Today started rather early. In fact it started before midnight. Somewhere around 11:30 pm I checked myself out from the hotel - that is I dropped the room key onto the desk as I went out. I walked down the hill dragging my bag. Downhill was a lot easier than pulling it uphill when I arrived yesterday.
I headed down to the harbour and as I did the Hurtigruten was coming in to birth. My voyage was to be on the Trollfjord, which is the latest addition to the fleet. Passengers joining the vessel gathered near the gangplank, note 'gathered' not 'queued' as a somewhat disordered rush took place to get on first.
But first, we had to wait for the passengers to disembark. A seemingly never ending movement of people down the gangplank. All sorts, all ages but more older than younger. Some had trouble moving and had assistance. Here at midnight, they were heading off for sightseeing tours around the city. The buses where all waiting at the wharf for them. I was somewhat surprised by sightseeing at midnight, but then why not in the midnight sun. You could certainly see what was around.
Once the disembarking crowd had gone we made our way up the gangplank to reception. No problem buying a deck passage ticket. For my 17 hour sector the cost was 550 kr which comes to around NZ$135 which I thought was good value. Then drop the bag into the luggage room and off to find a 'spot'.
I wandered around the lounges and side rooms and finally decided on the large viewing lounge at the front of deck eight. I found a two person couch in the rear corner beside the window. It had a small table and there were power plugs in the wall. Already a woman was stretched out on a long couch in the centre of the room under her blanket asleep.
This was my base for the rest of my voyage. I didn't leave it very much as I wanted to keep an eye on my computer and backpack.
The tour buses all snaked back in at 1 am and at 1:15 am we were leaving the quay side. A number of passengers came into the lounge to watch departure but pretty soon the room was empty as they all went off to their cabins.
I used an inflatable neck pillow which rested on top of the couch back and the wall behind. This worked well and I did get a reasonable sleep on and off through the night. I did not see a lot of the fjord views but about 4 am watched us come into the first of several small ports which we would stop at during my trip. Birthing time here was around 30 minutes and then off again.
For breakfast I had a tub of yogurt banana and a roll with cheese. Bananas and a couple more rolls were my meals for the rest of the voyage. At lunch time I did go off and locate a cup of coffee.
One of the things about the trip was that the view kept changing and the mix of people in the lounge did the same.
The Trollfjord is a flash boat. I had expected that it would be something like the Alaskan Ferry but this vessel was like a floating hotel. See through elevators, marble flooring, swimming tubs and showers on the top sun deck. A library and various bars and cafes all set out in attractive décor. However, I was happy in my corner.
There were three main attractions on this sector. First up was a narrow passage dredged out between rocky reefs and small low islands. It was 100 m wide and 6 to 7 metres deep. The boat took 5 metres sob there was not a lot of leeway. At one point the captain told us that he had 45 cm to spare, so the boat did move slowly between the markers. For this event a special postal envelope was available and it would get a special post mark. Also a souvenir mug was on sale. The mugs varied but at each key attraction it was possible to get something special to take away. At one it was a special drink in the mug all for 35 kr. Or perhaps that was just the cost of the drink and the mug was extra.
Most of the ports we called into were small but often they were the service centre for the island they were on, so had importance. At some there would quite large groups waiting to board and judging by their lack of baggage, I assumed that they were locals and were just moving on to the next town.
At one port a couple of groups of passengers went onto sightseeing buses to travel across land and met the ship again at the next port. The bus driver's timing was good because as we came into the next port and under the arched road bridge, the sightseeing buses were coming slowly up over the bridge, giving their passengers a different view of the boat.
As we were nearing each new port, an announcement was made in Norwegian, English and German. It named the port and explained how long we would be docked there. Often there would be some added information about the town and suggestions of what you could see close to the ship if you got off. Anyone getting off had to have their ticket bar code scanned and then repeated as they reboarded. I guess the computer would quickly show if anyone was overdue. The bar code scanning was also used for charging things up to your registered credit card if you were a cabin passenger. You signed you scanned items off at the end of the voyage so that the credit card charge could go ahead.
I was also surprised at the number of bridges we sailed under. I got all excited about the impressive bridge in Tromso, but for got I had seen a couple similar ones on a previous visit to Norway. But I began to remember that as we sailed under yet another bridge. The bridges enable Norway to have a good system of roads which can connect up even the smallest of communities along the fjord shorelines. There are lots of small settlements to be seen as we travelled along. Some were more than likely just extended family farming, others were larger.
There were some towns whose name's I was familiar with from planning the trip. Harstad was one. I recalled a guide book as basically writing the town off as a place to visit. Just some tacky hotels along the waterfront I seem to recall it saying. So I looked out the window at the town with interest and thought that while I could not comment on the hotels, there did not seem to be much there of interest. It looked just like any other small town with a few tall buildings and the rest fairly low. The same buses were running along the streets and there would be a church spire standing out.
I will say that many of the towns were set in picturesque surroundings and some did look quite beautiful, especially in the early morning light. Even many of the smaller centres had some industrial areas attached. As we sailed past settlements not being call in at – and there were plenty of these- i could see that they often had an industrial sector. Perhaps some silos or fuel tanks for instance or a large factory type building.
Finally, about three pm we began to go down one of the features I had been waiting for. This was a 26 km long narrow strait between two islands. We entered under an arched bridge and slowly followed the channel along. While narrow, I would have expected that ships could pass in it.
Generally the hills and mountains towered up on both sides, but there war often side valleys and sometimes small lowland areas with small farms on them. At other points there could be houses, single standing all alone in some pretty spot or else as part of a small community. They were only on one side of the waterway as far as I could see. I would think that this was simply because a road ran along the shore giving access.
On its own, this section was impressive. However, the best was still to come. Near the end of the 26 kms the boat slowly turned into a very narrow side fjord and then in a few minutes began a left turn into an even narrower inlet. A ships officer ran through the lounges telling every one to get out and go up to the top deck or they would miss out on the best. Which most people in fact obediently did.
What they saw was the ship edging along a very narrow space, with the towering rock faces on both sides. The tallest went up a 1000 feet above the sea level and therefore effectively a 1000 feet about the deck.
This was the famous Troll Fjord and to mark it the ship's PA system was playing some of Edvard Grieg's music. I think it was 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'.
Besides the Trollfjord reversing in, there were several tour launches and zodiacs full of sightseers, a yacht or two and a fishing boat. All giving the larger ship space to move, but all there to watch it come in. Everyone was waving at everyone boat to boat.
At the end of the fjord there was enough space for the ship to turn, slowly of course.
We were told that in the late 19th century the Battle of Troll Fjord took place. Not between trolls but between rival fishermen. The rowing boat fishermen, who were the traditional fishers fought against the newly arriving steam boat fishers over the rights to fish in this area. I have no idea who won, but I have not seen a rowboat fisherman around the area.
With a toot or two on the ship's hooter we slowly left the fjord accompanied by all the other launches and zodiacs which had been there.
We continued to sail along the larger channel and out into a much larger sea area. Now we were in the area of islands, all part of the Lofoten Island system. Most were high islands with jagged peaks and barren imposing rock sides. Away on the horizon, in a blue haze, I could see more peaks. But I think theses would be on the mainland. It did remind me of my impressions of what some Pacific Islands would look like. Tahiti perhaps. The sea was mirror smooth and the sunlight intense.
So it was in these conditions that sailing around islands and rooky reefs, we entered the Solver Harbour with its tall backing peaks and ridgeline. There was a holiday tourist air about this small town. It only has a population of almost 5000. We past tall fish drying rack by the breakwater and slipped easily into the birth. The ongoing passengers all crowded onto deck four in order to get off and have the maximum time on shore. They had been told of the War Museum and the Ice House, both of which were about 50 metres from the wharf in different directions. Others stood off along the promenade. From the harbourside bars and restaurants the patrons looked on at the arrivals, then continued to enjoy the brilliant sun and drink their drinks.
Being the gentleman that it am, I waited until most of the crowd had gone off the ship before I to left. Actually the real reason was that I couldn't be bothered struggling with my trolley bag in the middle of the mass exodus.
On the wharf a couple of young girls were doing trumpet duets. Not all that well I thought, but hey it did add a bit more atmosphere and the passengers loved it and took their photographs.
There being no taxis to be seen I headed off down the road to located my accommodation in fishermen's cottages. Well that is what I thought it was going to be but in reality it was more like a double story motel. It did take me about thirty minutes to walk around the harbour to reach it and no I did not get lost as I had a map.
At least it was on the waterfront. My room had two bunks not beds, it did have TV with four channels and the rest of the facilities were down the hallway.
I settled in and then had to go back into the town centre to get a meal. This time I call up a taxi both ways. I decided that by the time I had added those costs and tomorrow's taxi fare as well, perhaps it would have been cheaper to have stayed in a centre hotel? Perhaps one day I will investigate that idea. It is just part of the traveler's learning experience.
By the time I got to bed and sleep it was almost another 24 hour day, mostly awake. But it had been a really enjoyable experience. And perhaps I could do another voyage on a Hutigruten some time. If I could afford it though.
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