Photo Link

We got last minute tickets for the bus tour to Nordkapp. Supposed to be 45 minutes each way, leaving a good amount of time at the Nordkapp Center. This center is an expansive place just the other side of nowhere. Large restaurant, large gift shop, a large cinema, and lots of exhibits both inside and out.

The weather was foggy all the way out, then sleet and a little snow mixed with the fog, until it began raining. We stopped at a fake Sami camp, complete with reindeer, for picture-taking. The bus dropped us at the Center. We walked out to the end of the land so we could check it off. The symbol and a grumpy farfar are shown at right, with fog.

We did the cinema, which showed many beautiful videos of the landscape. We saw a few of the dioramas about the scene. Then we did the gift shop, where I bought a pair of socks. We sat around for several minutes. We had our picture taken with a pair of trolls. We came across Fran, who had taken a non-HA tour that came here as well as other places. Then we waited outside the exit for the bus. No bus. Cold. We walked to the Children of the World exhibit and took pictures. Returned. No bus. We grew tired of the sleet and went back inside. Went back out. No bus. Finally a string of three buses came, which started a massive stampede. We boarded the bus assigned to our group and returned to Honningsvåg.

We investigated the shop next to the tourist center and bought a few more things. Then we stopped in the tourist center but we didn't find anything we needed. So now D has been to her farthest-north place.

The we returned to the ship and ate a light lunch, and then walked to the cabin to rest.

We hopped (straggled?) up for the Happy Hour in the Crow's Nest which included Trivia. Joined Duane & Fran. Had our wines & chatted. Did miserably at Trivia but would have done better had we followed our hunches. Duane left for errands. We kept chatting with Fran about future cruise desires - narrowed it down to a couple hundred. Also talked cats. Fran and Duane have now been to the southern-most port (Ushuaia) and northern-most (Honningsvåg). We watched the ship get underway, which was rapidly done. Now we go to sea for two days.

We agreed to do nothing tonight.

Later, we did get a snack at Lido then returned and rested. The made a slow pass past Nordkapp then picked up the pace & headed west (later it will be SW). Rolling slightly, just enough to start the room squeaking.

3 June 2019 Møndag At Sea NW of Tromsø

At 0900, we have a mostly blue sky overhead this morning but a line of clouds to the NW might be coming our way. The ship is proceeding slowly (13.5 knots) toward Hellesylt while letting passengers relax at sea, and maybe warm up. The rolling of last evening has stopped; wind is nearly calm. The sun did not rise this morning and in this location it will set in July.

We did a leisurely day with trips here and there on the ship. Went shopping for shampoo but didn't find my brand so I'll use the stuff in the shower. Mom found a pin and a Christmas ornament.

We did the Mariner's Lunch (for multi-time sailors) that was nice. We sat next to two Dutch ladies and did well enough linguistically to compare cruise notes. We each received our memento tile.

We wandered through the casino. I'd bought D $20 for her statistics study of how long it would take to loose it. She came back to me (having a beer) and told me she'd won $100. She hit some combination on a penny machine that paid off well. I told her to put it away for some frivolous thing someday.

We did the second-drink-for-$2 routine but the service was terrible - as though someone forgot to assign enough people to the event. But we were served and then Travel Trivia started. We did better this time but still didn't win.

Back to the cabin to rest for a bit, then off to dinner. Very nice setting, looking at the Norwegian mountains in the distance. Good interplay with Ricardo the wine steward. Good service by Harris (Harry). Nice Beef Wellington and Sacher Torte.

Then we gave up. Time to read and rest and do little computer chores. No sunset this day but there should be a sunrise tomorrow.

4 June 2019 Tyrsdag At Sea

Photo Link (very few)

At our 1000 location of 65*46.12'N, 8*41.62'E, sunrise occurred at 0241 and sunset will happen at 0016 tomorrow. We'll soon be off Trondheim.

The ship hooted the fog horn for part of the night but visibility has improved under cloudy skies, temperature 48*f.

Neither of us slept well, for no particular reason we can think of.

I went off to the 1100 lecture on TTD in Hellesylt & Bergen. We'll do Cruising Geirangerfjord 0800-0900 before docking at Hellesylt at 1000. We can walk around before our bus tour. In Bergen at 0800, HOHO starts at 0900, our tour is in the afternoon. All aboard 1730 both days.

We had a light lunch in the Lido. A smallish military patrol craft passed by fairly close going the other way at 1230. At 1400 we were near an oil rig (right).