Norway, the Arctic, and Svalbard Island

June’s misadventures ( “Emergency” ) are thankfully in our “rearview mirror”. With their retreat the adventure that is September looms large for us in life’s “windshield”. Sandwiched in between was a quick road trip in July to visit our daughter Alexis and her three children at Camp Pontiac in New York’s Hudson Valley.

This was their seventh year at camp where Alexis is head nurse. Over the years the grandchildren have progressed from young campers to Counselors in Training and Junior Camp Counselors.

August brought the successful sale of our Colorado home with another road trip to close the transaction and trailer back some special furnishings and personal items to Kansas City. As much as we have loved our time and friendships in Colorado, we are now free to pursue other travel opportunities. The horizon of age and eventual physical limitations grow ever closer.

In all, the July and August driving excursions covered nearly 5,000 miles.

September deserves a rest. Paradoxically, we will spend the month in Norway. The journey begins with a Delta flight to Bergen, Norway.

We will spend the better part of a week in that coastal city (pop. 295,000), the second largest in Norway (pop. 5.6 million). From there the excitement builds.

In 2017 we met a wonderful couple from Salt Lake City, Utah, Ron and Lena Meck. We were camping on Sitka Island in Alaska and they occupied an adjoining campsite. Over the course of the two days shared with them they spoke of an ocean journey they hoped to take someday in Norway aboard “The Hurtigruten” (which they later accomplished in 2023). I became infected with the idea.

In 2018 Christine and I were in Madrid, Spain on our way to Lisbon, Portugal. I received a text message from Ron Meck; they were also in Madrid! We met for dinner. Remarkably, in 2022 Christine and I were heading north in Newfoundland, Canada while Ron and Lena were southbound on the same roadway. We met for lunch. Some friendships are just meant to be!

Back to “The Hurtigruten”: It was founded in 1893 as a single service to connect the many isolated communities along Norway’s coast (the second longest coastline in the world). Hurtigruten ships expanded operations, day and night, throughout the year, delivering passengers, goods, and post. “Hurtigruten” loosely translates in English to “The Fast Route”. By 1936 nearly 250,000 passengers traveled annually aboard its coastal express service. By 1950 annual numbers were over 500,000 out of a national population of just over 3 million. In 1968 service was further expanded to the Svalbard Archipelago above the Arctic Circle.

Remaining true to its roots, Hurtigruten ships continue to be working commerce vessels that deliver passengers, vehicles, goods and mail to scores of Norway’s coastal ports. However, Hurtigruten also recognized the tourism attraction of its vessels.

“Signature Voyages” are presented on three Hurtigruten vessels, MS Trollfjord, MS Finnmarken, and MS Midnatsol. With select ports of call and a nod toward luxury these ships, small by cruise ship standards (500 passengers), offer true adventure tourism.

Christine and I are booked for 15 days aboard the MS Trollfjord. Our cabin is small but comfortable.

We will journey from Bergen up to coast of Norway past the Arctic Circle to North Cape, the northernmost point of continental Europe.

From the Hurtigruten website.

We will then continue to Svalbard Island (pop. 3,000), visiting its administrative center, Longyearbyen (pop. 2,000), and Ny-Ålesund, the northernmost civilian settlement in the world (749 miles from the North Pole).

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Ny-Ålesund is mostly dedicated to arctic scientific research. Its population varies from a summer high of around 115 to a winter low of around 35 permanent residents.

A few Ny-Ålesund curiosities: If one is to venture out it is required that you be armed or accompanied by someone who is armed… Polar Bears. Locking exterior doors on buildings is forbidden in order to provide a possible escape from… Polar Bears. Cell phones, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi must remain disabled, except in case of an emergency, as they may interfere with sensitive scientific instruments that are in use. Finally, in Ny-Ålesund one can still see the mast from which in 1926 the Norge, a lighter than air vessel, made the first air transit over the North Pole.

Our 15-day voyage will conclude back in Bergen where we will board a train to Oslo traveling 7 hours on the Bergen Railway Line, often touted as the most beautiful rail journey in the world.

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We spend our final week in Oslo where we will visit our foreign exchange student daughter, Hege, (1994-95) and her family.

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Stay tuned as I hope to provide frequent day journals and photographs… provided I do not get eaten by a Polar Bear.

Peace Everyone! Pete