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NordNorge stopped at four ports overnight – Stokmarknes, Sortland, Risøyhamn and Harstad and we slept through the lot!
Little bit of a lie in and a later breakfast today as it was scenic sailing this morning.
We were out on deck for the sail into Finnsnes where we stopped for half hour. People were getting off to take photos of the ship. Most managed to stay upright as it was really icy outside.
As we were travelling through a narrow channel, it was very scenic and if it wasn’t so cold, we’d have stayed out longer. Maelstrom around island – one of the strongest currents in Norway – but nothing really to see in the sea, just the surroundings.
Eagle-eyed Jon (well, Jon armed with Binoculars!) spotted a teeny house a top of a large hill.
The one thing we really wanted to see in Tromsø was the Ice Cathedral – you could see it across the bridge from the ship.
We got a taxi over to there and braved the bus back (wish we’d just jumped back in a taxi as the bus tickets cost more than the taxi over!! Had a wander around the town and found the Sami Shop which was brightly light. Really pretty town and as it was getting darker, the lights were coming on.
Seafood Buffet Feast tonight due to the later stop. We were down for 6.30 and the place was packed. We got there just in time as people were then asked to wait a short while for a table. The staff were all working incredibly hard trying to look after the diners and clear tables ready.
Quiz night in the Crows Nest tonight. We headed up to watch the sailout from Tromsø. It was pretty quiet to start with. Jon decided to try the spinning reclining chairs on the side and then spent the next five minutes playing at being Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. We had just got settled when the announcement came that there were beautiful Northern Lights on the Port side.
Everyone rushed out and the barman was left on his own! He said he’s used to it! We quickly headed back to the cabin to change and headed out. They weren’t as clear as the previous night but they were there – and a hint of pink in these. There was a bit of cloud around which hid a lot of the activity.
We were out for 30 mins or so and they were fading away so we went back to the Crows Nest. They had a Coastal Cuisine event on and they ended up setting up right next to where we sat! They were offering tastings of a traditional cured lamb that served on special occasions. It was served on a flatbread with sour cream and it was actually really nice.
The Music Quiz followed on and it was a name the Movie and one of the key actors in the film. The commentary was in English and German. The funniest thing was one of the team acting out some of the films running around the room. We thought we’d done OK – and were really surprised when we won with 53/60. Our prize was an upgrade to eat in the posh restaurant. It was something we were thinking of doing so this was a really nice prize. Just got to decide which night to try it out!
Skjervøy was the final stop for today and we were pulling in just as we collected our prize. We headed out on deck and the were surprised to see that a thin layer of snow was coating the deck. We were only stopping for 10 minutes but it looked a really pretty town built up around the harbour.
We did check to see if any lights were visible but the cloud had now come in. Jon’s fingers are crossed that we have some rough seas tonight. Since leaving Tromsø, there’s been a very slight pitching so you do feel as though you’re at sea. As we head to open water (Barents Sea) to go around the top of Norway, Jon’s hoping it may get a little more lumpy. Not too lumpy I hope – our bed is quite high and don’t want to fall out!!
