Honningsvag hike, Norway, 9/24/17

Arrived in Honningsvag, gateway town to the North Cape midday. It was dark and overcast but no rain.  Instead of boarding a bus to go to the Cape, opted to hiked up to the high plateau (~1000 ft) above the town.

 It was the right decision: spectacular desolate expanses....

 Beautiful colorful tundra.... and,

 reindeer!

See in the harbor: A traditional drying rack for cod/stock fish, the staple of the region. The crew on the ferry told us that, to date, no modern technology had been developed that dried cod better than the traditional method. So that is how it is still done.

Tronso Mountain hike, Norway, 9/23/17

Panoramic view of Tronso, the arctic capital.  It is from here that expeditions leave for the north pole.

It is also a favorite tourist hangout to watch the northern lights.  Yes, we did see them that evening.  The lights were white, not green, and looked like fuzzy drapes hanging in the sky that some mysterious hand kept moving around! (No pictures. To take pictures of the northern lights you need a tripod and and SLR camera to set a very long aperture manually.)

 We took a tram to get high above the city and then hiked up a large hill covered in tundra vegetation.

Only about 3:30 pm in the afternoon and the sun is already low on the horizon as we are so far north.

Bodo hike, Norway, 9/22/17

On the same day we crossed the Artic Circle,  we hiked to an alpine refuge in the mountain overlooking Bodo and the ocean.

 Landscape of incredible beauty becoming more rugged and wilder as we move further north.

 Steps and more steps ....  and according to our guide built by Nepalese Sherpas!

Crossing the Artic Circle, Norway, 9/22/17

Crossed Artic Circle early on Day 4 of our coastal ferry trip. 

Lofoten islands in the background

 Thor, norse god of lightening, thunder and storms, made an appearance for the occasion...

while the captain 'baptized" all who crossed the Artic Circle for the first time by pouring a ladle of ice cubes over their heads!

Bymarken Rain Forest walk, Trondheim, Norway, 9/21/17

 On Day 3 of our Hurtigruten coastal ferry voyage, we joined a guided hike of a nearby rain forest.

 Our good fortune: no rain!

Trekked about 1.5 miles to a viewpoint over the sea. 

 No, this is not our ferry that lifted anchor without us.  

It is a southbound ferry making its way to Bergen. 

 Finishing touch: tea and cookies, and...

a tour of Trondheim Nidaros cathedral, the resting place of St. Olaf, patron saint of Norway.  

St Olaf was a viking and king of Norway,  credited with bringing christianity to the pagan vikings in the 11th century.

Hjorundfjord hike, Norway, 9/20/17

On the 2nd day of our northbound Norwegian trip on the coastal ferry, we explored the hamlet of Urke and hiked about 2 1/2 miles towards the mountain making a loop through the farmland and back to the hamlet. 

 What we found: crystal clear waters, lots of tatched roofs and very friendly locals.