Uncategorized

Our smooth flight from London Heathrow was only interrupted for a short time by a moderate turbulence from the remnants of a tropical storm in the USA. The landing at Lisbon was spectacular as we approached low over the city and especially over the Tagus (river) bridge and the statue of Christ.

We will depart Lisbon by ship to travel south to Cape Town in the wake of Henry the Navigator.

After a day and night of moderate chop we slipped under the sunrise into Dover at 6:00 a.m. We had ventured the furthest north possible without ice-breaking vessels and travelled around 4,500 miles. Then the hardest part of the journey returning to Manchester with only one train an hour!

At 08:30 we were at 54N 3E with the Dogger Bank out of our starboard window. There was a definite chop and a gale blowing. During the night we heard a helicopter. It turned out to be the evacuation of a passenger using the equipment from an oil platform nearby and the person being evacuated

We travelled overnight to Egersund and docked in what is described as one of the best natural harbours in Norway. The guidebooks say it is a most picturesque town along the western coastline but in the early morning gloom that is hard to appreciate. As we stepped off the ship we were immediately aware of

At 08:30 and at 61N 4E it was another dull morning. The sunrise is getting later as we proceed southwards but the weather improved during the morning. We saw one ship as we approached Bergen. It is not the first time that we have visited the city. Today we are visiting a viewpoint that we

It was a gloomy start today as we made progress towards Kristiansund which is another large cod fishing and processing town but, with ship repairs and service industries as well as servicing the North Sea oil fields, it is an important hub for workers and tourists. A large amount of the world’s ‘klipfisk’, salted cod,

We docked in Træna, Norway’s oldest fishing village and 30 or so miles from the mainland, at 08:00. Our first view of the island was disappointing as it was a warehouse and pallets stacked 30 high. After breakfast we needed to explore what this settlement of only 450 inhabitants that has been here since the

Overnight we retraced our route through the many islands and by passing Tromsø to the Lofoten Islands. The light of the morning sun was spectacular as we were en route to the port of Svolvaer. Prior to docking we turned off the Raftsund Straight near the island of Austvagoy to enter the Trollfjord which narrows

At 06:40, after travelling southeast from Bear Island, we passed beneath the cliffs known as the North Cape at 71.10N and at sea level, the village of Knivskjelodden, which is the actual most northerly point of Europe. But, if and when giant cruise ships arrive, this small place would not cope. Following an early breakfast,