A Day in Honnigsvag, Norway
Gateway to Nordkapp (The North Cape)
We finally reached our northernmost destination on this cruise - Honnigsvag. And we could tell we were far north as it was cold and a bit windy, but no rain - which was awesome.
We had 2 excursions set for today. In the afternoon we would be heading via bus to The North Cape - about a 45 minute drive from the ship anchorage.
For the morning we were treated to a short walk through this quite tiny town to a local theater/coffeeshop (with a pub downstairs - that wasn't open yet). The couple who own this place have made it quite the location both for visitors to this town and to the locals. The man came from Bergen 20 years ago and never left, I assume as he met his future wife who is native to Honnigsvag. They were genuinely happy to see all of us after the last two years of no visitors and no cruise ships. And the feeling was mutual!
We were first treated to Waffles (they do love their waffles), brown cheese, sour cream, strawberry jam, coffee or tea. So even when we're not on the ship we are still eating!!
The short performance we were about to see sought to tell us visitors a bit of the history of Honnigsvag and why anyone would want to live here! Four young girls, ages 13-25, were the actors. They sang, they recited, did some small skits - it was just amazing to be part of the local culture. I spoke with the owner after the show and he said that they do indeed put on many events for the local population as well - not just the visitors. So glad we had this opportunity.
We walked back to the ship via The Christmas Shop! I can only imagine what Christmas looks like up here - with all the darkness and then all the lights and decorations of the Christmas season. It must be quite magical.
Honningsvag is a small island town that overlooks a pristine bay of the Barents Sea. It mainly grew on the fishing industry as so many of these towns did in this remote area. There is a rich Sami culture here - the Sami are indigenous to this area. They are the only people who are allowed to own and herd the reindeer because they know how to handle the population, taking only what they need to survive. And of course it's home to one of Europe's most stunning natural sites - Nordkapp (or the North Cape).
Our bus ride to Nordkapp took us up a winding road, past the occasional cabin, but mainly just barren land. There are no trees that grow up here. If you see trees, it's because they were planted by someone. We did see lots of reindeer - the babies have just been born. And they are white this time of year - from far away you would think they might be sheep!
The North Cape boasts an amazing visitors center complete with a museum, restaurant, bar, and gift shop. We wandered through the museum section first which included a short film about this area, including the Northern Lights that come in winter. Then we headed outside for some amazing photos of these huge cliffs located on this island's rugged northern coast - they offer breathtaking views over the sea from a 1,000 foot plateau.
We then had time for some hot chocolate and a trip through the gift shop before our bus returned to take us back to the ship.
After we sailed we were told we would sail by Nordkapp, although the exact time was a bit unclear. But sure enough, we happened back to our cabin after dinner and I looked out to see huge cliffs rising out of the sea and when I looked more closely, realized it was Nordkapp, where we had been today, recognizing the white domed top of the visitor's center.
We then saw a lot of whales in the area. Ed actually caught a glimpse of the tail of one whale. I mainly saw the spray from the blowholes - but there were a lot of them around. And remember, it's the Midnight Sun so it was clear as could be and quite bright. We haven't seen a dark sky since arriving in Norway. We're should start seeing darkness at night as we continue to head south and west towards Scotland and then London.
What's next? Two whole days at sea... time to catch up, rest, read, chat, nap, wash - whatever you want to do. It's amazing!
No comments:
Post a Comment