The above photo was taken from a scenic view while in Kirkenes, Norway.

In February 2017 I decided to cruise Norway with Hurtigruten.  The ship I was on is named the Finnmarken.  This was a 12 day round trip cruise this started in Bergen and ended back in Bergen after making many stops as far north as Honningsvåg and Kirkenes which is not far from the Russian border.

The first thing I should tell you about going on a cruise with Hurtigruten is that their ships are working ships.  That is why they make so many stops.  It is also more of a ferry.  New passengers get on and off the ship in various locations quite frequently.  People in Norway use these ships to get from one area the country to another.

I have been on 12 cruises in the past five years.  I have cruised with Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise lines, and Holland America.  Cruising with Hurtigruten was such a different experience.  Many people go on cruises for the entertainment and to party.  I know because I have done so in the past ;)  There was no entertainment such as singers, bands, and speakers and t is also very expensive to party as one glass of wine is 14 USD. 

In spite at the lack of entertainment on the ship, this was definitely one of the most fun adventures I have ever been on.  One of the best things about this cruise was the scenery.  The ship is never far from the shore and it makes frequent stops.  I also got to see the Aurora Borealis also known as the Northern Lights because of the time of year I went. 

I have written three posts about this cruise.  Here they are:

Visiting the Famous Snowhotel in Kirkenes Norway

Visiting the Beautiful City of Trondheim, Norway and the Nidaros Cathedral

Visiting the Top of the World: Honningsvåg, Norway

I will be writing more in the coming weeks.

In January 2013 I visited the bottom of the world also known as Antarctica which I absolutely loved.  I desperately want to return now that I know how to use my camera better.  I came very close to booking a trip this year but decided to go to the top of the world instead.  Honningsvåg is the northernmost city in Norway and maybe the world but this is disputed by several places such as Barrow, Alaska.

Click here to see my posts about Antarctica.

I had always wanted to visit Norway and had been eyeing the Hurtigruten cruises that start in Bergen and travel all the way to the top of Norway and back to Bergen.  I feel like a made a great decision as I've never seen anywhere similar to the country of Norway - especially the northern section.   Once we got to the Arctic Circle I felt like I was in another world!

I visited this area at the beginning of February.  They were only expecting about six hours of sunlight.  I noticed that everyone has their lights on and the middle of the day when our ship stopped.  I also began to wonder if many of the houses were painted bright colors because it is dark for so long during certain times of the year.  The moon was also visible all day which I thought was very picturesque.  These people don't see the sun for a whole month during the winter.
I found myself wondering a lot what it was like to live in such a small town whose population was only a few thousand people.  Then I remembered that I am from a very small town in Vermont.  I doubt it's much different than the area I grew up in.
Fishing is a big part of the economy.  Although it was very cold this time of year I did see people out on fishing boats.
Like almost all of the towns our cruise ships docked in Honningsvåg was very beautiful.  You can see a tree farm growing on the mountainside.
All around Honningsvåg the landscape becomes very rugged with craggy mountains like the one below
Hurtigruten's Finnmarken is not only a cruise ship it is also a working ship.  It stops in this and many other towns to drop off and pick up supplies as well as passengers.

Here are a couple more views of the town taken from the ship.  We were allowed to disembark but we didn't have a lot of time.  I did get off the ship but you will see below how long I stayed on shore:

It was very cold for this Floridian so I walked into town and started my way back almost immediately.  I like the photos I can get from the ship's deck and and in spite of my Vermont upbringing I am not used to temperatures hovering around 0°F.

Here I am again looking like a Scandinavian snowman.  My winter coat is very warm but I am also wearing two heavy sweaters underneath it along with a scarf wrapped around my neck, a thick winter hat and some heavy duty winter gloves.  You will need these things if you visit Northern Norway in the winter.  I was much colder visiting this area then I was visiting Antarctica (you can only visit Antarctica when it is summer in the southern hemisphere).  I did, however, find the temperatures to be similar to that of when I visit Vermont in the winter.
I didn't pack a tripod.  That was one of my biggest mistakes going on this trip.  One of the main things I wanted to see was the Northern lights also known as the Aurora Borealis .  We got to see them several nights in a row - we were very lucky and they lasted a long time while putting on quite a show.  These 10 second exposure photos were taken handheld so they are not the best. 
Although I didn't come away from this trip with great photos of the Northern Lights, I got to see them with my heart and my mind.  Even if I had had a tripod the ship was moving and I'm not sure they would've turned out a whole lot better.  If you want to get some great shots of the Northern Lights I recommend being on the ground or on a ship which isn't moving when the wind is minimal. 

Hurtigruten gave us this nice certificate showing that we head across the Arctic Circle.  I crossed so many items off of my bucket list on this trip.  I got to see the beautiful country of Norway, the Northern Lights, and crossed the Arctic Circle.

 Are you interested in visiting Norway?  Would you consider going on a cruise with Hurtigruten?  Please let me know if you have any questions and I hope you all have a terrific week.  Thank you for visiting!

~Michelle

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Skansen was created in 1891 and  is the first open-air museum and zoo in Sweden to show what life was like before the industrial era.  The name Skansen has also been used as a noun to refer to other open-air museums in Europe and the United States.  Skansen's buildings and grounds are beautifully maintained, the views are amazing, and the admission price of 100 kroner or 17.04  dollars seemed very fair to me. 

While I was there I saw several groups of children on a field trip from school.  I can see why a school would encourage this activity a it was an awesome history lesson for me!  I learned a lot about the history of Sweden's architeture and way of life.  I had so much fun in the zoo area with the indigenous animals of this country especially the lemurs!

I sent about six hours at this open air museum, but wish I'd had longer.  If you enjoy learning about history and taking photos, you might want to allot one and a half or two days to fully experience Skansen.  I know that I would have loved an extra day there as there is a lot to see.  Be sure to wear good walking shoes and try to go on a nice day as most of the activitie are outdoors. 

This guy met me at the entrance and seemed to be following me through the park:

The entrance and gardens were beautiful:
There was a glass blowers shop with a working glass blower who was selling some beautiful items:
There are several outdoor cafes to get get something to eat or drink:

I saw many groups of chidren who appeared to be there on a field trip:

I really enjoyed seeing the traditional Swedish architecture:


The farmers lived in close knit communities so they could work together and help each other with caring for their crops and animals:





A greenhouse:
The ouside of a nineteenth century Swedish home:
Inside a traditional Swedish home:
A traditional class room:

I LOVED the lemur exhibit!  It does cost 120 Kroner or about 20 dollars/person to go inside the exhibit.  You can see them quite well from outside.  I took the photo at the top of this blog from outside the exhibit.  I had so much fun playing with them and being such an animal lover, I would pay the twenty dollars to enter their lair again.

This guy was being all cute and cuddly until...

He tried to make off with my camera - and they are VERY quick!

Here is  baby sitting on his mother eating a piece of fruit:
I thought this guy was meditating:

This is a baby lemur.  They are very playful!

There is a tree growing in the middle of their aquarium:
I loved the Meercats aka Meerkats as well (they are part of the mongoose family):
I loved the views throughout the museum:

Thank you so much for visiting.  I'd love to her any questions or comments you have.  Have a great week my friends!

~ Michelle

The above photo was taken at Skansen which I will discuss in my next post because there is so much I want to say about this wonderful place!

Old Town also known as Gamla Stan is the original center of Stockholm.  Gamla Stan consists of buildings dating back to the thirteenth century. There are charming cobbled streets and alleys everywhere.  The houses are very colorful and there are several parks for concerts and general gatherings of all sorts.  I found it very difficult to believe this area was once considered the slum of Stockholm and now is a very highly sought after address.

Here are just five reasons I absolutely loved Stockholm - I could list far more!

* I did not see one - NOT one stray animal during 8 days in Stockholm

*Everyone I encountered was friendly and take pride in their work

*Stockholm is beautiful!  There is a mixture of old and newer style European architecture and it is so colorful.

*Stockholm is very clean and well kept.  The crime level is very low too.

*The air!  Stockholm is a city, but it smells so fresh and clean.  It's not easy for vehicles to pass inspection in Sweden.

One thing that surprised me about Sweden, and I think is a common misconception is that Sweden is a socialist country.  Sweden is not a socialist country.  They do provide subsidized day care so that women can afford to work.  Healthcare is also subsidized as it is in many other countries.  Students do not have to pay to go to college.    

 Yes, Sweden's taxes are slightly higher than ours. but not that much higher if you were in the top tax bracket in the United States.  When you consider what they get for their tax money, it might not seem like such a bad deal.  When you consider what a college education costs for one child in the United States, the amount they pay in taxes might not seem that high.

Here is Stockholm at night: Here is a restauran where I had dinner:

Here is one of the cobblestone alley ways that have such an old European feel:

This is an open area near the center of town where concerts and other gatherings are held:

Here is a photo of the interior of the Stockholm cathedral which is absolutey amazing and totally worth the ~ three dollars/person entry charge:

Here is a fountain with some lovely colorful buildings near the city center:

Here are some colorful town houses in the more modern section of the city:

This is a very charming and upscale area of the city called Vaxholm which one has to take a ferry or a car to visit as one must cross bridges:

Jen, my friend from high school, and I in Vaxholm:

Stockholm is not a really large city and there are many lovely walking trails that are not at all far from the city center.  Luckily the weather was absolutely perfect during the eight days I was there with highs around 70 during the day and 50 at night.  I consider those temperatures just right for lots of walking and or exploring.  Here are some random photos taken out in the country:



Thank you so much for your visit.  I love to hear your comments and questions.  Please remember that your e-mail address will never be published.  Have a great week my friends!  

~Michelle

"I've seen quite a bit of the world, but I really like Sweden and feel like I could live there some day."

~Juliana Hatfield

I've visited 34 countries now and can only envison myself living in a handful of them.  Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden are really the only three places I could see myself staying for more than a month nevermind live there.  I truly did love Sweden for many reasons!

It is important to remember that these boat tours are not offered year round due to the cold weather.  There are many options available for different prices and amounts of time.   Here is the web site where you can read about the many boat tours that are offered:

Stockholm boat tours, dates, and prices

 I thought this tour was an enjoyable way to spend part of an afternoon, was priced fairly and gave me a "snapshot" of Stockholm overall.  I had no idea before visiting Stockholm that it is a city of islands connected by bridges and canals.  The tour cost 225 Swedish Krona equals $31.55 US Dollar and lasted 1 hour and 50 minutes.  I learned that dividing a Swedish Krona amount by seven will give you an approximate amount in United States dollars.

  This is the Grand hotel.  It is very famous for it's beautiful decor and is very centrally located:

There are many beautiful hotels that are located very centrally
Here is a photo of Stockholm's Six Flags amusement park from the boat:

There were many people out kayaking and sailing as it was a very nice day.  The temperature was around 70 degrees fahrenheit.

I personally like taking photographs from a boat.  Of course photos taken from a boat on the water they give one an entirely different perspective than those taken on land.

These people were out enjoying their afternoon fishing:

I willeave you with a short twenty second unedited video I took while on the boat tour (I am VERY new at recrding videos).
 

 Thank you so much for stopping by.  Feel free to leave any comments or questions.  Have a wonderful week my friends!

~ Michelle