Number of full days on boat = 3
Number of days in gym = 3 (hurrah!)
Number of calories used in gym = 750 (hurrah, again)
Number of calories consumed in the restaurant = 4 million (not so hurrah)
Well the food is everything it promised to be; fantastic selection of meat, cheese, eggs, fruit, breads etc for breakfast and a veritable smorgasbord of the same plus salads and cooked dishes for lunch. Dinner is served at table and last night’s salmon was superb. Must be a slick operation in the kitchen to put this quality of food out every day for about 400 people. But the buggers have also put the bakery in the best observation lounge which makes snacking between meals absolutely obligatory! Just as well the gym is next door! Might have to start visiting twice a day.
This morning we crossed the Arctic Circle and are now officially in the Arctic. With something like 1500 km to go it gives some idea of the length of Norway and just how far into the Arctic we are going. I think we end up at something like 71º North.
There is of course an ancient Norse (read tourist) tradition of celebrating the crossing with an ice ceremony or baptism as it is referred to. The god of the sea, Njord (or something like that, I must admit I wasn’t listening too carefully, the scenery was too distracting - and its bloody cold now), is summoned from the deep to bless the boat and grant requests, which ranged from “can we see the Northern Lights” to…well, “can we see the Northern Lights”!
It then involves a dousing in iced water for the foolhardy and is obligatory for any new member of the crew! I’m surprised the water didn’t actually freeze in mid air, although to the Norwegians I am guessing this is actually quite mild - its only a few degrees below zero at the moment. There should be a good few pictures of the expressions of recipients in the photo gallery.
The mountains are now covered in snow and we are treated to regular flurries just to remind us where we are. The beauty of the place is hard to exaggerate, and I can spend hours on the top deck, wrapped up in down jacket, just watching the ever changing scenery. As a form of mindfulness it takes some beating.
I have to admit that on day one I did briefly wonder if spending 11 days on a boat in the Norwegian Fjords might end up being a bit much. I have two days in Kirkenes before the return trip. But the longer it goes on the less I want it to end. Now towards the end of day 4, I am completely into the rhythm of the voyage and in tune with the slow pace of everything.
This afternoon we briefly stopped in Bodo, which gave an opportunity to stretch legs and wander around the town for a couple of hours. Its apparent that this far north the boat is used much more as a local ferry, presumably because road connections are getting more and more difficult. There are Norwegians coming and going at each port now, often in the middle of the night when the ferry stops at quite small villages along the way.
Not much to report for Bodo itself, other than a train station that clearly has ideas above its … well, station!
That's quite a claim.
Maybe I'm in heaven!