fishingforanglers

WHALES, dolphins, glaciers and stunning mountain scenery – the Fred. Olsen Spitsbergen in Summer Cruise from North Shields had it all.

My wife, granddaughter and I were at the culmination of a voyage of discovery to the Arctic Circle that started 11 years ago.

Out for a walk, my then two-year-old granddaughter tired and was on my shoulders enjoying a chilled soft drink. Without warning she placed the ice cold can on my then smallish bald spot. After a giggled apology she then spoke in a clear, unfamiliar voice – saying the last time she had done anything like that she was a little boy in Spitsbergen and was told off by her dad.

There were to be other submerged memories but it was the Spitsbergen tale that has stayed with us.

Over the years my wife and I talked a few times about visiting the Arctic Circle – if only to see for ourselves where our granddaughter once believed she was a little boy.

But Spitsbergen wasn’t on our agenda this year. Not, that is, until our Norwegian fjords cruise was cancelled. Despite generous offers of substitute cruises there was nothing in the school holidays except the Boudicca’s Spitsbergen cruise.

At 13 nights it was a longer than originally planned but there was that place again – Spitsbergen. Fate was pulling us inextricably towards that Arctic archipelago.

Unfortunately, when we arrived my granddaughter did not have any fresh memories. Most likely it was some childhood trick of the mind that put the name in her mind, something overheard on a television or radio programme. Who knows? All we can say is that it was a true voyage of discovery covering 3,226 nautical miles and revealing scenes of outstanding beauty and fascinating glimpses into Norway’s history.

The first stage of our journey took us 583 miles from North Shields to Geiranger nestling under a semi circle of mountains at the end of the Geirangerfjord – a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2005 and arguably one of the most beautiful places in Norway with its many waterfalls including the Seven Sisters and the Bridal Veil.

Unfortunately, despite almost a month’s rain the falls were rather thin.  Opposite the Seven Sisters is the Suitor. According to folk tales this indecisive man proposed to all seven sisters, and was refused by each one. Consequently he turned to drink and the shape of his bottle is clearly visible through the cascading water.

With the Boudicca safely at anchor and the tenders launched this was our first trip ashore since leaving North Shields. Many passengers took advantage of the Fred. Olsen shore excursions to travel the Eagle's Road with its many hairpin bends to enjoy the spectacular views from vantage points along the way. We, however, decided to stay in the village and stretch our legs after two-and-a-half days at sea.

Although small Geiranger did have a wide range of shops with souvenirs, soft drinks and coffee - at a price that would probably stun first time visitors to Norway.

Back on board we spent a leisurely afternoon in, and around the Boudicca’s main swimming pool before it was time to set sail for the 326-mile journey to Honnisvåg at Norway’s northern tip.

This two-day voyage mostly on pond still waters not only took the Boudicca into the Arctic Circle and into the Land of the Midnight Sun but also provide ample opportunity to enjoy some magnificent scenery such as Red Lion Island – so named because of its shape and colour, the Lofoten Islands, Tromsø and the mouth of the Ofotfjord leading to Narvik.

However, there was much to see before crossing the crossing the Arctic Circle including Hat Mountain through which runs a 525-foot long and 130-foot high hole legend says was made when a horseman shot an arrow at the Maid of Leke forcing the mountain king of Sømnafjellet to throw his hat in the air to block the arrow as the sun rose turning them all to stone.

Soon after this is one of the most poignant views of the voyage. Near the 12^th Century Alstahaug church – with its distinctive onion dome – stands the monument to 7,500 Russian prisoners of war who died in the German occupation of Norway during the Second World War.

The nearby Riegel cemetery has the graves of more than 1,000 of the 2,306 Russian, Yugoslavian, Polish, Czech and Norwegian PoWs and German crew killed in November 1944 when the requisitioned freighter Riegel was attacked by Allied aircrew unaware it had prisoners in its holds.

On arrival at Honnisvåg, with a good variety of shops within walking distance of the harbour, we transferred to a coach for the short journey through the Arctic landscape to North Cape, Europe’s most northerly point. On the way we stopped to photograph a Sami reindeer herder in traditional costume.

The Cape itself was shrouded in cloud but a brief wait in the visitor centre café – where a small bottle of Coke cost £4.50 and a half cup of coffee a less shocking £2.95 – allowed the mist to lift sufficiently to grab a few shots looking out towards the North Pole and Svalbard archipelago where we were to travel next.

There had been brief glimpses of whales and dolphins before but as we left port to cruise to the North Cape and out to sea for the 533-mile, two-day trip to Longyearbyen in Spitsbergen dolphins regularly flanked the Boudicca and there were several encounters of the close kind with whales.

Much of the first part of this leg of the journey was shrouded in fog and those awaiting their first glimpse of Bear Island (with no bears but stocked trout lakes) were to be disappointed, with the island visible only for a minute or two.

However, the Boudicca’s captain Bjarte Roksund was to detour slightly on the journey to Alesund to offer a second chance of seeing the island – this time the weather co-operated and the mist shrouded only the peaks.

Whatever I expected from Longyearbyen, the “capital” of Spitsbergen with its shops, bank, restaurants and sports centre complete with swimming pool it was not to be able to walk the Boudicca’s decks in shorts and t-shirt, switching to a fleece and cotton trousers to explore the township that also has the world’s most northerly fish and chip van.

The township was built around coal mining and the legacy of this industry is obvious everywhere– although the days of the streets being covered in a layer of coal dust seem to be long gone.

While we were settling down for yet another magnificent meal in one of the Boudicca’s fine restaurants, the vessel was being prepared for the 163-mile trip to Magdalenefjord, our best chance to see polar bears, where we were due about six the following morning.

The wind chill and ice factor from the fjord’s glaciers gave the morning an Arctic feel but despite a prolonged watching session – including the chance to see rare red snow – no polar bears were sighted and, after a tender had been sent to fetch a block of glacier ice for afternoon drinks, the Boudicca set course for the 56-mile hop to the former coal mining outpost at Ny Ålesund, now a research station and centre for international Arctic environmental monitoring.

While the collection of cabins was one of the smallest landing points with passengers restricted to a 1.5km circular path, Ny Ålesund proved fascinating with links to Polar explorers Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile, a rich coal mining history and views of Arctic mountains and glaciers beyond description.

There are also the world’s most northerly telephone kiosk and post office which may explain why I’m back in Newcastle and my postcards are not.

The final stage of our Northern adventure was a two-and-a-half day cruise to Ålesund 1,035 miles away on the Norwegian mainland. Norway’s largest fishing town, Ålesund is perhaps better known for its Art Noveau architecture with most of the town centre rebuilt after the great fire of 1904.

Although most visitors travel by coach or tourist “train” to the Aklsa Hill observation point overlooking the town and linked islands, several of the Boudicca’s fitter passengers ignored the Sunday afternoon showers to scale the 418 steps from the town centre park to the viewing platform although the efforts of some may have been in vain as clouds once again descended.

Two days and 530 miles later as we prepared to disembark at North Shields, Capt Roksund wished us a farewell but not a goodbye, expressing a wish to see us back on board the Boudicca again some time in the future.

Given the quality of the accommodation – we were in a four-berth outside cabin with window and shower, the food, wide range of shore excursions, the Junior Cruiser club to keep the younger travellers occupied and the helpful, pleasant staff, this is a foregone conclusion with planning already started for a return Fred. Olsen cruise to the North Cape next August.