Land of the midnight sun
This is a cruise unlike most others, as Hurtigruten’s ships have sailed the Norwegian coasts for more than a century. These working ships provide ferry services to small settlements and larger cities up and down the coast – they are able to enter fjords barred to other vessels, so you will meet plenty of ordinary Norwegians going about their daily business.
Stopping in Tromsø, a city deep in the Arctic Circle, and still a little stunned by the strange luminosity of the midnight sun, we had plenty of time to take in the sights – rising with a funicular up the mountain to look down on the colourful city below – as well as attend a midnight concert at the cathedral. This unique building of glass and concrete, inspired by a rocky island, was designed by a local architect; its amazing views were matched by the classical music and Sami folk songs. The Sami are the indigenous people of the Arctic.
Before leaving, we visited a small Norwegian village – soon to be starring in its own Norwegian reality TV show – and had lunch at the Sommarøy hotel. We then had a chance to try sea kayaking, a memorable experience, which gets you very close to nature as you paddle – in my case not very quickly – round the coast. This is quite physically demanding.
As a dog-lover I was seduced by a visit to a dog-sledding centre where you can learn about this most famous of winter sports from one of the few female dog-sled champions. Moreover, you can meet dozens of adorable Arctic huskies – these are friendly, sociable working dogs. If you are there in winter, you could try dog sledding.
The ship itself is very modern, with comfortable cabins and even a Jacuzzi on the upper deck. Some of the smaller stops last 30 minutes, and although you can disembark, you can also just observe Norwegian life from the deck. The food in the ship’s restaurant was fresh and local – crab, cod and reindeer – Norwegians are justifiably proud of their cuisine.
If you don’t fancy being entertained by a singer after supper in the bar, relax and watch the coastline, with its towering mountains – some looking like giant sleeping trolls – deep fjords and the occasional house. A trip in winter would be different as you would have the Northern Lights to keep you company, but in summer there’s too much daylight.
Henningsvær fishing village in Lofoten
On our last night before reaching Trondheim we saw a pod of orca (killer whales) keeping company with the ship – our paths coincided for a while, and it was a real pleasure to see their joyful leaping and gambolling above the waves. One of my personal highlights was the sea-eagle safari. We transferred to much shorter boats to find Norway’s famous raptors. To my surprise, these normally elusive birds came down quickly enough, and we had dozens of sightings of them scooping up fish effortlessly from the sea or air, sometimes only a few metres away from us.
Norway, with its remarkably unspoilt nature and sublime coastline, has much to show the world about how people can coexist happily with their environment.
Classic Voyage South (six days) between 1 June and 31 August 2014, costs from £1,104 per person, based on two sharing. Flights cost extra and can be booked via Hurtigruten: 0844-448 7601, www.hurtigruten.co.uk
Stopping in Tromsø, a city deep in the Arctic Circle, and still a little stunned by the strange luminosity of the midnight sun, we had plenty of time to take in the sights – rising with a funicular up the mountain to look down on the colourful city below – as well as attend a midnight concert at the cathedral. This unique building of glass and concrete, inspired by a rocky island, was designed by a local architect; its amazing views were matched by the classical music and Sami folk songs. The Sami are the indigenous people of the Arctic.
Before leaving, we visited a small Norwegian village – soon to be starring in its own Norwegian reality TV show – and had lunch at the Sommarøy hotel. We then had a chance to try sea kayaking, a memorable experience, which gets you very close to nature as you paddle – in my case not very quickly – round the coast. This is quite physically demanding.
As a dog-lover I was seduced by a visit to a dog-sledding centre where you can learn about this most famous of winter sports from one of the few female dog-sled champions. Moreover, you can meet dozens of adorable Arctic huskies – these are friendly, sociable working dogs. If you are there in winter, you could try dog sledding.
The ship itself is very modern, with comfortable cabins and even a Jacuzzi on the upper deck. Some of the smaller stops last 30 minutes, and although you can disembark, you can also just observe Norwegian life from the deck. The food in the ship’s restaurant was fresh and local – crab, cod and reindeer – Norwegians are justifiably proud of their cuisine.
If you don’t fancy being entertained by a singer after supper in the bar, relax and watch the coastline, with its towering mountains – some looking like giant sleeping trolls – deep fjords and the occasional house. A trip in winter would be different as you would have the Northern Lights to keep you company, but in summer there’s too much daylight.
Henningsvær fishing village in LofotenOn our last night before reaching Trondheim we saw a pod of orca (killer whales) keeping company with the ship – our paths coincided for a while, and it was a real pleasure to see their joyful leaping and gambolling above the waves. One of my personal highlights was the sea-eagle safari. We transferred to much shorter boats to find Norway’s famous raptors. To my surprise, these normally elusive birds came down quickly enough, and we had dozens of sightings of them scooping up fish effortlessly from the sea or air, sometimes only a few metres away from us.
Norway, with its remarkably unspoilt nature and sublime coastline, has much to show the world about how people can coexist happily with their environment.
Classic Voyage South (six days) between 1 June and 31 August 2014, costs from £1,104 per person, based on two sharing. Flights cost extra and can be booked via Hurtigruten: 0844-448 7601, www.hurtigruten.co.uk