Greenland
August 25, 2015
Hello Fellow Rider,
Over the years, I have been fortunate to travel the world using a variety of animate and inanimate conveyances.
I have flown on many fixed-wing aircraft, both propeller and jet, from a Boeing 747 to a Boeing DC 3 to an Embraer 190.
But today, something new.
MS Vesterålen
Hurtigruten Limited
Come to Norway to see the fjords.
What’s a fjord?
Here’s the brief answer:
Geologically, a fjord or fiord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by glacial erosion.
The steep sides of the cliffs decend straight down to the seabed.
The sea is quite deep, deep enough for a large cruise ship.
The fjord is so narrow that the sides of the cliff pass ever so close to the side of the ship - close enough to almost reach out and touch them.
The remarkable moment comes when, in this narrow channel, the cruise ship stops near the end of the fjord, turns one hundred and eighty degrees and returns to the open sea.
15 August – 20 August 2015
Excursions:
Henningsvær
Lofoten Archipelago
Norway
I love taking photos at this fishing village. (Population 440).
The sun is bright. The colorful buildings along the inlet seem to be admiring themselves in an aquatic mirror.
Henningsvær is part of the Lofoten Islands chain. A good place to relax and enjoy the surroundings.
Kirkenes
Norway
August 15, 2015
Hello,
So I leave my hotel and take a walk around the empty streets of Kirkenes, the embarkation point for my cruise down the coast of Norway.
Weather is still mild in this Arctic town. A lovely church. Flower boxes adorn the homes and businesses. Boats in the harbor. A War Memorial. The Second World War was particularly harsh here.
Kirkenes is only 225km (140 mi) from Murmansk, Russia. Signs here in Cyrillic.
