Gone to See Norway 2007 Family Winter Vacation. Day 13: Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald Norwegian Coastal Voyage Southbound (Trondheim to Molde).
On the fifth day of the southbound Hurtigruten voyage the ship only made three stops: Trondheim (06:30-10:00); Kristiansund (16:30-17:00); and Molde (21:00-21:30). We were able to spend a couple of early morning hours in Trondheim. I wanted to get more images of the statues and gargoyles at the Nidaros Cathedral.
Individual images in the slide show can be viewed here.
Gone to See Norway 2007 Family Winter Vacation. Day 12: Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald Norwegian Coastal Voyage Southbound (Bodø to Rørvik).
On the fourth day of the southbound Hurtigruten voyage the ship made six stops: Bodø (02:30-04:15); Ørnes (07:00-07:15); Nesna (11:00-11:15); Sandnessjøen (12:30-13:00); Brønnøysund (15:45-17:00); and Rørvik (20:30-21:30). None of the daytime stops were long enough to get off the ship. For half of the day we were still above the Arctic circle.
Winter dawn colors north of the arctic circle from the deck of the Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 28-70 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 400, 70 mm, f/4.5, 1/80 sec). (David J Mathre)Arctic Circle marker from the deck of the Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/4.5, 1/30 sec). (David J Mathre)
Gone to See Norway 2007 Family Winter Vacation. Day 11: Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald Norwegian Coastal Voyage Southbound (Tromsø to Stamsund).
On the third day of the southbound Hurtigruten voyage, the ship departed Tromsø (01:30) and made seven stops: Finnsnes (04:15-04:45); Harstad (07:45-08:30); Risøyhamm (10:45-11:00); Sortland (12:30-13:00); Stokmarkenes (14:15-15:15); Svolvær (18:30-20:30); and Stamsund (22:00-22:30).
We got off the ship in Harstad and took a bus tour stopping at the Trondenes Church (northernmost medieval stone church in Norway) and the Trondenes Museum & Historical center. We then drove to Sortland where we rejoined the ship after passing over it while we crossed the Sortland bridge.
Painting at the Trondenes Museum & Historical center in Harstad. Composite of two images taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 50 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 50 mm, f/1.4, 1/100 sec) (David J Mathre)
Individual images in this slide-show can be viewed here.
Individual images in this slide-show can be viewed here.
Individual images in this slide-show can be viewed here.
Individual images in this slide-show can be viewed here.
Svolvær Church at night. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 35 mm f/2 lens (ISO 400, 35 mm, f/2, 1/15 sec) (David J Mathre)Trollfjord docked in Svolvær. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 12-24 mm f/4 lens (ISO 200, 12 mm, f/4, 1/45 sec) (David J Mathre)
Gone to See Norway 2007 Family Winter Vacation. Day 10: Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald Norwegian Coastal Voyage Southbound (Mehamn to Tromsø).
On the second day of the southbound Hurtigruten voyage, the ship stopped in eight ports: Mehamn (01:00-01:15); Kjøllefjord (03:15-03:30); Honningsvåg (06:00-06:15); Havøsund (08:15-08:30); Hammerfest (11:15-12:45); Øksfjord (15:30-15:45); Skjervøy (19:00-19:45); and Tromsø (23:45-01:30).
At about 01:00 the captain made an announcement that Northern Lights were visible. I put some warm clothes on and went out. It was cold (minus 10 degrees) and windy. But the northern lights were brighter than I ever remember seeing before when growing up in Minnesota. It was hard to stand still for 10 seconds on a moving ship in the cold and heavy wind to take a selfie. I did hear that some of the folks that got off in Kirkenes also saw the Northern Lights that night (but didn’t wake the others up…). It was because of the view that night that I decided to go back to Norway in the middle of the winter six years later — and saw even more impressive displays in Tromsø.
Northern Lights Self Portrait. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 10.5 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 400, 10.5 mm, f/2.8, 10 sec). (David J Mathre)
Gone to See Norway 2007 Family Winter Vacation. Day 9: Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald Norwegian Coastal Voyage Northbound (Båtsfjord to Kirkenes) then Southbound (Kirkenes to Berlevåg).
On the sixth and final day of the northbound Hurtigruten voyage, the MS Kong Harald stopped in four ports: Båtsfjord (00:30-01:00); Vardø (04:00-04:15); Vadsø (07:30-08:00); and Kirkenes (09:45-12:45). After spending 3 hours in Kirkenes, the ship turned around and began the southbound voyage stopping at three ports: Vardø (16:00-17:00); Båtsfjord (20:00-20:30); and Berlevåg (22:15-22:30). All but three from our group disembarked at Kirkenes to return to Florida.
Gone to See Norway Mathre Winter Vacation 2007 (David J. Mathre)
