A Long and Beautiful Day in Tromsø

by | Jun 24, 2024 | Uncategorized

Your favorite travel blogger (hopefully, that is me) really cares about you getting the complete travel experience. Since I am currently blogging a cruise called “Into the Midnight Sun.” I thought I better ensure you got a photo of…the midnight sun. And there it is…right above this paragraph. Before we went to bed on Saturday night (after leaving Honningsvåg), I set a silent alarm on my watch to wake up at midnight. When it went off, I checked outside our stateroom window to see if we were clouded over. If we were, I was going back to bed. But no such luck. The sun was up. It’s not high in the sky, but it’s definitely still up.

So I got up, got dressed, went up to the front deck outside the Explorer’s Lounge, and took this shot and one other I like a little more (but this one fits the page better), then I went back to our stateroom, got out of my clothes and went back to bed. But not before setting another silent alarm for 5:00 a.m. because that was when the Captain had said we would be sailing into the beautiful area that leads to Tromsø. Was he ever right? I have taken around 300-400 photos on almost every other day of the cruise. Between midnight and 9:30 Saturday night, when I went to bed, I shot 1,131 photos. Don’t worry; I am not going to make you look at all of them. I have reduced the total to around 85 and will break it up into smaller groups. I wish there weren’t so many, but I could not cover the city and the beautiful weather without them.

So here’s the first batch from our sail-in. The day was remarkable. The weather was incredible. I will try to put captions on all of them, but some need no explanation. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

The sail-in went on for quite a while. The captain had said in his noon announcement the day before that we would cross under the Tromsø bridge at approximately 6:00 a.m., and he was right. We did. Here are the photos of that crossing.

Tromsø is on an island. As we approached the island, there are two bridges, and the harbor was on the other side of both of them. Unfortunately, a ship the size of Viking Venus can’t fit under the older bridge, so we went under the new bridge and then had to sail all the way around the island to get to the port almost underneath the lower and older bridge. But that was OK with me because it provided me with even more photographic subjects.

After we docked, it was time for our (you guessed it) our “luxury motor coach” panoramic tour of Tromsø. This would be one of the best we have had. We jumped on the bus with our guide, Mirko Maiutto (sounds Italian to me), and we were off to the University in Tromsø (the Fighting Ravens), where we stopped for 40 minutes or so to watch a movie in their planetarium. Usually, this would have put me to sleep, but this one was about the aurora borealis, and we loved it. It was made by a local Tromsø filmmaker, and he did an outstanding job; their planetarium is very cool, with wonderful seats.

After that, it was time to tour the rest of the islands. Mirko was an excellent guide, and we learned a lot. You will have to read the captions on the photos to see what we did. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

After our tour with Mirko, we had some lunch, and I headed out for a long walk. I toured the harbor area, found the start of the old bridge and decided to walk across to the Arctic Cathedral to get some close-ups. Then, I walked back to the downtown area to get a closer look at some of the things we had seen on our panoramic “luxury motor coach” tour. It turned into a two-hour, six-mile walk, but the weather was so beautiful it barely felt like it. Here are the shots I got on that walk. Enjoy.

Sadly, I took several beautiful panoramic shots in Tromsø. Still, after combining them in Photoshop (one of my panoramic shots is usually composed of more than ten individual photos stitched together), they are just too large to upload with the current internet connection. The one at the top of this page is just one of the nine I wish I could include in this post.

That about does it for Tromsø. As you can see, it was a BEAUTIFUL day, and we had a wonderful time. Tomorrow, I will tell you all about the city of Bodø. The only hiccup this week is that Kathleen has now caught a cold. She keeps telling me it’s not my cold she caught because it has been too long since I had it, but at least I am over mine and can fully empathize with her.

Adventure is just bad planning.  —Roald Amundsen

Cold, Crowded Honningsvåg

by | Jun 23, 2024 | Uncategorized

Sorry I was missing in action yesterday. Saturday in Honningsvåg was one busy day, and Sunday in Tromsø was even crazier. Thankfully, tomorrow is Bodø, so there will be less to see and do (at least it sounds like it so far), and I should have time to catch up.

Today is all about Honningsvåg. On our last sea day, we crossed the Arctic Circle (I have a certificate to prove it ?—for non-cruisers, they give you one of these every time you cross the Arctic Circle or Equator, etc.—we have a bunch of them), and on Saturday, we arrived in Norway, the 53rd country we have visited. It’s hard to believe that we have been to that many places since Kathleen and I met 27 years ago, but we have!

Since this is our first time in Norway, this is a very appropriate place to visit. Honningsvåg is the home of the North Cape, commonly called “the furthest north point in Europe.” It has since been proven that one more spot, a big rock further north, is the furthest northern point in Europe. But don’t worry, I got a photo of that one too.

The weather that day started windy and very cold, especially for those from warmer climates. As we sailed in, I was on the deck with my camera and got some shots I will share below. We were signed up for the “included” excursion, a panoramic tour on a “luxury motor coach” out to the North Cape to see the continent’s end. On the way, we saw reindeer, lots of people camping on rocks and many hills without a single tree. Once there, we had about an hour to take photos and then back on the “luxury motor coach” to return to the ship. Here are the pics from that morning. You know the drill…don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

After our excursion, Steve and Jamie went into the village, and Kathleen and I went back to the ship for lunch and a nap for Kathleen while I went back out exploring. Since we had arrived, the village had become VERY crowded. There were now six (SIX) ships in the harbor. It wasn’t quite as bad as it sounds because two of the ships were fairly small (under 200 passengers). Another was owned by a new single-ship cruise line from France, and their only ship was there (the old Holland American Maasdam), with 1000 passengers; there was us (Viking Venus) with 960 passengers and then Sky Princess arrived with a little more than 4,000 passengers. All of this in a town with a little more than 4,000 people. If you have been on an Alaskan cruise, it felt like Skagway on a four-ship day.

It made for a crowded day in the village, but the weather changed, and it became a glorious day for hiking, so I set off to walk through town and then hike up the hill above the village. With the better weather and the chance to take better photos, it turned into a great day. Here are the shots I got of the village and from the hill. You know what to do.

By the end of the day, we had great weather for sailing away from Honningsvåg, and I was able to get some pics of that as well. I would say our day there was a good one. I got to take a scenic bus ride, hike a hillside, and visit a beautiful Norwegian village that seemed to handle all the people, keeping them mostly in the downtown core. Once I had walked a ways and run into the antique car festival, the crowds just melted away to an idyllic Saturday afternoon. Here are the sail away photos. I am posting most of these landscapes because I love the light. These are just beautiful patterns that were shaped by an amazing combination of sun and clouds on beautiful backdrops. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

I forgot to mention one last thing. This cruise is called Journey to the Midnight Sun. Honningsvåg was the first place we truly saw the midnight sun. From mid-June to mid-July, the sun never sets. It can be very disconcerting for those who don’t live here. Your body is tired, but it’s also telling you that the sun is up; you don’t need sleep now. I will talk more about this in my next post because any photo taken at midnight belongs on its own day.

In Norway, everyone knows everyone, and everyone is very supportive of each other. If there is anyone new or a new song is coming out, everyone will probably know about it. —Astrid S.

The Sea dominates a Sea Day…and random thoughts

by | Jun 21, 2024 | Uncategorized

[videopress 1VQTwaBs]

Yesterday was a sea day, and the sea took over. Just after we left Lerwick, the weather and the seas changed. The winds picked up (the captain announced 50-60 knot winds yesterday at noon), and the seas were fairly high. The video above is a good example of what we were into. Today (which is also a sea day) is much calmer. The worst part for me is that on sea days, I like to walk on the Promenade Deck (Deck 2). Due to the extreme seas yesterday, the outside of that deck was closed off. It is back open today, and I truly enjoyed a six-mile walk this morning.

You knew it was bad because beautiful leather barf bag holders were placed all around the ship. We had someone lose it just down the hall from our stateroom, and the crew got that carpet cleaned up quickly. It also made for both a very quiet breakfast and lunch for us. The World Cafe (buffet) was practically empty for breakfast, and when we went back for lunch, they kept having dishes fall over and glasses breaking, so we went down and had lunch in the dining room. Pretty empty there as well. The captain was right when he predicted things would get better around midnight. We weren’t up then, but when I woke up around that time because it had become too quiet, I looked out the window, and the seas were much calmer. Thankfully, they still are.

Random Thoughts

Since I have few photos to show you (other than the video above), I wanted to comment on a few things around the ship.

Let’s start with the interior of the ship itself. I think Viking truly has the most beautifully decorated ships at sea. At least they appeal to my taste in design much more than any other line I have ever cruised on—the furnishings, carpets, and floors in every venue work for me.

And if I am looking for a place to sit…I also think that after 35-plus cruises, there are more awesome places to sit and look out at the ocean on a Viking ship than on any other ship we have sailed on. Right now, I am sitting in my favorite place on the ship, the upstairs gallery of the Explorer’s Lounge. On deck eight forward, long-time cruisers will know it as the Crow’s Nest or Sky Lounge on other lines. It has numerous couches and chairs, a fantastic view and tons of books and artifacts. Right now (because it is a sea day), it is a little louder than normal, but most of the time, it is the quietest place on the ship. We sailed on Oceania’s Vista last fall, and my biggest complaint was that there was no place below the top two decks where I could sit and look out at the sea unless I were on my verandah.

There is no deck on Viking ships with a public area where you can’t look out at the sea in every direction. On Deck 7, starting in the Explorer Lounge at the bow and walking aft to the stern, you can see almost every step of the way. And all along that walk, there are a lot of places to sit. Whoever designed these ships did it right. The same is true for Deck 2. You can see outside from The Restaurant aft until you reach the Star Theater in the bow. And there is seating everywhere if you are looking for a quiet place to sit and read…or post on a blog.

I have only taken a few photos around the ship (other than in our stateroom), but I will try to do a few more so I can show you what I mean. Here are some quick shots I took just now to give you an idea. Feel free to look at them on your phone; I took them with mine.

I love the Promenade Deck, but I wish it went one way. This is a tiny complaint, and I will write it up as a suggestion to Viking. When we are at home, I walk a lot—more than 120 miles every month. In good weather, I do that outside. In lousy weather (we have a lot of that in the Seattle area), I walk indoors on the track above our pool at Trilogy (the 55+ community where we live).

On that track, we have a wonderful sign that says, “Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, walk clockwise. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, walk counter-clockwise.” Viking needs that on the Promenade Deck. When I go out to walk, I try to wait to see which way the majority of people are going and go with the flow. But since I will walk for more than an hour, eventually, people will start walking in the other direction, and pretty soon, there will be more coming towards me than going away from me. This wouldn’t be a problem on the track at Trilogy, but here on the ship, it is a HUGE problem. There are spaces on that deck where you can’t pass anyone. One of you (like on a Scottish country road) has to pull over and stop walking. (see the hallway above. It’s about as wide as I am.) If I am behind someone in these tight places, it’s easy to slow down until I can pass them. But when I am in a tight, metal tunnel at the bow of the ship, and I come around the corner, and there is someone coming full tilt directly at me, it’s tough to find a way to get around them or move over. Near collisions are rampant, and I have to believe there are a few that actually happen. All this could be solved with a sign like we have at Trilogy. Then everyone would walk one way, and there would never be a problem in those tight spaces. No surprises—that’s the ticket.

The crew on this ship is awesome…and very happy. We have had great crew members over the years who we have loved and sometimes sailed with numerous times and developed relationships with. But I have never seen an overall crew as happy in their work as this one. With the exception of one or two that we have run into, every single one is always smiling. And not just at us. One of my favorite things this week is to see the people in the World Cafe (buffet) interacting with one another. They are constantly smiling and laughing while they do their excellent job.

The new Asian station. At least new to us. It was not on Viking Sky.

And they are fun to talk to. There is a new station at the back of the buffet that does Asian food. Every time I would come by and look at what they had, the assistant chef who works there would entice me to try it. Finally, I did, and it was awesome, but now, if he sees me walking past, he will call me out and ask why I am not eating from this station today ?. When I do, he always encourages me to try new things that I am not sure of. When I do, he always checks later to see if I liked it. That’s amazing service. That’s above and beyond.

The attitude of this crew tells me two things. They have a great boss at the top who sets the tone, and he gives his supervisors leeway in hiring and they are hiring the right people. I have yet to meet the Hotel Manager here on Venus, but I know he is the one who lets his managers in the kitchens, the dining rooms and housekeeping set the tone. And those supervisors seem to have the same attitude as their workers.

I have seen head servers, managers and the like helping to set up tables, serve food or bus dishes that I have never seen on other ships. Yesterday afternoon, they were doing a salmon lunch set up on the aft deck, and the executive chef of the entire ship was there helping to set up. When one of the assistant cooks suggested a change to the setup, he stood back and said, “You’re right. That would be better. Let’s change it.” And he jumped right in to help her change it. And while they were changing it, he thanked her for the idea. (Then he stopped to talk to us—nice guy.) That’s what real management is all about—giving the crew ownership and listening. Whoever is running this part of the ship is doing it right.

Tomorrow, we are back in port again, and it’s a long excursion, so I am not sure if I will have a report for you. It’s the first of three consecutive port days starting with Honningsvåg, Norway.

Sweet it is, when on the high seas the winds are lashing the waters, to gaze from the land on another’s struggles.  —Lucretius

Unusual Doings in Lerwick

by | Jun 20, 2024 | Uncategorized

Yesterday was a strange day, cruise-wise. We visited the town of Lerwick in the Shetland Islands. Let me describe what happened. About three days ago (when we were in Edinburgh), we received a notification that our 2.5-hour shore excursion to tour the island and stop to see Shetland ponies had been cut to one hour due to a shortage of buses in Lerwick. It became a one-hour panoramic tour on a “luxury motor coach.”

We were okay with that because, having been to Lerwick before, we knew that it was an easy town to walk around in, and if they were still taking us to the Shetland ponies, we would be happy. We had done a private tour the last time we were here and saw most of the island. Later, we heard from some crew that the reason there were so few buses was that there would be four ships in. That’s a lot of ships for tiny Lerwick.

Then, early yesterday morning (around 7:30), there was a general announcement that they not only made in the ship’s public areas but into staterooms as well. You know that is highly unusual if you are a regular Viking cruiser. It is usually only used for emergency announcements. The cruise director (a very fine fellow) came on and told us that our schedule had changed and that Venus was now docked at the pier but would not be moored there all day. We would only be there until noon. After that, we would move to the center of the harbor and use tenders to return to the ship. Until then, the morning shore excursions would leave from the pier, and there would be a shuttle bus that would go into the town until 11:00 a.m. After that, if you were in town, you would have to wait until 1:00 p.m. to take a tender back to the ship.

We thought, “WOW! There must be another ship coming to take our place. They must be really important to be able to kick us off the dock. And sure enough, when we went up for breakfast and could see the other side of the harbor, there was a ship anchored there, tendering passengers into the center of the town. But imagine our surprise when we discovered the other ship was the Viking Sky (thus, the photo above). The problems with coaches, piers, and docks were caused by Viking scheduling two of their ships here on the same day. And yes, there were two other ships in the harbor, both docked, but they were small Ponant ships (a French cruise line) with less than 200 passengers, so they docked at piers that neither Viking ship could fit on.

It was just weird. It became even stranger when, later in the day, our ship (Viking Venus) moved off the pier, and Viking Sky didn’t move; they just kept on tendering. When we left yesterday afternoon, there was no one on the pier and never had been. It was just strange.

What about our day? It was pretty good. The weather cooperated (not bright and sunny, but no rain), the tour was nice, if short, and our guide was a good one. We were toured through the town and then up into the hills, where we stopped by Carol’s Ponies, a Shetland pony ranch where we could get off and take photos of them. Which, of course, I did. I don’t like to put people (other than those I know) into my photos, so when we go someplace like this where there are about 25 yards of fence for four busloads of people to stand next to, it can be very tough to take photos of just what I want to take pictures of…like ponies…or stones…or pretty much anything. But I did my best. Here are the results. I think the only person I got in the photos was my lovely bride Kathleen. Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…

After the ponies, we headed back to the ship (remember, the excursion had been shortened to an hour). When back, Kathleen headed up to our stateroom and Steve and Jamie went off to town on the shuttle bus. I walked Kathleen back to our room to get my heavier sweatshirt because the wind was blowing so hard that my windbreaker was not breaking. Then I went back down to the shuttle and took the last one into downtown Lerwick.

As I mentioned, we had been there before, and it is a photogenic town. Lots of color and history to shoot. Plus, one of our favorite British TV shows is Shetland, which is…you’ll never guess…shot here in Shetland. In fact we drove by the show setting up shots for next season. And I love to take photos of places we have seen in TV and movies. Remember, we just did a Ted Lasso tour. I probably walked around Lerwick for an hour or so before I got in line for the first tender back on the ship to meet everyone for lunch. In the meantime, Venus had moved around, Sky and the two Ponant ships were right where we had left them, and we were back on board for an early sail-away. We were only staying until 3:00 p.m. because we now need the full  57 hours of sailing time to get to our next port…Honningsvåg, Norway.

Here are my photos from my walk around the town. You know the drill… (is that better?)

Lastly, on the way out of port at 3:00 p.m. I shot a few last shots as a farewell. We were thrilled to come back here but doubt it could happen again. In case you missed it, there were two blog posts today. That’s because it’s a sea day…in the North Sea. More about that tomorrow, but suffice it to say we are having some ROUGH seas. No fun for many people (not us; Kathleen has her SeaBand, and I never get seasick—this is not the case for the majority of the ship—barf bags are everywhere.)

Life is like Sanskrit read to a pony.  —Lou Reed

 

My Comment on Comments

by | Jun 20, 2024 | Uncategorized

The comments I get when I post while traveling are always interesting. Yesterday was a good example. First, you need to know that I post this blog here on my website and then the text (with no photos) on the Cruise Critic message board of the cruise line I am sailing on at the time. So when I get comments, I get them in three places—here on the blog, on Cruise Critic, and from my closest friends, who often comment via e-mail (a few post on FB where WordPress automatically sends a notification whenever I post).

So yesterday I did a mini-rant about the weather. Boy, did I get the comments. First, many people said, “That’s just the way the weather is. You need to get over it.” Others chided me about my reaction to the runes, taking photos of them in the rain and mud and dissing them for being so small.

My reply is this: I write this blog primarily to document our travels and tell other people how we traveled in case they are looking for ideas on places to go, people to meet, food to eat and more. But it has become a place where I can also showcase my photography. The deeper I get into creating photos, the more that is equally important to me. I say that because bad weather means terrible photography. Sure, I could open up my photos from yesterday and change the weather, but that’s not the photographer I want to be. For instance, here’s yesterday’s photo of downtown Kirkwall at sunset.

Sure, that’s real ?. (Pretend this is in a sarcasm font.)

So when I complain about the weather, it just means that I am complaining that the weather is so flat that it is worthless for photos. And when I diss the runes, it’s because they just don’t make that great a photograph. Especially when you are trying to take a photo of just the stones without having a hundred other guests trying to take selfies in the shot. And I am sorry, even on a beautiful day, they hold no major significance for me. We have visited the runes in Inverness on which Diana Gabaldon based the Outlander novels, and those are much cooler.

Another complaint I have been getting from one particular person (he knows who he is ?) is about this line: “Don’t forget; if you click the first shot, you can scroll through with your arrow keys or by swiping. And PLEASE…don’t look at my photography on a phone. Please…” that I include before most of my galleries.

I do this for a number of reasons. Many people (especially those who are new to reading WordPress blogs) have no clue that they can click a photo in the gallery and see it enlarged to fill the screen and then scroll through the entire gallery. People still send me e-mails asking, “Is there someplace I can see your pictures larger than those little thumbnails?” So, I leave that line in. Then, others will view my photos on their phones. I am a pretty anti-phone guy. I use mine primarily for texting, playing solitaire while waiting to do something else or listening to audiobooks when I walk. So when people tell me I saw your pics and ask them how they liked this or that it was in one, they say, “That was in there? I missed it.” I know they looked at them on a tiny screen.

Let me give you an example. Here is the photo I consider the best one I took in 2023. We were on Oceania’s Vista sailing out of the harbor in NYC.

A few people told me they never noticed the boat caught in the light. I knew they had only seen the shot on a phone because when you first see it on a phone, it barely gets to the water level. Thus, my reminder.

And lately, thanks to this trip and the folks at Celtic Legend (where we rented our car for the Scotland part of our trip), who have featured me on their FB page, I am getting many new people looking. They need to know this stuff ?. So, if you have been following along since I started this thing in 2018, you have my permission to skip that tiny reminder. And I will try to mention it less.

Before you comment, take every single thing I wrote with a grain of salt. I am usually just making a joke or ranting about some little thing that I really don’t care about.  —Jim Bellomo