We are now in Tromso on the final leg of our journey North. Blogger and my i-Pad do not get on well together.
It gets light an hour before lunch and dark a couple of hours later. 'Light' in this sense means a sort of murky grey. 'Dark' is a pitch blackness of an intensity that sets itself apart from the Scottish gloom we're used to. It started to snow heavily three day ago and the decks are now six inches deep in the stuff. Every so often a group of unhappy Norwegian teenagers attempt to emulate Sisyphus and clear a passage round the promenade deck . By the time they've gone 50 yards the snow has drifted back again. They look glum - as indeed anyone in their shoes might. More snow and a force 10 gale are expected tonight. The Captain has said the weather may be 'inclement' and we may have to bypass one or two of our planned ports of call. I'm guessing this is either Norwegian understatement or an attempt a humour.
Entertainment is provided by two unshaven young Irish musicians who sing Celtic ballads to the crowd who frequent the large bar at the back of the ship. They display resolute enthusiasm. For the more upmarket clientele in the wine bar a group of four attractive young Ukrainian lady cellists in identical duck egg blue dresses have a repertoire of pieces by lesser known classical composers. On 'gala' nights the two Irish boys join the Ukrainian ladies in an 'unforgettable performance of your favourite ABBA hits'. The word 'unforgettable' does a lot of heavy lifting in that description. Cruise ship owners seem to be big on 'gala' nights.
Most of the passengers are locals heading home after shopping trips to Oslo or Bergen. They wear brightly coloured clothing and spend much of their time consuming beer or aquavit in industrial quantities. They like to have lunch at 11.30 and dinner at 5 which is very Scandinavian. Unexpectedly, there are a large number of Italians intent on seeing the Northern Lights. I'd guess there must be a hundred of them. They started the voyage in stylish Milanese cold weather outfits trimmed with fur. By day three all pretence of style had gone and they had adopted the simple expedient of wearing every item of clothing they'd brought with them. They complain about the cold.
Most interesting of all are a group of a dozen or so bemused retirees from Phoenix. They're all celebrating their wedding anniversaries together. Many have never left America before . Coming to Northern Norway in winter seems an unusual choice for first time foreign travellers but I leave this though unvoiced. One man informs me that they'd flown into London from Arizona aboard British Airways. The phrases 'Couldn't understand a word of their accents', ' check in was a zoo' and ' what in Gods name is a queue ?' sums up his experience. Another says he's used to bad weather having been to Flagstaff a few winters go. The women wear lots of chunky jewellery to brighten up their black trouser suits. The men wear Hawaiian shirts to dinner. The chefs emphasis on seafood is not universally admired. The poor things are also discovering the joys of jet lag.
So far we've not seen the Northern Lights but have had some wonderful dinners ashore.
9 comments:
Thanks for the update. Apparently Maine has been the place for the Aurora the last few nights.
(You really wanted to know that, didn’t you?)
Hari OM
... yes, some of my other blogpals have been posting some amazing shots of the aurora - from Kansas! But they haven't had the fun of adventure upon the North Sea. If it makes you feel any better, here in Edinburgh at nearly midday, it's barely above gloaming, and pelting rain just now. Ta for the update and am glad that at least the eatables have been approved! YAM xx
Oh dear! It sounds as though, apart from the wonderful meals on land, the cruise has been not quite up to expectations.
Some years ago we were warned about a similar cruise with Hurtigrutan and the fact that it's really only a ferry taking people back home to the more remote parts of Northern Norway. We drove part of the way, enjoying the beautiful scenery and marvelled at the continuous daylight - but it was midsummer!
Not wishing to rub it in, as it were, I have been shopping in town this morning and everyone seems to still be in shorts and T-shirts! The temperatures during the day, around 26ยบ, make a mockery of the winter clothes in the shop windows. It is, however, unprecedented.
Coppa's Girl
With these kinds of experiences at least there is entertainment value in the telling for year to come!
It sounds like a memorable adventure, with many stories to be told. It is so great to hear from. you.
Yes, according to NPR, they've been seeing the aurora as far south as Florida this week - https://www.npr.org/2025/11/12/nx-s1-5274739/northern-lights-aurora-borealis-solar-storms Perhaps you could have gone to Kiaweh and seen them there, although it wouldn't have been nearly as much of an adventure. I'm glad all your restaurant research is paying off.
Oh my! It sounds like the best in people watching fun! I think I would have firmly attached myself to the Irish lads. TY for the laughs, I hope you are keeping your sunny outlook. BTW, they say the northern lights could be seen in varying degrees from Maine to Florida this week. With our 2 year old sheepadoodle and 6 month old goldendoodle, we fall into bed early. Lights out.
A most excellent post throughout, but I burst out laughing at the ABBA section--that was positively brilliant (Arizonans was a close second).
Your American travelers always seem so gauche and clueless. Aloha shirts are an odd choice for an Artic cruise.
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