Captain Greybeard

After the National Day celebrations on Hurtigruten's Midnatsol last week came the real highlight of my two days aboard - the Sea Eagle Safari. Wrapped up against a chill wind, our group boarded a smaller boat and, noticing a basket of bread and a box of fish I wondered for a moment whether I had not accidentally stumbled on a re-enactment of the Biblical feeding of the five thousand. But of course the bread was to attract hundreds of gulls, who were confident enough to eat from the crew's hands. They came in such multitudes that at times it was [...]

So, Nasjonaldagen, what's that all about? A celebration of Norway's National Day and also known as Constitution Day, it is held on May 17 each year to commemorate the country's independence. And the Norwegians make a big thing of it, taking a day off work, dressing in national costume, parading through the streets behind the local brass band, waving flags, shouting loud "hoorahs" at every opportunity, and tucking into substantial feasts. On board Hurtigruten's MV Midnatsol, the festivities began with a speech from Captain Kjell Jonassen before passengers walked in sedate procession around the upper deck behind banners which they [...]

I have plenty to tell you about my three days on board Hurtigruten's Midnatsol this week, travelling along the coast of Norway from Tromso to Trondheim. But it will be a day or two before I get time to write about it - the days might be long in this part of the world at this time of year, but they are also packed with places to go and things to do. Just to give you an idea of what to expect, here's a sea eagle photographed on yesterday's excursion in the Lofoten islands. Knowing how inept I am with [...]