the 1960s and home to the Arctic Marine Laboratory and the Global Atmosphere Watch.

Not your usual port of call, Ny Alesund can be summed up as a community of scientists with rifles, sled dogs, skidoos, sophisticated communications with the odd concrete bunker set amongst the colourful wooden homes of the residents.

Sled dogs watch their masters carefully

Packing serious heat

The boundaries of the village were posted with “do not cross” polar bear warnings - unless of course you had a weapon. It felt a little surreal and putting our imaginations to the test, we wondered if Ny Alesund was all that it appeared to be…….

Our onward journey takes us south east to North Cape on the Norwegian mainland, the northernmost point of the European continent, and hopefully a few degrees warmer.

Who are these tourists anyway?

NORTH OF 66 TO THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN

Cuddle up!

Tromso has been the starting point for many a polar expedition, its moniker as “Gateway to the Arctic” well earned. Located inside the Arctic Circle at a latitude of 70 degrees north we arrived on 11 June - well and truly in the land of the midnight sun - the middle of the night as bright as midday.

Here's licking at you

Can I come home with you?

We began our explorations with a drive to Kvaloya Island to visit Tove Sorensen’s Husky Wilderness Camp.











Tove is a well known dog sled racer having competed in the Finnmarkslopet, the world’s northernmost and Europe’s longest sled dog race.  She has also competed in Alaska’s Iditarod race and we watched an interesting film showing the dogs’ journey from Norway to Alaska.  We patted and played with some of her 300 dogs, cuddled puppies and stroked new borns whose eyes had barely opened.

Returning back to town we visited Tromso’s Polar Museum. Testament to Norway’s heritage, the Museum is full of interesting hunting, trapping and exploration displays - and in particular the achievements of the great Norwegian explorers Amundsen and Nansen.

Tromso's Arctic Cathedral

Leaving the Museum, we walked across the bridge from the main part of town to take a look at the unusual Arctic Cathedral located on the mainland.  Constructed of concrete, steel and glass, the Cathedral’s interior is illuminated by indirect light and three crystal chandeliers designed to resemble ice formations.  One is drawn to a striking stained glass window which occupies the entire east wall behind the altar.

Glorious day atop Mount Storsteinen - Ocean Princess
at dock in the harbour below

The day was clear and sunny so a ride on the cable car to the top of Mount Storsteinen was a must.  We were rewarded with a glorious view over the Tromso area, its islands, waterways and snow capped mountains. 

We had walked a long way and a ride back to town on the city bus was very appealing.  Now sensitized to Norway's high cost of living we didn’t flinch at the $9 per person bus fare. Rather, our feet gave grateful thanks.

Sailing away from Tromso that evening our heading took us northwest across the Norwegian Sea with our next destination in two days at 80 degrees latitude in the Svalbard Archipelago at Spitsbergen.

Wolfgang fits us up in Chef's jackets for our dining extravaganza

Our Head waiter flanked by the Maitre D' and
Executive Chef (no pressure) serving the
Strawberry Cracked Black Pepper Sherbet 

Our adventures continued that evening when we participated in the Chef’s Table, an evening of fine dining with wine pairings and the opportunity to talk food with the Executive Chef and the Maitre D.  The evening began in the Galley where dinner service was in full swing.  

Dressed in white Chef coats, we watched the proceedings while we enjoyed Hors d’oeuvres comprising a Ginger & Red Chilli Tuna Cocktail, Foie Gras, Mini Quiche and Orange Bacardi Lobster Panko - served with perfectly chilled French Champagne. 

Leaving the Galley we moved on to the steakhouse restaurant where a special table had been set for our group of ten.  Alongside another table was ready for the Executive Chef and his colleagues where the finishing touches were put to the remaining courses, the first of which was Asparagus Risotto with Langoustine & Lobster Claws. This was followed by Strawberry Cracked Black Pepper Sherbet topped with Grey Goose Vodka. 

Executive Chef Erik applying the port wine
reduction to the Baked Camembert Cheese

The main course was a combination of Prawns, Roast Veal Chop & Beef Tenderloin served with Green Peppercorn Sauce, followed by Baked Camembert Cheese in Port Wine Reduction.  For dessert a Drambuie Parfait with a Raspberry Heart.  

This sumptuous meal was accompanied by a French Chablis, a California Merlot and a Chilean late vintage Sauvignon Blanc. 

Certainly another day to remember, hard to beat!