Cruising through Norway’s picturesque fjords and Russia’s White Sea
by Lynn Remly, Hudson, OH
There’s a certain symmetry in traveling to one of the world’s most visited places and — on the same trip — one of the least. My July ’09 trip to the Norwegian fjords and the Russian Arctic allowed me to do just that while at the same time providing a great deal of historical insight and spectacular landscapes.
Getting started
The core of my trip, “Norway’s Fjords, the North Cape and Russia’s White Sea,” was organized by Chicago travel agents Thomas P. Gohagan & Company (800/922-3088) for the benefit of several alumni organizations. Although not a graduate of Northwestern, I insinuated myself into their alumni association, converting temporarily from a Minnesota Gopher to a Wildcat.
Our ship, MS Le Diamant, operated by Compagnie du Ponant (www.ponant.com), was scheduled to depart from Bergen, Norway. I decided to go to Bergen three days early and elected to stay at Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz (Rosenkrantzgate 7). At NOK1,695 ($298) per night for a single room, it was a slightly cheaper option than the SAS Royal Hotel, recommended by Gohagan.
The Thon Hotel lies one street off the Bryggen, the town’s historic wharf, and was easily reachable from the airport by means of the Flybussen, the airport bus (85 kroner, or $15).
A caution in booking a hotel — July is the height of the White Nights of the north, when it never gets fully dark, meaning that the locals and tourists stay up until all hours.
Because my room faced the street — and because I had to keep the window open to grab the few available puffs of cool air at night (there is little air-conditioning in Norway) — I was kept awake until 3 or 4 a.m. by partygoers staggering home from the bars along the Bryggen. I would recommend that anyone in any hotel in the area ask for a room facing away from the street.
When I complained about the noise, the receptionist assured me that there was nothing to be done, but she did suddenly produce a significant “weekend special” package that reduced my room rate by almost $100 a night for the last two days.
Bergen sights
The Bryggen represented Bergen’s trading power when the Hanseatic League, of which the town was a member, established a trading office on Vågen (the bay). The rows of wooden buildings, placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1979, were once houses and dormitories for the Hansa’s representatives, who oversaw the reciprocal trade in commodities like dried fish and grain between Norway and the rest of Europe.
Once considered an eyesore and a fire hazard, the leaning buildings of the Bryggen were often threatened with demolition, but today they house shops, restaurants and museums, all well worth a visit.
One of the most important, from a historical point of view, is the Hanseatic Museum (Finnegaardsgaten 1a; phone 47 55 54 46 90), which re-creates the offices of the Hansa from 1360 until 1754.
The building includes the journeyman’s room and the lowly apprentices’ room, where boys slept two to a bed in an unheated room and where food was served cold to prevent fire.
Admission to the museum (50 kroner, or $9) includes entry to an associated building several blocks away, the Schøtstuene, or assembly hall, which would have belonged to all the merchants of one or more trade houses.
The Hansa ships, along with an entire parade of Norwegian seafaring craft, can be seen at the Sjøfartsmuseet, or Maritime Museum, located on the campus of the University of Bergen (Haakon Sheteligsplass 15). The museum (entry, 30 kroner) is a capsule of a very significant part of the history of a country that has over 15,000 miles of coastline.
Artistic outings
Norway’s favorite musical son is Edvard Grieg, so finding his music there is not difficult. I elected to attend an evening concert (NOK199, or $35) at the Korskirken, where a violin/piano duo played sonatas by Grieg plus one by Brahms. In such a small and charming setting, the music was very intimate.
There are concerts all the time in Bergen, and tickets for these and other events can be bought at the tourist office, Bergen Turlag (Tverrgaten 4).
It’s also possible to visit Grieg’s home (admission, 60 kroner, or $10), Troldhaugen, located just south of Bergen on Nordåsvannet Lake.
The Bergen Art Museum (Rasmus Meyers allé 3), located right beside the lake Lille Lungegårdsvann, is known for its collection of works by 18th- and 19th-century artists such as Munch, Klee and Picasso. In such a small city, it is a fine collection (entry, 50 kroner).
My next day featured a trip to Gamle Bergen, the open-air Old Bergen museum (Nyhavnsveien 4; phone 47 55 39 43 00), a short, two-mile bus trip away from town (take virtually any bus line going north to Sandviken for about 24 kroner).
The museum includes 35 buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, including residences, shops and commercial buildings, all connected by rambling walkways and dotted with green areas. Only two houses and the grounds are open at no cost, but hourly guided tours (70 kroner) give a much more in-depth introduction to the lives of Norway’s coastal citizens during the recent past.
High costs
A caution — everything in Bergen (and in Norway, in general) is very expensive. Thanks to North Sea oil, Norway has gone from being one of the poorer countries in Europe to one of its richest, and this wealth is reflected in the cost of living. A large beer, for example, costs $16-$18, and food is commensurately expensive.
There are no bargain fast-food options (McDonald’s is just as expensive), so one way of keeping daily costs down is to take advantage of the filling breakfast at your hotel, making it your main meal. Another alternative is to take a package tour, with meals included, if you’re trying to travel on a budget.
To the ship!
On July 4, our group met for the transfer to Le Diamant. For those who prefer small ships, the Diamant is a find. All of its 113 cabins and suites are outside-facing, with large windows or balconies that let passengers enjoy the scenery. Each cabin has two twin beds that can convert to one queen-sized bed, plus private facilities with a shower or bath, a TV/DVD, a mini-bar and thick terrycloth robes.
As the ship is French-owned, the food is important. Breakfast and lunch were splendid buffets, but dinner was a two-hour or more sit-down affair, with wine included. The larger restaurant, Îles de France, offered open seating, while the smaller, more intimate L’Escapade required reservations.
If, God forbid, you need more food, an early-bird Continental breakfast, afternoon tea and room service complement the three regular meals.
The very imaginative and varied offerings should suit anyone, and for those with a special diet (I am a vegetarian), the chef will create special dishes. And I have never seen such an elaborate dessert table!
The ship also has three lounges, where nightly entertainment included a cabaret and live music. For quieter time, a small, unstaffed library with computers offers a chance to read or contact folks back home.
The onboard staff includes a physician, and each deck can be accessed by stairs or elevator.
The service was extraordinary; I hardly needed to think of something before it was offered.
There were three semiformal evenings (jacket and tie for men), and the rest of the time people tended to dress to a level above ordinary street dress.
From my point of view, one of the benefits of a small ship is its maneuverability. Especially in the Norwegian fjords and among the many White Sea islands, the chance to see things up close and personal was a great advantage over a larger ship. The ship has an open-bridge policy, which helped when trying to spot beluga whales or Arctic terns.
Setting sail
We arrived the next day in Geirangerfjord, a deep, S-shaped inlet cut into high cliffs that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tiny town of Geiranger (population, 250) gets around 600,000 visitors a year, mainly by ship. The famous Seven Sisters and other waterfalls line the fjord walls on the approach to town.
We disembarked by tender, then went by bus up the many switchbacks to Dalsnibba, a peak situated 4,800 feet above sea level, for an amazing view of the fjord and the surrounding area.
As was typical for the entire trip, we had little time to wander Geiranger, instead heading back to the ship to sail on to our next destination. Afternoons aboard featured lectures by leaders of the various groups on board, on subjects ranging from Arctic flora and fauna to Viking exploration. All in all, the days were pretty full.
All of our guided excursions were included, so there was no need to pay admission or worry about transportation to and from the ship.
A day at sea followed, then we arrived at Svolvær on Austvågøy, the northernmost of the Lofoten Islands. Crossing the bridge to Vestvågøy, we visited a replica of the largest Viking longhouse ever discovered, at Borg, a 270-foot-long wooden building that would have housed about 80 people.
Svolvær was only about two miles from the dock, so most of those going ashore in the afternoon decided to walk in order to work off some of our fine dinners.
I wanted to get a jar of cloudberry jam and browse for gifts to bring home, so, because of our limited time ashore, I missed one of the main attractions of the town, the Lofoten War Museum (Fiskergata 12; phone 73 03 28). My fellow passengers pronounced it wonderful — chock-full of memorabilia, photos, uniforms and everything needed to tell the story of Norway’s involvement in World War II.
A pleasant surprise
When we were underway again, the captain announced the first of several “surprises,” asking everyone to come on deck. He directed the ship into the Trollfjord, a particularly scenic, needle-narrow fjord whose walls sliced straight down into the water. It seemed that we were going to touch the sides.
Once we reached the end, the captain turned the ship on its axis slowly and we maneuvered back out. It was an impressive surprise, both from the standpoint of scenery and seamanship.
We next sailed to Tromsø to be impressed again, this time by the importance of the Gulf Stream and the westerly winds that keep the Norwegian coast ice-free. Our first stop was the delightful botanical garden associated with Tromsø University, Botanisk Hage (Breivika; phone 77 64 50 00). Among a wide range of flora from the northern regions, we admired fluorescent blue poppies that none of us had seen before.
We also made it to the Tromsø University Museum (Lars Thøringsveg 10), with its displays on Arctic animals and the culture of the Sami, or Lapps, a native group best known for reindeer herding. Spread through four countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia), the group is one of the best organized and most vocal of all indigenous peoples, working toward recognition of their culture and language.
The North Cape
Although we passed the Arctic Circle marker on our way north, the “high” point of the Norwegian part of our trip had to be the North Cape — at 71˚10'21" the northernmost point in Europe. According to our humorous captain, there are two North Capes: the actual northernmost point, which is a low-lying, rather uninteresting hunk of rock with a small white flag, and the “tourists’” North Cape, which is a massive cliff that plunges dramatically down into the water.
Our captain called us on deck for another surprise as we passed the Cape: champagne and onion soup, accompanied by the beautiful singing of one of the staff entertainers. We saluted the Cape, and each other, as we sailed by, watching the sun once again refuse to go below the horizon.
Next we went to the North Cape Plateau to enjoy the view over the Barents Sea and take the inevitable pictures at the North Cape monument. The visitors’ center there featured dioramas of historical events, plus a Thai temple and a 20-minute panoramic film showing the northern landscape.
We were unusually lucky with the weather throughout our trip; every day was sunny — and this day was no exception. Neither rain nor fog blocked our view, for which we thanked our lucky stars.
On to Russia
We entered a different world the next day, signaled by the boarding of Russian Customs officials and the playing of a military band as we arrived in Murmansk.
Known to fans of the movie “The Hunt for Red October,” Murmansk was a center of Soviet submarine activity during the Cold War and remains the headquarters of the Russian Northern Fleet. The largest city north of the Arctic Circle, it is situated only eight miles inland from the Barents Sea on the Kola Peninsula, close to Russia’s borders with Norway and Finland.
Because of lengthy immigration formalities, our time in Murmansk was very limited, but my original impression of bleakness was confirmed as we drove through the streets. The city plan, itself, might have created an attractive town centered on numerous parks, but lack of money and decreasing official interest has led to its having a shabby appearance, which reminded me of the look of things during my first visit to Russia — then the Soviet Union — in 1972.
Our all-too-brief visit hit highlights like the Allied Cemetery, where most graves looked unkempt and forlorn. We flew through the Museum of Regional Studies, starting at the top and racing down, from its excellent exhibits on World War II to extensive geologic displays.
Solovetsky Islands
Our next stop was the highlight of the trip, for me. Buried in the southern part of the White Sea, below the Arctic Circle but still in a forbiddingly lonely, cold spot, the Solovetsky Islands were once home to a wooden monastery founded in 1429 by Savvaty and German, two monks from the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery.
The remoteness and harshness of the place, however, made it an ideal location for a prison in the time of the tsars, and later it became one of the deadliest of the Soviet-era Gulag camps. Closed in 1939, it became a base for the Northern Fleet and was finally reopened as a monastery in the early 1990s.
Though the monastery has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are limited funds for rebuilding, so the entire complex is reminiscent of many other tumbledown Soviet-era leftovers. We visited the refectory, the 16th-century Annunciation Church and the State Historical-Architectural Museum, dedicated to victims of the Gulag.
Once again, our captain had a surprise for us. He had been negotiating for two weeks, he said, for permission for us to take Zodiac excursions among the other islands. This was indeed a surprise, and many of us jumped at the chance to see things from a different perspective.
While there is little wildlife left to see, a cruise among the islands on a sunny day was a rare treat.
Archangelsk
Arriving at Archangelsk the next day was like visiting another planet. With a population of 375,000, the city is booming, but, once again, we were so rushed that the visit seemed a blur.
We drove past the Gostiny Dvor, a 17th-century trading arcade, and stopped at the Great Patriotic War monument, then walked along the Dvina River embankment, lined with open-air restaurants and bars. In addition, we walked (fast) along Prospekt Chumbarova-Luchinskovo, a street boasting wonderful old-fashioned wooden houses and statues of characters from the writings of Stepan Pisakhov. It was all quite a contrast to Murmansk.
We did manage to visit the city’s excellent Fine Arts Museum, whose collection of icons from the 14th to 18th centuries was impressive. Most interesting for me was the space devoted to decorative arts, featuring amazing painted distaffs for young women and wonderful, carved wooden wall decorations.
Shopping stop
We had had almost no time for shopping on the trip, but our guide did take us to a small, well-hidden craft shop where we could purchase souvenirs to bring home. The women in the store seemed overwhelmed by 40 people suddenly trying to buy everything in sight, and service was inefficient and slow, but most of us managed to purchase a few gifts and souvenirs by simply refusing to leave after the allotted 15 minutes.
Our guide then took us to a large supermarket to purchase snacks (as if we needed any more food!). The variety of food and the presentation were amazing — expensive chocolate, elegant pastries and meats. Everything shrieked luxury. The store reminded me of Dean & Deluca, except for the cats running underfoot.
The guide was afraid of being reprimanded if we were late back to the ship, so our Gohagan representative contacted the ship and received assurance that no one was going to get into trouble. There were two Gohagan representatives with us throughout the trip, and they were amazingly efficient and helpful. They seemed to identify problems in advance and solve them before we even knew of them.
Heading home
After Archangelsk, we steamed back to Kirkenes, Norway, where we split up. Some passengers had elected to take a post-tour trip to Helsinki, while most of us boarded a charter flight to Paris, from where I continued home.
A trip to the White Sea is not an everyday event, and though the Norwegian fjords are a much more frequent offering, the combination of the two destinations made for a perfect two weeks.
The total cost for my cruise was $5,995, double. Port taxes and airfare were not included.
If you are not able to take the complete cruise combining Bergen, the fjords and the White Sea, any part of the trip would be a worthwhile venture, on land or by sea.