Early in the morning we explored the area near the Praça do Comercio, the area of the 16th – 18th century royal palaces. The area was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake and it became a trading and slave centre. Close by are the remains of wharves and fish curing sheds. Also close by is the …
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 …