6th AUGUST HONNIGSVAG, MAGEROYA ISLAND NORWAY TEMP 3 DEGREES!!
Arrival at this remote place 35 km from the North Cape 17 ‘10’21 latitude we are greeted by extremely cold weather! Approx 3 degrees!!
We just don’t have the clothes and so cross with myself and Silversea for not preparing us for the extreme in temperature!
Yesterday it was 12 degrees but in the sun and no wind felt quite warm
This is a huge fishing town with 2,500 people but with many cruise ships arriving here can blow out to 8,000 at any one time. We are fortunate that we are the only ship here at the moment.
They export enormous quantities of fresh and salted fish to every where around the world.
We head off first stop to see the Sami herdsman, the local Indians who graze the raindeer, there are apprx 5000 raindeer here on the island all owned by the Samis .During the summer they graze the rocky tundra then just before winter they round them up for a long walk and a 2 km swim across the channel to the mainland where it is warmer for the winter months! Incredible!
The man is dressed in his national dress and they have a little shop selling souveniers. A tent showing how they use to live even with the fire going, OMG how they did it not sure they must be so tough! But now they do have a house across the road that they live in!
After a 35 km drive through again extraordinary scenery mist and sunshine on the barren hills all of which is typical of the north cape, a little like Melbourne, 4 seasons in one day!!!
We arrive at the North Cape 17’10’21’ latitude, to a massive North Cape Hall which is pretty impressive tourist centre, café, shops, elegant restaurant where we are taken for champagne and caviar canapés. Don’t have the champagne but head outside to view the vista of fog and ocean!! The northern most tip of Europe!!
I then grab Suzie under duress to take some photos of the world sculpture, it is freezing and she didnt bring her head band we had bought yesterday!
Tough I told her 5 mins of discomfort as we wont be coming back here again! Get the photos and head inside! She was complaining I can tell you!!
How lucky were we ,as I said the fog comes and goes and the fog lifted and we get some great photos of the steep cliffs and ocean but a little later on while we were inside the fog closed in and it was thick so photos would have been taken!
Lucky us!
Bought postcards and sent them off as they will have the north cape stamp on them, coffee and then back to the ship. Again the undulating tundra with lakes and little bays, raindeers and mist, make for an interesting drive home but it is bloody freezing and this is summer!!
It makes you feel very inadequate when everyone here in these remote places speaks perfect clear English, puts us to shame.
Back to the ship and today we are moving cabins!! Yippee!! We are leaving 439 to go to 530 this has a balcony and although 439 was good, and they are all the same size but some have balconies. We were able to negotiate a great price to be able to get the balcony, just great to be able to get fresh air and sometimes you just get that feeling of wanting to open the window and get fresh air! The temperature seems to go up and down a lot, one minute hot next cold or this our age!!!
So we have moved, well they move for you. Tonight we have to put our clocks forward 2 hours, yuck to get onto Russian time! Cant bear the thought!
Tonight reindeer is on the menu so I will be eating that!! Looking forward to tasting it probably the same as deer!
Glad to say haven’t seen Roger for a day or so great relief!!
Susie was feeling a little sea sick so we dined in which was great!! Didn’t have to dress up!!! We are getting lazier by the minute!! Just such an effort!!
So I had reindeer Ragout with Lingonberrie comport! Delicious, served on mash potato!
Russia here we come!!
So good having the balcony and having fresh air and the sound of the ocean!!
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