MV Dirona travel digest for Tromsø, Norway 2018


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6/11/2018: Tromsøyundet
Passing through Tromsøyundet en route to Bunker Oil.
6/11/2018: Tires
On the dock at Bunker Oil to take on 1,260 gallons (4,770 liters) of diesel. We've used a fair bit since fueling in Helgoland in late April. The dock is designed for much bigger boats that Dirona, so we need to be a little creative with fender placement to keep ourselves off those big tires.
6/11/2018: Kystbunker II
Kystbunker II blowing a big puff of black smoke as it comes on the dock just barely behind us. Although the master did an excellent job of placing the boat, we couldn't help but feel a little exposed as they came in.
6/11/2018: Sea Life
Normally the water around a commercial fuel dock is fairly polluted, but the water around Bunker Oil is among the cleanest and healthiest we've seen with lots of sea life.
6/11/2018: Bunker Oil
On the dock at Bunker Oil with Kystbunker II behind us.
6/11/2018: Pinhole Leak
We didn't even travel for an hour today, but when James went down to the engine room after shutting off, he found a light mist of antifreeze in the air and droplets over the engine room starboard wall and the stairs up to the master stateroom. The weird thing is the engine was clean and dry, without any anti-freeze on it anywhere. But, clearly it's not spaying out of the walls. We found a tiny pin hole in the return coolant hose from the aftercooler. The hose only leaks under pressure so rather than running down the hose it sprays outward.
6/11/2018: Tromsø Guest Harbour
Docked at latitude 69°39' N in the Tromsø Guest Harbour for a week or two. This is the farthest north we'll be going in Dirona on this trip. It's wild to actually be here in Tromsø—we've been planning this trip for ages.
6/11/2018: Arctic Cathedral
The Arctic Cathedral across Tromsøyundet viewed from downtown Tromsø.
6/11/2018: MS Polstjerna
We'd planned to tour the old sealing vessel MS Polstjerna, but it's not open until June 15th, so we'll visit next week. We're enjoying being a little early in the season, with fewer crowds.
6/11/2018: Polaria
The architecturally-striking museum Polaria adjacent to MS Polstjerna.
6/11/2018: Arctic
The Polaria museum focuses on Northern Norway and Svalbard, with two good movies and excellent multimedia displays. We really enjoyed it.
6/11/2018: Bearded Seal
Polaria has several cold-water aquariums and a big seal pool with two bearded seals and three harbour seals. This is one of the bearded seals during their feeding/training period.
6/11/2018: Seal Watching
Jennifer enjoying the seals swimming past an underwater window.
6/11/2018: Vengsøy
The unusually-bulbous prow of the RO/RO ferry Vengsøy.
6/11/2018: Ølhallen
Ølhallen, opened by Mack brewery in 1928, is the oldest pub in Tromsø. We were going to stop in for lunch, but they don't serve food, so we're off to sample another of Tromso's many restaurants. We'll be back.
6/11/2018: Emma's Under
An exceptional lunch at Emma's Under in Tromsø. Emma's exceeded their excellent reputation.
6/11/2018: Tromsø Domkirke
Lutheran Tromsø Domkirke, built in 1861, is one of the largest wooden churches in Norway.
6/11/2018: Ishavshotel
The dramatic Ishavshotel overlooking the harbour and marina.
6/11/2018: Tunnel
Tromsø has an extensive tunnel system beneath the city. This is looking into the entrance north of the harbour. From here you can drive underground all the way south to the Polaria museum, north to the Botanic Gardens or northwest across the island. Norway never backs away from an engineering challenge or a little cost.
6/11/2018: Storgata
Storgata is filled with shops and restaurants, and people.
6/11/2018: Catholic Church
Also built in 1861, this claims to be the most northern Catholic Church in the world.
6/11/2018: Library
Tromsø's striking new public library.
6/11/2018: Macks
Ludwig Markus Mack founded Mack Brewery in Tromsø in 1877. It's the fourth largest brewery in Norway and one of it's strongest brands. Here we are in their brewery store prior to a tour.
6/11/2018: Microbrews
In 2000, Macks opened a microbrewery. These are their beers.
6/11/2018: Microbrewery Tour
The main Macks brewery recently moved about 70km from Tromsø, but retains a pub, administration and microbrewery on their historical site. The microbrewery tour included a movie detailing the history of the company, a description of the brewing process and a walk through the facility.
6/11/2018: Vats
The vats in the Macks Microbrewery are painted with the images of famous musicians. Iggy Pop, second from the left, had heard his likeness was on one of the vats and came in for a tour while in town for a music festival.
6/11/2018: Mountains
The mountains peeking out from behind the clouds.
6/11/2018: Midnatsol
The Hurtigruten Midnatsol on the dock near the guest harbour.
6/11/2018: RIBs
Several beautiful high-speed RIBs moored in the guest harbour.
6/12/2018: Replacing Hose
James cleaning up after replacing the leaking return coolant hose. The hose was only 9 years old and is a high-quality Parker coolant hose but, once it was off the engine, we could see it had failed structurally. The fiber re-enforcement had completely failed and we could hear it cracking and breaking as the hose was flexed. The aftercooler runs up over 200F at medium throttle levels and at higher loads can get upwards of 260F. The coolant flowing back from the after cooler is unusually hot for engine coolant and it has effectively baked the hose. It was a quick and easy replacement and, surprisingly, only a quart of coolant was missing. Apparently a small amount of antifreeze mist can go a very long way. :)
6/12/2018: DUN Required
Android supports a feature that allows a carrier to prevent a hotspot from being enabled unless they approve it. This feature is inconvenient as it prevents us from turning the hotspot on when the carrier isn't available to approve it. We like to enable the hotspot when we're running on satellite so that we can switch automatically to cellular whenever it becomes available. This feature is slightly annoying, but at least you can tell what's going on.

We recently came across yet another Android mechanism for carriers to block hotspot usage. This one is much more difficult to figure out in that the hotspot does turn on, the phone has internet connectivity, and other devices can connect to it properly, but they don't have internet connectivity. We shouldn't have any of these issues, since we only buy cell phone services that support use of hotspots.

Jennifer found the solution that's actually pretty easy and only takes about five minutes: use ADB (the Android Debugger) to disable the Android global setting tether_dun_required. This setting indicates whether hotspot packets should be marked differently from regular traffic. We're now back to operating as usual.
6/12/2018: Harpoons
Harpoons outside the Polar Museum on Tromsø. As Lonely Planet put it: "the whales didn't stand much of a chance".
6/12/2018: Trapper's Cabin
Reconstruction of a trapper's cabin at the Polar Museum in Tromsø. The museum is jam-packed with excellent displays focusing on hunting, trapping and polar research, particularly in Svalbard.
6/12/2018: Sealing
Viewing sealing ship models in the room covering Arctic seal hunting. While the Polar Museum didn't exactly celebrate the hunt, they aren't apologetic about it either. Trapping and whaling have long been part of the area's culture and livelihood.
6/12/2018: Cleaning Batteries
A picture showing crew cleaning batteries on the ice from a ship intentionally trapped to drift over the winter for research purposes.
6/12/2018: Fridtjof Nansen
Many dollars and lives were spent in polar research during late 1800s and early 1900s. We particularly enjoyed the museum's displays on this topic—there were lots of pictures and good detail on the challenges faced. This is a room devoted to Norwegian explorer and Nobel Peace Price winner Fridtjof Nansen.
6/12/2018: Tromsdalstinden
Looking east from a hilltop near the the Polar Museum to 4,061 ft (1,238 m) snow-covered Tromsdalstinden.
6/12/2018: Mural
Mosaic murals on a building as we walked east from the Polar Museum.
6/12/2018: Steel Doors
We came across these steel doors installed in the side of the mountain.
6/12/2018: Tunnel
The doors to the tunnel were ajar, so you could see inside.
6/12/2018: Radars
A big set of radars mounted on the roof of the Tromsø Maritime School.
6/12/2018: View
The view to Tromsø from the hilltop at the Tromsø Maritime School. The spire of the Ishavshotel above the marina is visible to Jennifer's left. Dirona is hidden by the large dark-grey building with the square windows (click image for a larger view).
6/12/2018: Statue
Statue resembling a boat's figurehead outside the Tromsø Maritime School.
6/12/2018: Culture Center
Rabbit statues outside the Troms Culture Center, a hub for the artistic community in the old county hospital building. Troms is the county encompassing Tromsø.
6/12/2018: Apartments
The Tromsø economy seems to be on fire. These apartment buildings are newly built, with many more under construction. The waterside development is built along old commercial wharfs with a waterfront path.
6/12/2018: Oystercatcher
Oystercatcher along the Tromsø waterfront.
6/12/2018: Apartment Building
Striking glass and steel apartment building along the Tromsø waterfront.
6/12/2018: Mountain View
We'd walked south hoping for a clear mountain view, and finally got it on our way back north.
6/12/2018: Creative Architecture
Another example of Tromsø's varied and creative architecture.
6/12/2018: Hålogaland Teater
Jennifer posing with the statues outside the Hålogaland Teater, built in 1971.
6/12/2018: Marina
One of several small marinas in the area, this one behind Polaria that we visited the other day. The water is quite clear hear and you can see the anchors mooring the pontoons in the foreground.
6/12/2018: Lance
Photograph outside Polaria of the research vessel Lance, intentionally trapped in the ice to drift with the pack for research purposes.
6/12/2018: Presis
An exceptional meal at Presis tapas restaurant. The owners have two restaurants in the same building. Downstairs is Circa, which means approximately, and upstairs is Presis, which means precisely.
6/12/2018: Tour
A boatload of tourists heading out for an evening of adventures.
6/13/2018: Bridge South
Looking south across the Tromsø commercial port from the Tromsø Bridge on a walk over to the mainland side. Dirona is at the far right of the picture.
6/13/2018: Bridge West
The view eastward from the Tromsø Bridge to the Tromsø waterfront with snow-covered mountains peaks visible beyond. Dirona's stack is just visible behind the large white powerboat.
6/13/2018: Queue
In the queue to ride the cable car Fjellheisen to the top of 1,381ft (421m) Mt. Storsteinen.
6/13/2018: Cable Car East
The view looking east as we ride up the cable car.
6/13/2018: Cable Car North
The view north from the cable car.
6/13/2018: Lunch
Lunch outside at Mt. Storsteinen with 4,061 ft (1,238 m) snow-covered Tromsdalstinden providing a fabulous backdrop.
6/13/2018: Storsteinen Viewing Platform
Looking down on Tromsø from the Storsteinen viewing platform.
6/13/2018: Cathedral from Fjellheisen.
The Arctic Cathedral viewed from Storsteinen.
6/13/2018: Waterfront Development
The waterfront development that we walked through yesterday.
6/13/2018: Alfheim Stadion
Alfheim Stadion is home to the professional football club Tromsø Idrettslag.
6/13/2018: Ski Jumps
Tromsø's popular skip jumps, just north of the city, were built in 1993. The Norwegian government rejected the cities request to bid for the 2014 and 2018 games.
6/13/2018: Library
The Tromsø library viewed from 1,381ft (421m) Mt. Storsteinen.
6/13/2018: Cliff
Cliff with snow in front at Storsteinen. It was pretty cold up top compared to the Tromsø waterfront.
6/13/2018: Harbor from Storsteinen
The Ishavshotel and guest harbour. Dirona is just off the right end of the hotel.
6/13/2018: Trampoline
We're not sure if trampolines are just a popular form of entertainment, or if some use them to train for freestyle skiing, snowboarding and other aerial events. But there are an amazing number of them. In the two-block walk through the residential area on the way to the cable car base, we saw eight trampolines. And for fun, we shifted a block over on the way back and counted another twelve.
6/13/2018: Magpie
Eurasian Magpie on our walk down from the cable car.
6/13/2018: Nordkapp
The Hurtigruten Nordkapp just arrived into Tromsø.
6/13/2018: Arctic Cathedral
Outside the striking Arctic Cathedral, dedicated in 1965.
6/13/2018: Organ
The Arctic Cathedral's organ was built in 2005. It has 2940 pipes ranging in size from 0.2 inches (5mm) to 32 feet (9.6 m).
6/13/2018: Glass Mosaic
The spectacular glass mosaic on the eastern side of the cathedral was added in 1972.
6/13/2018: Shelter
When the cathedral was built, all public buildings in Norway were required to have an air-raid shelter. These are the two large steel doors enclosing the shelter in the basement of the cathedral.
6/13/2018: Bunker Oil
A Russian fishing vessel arriving at the Bunker Oil dock, about where we moored a few days ago. The facility seems to do an excellent business.
6/13/2018: SAR
Norwegian Search and Rescue (SAR) Service boats moored at their Tromsø base.
6/13/2018: Fiskekompaniet
An excellent seafood dinner at Fiskekompaniet with a view to Dirona moored in the guest harbour.
6/13/2018: Evening Drink
Enjoying a warm evening on the back deck.
6/13/2018: Evening Light
The view to Tromsdalstinden at 10:40pm. The sun doesn't set in Tromsø between May 20th and July 22nd.
6/14/2018: Tunnel
Taking a taxi to the airport through Tromsø's extensive tunnel system.
6/14/2018: Kjølen
Looking across 2,591ft (790m) Kjølen on the island of Kvaløya shortly after take-off from Tromsø airport.
6/14/2018: Svalbard
Barely an hour after taking off from Tromsø, we got our first view to Svalbard at 76° 48' 13N. These ice floes are off the southern tip of Spitsbergen.
6/14/2018: Longyearbyen
Looking south across our destination, Longyearbyen, the main settlement on Svalbard at 76° 48' 13N.
6/14/2018: Svalbard Arrival
A happy Jennifer on the ground at Svalbard.
6/14/2018: Fingerpost
The fingerpost at the Svalbard airport shows we're only 813 miles (1309km) from the North Pole.
6/14/2018: Shoes Off
Tradition in Longyearbyen is that you remove your shoes before entering many buildings in town. This dates from the town's coal-mining past where miners were expected to remove their coal-dust-encrusted boots. As traditions go, this one is rather annoying, as the floors aren't very clean in most places and our socks get quite dirty as we walk around inside. Were we to visit again, we might carry some cheap lightweight slippers.
6/14/2018: Polar Bear
Polar bear sightings aren't particularly common on Svalbard, but at least we see one every day in our room at the Svalbard Hotel.
6/14/2018: UNIS
Tracked vehicles belonging to UNIS (University Centre in Svalbard), an Arctic research organization that also provides university-level courses. In the winter, tracked vehicles, particularly snowmobiles, are the main form of transport.
6/14/2018: North Pole Expedition Museum
After checking into the hotel, we visited the North Pole Expedition Museum detailing the various expeditions to the North Pole, particularly in airships.
6/14/2018: Jason Roberts
A beautiful metal sculpture of a polar bear outside Jason Roberts Productions. Australian Jason Roberts, aka "Mr. Polar Bear", has operated a film production company in Svalbard for the past 20 years specializing in Arctic filming. He's supported productions such as BBC's Planet Series and the James Bond film Die Another Day.
6/14/2018: Cableway Central
Modern coal mining began in the Longyearbyen area in 1906 and over the years has operated in several locations. Cableway central was built to transport coal from the various mines to the harbour, with three cableway arms on the left and one on the right. The cableway was abandoned in 1987 and trucks transport coal from the one mine that still operates.
6/14/2018: Skis and Rifle
An unusual combination of a cyclist carrying skis and a rifle. Well, its unusual for us, but not for Svalbard. Anyone leaving the town limits must carry a rifle in case of a polar bear encounter.
6/14/2018: Husky
Dog-sledding trips are popular winter tourist excursions and beautiful Huskies are common in Longyearbyen.
6/14/2018: Port of Longyear
Looking northwest across the Port of Longyear, with a mix of pleasure craft, tour boats and large commercial boats.
6/14/2018: Safe Areas
When we arrived in Longyearbyen we were given a copy of this map, shown on a signpost near the harbour. The pink areas are where polar bear protection is not required. Outside the pink areas, a rifle is the government-recommended form of protection.
6/14/2018: Polar Bear Warning
Polar bear warning sign at the edge of the safe area.
6/14/2018: T-Shirt
We're bundled up in ski jackets and this man is standing on the dock with only a T-shirt.
6/14/2018: Expedition
The 344-ft (105-m) pocket cruise ship Expedition that we saw while looking for whales off the northern tip Andøya. Moored offshore is the fire-fighting and rescue vessel Polarsyssel, built in 2014 for the Governor of Svalbard.
6/14/2018: Coal Carts
Abandoned coal carts looking west from Cableway Central.
6/14/2018: Patio Table
We loved this patio table made out of an old mining cart.
6/14/2018: Svalbard Kirke
The Svalbard Kirke (church) was built in 1920 and rebuilt after World War II German bombing destroyed it. Local tradition is to start a week-long celebration of the end of winter when the first rays of sunlight hit the forehead of someone standing on the steps.
6/14/2018: Longyearbyen
Looking northeast across Longyearbyen with fabulous mountain scenery beyond. The town has a real frontier, just-been-built look and feel to it. Because of the permafrost, all buildings are constructed above the ground and, what's more unusual, all the sewage and water piping running throughout town also is above-ground.
6/14/2018: Memorial
A 2016 memorial to those who died working in the Longyearbyen mines in the past century.
6/14/2018: Santa Claus Mine
The ruins of Mine No 2 in the hills east of Longyearbyen. When the Germans bombed Svalbard during World War II, the mine was set alight and burned for 14 years. It's known as the "Santa Claus Mine" because locals tell their children that Santa Claus lives there.
6/14/2018: Kroa
We had an excellent meal at quirky Kroa. The pub/restaurant is built from salvaged material from the Russian mining town of Barentsburg, Svalbard. A large white bust of Lenin visible behind the bar and the tables are made from the jack-stands used to hold up mine shaft roofs.
6/15/2018: Hurtigruten
The Hurtigruten Spitsbergen docked at Longyearbyen. We're underway on the Henningsen ship Billefjord for a cruise to Pyramiden, an abandoned Russian mining town north of Longyearbyen.
6/15/2018: Clear Skies
We're lucky to have such a beautiful clear day for our cruise. The mountains all around look fabulous.
6/15/2018: Satellite Repeaters
The Svalbard Satellite Station is the only one of two stations that can see low-altitude polar orbiting satellites on every earth revolution. The other is in Antarctica.
6/15/2018: Wheelhouse
In the wheelhouse of Billefjord.
6/15/2018: Guillemots
Brunich’s Guillemots nesting in the cliffs at the mouth of Sassenfjorden.
6/15/2018: Wildflowers
The weather in Svalbard is so harsh that not much grows here, so this small offshore island covered with pink wildflowers stands out.
6/15/2018: Nordenskiöldbreen
The spectacular Nordenskiöldbreen Glacier at the head of Billefjorden.
6/15/2018: Bergs
The captain brought the Billefjord close to the glacier, working his way carefully through the bergy bits.
6/15/2018: Whiskey
Enjoying a glass of whiskey with glacial ice from Nordenskiöldbreen Glacier.
6/15/2018: Approaching Pyramiden
The abandoned Russian mining town of Pyramiden dwarfed below snow-capped peaks.
6/15/2018: Dock
The old dock looks a little tired, but still is serviceable.
6/15/2018: Rifle
While a local guide (left) takes us on a tour of town, our Henningsen guide brought up the rear carrying a rifle and keeping a watchful eye.
6/15/2018: Pyramiden
Jennifer standing beneath the Pyramiden monument. The 1920 Svalbard Treaty established Svalbard as a Norwegian territory, but made it a visa-free zone where citizens of any country are allowed to live and work. A mining company owned by the Russian government has been mining in Pyramiden for decades and the Russian population reached around 2,500 in the 1950s. The settlement was abandoned after mining ceased in 1998, when the coal yield was no longer sufficiently profitable for Russia to continue subsidising the operation.
6/15/2018: Reindeer
Our Henningsen guide said she would point out any wildlife she saw, except for Reindeer because you can see them everywhere.
6/15/2018: Apartments
Residents of Pyramiden lived in these apartment blocks segregated for single men, single women and families.
6/15/2018: Hospital
Medical symbol on the hospital at Pyramiden.
6/15/2018: Culture House
Statue of Lenin outside the Culture House, the main community building in the settlement.
6/15/2018: CCCP
The settlement has been frozen in time since being abandoned in 1998. It's been a while since we've seen a CCCP reference.
6/15/2018: Sports Court
The sports court in the Culture House.
6/15/2018: 79 North
In Pyramiden we're at 79°N, likely the farthest north we'll ever reach.
6/15/2018: Mess Hall
The meals in Pyramiden were all provided by the government. Because the town was one of the few Russian places a foreigner could visit without a visa, the government built it as a showcase of the communist standard of living.
6/15/2018: Ghost Town
Looking across the ghost town of Pyramiden with an old mine shaft heading up the hill on the left.
6/15/2018: ReBar
ReBar steps at one of the buildings in Pyramiden. Exposed ReBar is a commmon feature in Pyramiden.
6/15/2018: Pyramiden Hotel
Our most northerly beer ever at the re-opened Pyramiden hotel.
6/15/2018: Huset
After our cruise, we had an excellent meal at Huset in Longyearbyen.
6/16/2018: Kuhaugen
At Kuhaugen, the base for Svalbard adventure-tour company Better Moments. The building is decorated as explorer's club in the style of the 19th and 20th century polar expeditions.
6/16/2018: Hiking
We're taking a late-season snowmobile trip to Longyear Glacier, but first we have to hike a short distance to reach the snowmobiles. In the winter, you could just ride the snowmobiles right from Kuhaugen. Our guide, Eli Gunnemark, is carrying the requisite rifle for polar bear protection.
6/16/2018: Snowmobiles
Jennifer, on the second snowmobile from the left, with the rest of our group. Our guide Eli is topping off the snowmobiles from cans of fuel stashed nearby.
6/16/2018: Water Crossing
Jennifer about to snowmobile across a small stream, another late-season obstacle to reaching Longyear Glacier. The trick is to go at least 30kph so you don't sink. We were reminded somewhat of that crazy eastern-Canadian sport of open-water snowmobile racing.
6/16/2018: Spill
We both crossed the stream without issue, but one of our group found deeper water and tipped their snowmobile. Fortunately nobody was hurt and the snowmobile wasn't damaged.
6/16/2018: Riding
James skidding through a corner on Longyear Glacier. This was our first time snowmobiling and we had a fabulous time. We're looking forward to trying it again.
6/16/2018: Fardalen
At Longyear Glacier above the beautiful Fardalen valley. In the winter, you can ride a snowmobile through the canyon to the active Russian mining town of Barentsburg.
6/16/2018: Fossil Hunting
Fossils are commonly found in the glacial moraines in the area, so we made a quick stop on the return trip to look. Jennifer is more interested in the scenery. :)
6/16/2018: Lunch
Lunch with a warm fire at the base of Longyear Glacier. Our guide Eli Gunnemark is on the right.
6/16/2018: Sons of Svalbard
The Sons of Svalbard are a local club that repair most of the snowmobiles in the area and obviously have really tricked-out their personal rides. They would fit right in with the open-water snowmobile racers.
6/16/2018: Dog Sledding
In the summer, tourists can take a wheeled dog-sled tour to a cacophony of barking. We're told the huskies enjoy the exercise rather than being cooped up in their pens all summer.
6/16/2018: Meraviglia
Some of our group had arrived in the cruise ship Meraviglia, so we got dropped off with them at the harbour. The massive 1,036ft (315 m) Meraviglia can carry up to 4,500 passengers and a crew of 1,536. Longyearben's population today rose from 2,144 to 8,180, not including all the other visitors.
6/16/2018: Svalbard Brewery
The reason we'd been dropped off at the harbour was to stop by the adjacent Svalbard Brewery, the world's most northerly micro-brewery.
6/16/2018: Vats
Vats at the Svalbard Brewery. The brewery wasn't doing tours because the cruise ship was in town. But they were open more extended hours that normal, otherwise we'd not have been able to visit.
6/16/2018: Most Northern Microbrew
Enjoying our most northerly microbrew at Svalbard Brewery. This has got to be the third or fourth time we've been in the world's northernmost microbrewery as we've travelled north. :) But at 78° north, this one has to have the title.
6/16/2018: Husky
From the brewery, we walked back east toward the husky pens. Here Jennifer is petting a friendly Husky who is guarding the local ducks from fox attacks.
6/16/2018: Ducks
Hundreds of nesting ducks were near the Husky pens.
6/16/2018: Dog Pen
The sled dogs are beautiful animals.
6/16/2018: Towering
The cruise ship Meraviglia towers over the town and nearly overwhelms it by disgorging twice the local population.
6/16/2018: Snowmobiles
Longyearbyen has literally thousands of snowmobiles. These ones are parked in a reasonably organized fashion, but many look abandoned in place. Most have keys in the ignition, in case someone needs to escape from a polar bear.
6/16/2018: Winter Garden
We had a nice dinner at the delightful tropical-plant-filled Winter Garden restaurant with a view southeast to Longyearbyen.
6/16/2018: Svalbar
We couldn't resist finishing the day with a drink at Svalbar beside our hotel.
6/17/2018: Svalbard Museum
We really enjoyed the Svalbard Museum in Longyearbyen. The displays were excellent, with good explanations. Note Jennifer is wearing museum-supplied booties as outdoor shoes aren't allowed in the museum.
6/17/2018: Text Length
The museum had interpretive signs in both English and Norwegian, with some quite different in length between the languages. We were a little suspicious that Norwegian couldn't possibly be that much more wordy than English though. Our suspicion was confirmed at a display where our snowmobile guide Eli had told us the full story, but the English version skipped most of the detail.
6/17/2018: Tromsø
The view over Tromsø as we arrive on our return flight from Svalbard. Our marina is just out of the picture on the top right of the photo.
6/20/2018: Rower
Rower heading out of Tromsø in what looks like a well-rigged vessel.
6/20/2018: Radio Hum
We've had a stereo hum when the engine is running and the hum is proportional to the charging rate of the start alternator. High charging rates hum quite a bit and low charging rates very little. It's quite visible on the oscilloscope and we chased it down to the connection between the source stereo in the salon and the stereo in the PH. We tried the easy solutions like a large capacitor between the start alternator and ground. The problem appears to be a ground plane difference causing a ground loop. We ordered a ground loop isolator which we expect will solve the problem.
6/22/2018: Svalbard
The Norwegian Coast Guard ice breaker and patrol ship Svalbard arrived into Tromsø this morning. The 340.2 ft (103.7 m), 6,375 tonne-vessel is the largest in Norway's military armed forces by tonnage. The ship is double-acting, meaning it can break ice running both forward and backward.
6/22/2018: Shebasicle
We've been feeding Spitfire dried cat food most of his life, but switched to Sheba Fine Flakes moist food in London on the advice of our vet there. Since moist food wouldn't keep for three days, we left dry food out for him when we went to Svalbard. His digestive system, however, didn't do well with the sudden diet change and he had diarrhea.

For our upcoming overnight Hurtigruten trip, we've instead made him a "Shebasicle". We filled a small bowl with two days worth of Sheba, put that inside a larger bowl of water and froze the whole package overnight. This worked super-well and is our new standard when we travel.
6/22/2018: Oil Rig
Flying over an oil rig off Tromsø en route to Kirkenes, Norway where we've booked an overnight return passage on the Hurtigruten.
6/22/2018: Finland
Crossing into Finnish airspace. The grey line denotes country borders—Norway is to our west and north and Russia is on the far right.
6/22/2018: Partial Route
We annotated a Lonely Planet map to show our stops on the Hurtigruten between Kirkenes and Hammerfest. Many of the stops are brief, barely 15 minutes. The ships operate as both tour boats and local supply ships, transferring cargo and people all along the boast between Bergen and Kirkenes. We've included the times for the stops that are 30 minutes or longer: an hour in Vardø, 30 minutes in Båtsfjord, and 2 hours in Hammerfest. Longer shore-side excursions are made by rejoining the ship at a port farther along the route.
6/22/2018: Kirkenes
A happy Jennifer at Kirkenes airport.
6/22/2018: Widerøe
Looking back at our ride from Tromsø to Kirkenes, a Widerøe Bombardier Dash 8.
6/22/2018: Murmansk
Road sign for Murmansk, Russia on the bus ride from the airport to the harbor. We're only 6.2 miles (10km) from the Russian border.
6/22/2018: Our 'Gruten
Our 'Gruten (as we affectionately call the Hurtigruten ships) Harald Kong, moored in Kirkenes, Norway. We're super-excited about the trip—this will give us a view to the northernmost reaches of coastal Norway, as well as a fun ride on the Hurtigruten.
6/22/2018: On Board
On board the Hurtigruten Kong Harald overlooking Kirkenes harbor.
6/22/2018: Lifejackets
The lifejackets we've seen here in Norway look to be an excellent design, with protection from initial cold shock and hypothermia. Regatta developed these lifejackets following the tragic 1994 Estonia disaster when the ship sank in rough weather in the Baltic Sea. 852 of the 989 people on board died, mostly of drowning or hypothermia.
6/22/2018: Prinsendam
The cruise ship Prinsendam moored at Kirkenes.
6/22/2018: Cabin
Our cabin for the night on the Kong Harald. We didn't spend much time in the cabin, but enjoyed the cabin and the view out the big window when we were there.
6/22/2018: Hot Tub
One of two hot tubs on our cabin deck.
6/22/2018: Cyrillic Script
Kirkenes has a large Russian population being only 6 miles from the border, and many of the signs are in both Norwegian and Cyrillic script.
6/22/2018: Winches
The line handler on the Kong Harald remotely controlling the winches to retract the lines.
6/22/2018: Thruster
Like the cruise ships we've seen, the Hurtigruten skippers make ample use of their thrusters when leaving the dock.
6/22/2018: Lunch
We snagged an excellent window table for lunch. The food on the Hurtigruten is delicious—we really enjoyed it.
6/22/2018: Stern
View from the stern on an overcast, but calm day.
6/22/2018: Viewing Deck
Looking across deck seven to a protected outdoor viewing deck, with the indoor viewing decks beyond. As cruise ships go, the Kong Harald is not very large with a passenger capacity of 590 people, but it was comfortable.
6/22/2018: Vardø
Arriving into our first stop at Vardø, 3 hours and 45 minutes after our departure from Kirkenes.
6/22/2018: Passengers
Passengers waiting for the ship in Vardø. The person on the bicycle has been touring all over Europe for months and took the Hurtigruten for only a few stops.
6/22/2018: Line Handler
Shore-side line handler pulling in the main line from the messenger line with the orange ball on the end.
6/22/2018: Doors Opening
The Hurtigrutens operate efficiently, with the doors already opening well before the ship is on the dock.
6/22/2018: Crowds
Following pretty much everyone on the ship out to Vardøhus Fortress. This is why we aren't big fans of travelling in large groups.
6/22/2018: Vardøhus Fortress
Vardøhus Fortress forms a perfect, eight-point star and was erected in the 1730s to secure Norway. It's the northernmost fortress in the world and was operative until the 1950s.
6/22/2018: Steilneset Memorial
The Steilneset Memorial near Vardøhus Fortress commemorates the 91 women who were executed for witchcraft in Vardø in 1621.
6/22/2018: Church
Vardø Church was built in 1958 after the previous church burned down in 1944.
6/22/2018: View
We had just enough time on our one-hour stop to climb a small hill east of town for a nice view over Vardø.
6/22/2018: Willem Barentsz
Bust of Willem Barentsz, a Dutch navigator, cartographer, and Arctic explorer who made three expeditions in search of the Northwest Passage. Vardø was the starting point for most of Barentsz's expeditions before entering the Arctic Sea.
6/22/2018: Elevator
A close-in view to the car elevator on the Kong Harald.
6/22/2018: Doors Closing
The doors closing as our ship departs Vardø. Like ourselves, many of the other passengers like to watch the activity of arriving into and leaving port.
6/22/2018: Tight Quarters
The gap in the Vardø harbor breakwater looks really tight for the Kong Harald, but the skipper manages it with ease.
6/22/2018: Vardø Lighthouse
The Vardø Lighthouse on the island of Hornøya, built in 1959, is the easternmost in Norway.
6/22/2018: Makkaur Lighthouse
Makkaur Lighthouse off Båtsfjord above the wreck of a large ship. That must have been some storm to drive the hull that far ashore. The lighthouse was originally built in 1928, and rebuilt after being destroyed in World War. It was automated in 2005 and only runs between August 12 and April 24 when there is no midnight sun.
6/22/2018: Båtsfjord
Coming onto the dock at Båtsfjord.
6/22/2018: Church
We only had a 15-minute stop on Båtsfjord, so made a quick run ashore to take a couple of pictures from a small hill. This is looking northwest to Båtsfjord Church, built in 1951.
6/22/2018: Ytre Haven
Fishing boats in Ytre Haven at Båtsfjord.
6/22/2018: Kysten
An excellent meal at Kysten, the Kong Harald's new a la carte restaurant.
6/22/2018: Berlevåg
Another close-quarters channel as we depart Berlevåg following a quick 15-minute stop.
6/22/2018: Lofoten
The Lofoten entering Berlevåg as we depart. Launched in 1964, the Lofoten is the oldest ship in the Hurtigruten fleet and is popular with those wanting a more traditional coastal experience.
6/23/2018: Havøysund
Unloading goods on a rainy morning during a 15-minute stop in Havøysund.
6/23/2018: Postal Service
Raising the stern ensign in the morning. The Hurtigruten carry mail so fly a POST service flag.
6/23/2018: AIDAsol
The 831ft (253m) AIDAsol, with a 2,174-passenger capacity, docked at Hammerfest.
6/23/2018: Hammerfest Arrival
Arriving into Hammerfest. We'll have a 2-hour stop here, our longest of the trip, so will have a little more time to explore ashore.
6/23/2018: Northernmost Town
At 70° 39' 48" north, Hammerfest bills itself as the most northern town in Norway, arguing that all the other settlements farther north are too small to be considered towns. We've seen a lot of "most northerly" things in the past few weeks :).
6/23/2018: Reconstruction Museum
We spent most our time in Hammerfest at the excellent and sobering Reconstruction Museum, describing how the city was destroyed during World War II and later rebuilt.

Norway was neutral during World War II, but in 1940 was invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany for its strategic north Atlantic ports. Northern Norway in particular suffered much destruction as a result. Kirkenes, where we boarded the Hurtigruten, was the staging area for the German attack on the Soviet port of Murmansk. The Germans stationed 100,000 troops there and the city suffered more than 300 Soviet bombing attacks. Hammerfest also was fortified as a major German base.

When the Soviets advanced in 1944, the Nazis withdrew, destroying everything they could and forcibly evacuating the local population. They didn't want anything left, be it food, shelter or people, that could help the advancing Soviets. Hammerfest was burned to the ground and left uninhabited.

People couldn't bring much when they were evacuated, so some buried their possessions in the hopes of recovering them later. This display shows some of the few items that were recovered: two plush and silk armchairs and a dentist's chair.
6/23/2018: Mountain Cave
Some of the locals escaped the forced evacuation by fleeing to the hills and sheltering over the winter in caves. This is a replica of one of those caves at the Hammerfest Reconstruction Museum.
6/23/2018: Hammerfest Kirke
The Hammerfest Kirke (church), completed in 1961, was designed after the outdoor fish-drying racks that stand throughout Northern Norway.
6/23/2018: Prinsendam
The cruise ship Prinsendam, that we saw in Kirkenes, arriving into Hammerfest as we depart. That's a lot of visitors in one day for a small town of about 10,000 people.
6/23/2018: Snøhvit
The natural gas field Snøhvit lies 87 miles (140 km) northwest of Hammerfest. An undersea pipeline connects the field to this LNG gas terminal at Melkøya, just across the harbour from Hammerfest. The Snøhvit field was discovered in 1984 and had estimated reserves of an astonishing 6.8 trillion cubic feet (193 billion cubic metres) of natural gas. The LNG gas terminal at Melkøya, just offshore from Hammerfest
6/23/2018: Lounge
Enjoying a beer on the seventh deck lounge.
6/23/2018: Øksfjord
Coming into Øksfjord for a 15-minute stop.
6/23/2018: Skjervøy
We had a 30-minute stop in Skjervøy, so had a chance to walk around town a bit. This is looking back to the Kong Harald from across the harbor.
6/23/2018: Nordlys
Overcast conditions as we pass the Hurtigruten Nordlys.
6/23/2018: Alvaro de Bazan
The Spanish warship Alvaro de Bazan moored just north of downtown Tromso.
6/23/2018: Tromsøyundet
Passing through Tromsøyundet—we're almost back "home" now. That's the bridge we crossed to reach the cable car Fjellheisen a week or so ago.
6/23/2018: Tromso Haven
Passing Tromso Haven on the south side of the bridge. Dirona's stack is just visible about central in the photo, in front of the grey building.
6/24/2018: Midnight Sun Concert
Our final Hurtigruten adventure was to take in a Midnight Sun concert at the Arctic Cathedral. The show was fantastic, with an unexpected combination of saxophone, piano/organ and a singer. The mournful notes from the saxophone were particularly effective. And having the windows lit up with natural light at midnight still feels very surreal.
6/24/2018: 2:00 AM
We finally returned to Dirona around 2:00am, and the bars overlooking the harbor were hopping. From the light conditions, it sure looks like 2:00 pm, not 2:00 am.