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August 2 to 20, 2011
St. Petersburg, Russia
Finland
Norwegian Fjords and Bergen
GCT cruise-tour

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This marvelous adventure took place on both sides of the Arctic Circle, starting in St. Petersburg, Russia, then west to Helsinki, the capital of Finland, then north to the Land of the Midnight Sun and Lapland country, followed by a cruise along the fjords of the North Atlantic coast of Norway, via Trondheim and Bergen, to end in its capital of Oslo. We were fortunate to share this adventure with good friends of ours from Florida, which made it all the more enjoyable.

It included three countries which we covered with four different Finnair flights; four marvelous cities which we explored on foot and in very modern and comfortable coaches; and an awesome five-day cruise along the Norwegian fjords. The grand finale, “Norway in a nutshell” -- a very popular tourist attraction -- combined an exhilarating coach ride, an awe-inspiring boat ride down the spectacular Gudvangen fjord, two consecutive scenic train rides through stunning scenery, and a final coach ride to Oslo. Talk about an eyeful!

The eastbound jetlag was severely felt upon our arrival in St. Petersburg. Especially on a Finnair plane -- which we definitely do not recommend as an airline: The planes are pretty and clean, but if they could get away with removing toilets and galley to add more seats, they would do it. In all the years we’ve flown, we’ve never experienced such tight seats: if the seat in front of you reclined, with yours in the upright position, you could not touch your ankles. And I am 4’11”. God help 6-foot+ passengers...

1. ST. PETERSBURG - Only nine other people participated in this pre-trip extension to the second largest city in Russia. We were to rejoin the main tour five days later in Helsinki. We are ever so glad to have decided on this extension! Our guide, a native Russian woman, totally bilingual and old enough to have experienced or remember many salient points of Russian history of the last half century, had a delightful sense of humor. Though she was only a tiny bit younger than most of us, we could barely keep up with her energy level, and she put us all to shame. Her knowledge of the past and present history of her country and its various art treasures, was astounding. The pleasure we derived from her scheduled talks, plus running commentaries in the coach, was increased by the fact she was extremely objective. We realized that educated people of her generation are, indeed, very aware of the pitfalls and shameful events of their past governments, making no excuses for it.

St. Petersburg, Russia - The Palace Square and Statue of Alexander I from the Winter Palace

From a talk given the first morning by a Professor of Economics at the University – a very interesting bilingual young man, with whom we would have gladly spent the whole day --, we gained valuable insight into what the current young generation of Russians want and seek. Like the United Stakes, Russia is a huge country, made of very different and far-apart regions. St. Petersburg is very western, as such liberal/democratic; Vladivostok (far at the other end of the country) is eastern/Asian, as such slavophile and traditional. 80% percent of the Russian population lives in the western part, near the Volga River. The divide between the eastern and western parts of Russia is the natural barrier of the Ural Mountains. Covering two-thirds of Russia’s surface, Siberia’s northern third is covered by tundra, and dense forests cover the middle third while the other 20% of Russia’s population live in the bottom third.

He pointed out that Russia never had the benefit of the Enlightenment or the Renaissance nor the exposure to protestant religions, and the role of the State and of the Army is dominant. The national religion is Russian Orthodox, whose Church is run by the State. Russia’s President is elected by the political parties, not the people, and regional governors are appointed by the president. He made us aware that Russia had no natural borders, and, as such, has constantly tried to shield itself against its neighbors, especially those with European influence. This caused an isolation and corruption (the worst in the world, even before Somalia, which holds the second title) that the younger generation seems to want to eliminate, while asking themselves: Who are we ? Where are we going? Are we getting better or worse? What should we make better, and what could be worse? They seek to return to the pre-revolutionary state of affairs, restoring palaces and churches, and finally free to discuss “hot” topics openly. There are 150 different ethnicities in Russia, and a great proportion of Muslims. The phenomenon of globalization has brought multiculturalism to Russia, with its many pitfalls as well as well-meaning benefits. They, like all other countries dealing with the same situation, are now thinking of new ways to manage this diversity.

St. Petersburg, Russia - The banks of the Neva and canals

St. Petersburg, with its 4.6 million inhabitants, is Russia’s largest seaport and second largest city. Its four rivers – the most important one being named the Neva -- and 53 canals gave it its nickname of “Venice of the North,” and are crossed by 316 bridges. At the same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska and the southern tip of Greenland, Russia has the same climate as Canada. Moscow is in the same time zone (one of the 11 in Russia) as Athens, or eight hours ahead of our EDT zone. An expensive visa is needed to visit, and the national currency is the ruble, composed of 100 kopeks.

St. Petersburg, Russia - Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

Relatively young by Russian and European standards, St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Tsar Peter I at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland -- naming it after St. Peter and not himself – who made it Russia’s capital instead of Moscow. It was the cultural center of Russia for 200 years. Lenin, the leader of the Bolshevik Revolution, renamed the city Petrograd in 1924 (subsequently to be renamed Leningrad), and moved the capital back to Moscow. It’s only in 1991, at the dissolution of the Communist Party and the collapse of the Soviet Union, that it regained its current name of St. Petersburg.

Evidence of the dramatic damages caused by the Germans in WWII was ubiquitous in each of the three countries we visited. The historically infamous siege of Leningrad (July 1941 to January 1944) by the Germans caused the death through starvation of one million people in the city. Besides that, WWII alone caused the death of 27 million people in the country, and Stalin’s “purges” eliminated another 30 million. The massive loss of life in WWII remains to this day the single most important unifying factor in Russia.

Peter and Catherine the Great were avid lovers of anything French, and the influence of France both historically, artistically and architecturally is evident everywhere – though Russians at the time felt that it was a bit force-fed. A small trivial detail: the street name plaques are similar in shape, design and color to those found in Paris, and are also located on the buildings, at street corners. Its residents consider their city very different from, meaning superior to, Moscow, and we easily believe it, though we don’t know Moscow yet. We all fell in love with this unique city.

A fearless innovator, Peter the Great built his magnificent Winter Palace in St. Petersburg according to his own plans, and decided no other building in the city should exceed its height – except for churches and fire towers. Which gave the city the advantage of having no tall buildings, much less skyscrapers. One of his accomplishments was, in 1700, to change the calendar to start on January 1, from the previous September 1.

St. Petersburg, Russia - The Winter Palace and the  Hermitage Museum — St. Petersburg, Russia - The Winter Palace and the Hermitage Museum

I can’t begin to describe the magnificent buildings and sites we visited. The highlights were the famous Winter Palace (housing the world-famous Hermitage Museum); St. Isaac’s Cathedral (now a museum, like several other old churches in the city); the Hermitage Museum (with its three million exhibit pieces); the Peter and Paul Fortress; the Tsar’s Summer Residence at Peterhof, outside the city, surrounded by Versailles-like gardens and fountains (a photographer’s delight).

Other highlights were:

St. Petersburg, Russia - Artistic dessert for lunch at the Tchaikovsky Restaurant

- a meal in a local restaurant in the house where Tchaikovsky lived and died. We were treated to real Russian vodka, which felt like liquid velvet sliding down our throats. I tried to capture on a photo the masterful style the waiter demonstrated in pouring it in each glass from way above the table, but the clear transparent liquid didn’t come through on “film”.

- another meal (a home-hosted dinner, a GCT tradition which we’ve come to treasure) in the apartment of a traditional middle-class Russian family, in a typical suburban neighborhood. Neither husband nor wife spoke English, but our guide kindly and faithfully translated, so we had a lively and very informative conversation with this couple in their early-40’s with two teenage boys. We bombarded them with questions, which they eager responded to, and we all had a memorable time.

- yet another was a boat ride down one of the canals and into the Neva River and back around more canals, under blue skies and sunshine. As was the case in Venice, seeing a city and its buildings from the water gives a unique perspective.

St. Petersburg, Russia - Poster for Swan Lake with the Jacobson Ballet, at the Mikhailovsky theater

- the pièce de résistance, however, was a special treat for the 11 of us at the old and classic Mikhailovsky theater, to watch a performance of Swan Lake by the Jacobson Company which, along with the Kirov Ballet, is one of the two Russian troupes in St. Petersburg (despite its English-sounding name). Interestingly enough, Stalin decided that he didn’t like the sad ending of the death of the swan (this was the guy who eliminated 30 million of his fellow Russians with his purges…), and ordered them to change it to the “good prince” bringing the white swan back to life. We were treated to the “Stalin ending” instead of the original one. Nevertheless, it was an outstanding performance, in a stunning setting, and an enchanting opportunity we’ll never forget.

It was quite hot all five days we were in Russia, and humid for the most part. The A/C in our lovely old but remodeled hotel couldn’t quite keep up with the heat in the upstairs bedrooms, but the bar/reception/restaurant was comfortable. We were afraid we’d run out of “warm weather” clothes, since we were mostly equipped for the trip to the Land of the Midnight Sun. We were told that this was the hottest summer on record both in western Russia and Finland.

Now for the food, well, hmm, so, oh, OK, how should I put it, hmm, let me see now… Let’s say that I don’t remember much of it. To be kind, I’ll say that their soups are excellent, as well as their breads, and they know many appetizing ways to fix vegetables. And that's enough said on that subject.

2. FINLAND (otherwise called Suomi)

After emotional good-byes to our cheerful Russian guide, and another thankfully short Finnair flight back to Helsinki, we were welcomed in our first Scandinavian country by a true native of Norway, who stayed with us till the very end in Oslo. His knowledge was impressive, both of Finland and Norway (we didn’t enter or discuss Sweden at all), and his English was impeccable. His humor was possibly a little two saxon for us, and his military background had a tendency to surface now and then. But, all in all, he was very interesting and helpful. He was the oldest guide – probably early 60’s -- we’ve had with any group, and this must have been an exhausting trip for him (he said it was the third in a row, with a fourth and last one to follow). Being a tour director which is a 24/7 job is definitely for young people!

We loved the whole time we spent in Finland, starting with two days in Helsinki, its capital city. Wedged between Sweden to the west and Russia to the east, Finland is surrounded by the Gulf of Bosnia on one side, and the Gulf of Finland on the other, while its land mass stretches all the way north beyond the Arctic Circle. Helsinki is a very young, vibrant, beautiful and bustling city, and we were lucky to be, again, favored with blue and sunny skies. I had told everyone I had ordered good weather for the duration, but I had to wait till the very last day to be proved right, since our guide repeated every morning: “Yeah, it’s great today, but wait till tomorrow!” in good Scandinavian downbeat fashion.

We walked a lot, both on our own and with our guide. Guided tours were made much easier than in the past with a little audio receiver, called a Whisper, that we carried around our neck with a string, connected to two little earpieces, while he talked away merrily by himself with a small mike around his own neck, leading our group wherever we went. A British guide married to a Finn came on board our coach, and gave us a valuable and humorous “tour” of Finnish culture while showing us her city.

Trivia: Although Finland seems like a very well-run, efficient, clean and modern country, I am not sure it would be my adopted country of choice. The main reason is the lack of sunlight – which is more of a problem for the population than the low temperatures, especially in the north, i.e. in Sàmi Country, way north of the Arctic Circle. At Christmas time, there are four hours of daylight in southern Finland (where the majority of the population lives), and NONE in Sàmi country (well above the Arctic Circle). On June 21, the reverse holds true: no dark at all in Sàmi country, and only four hours of dusk (not completely dark) in the south. We found out that locals have to take supplements of vitamin D, and use high-intensity lamps, to simulate the benefits of natural sunlight.

The other reason is the stern, solemn, serious and stodgy aspect of their national character, as depicted by our English guide. The Finns have a reputation for not being friendly and not a whole lot of fun; good-hearted but hard to know (she should know, she is married to one!) Finally, the cost of living (which is still below Norway’s) is very high, and its residents have to put up with a 22% VAT (Value Added Tax) on everything they buy.

Finland’s stormy relationship with Sweden and Russia has lasted for centuries. Sweden’s King Gustav Vasa founded Helsinki in 1550 to have access to the Baltic Sea trade. Finland was under Swedish rule until 1809, when Russia conquered Finland. Finland finally got its independence from Russia in 1917, after the downfall of the Russian tsar. Its involvement in WWII is ambiguous: they were invaded and damaged by the Germans at first, but finally sided with them only because Russia was their common enemy, i.e. the lesser of two evils. Finland was the only European country that repaid all of its war debts, and remained neutral during the Cold War. Unlike Norway but like Sweden, it joined the European Union in 1995, and so adopted the euro as its currency.

Helsinki, Finland - Bikes are as common as in Holland (here at a train station)

Its population is only 5.3 million, with most of it living in the lower third, where the cities are and “warmer” temperatures prevail. The state religion is Lutheranism, whose clergy is elected, and churches maintained, by the State. When you go north to Sàmi country, then you see a third language appear, the main of many Sàmi dialects. Because they know that few people and places in the world speak Finnish, everyone speaks English – except maybe very old people in the back country. Our guide pointed out the current trend of quite a portion of the population wishing to eliminate Swedish altogether, since, after all, they make up only 5% of the population.

Trivia: The country is totally bilingual and all signs and posters are in both Finnish and Swedish.

Like Norway (and I assume also Sweden), Finland doesn’t take drinking-and-driving lightly. Your first DUI fine will cost you 15% of your annual income, with your driver’s license suspended for 18 months. Finns like to tell of the Nokia executive fined $103,000 for speeding on his Harley in Helsinki. The U.S. has a lot of catching up to do to match the European countries’ serious approach to the problem of drinking-and-driving. Like Sweden, Finland’s source of electricity is hydroelectric and nuclear. Whereas Norway’s is “clean,” that is only hydroelectric. Again like Norway (and I suspect Sweden), the Finns’ main off-work activity is to spend leisure time in a pretty little cabin, somewhere remote (that’s not hard to do…), to enjoy nature and solitude.

Finland ranks #1 in the world (the U.S. is #33) for education. Children start school at age 7; by age 12, their level is the same as most countries, and at age 17, they leave the rest of the pack behind. Education is free, and the students get a free lunch daily. Finland’s social system rivals that of Norway, with very progressive and liberal benefits, such as 75% salary during maternity leave, and a €700 “gift” from the government for each birth. Health care is not completely free, but a night in the hospital will set the Finns back only €35, and €15 for a doctor’s visit. Finland granted women the right to vote in 1908, the second country to do so after New Zealand. The standard of living is very high, and the only beggars are from Romania, sometimes referred to as gypsies, or tziganes. Finland discourages immigration, so racism is practically inexistent. Besides, high taxes, low salaries and hard winters do not make it an attractive destination for immigrants, despite its very liberal social structure and high standard of living.

Helsinki, Finland - Kauppatori, open air market in Helsinki

Helsinki, its capital, is surrounded by the waters of the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea. The harbor area is the site of an extensive open air market and just offshore lies the island and fortress of Suomenlinna built by the Swedes in the 18th century to counter the ambitions of Russia. Being in the south, Helsinki enjoys fairly mild average winter temperatures of about 30F. It’s full of gardens, shopping malls (an enormous one, just recently built underground, was one block from our hotel), and pedestrian plazas with music. And yes, it was light until very late! But it didn’t bother me as much as I expected. Like in Alaska, hotel windows have very heavy drapes which allow for complete darkness at bedtime.

Helsinki, Finland - Temppeliaukio ChurcH

The staples of the Finnish diet are rye bread and fish. I must say that we absolutely loved all of their tasty, dark breads. We and our FL friends enjoyed a very satisfying dinner on our own at a local restaurant, walking distance from our downtown and very comfortable Scandia Hotel; shopped and grabbed a lunch at the open air market near the port (offering reindeer hotdogs), took lots of photos, and had a typical lazy and jolly tourist time.

One of the highlights of our city tour was the Church on the Rock. Built in 1969, it’s a non-denominational place of worship, dug into the side of a rock on a hill, with magnificent organ pipes, and a

pianist playing all day for the pleasure of all. Very modern, streamlined, cheerful and peaceful, it is the most popular tourist attraction in Helsinki.

Helsinki, Finland - Sculpture dedicated to Jean Sibelius

Roller-bladers abound everywhere, practicing for the nine-month-long hockey season. Helsinki is proud of its 19 beaches and 173 lakes, with pure and clear (and frigid) water. Near one of those lovely lakes was a hill topped by a modern and stunning sculpture in memory of Jean Sibelius, the Finnish composer who wrote the Finnish national anthem, Finlandia.

NOKIA's headquarters are a prominent feature of the downtown area, which is crisscrossed by bicycle lanes in all directions. We learned quickly (thank goodness our guide had warned us) that bicyclists zoom around at high speed with no regard for pedestrians, who do not have the right of way when they cross streets. Keep your eyes peeled, pedestrians! Other industries are found in ship-building and forestry, with only a negligible contribution from fishing and agriculture.

3. SÀMI COUNTRY(formerly called Lapland)

Yet another Finnair flight – just over an hour -- took us 280kms (180 miles) north of the Arctic Circle to Ivalo, near Lake Inari, the third largest lake and the biggest municipality in Finland. The Arctic Circle marks the start of the area where, at least one day a year, the sun doesn’t completely set (June 21) or rise (December 22). Thus the nickname of the land above it of the Land of the Midnight Sun. It’s also the area where the Northern Lights are at their most splendid (in the winter, of course). Ivalo’s airport, though small, serves that whole northern tip of Finland with daily flights to Helsinki. The town itself is not exactly a metropolis, but it is the focus of civilization for the Sàmi people.

Sàmi history and culture are beautifully detailed and displayed at the SIIDA museum, where we were fortunate enough to spend plenty of time, both with the valuable contribution of a local Sàmi guide, and on our own. Seventy thousand Sàmi people still exist in northern Russia, Finland, Sweden and Norway. Nine thousand of them live in Finland, 7,000 of which in the Ivalo area. Their origins are the same as other arctic people, such as the Inuits of the Northern Territories of Canada and the Eskimos in Alaska, as well as the tribes of Mongolia, all sharing similar lifestyles, facial features and customs. There are 14 different Sàmi dialects, among which Northern Sàmi is prevalent. All the street, road and store signs in and around Ivalo are in Northern Sàmi as well as Finnish, and sometimes also in Swedish. The SIIDA museum also included an outdoors section, with 2- and 3-bedroom cabins with original rustic furnishings, still in use in the ‘50s.

Inari, Finland - SIIDA Museum of the Sami, in Lapland

The Sàmi were nomadic people, who owned and bred reindeer for the last 300 years. A treaty in 1809 established the border between Finland and Sweden, which forced the Sàmis to settle in the region they now occupy. Regardless of which country they actually are part of, Sàmis now have their own flag and TV/radio station, etc. We were struck by the similarity of the scenery between that part of Finland and northern Minnesota: cold, clear lakes, surrounded by forests of birch and pine, with the forest floor covered with moss (favorite food of the reindeer). The tundra you could expect at that latitude is absent because of the warming effect of the Gulf Stream. Unlike Minnesota, however, the nearest hospital is 300kms away (200 miles), causing women to move to Helsinki or other town with a hospital before they are ready to give birth.

Ivalo, Finland - Home-hosted dinner with the local family owning the deer farm

The grand finale of our Sàmi experience was a home-hosted dinner in Ivalo, about 3+ miles deep into the forest, in a structure built as a business venture for touristic purposes by a Sàmi family who actually lives 35 miles away. The parents run the restaurant inside a yurt-like structure that the man built himself of local timber, with a great big round fire pit in the middle, and about eight tables for eight people each, all around. They are open all year, and cater to groups of tourists, including skiers. The married daughter (about 30) acted as guide and translator, and a soon-to-be daughter-in-law helped the parents with the service.

Ivalo, Finland - A reindeer farm outside of Ivalo

The evening started with the bilingual daughter showing us the reindeer farm (which they also operate all year round), and the father taught some of us to throw a lasso to catch one of those lovely animals. This was way more than a subsistence-scale operation, however, with some 7,000 head running loose over an enormous area of forest. They were dressed (the family, not the reindeer) in traditional, bright and cheerful Sàmi costumes, and made us feel very welcome. Again, our group had lots of questions for all of them, and we had a wonderful time in the warm and cheerful confines of that building.

Trivia: The food, OK, let me see, hmmm, OK, ho, well. It was mostly tasty, but I passed on the reindeer stew-like concoction. We didn’t feel so bad for doing so, because our guide had told us that he only touches the stuff once a year. But the wine was welcomed by all.

4. THE NORWAY FJORDS

The next day, we boarded our very comfortable coach for a four-hour trek north to Kirkenes, Norway, on the Barents Sea, the northernmost town on the continent. Kirkenes was very involved in WWII to fight the Germans who wanted to gain control of all the surrounding seas in order to occupy the area which would enable them to attack Russia. Kirkenes was the most heavily bombed city after Malta during WWII.

The ride north to Kirkenes was great relaxation, and we took in the beautiful scenery of that part of the world. The farther north we drove, the more barren the scenery became, the shorter the trees, the cooler the air. Water was everywhere, and we thought that if Minnesota is the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, Finland must the Land of a Hundred Thousand.

Trivia: Our guide played some regional folk music on his CD player, and also regaled us with the following tidbit: Customs are very tough in Norway, and the cost of living is so high because Norwegians go to Finland and Sweden to shop for cheaper foodstuffs and alcohol. As he put it, the Finns and Swedes go to Denmark with the same intent; the Danes go to Germany; the Germans go to Poland; and the Poles go to Russia!

Norway - Our Hurtigruten ship, the Kong Harald

Then appeared our home for the next five days, the Kong Harald ship – named after the current king of Norway, King Harold – run by the Hurtigruten Company. Our cruise started there, in a fjord connected with the Barents Sea. We unpacked in our tiny cabins, and settled down for the five days which would take us all the way down to Bergen along the coast of the North Sea, the northernmost section of the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1891, two companies were offered the boat service between Trondheim and Hammerfest suggested by the national steamship advisor. They both refused due to the stormy conditions along the coast during so many months of winter. In 1893, a man named Richard With showed the way and started service with nine ports of call from Trondheim to Tromsø, in order to connect all the small villages sprinkling the western coast of Norway to each other and to the rest of the world. This Coastal Express, as it is still called, revolutionized communications in Norway.

Norway - One of numerous lovely spots down the coast of Norway, on our Hurtigruten cruise

Over the years, the Coastal Express route from Kirkenes to Bergen came to serve the tourist industry, as was intended by Richard With. It caters to tourists the world over, and is one of the most famed attractions in Europe, especially with Germans. It is easy to see why because of the picturesque and colorful coastal villages set against breathtaking mountain scenery. The Hurtigruten is really a ferry line, and now comprises 12 ships running 24/7 in both directions. Ours was built in 1993, carried 691 passengers and 45 vehicles. It is clear from the very moment of boarding that these are working ships, whose primary function is to provide goods, food and supplies to the coastal inhabitants.

Trivia: It is also used just for transportation for the locals. At each port of call, there were groups of people waiting to get on with their luggage, on their way to family, friends, shopping or a vacation. The staterooms, shop, bar and restaurant secondarily but comfortably cater to the tourists on board.

Norway - One of numerous lovely spots down the coast of Norway, sailing south on our Hurtigruten cruise

As we started our southbound journey (there is a reverse northbound one as well, though their respective itineraries are slightly different because of the time of day – or night – when they go through specific towns), the scenery was very different than in Finland. The terrain changed and forests re-appeared as we sailed south, though pine trees were no longer to be seen. Wild reindeer hunting is a serious activity in September, based on the rule of carrying out what you shoot. Like in Finland, small cabins scattered along the shorelines showed the Norwegians’ passion for their little corner of paradise, away from all signs of what we, rightly or wrongly, call civilization.

The fjords were created, like elsewhere, by receding glaciers. There are hundreds of them spreading out like tentacles into the mountains lining the Atlantic coastline. Some are huge, and very famous, and we were fortunate to go down one of them, the awesome Trollfjord, on our ship. Sailing slowly through these giant marvels of nature is really a spectacular experience. Enough to bring a sort of hushed quiet on the main deck, where passengers were hanging speechless on to the railings, armed with digital cameras and beatific smiles.

Our devoted guide entertained us daily with more and more details on Norway and its government and its inhabitants. He also did his best to try to initiate us to the Norwegian language, but, there as I did in Finland and Russia, I had to humbly admit that I am not the skilled linguist I thought I was. Granted, I have a good sense and intuitive grasp of all Latin-based languages, like French (you think?), English, Italian, Spanish, etc. But when it comes to the Germanic-based Scandinavian languages, I found them as foreign to my ears and eyes and throat as German, whose grammar is also similar. Norwegians understand both Swedish and Danish, but the Danes can’t tell the difference between Norwegian and Swedish. There is no love lost between any of the Scandinavian peoples (see Swedish history in Section 4.). And none of them consider the Germans their friends.

Trivia: Speeding fines will cost you dearly in Norway. Our guide was caught going 101 k/h in an 80 zone, and was fined $1,000.

Norway - One of the bridges connecting islands off the coast of Norway, sailing south on our Hurtigruten cruise

Outside of providing magnificent photo ops for all of the five days, this cruise of sorts gave us a chance to get off at several of the many stops. At least Robin did (I often stayed on board), except for very small towns or ports where we stayed only about 10 minutes to load and unload people, cars and goods. At most of these stops, our guide gave brief walking tours of the town.

Hammerfest, Norway - Home of the worldwide Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society, born in 1963

The first one of note was in Hammerfest, the largest city in northern Europe with a population of 10,000, where the Polar Bear Club was founded in 1963. It is at the same latitude as the northern parts of Siberia and Alaska. The scenery was still barren and treeless at that point down the coast.

Next was a wonderful excursion to the very striking and modern cathedral of Tromsø, the fourth largest city in Norway – though we deplored the lack of time we had to spend there. We docked at 11:30 PM (the northbound trip allows for a longer daytime stay) and went with our coach to the cathedral, where we joined several other loads of tourists (mostly German) to listen to a wonderful midnight concert of vocal music, with piano and flute. Their encore number, Amazing Grace, was received with a thunder of enthusiastic applause. It was dusk-like outside when we got back to the ship, very strange when your watch says 1:00AM.

The Lofoten Islands were the next treat. And that it was! The largest of all the many such archipelagoes which line the Norway coast, their name comes from the Viking words for “lynx” and “foot,” reminiscent of the shape of the archipelago. They offer a stunning scenery of craggy outcrops, interrupted by sheltered bays with idyllic beaches, green pastures, quaint and colorful villages, right out of a picture book.

The capital of Svorgæ is a little jewel, where we noted that, like in the Falkland Islands (southern tip of Argentina), the locals compensate for the dreariness of the climate by using very cheerful and bright color paint to singularize their homes. Which, of course, makes for outstanding photo ops. These islands are famous for the contrast between mountains jutting up from the sea, bathed in an amazing light (which makes them very popular with artists), and gave way to an orgy of photographs in all languages. In the local museum, an excellent panoramic video depicted life there during all four seasons.

Their population totals 25,000, made up of villages of two to 4,000 people who make their living off the fishing industry -- mostly from drying the cod which migrate there in the winter, and selling it all over Europe. Increasingly now, tourism is a consistent source of revenue for the area. The climate is mild because of the Gulf Stream, but severe storms are known to hit periodically. Like Dubrovnik, in Croatia on the Dalmatian Coast, this is a place we would easily return to on our own to spend some leisure time to explore/enjoy further.

Although similar to the Alaska coast and fjords in many ways, the Norwegian coast hosts a multitude of small or very small villages, sprinkled along the shoreline, nestled against the looming presence of towering cliffs. A hundred years ago, the Hurtigruten Coastal Express was the only link between these isolated communities and the rest of the country, if not the world. Now, a paved road has been completed inland following the same coast, providing car access to all those small cabins where Norwegians like to retreat to shut out the world.

The food on the boat was very good, especially the breakfast buffet, but the optional glass of house wine at dinner was $15. Our cabins were comfortable enough for a glorified ferry, and the common areas were well furbished and very comfortable.

Trivia: Each time an announcement was made over the PA system in Norwegian, it was repeated first in English, then German, French and Italian. It got a bit tiresome at times. (One of the reasons we prefer American cruise companies.)

Somewhere south of the Lofoten Islands, and just north of Rørvik, we crossed the Arctic Circle one morning. I was still slumbering but my bright-eyed and bushy-tailed husband was up on deck to photo the official marker.

Before we arrived to southern Norway, including its two largest cities after Oslo, our guide enlightened us about his country on several occasions. Norway was first inhabited as far as 14,000 years ago. The first settlers spoke a Germanic language which grew into the various Scandinavian languages currently in use. The current Icelandic language is similar to what the Vikings spoke.

800 AD saw the beginning of the Saga era, referred to often as the period (8th and 9th centuries) when the Vikings, also called Norsemen, built their warships and started conquering the rest of the world, starting with what is now all of the British Isles. Then, 200 years later, Eric the Red led its Vikings to Greenland from Iceland. A few years later, his son Leif (pronounced like “waif”) Erickson was possibly the first European to explore North America. This was followed by the invasion of France (ancestors of the Normans), and Russia, bypassing Finland entirely (lucky Finns!). Then followed several centuries of fighting between Danish and Swedish kings, and later with Russia, over Norway. It became easy to understand why and how the Danes, Norwegians, Finns and Swedes have never been great friends. Their adversarial past history doesn’t make for smooth relationships.

Norway has a seemingly inexhaustible supply of oil (fifth exporter in the world) and gas (supplying 10% of Europe’s natural gas) from its North Sea sector. Ironically, they use little themselves, since their only source of electricity is “clean” hydroelectric power. Norwegians vigorously rejected the concept of windmills, as well as nuclear or coal, to produce energy. They are, however, currently exploring the possibility of powering sea tides.

There is no separation of church and state in Norway. As in Finland, the government appoints and maintains the Lutheran clergy and churches. Its head is a bishop, who currently happens to be the first nominated female Lutheran minister. We noted, however, that the increasing incidence of Muslims in their population is starting to cause people to raise the same questions and discomfort as in other European countries.

Norway might well be one of the richest countries in the world, with a consistent and steady surplus in their budget. The Norwegian government is a major property owner in London and has a large sovereign wealth fund investing all over the world. Their taxes, however, are over the top and made us groan, as well as paying $10-12 for a gallon of gasoline. This isn’t Dubai, of course, but with a 2.5% unemployment rate they are obviously doing something right.

Trivia: The government has total control over its citizens’ financial situation: everything you own or earn is of public record, and you don’t even have to file a tax return. Big Daddy knows all from the get go.

A 1974 referendum showed that Norwegians were divided 50/50 about whether or not to join the European Union. In 1990, it was the same close call, so again they didn’t. The latest referendum showed that 75% is now against it. So their currency remained the kroner (about $.20) and is one of the strongest currencies in the world. In this one trip, we had to juggle rubles, euros, and kroners, missing the simplicity of a unified currency we experienced in previous European trips.

Our next port-of-call was Trondheim, the third largest city in Norway, that we had plenty of time to enjoy. Founded in 997, it was the first capital of Norway (followed by Bergen, then Oslo). Its Norwegian name, Nidaros, is derived from the two Norwegian words nid which means “river”, and aros which means outlet, because of its location at the estuary of the river Nidelva. A vibrant, pretty, wealthy and bustling university town of 145,000, its medieval center was a joy to explore. Traffic problems in this very hilly town located at the water’s edge are such that many tunnels were built for shortcuts through the hills, inside which roundabouts safely direct traffic. It felt like an underground freeway system. Unlike other European cities, people within the city live in individual houses (similar to the U.S.) as opposed to apartment buildings, so there is a quaint, cozy feeling to the city as a whole.

The 30,000 students give an undeniable youthful flair to the city. Their campus, rebuilt after WWII, is modern, clean and very appealing, surrounded by lovely gardens and lots of trees. The University is well known for its medical and engineering schools.

Norway, Trondheim - Commemorative site for the Norwegian soldiers shot at that spot by the Germans

The city shows evidence of the German invasion of Norway, as demonstrated by a small square and white fortress on a hill overlooking the center of town, from where members of the Resistance fired their cannons at the enemy. A nearby memorial site on the grounds commemorates the members of the Resistance who were executed on that spot by the Germans. Our guide reminded us that many of the coastal towns in Norway were completely destroyed by the retreating German army at the end of the war.

Another night of sailing, and we had reached the end of our cruise, in the lovely city of Bergen, the second largest in Norway. I believe the best way to describe Bergen would be to quote a local saying: “I am not from Norway, I am from Bergen.” The locals pride themselves in being a different breed, or living in a different world, than the rest of Norwegians. It’s easy to see where their superiority complex comes from: it is truly a lovely, enchanting city, another university city to boot, whose 28,000 student body comprises more foreign students than Norwegians.

Bergen - Downtown, Save the Children monument

We arrived on the first back-to-school day for the university, as well as “the” night of Rihanna’s concert. Those two events plus a celebration by the “Save the Children” movement on the pedestrian plaza below our hotel window, extended the festivities in the streets in the center of town till the wee hours of the morning.

Trivia: We met three young ladies in the elevator of our hotel, all decked out (the girls, not the elevator) and bubbling with excitement. They were absolutely stunned, if not deeply appalled, when they found out none of us old fogies had any idea who Rihanna was. And we really were all from America??? Gasp. How could that possibly be??? Gasp. We assured them it was merely due to the generation gap and wished them a marvelous time that night.

Bergen - one of many idyllic spots in the countryside

Our city tour included the Museum to the Hanseatic League -- also called Hansa -- an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe from the 13th to the 17th centuries. It stretched from the Baltic to the North Sea and inland. The League was created to protect commercial interests and privileges granted by foreign rulers in cities and countries the merchants visited. The Hanseatic cities had their own legal system and furnished their own protection and mutual aid. Despite this, the organization was neither a city-state, nor a confederation of city-states; only a very small number of the cities within the league enjoyed autonomy and liberties comparable to those of a free imperial city. The legacy of the Hansa is remembered today in several names, for example the German airline Lufthansa, ('Air Hansa') and the Hanze University Groningen in Holland. More than a museum, it was a replica of a medieval village, with its quaint and narrow cobblestone streets lined with myriad shops, all leading to the village square and fountain.

Bergen - Sunset on the Waterfront in old Bergen

From there, the port and its bright and cheerful quays, lined with similar townhouses but each painted a different color, reminded us of the need of Scandinavians to cheer up their environment the best they could. Of course, with the reddish light of the sunset glowing in the harbor, it was hard for us to picture the same setting dark and buried in snow, and ice. We didn’t even try. Why spoil a beautiful thing? We had dinner as a group, in the company of our guide, in one of the harbor restaurants, which was very good, though very expensive by U.S. standards.

The city is crowded, real estate within the city limits very expensive, and more and more people are moving to neighboring islands for that reason. Of course, the commute is the challenge. Those same suburbs also display a lot of summer/week-end homes for the wealthy of Bergen and Oslo.

Trivia: Norway has the highest European birth rate (If, as I thought, it was due to those endless cold and dark winter nights, but then the Finns would surely compete for the same honor, wouldn't they?) Most manual workers needed for the building trades come from Poland, but also from Sweden. The discovery of oil and gas in 1979, followed by development in the ‘80s and ‘90s, revitalized many of the surrounding islands and towns. There is virtually no corruption in Norway, except in the building trade.

Finally, the apotheosis of our trip consisted of what is called "Norway in a Nutshell,” the most popular tourist attraction in Norway. It consists of riding three different modes of transportation, through some of the most scenic areas of the country, if not the world. The first was a last-minute decision by our guide and driver to treat us to the old main road (as opposed to the freeway) from Bergen to Oslo, on our way to Gudvangen, where we would board our scenic boat. Never in my life had I had such an experience in a motor vehicle… Picture a good-size coach (for 40 people) working its way down a serpentine mountainside one-way road (about one-and-a-half-car wide), twisting down in unbelievably convoluted hairpin turns (I wouldn’t have dared drive it with a sedan), at a 45° incline... I was in a window seat, and several times held my breath while covering my eyes and letting out a squeal of anguish. But, don't worry, we had been assured, the driver “had done this before”, so don’t worry (yeah, right…)

Next came a boat ride along the Gudvangen Fjord, a jewel of a stretch of greenish water, meandering through steep and rocky cliffs so high they dwarf anything or anybody at their base. Once again, an atmosphere of quiet reverence permeated the boat on this adventure: there are scenes that words should not spoil. Then, in Flåm, we boarded the vintage Flåm Railway train, for the first of two consecutive thrilling rides through the countryside, scattered with a plethora of waterfalls, quaint little villages with sheep grazing in peaceful pastures (am I getting a bit carried away with the poetic waxing, here?). And all that was, you guessed it, with radiant skies and warm sunshine. Did I tell you, or what? Finally, we transferred to our coach for the last stretch to Oslo, Norway’s capital and Bergen’s arch-rival (it reminded us of a similar rivalry between Minneapolis and St. Paul) where we would overnight and fly from to New York via Helsinki again.

Norway, Oslo - Flower memorials for the murdered children at the Cathedral

It was one of the best days of our voyage, and a great way to end it. The approach to Oslo showed us the many suburban towns that spread along the water on the hillsides. That included Utøya Island, very close to the mainland, where the tragic massacre of teenagers took place in July. It did shake up Norway since they are not accustomed to violence, racism and terrorism. Our friend Jim, and others, wanted to pay homage to those who died so tragically. After we checked in our hotel, our guide took them -- during his introductory walking tour of the center of town -- to the memorial site near the cathedral, where flowers, notes and photos are displayed in remembrance of the first attack downtown, followed by the terrorist’s rampage on the small island.

All in all, it was a superb trip throughout. Only after we hit the runway in JFK did things start spoiling. Our Finnair plane was held on the runway for one solid hour, waiting for the new giant Airbus 380 in front of us to be able to maneuver into position at its assigned gate by waiting for a gate to be available right next to it to allow for its huge wing span. Even with a 2½-hour connection, we managed to miss our flight to Minneapolis. We wound up in the Delta terminal (after yet another fall tripping on something, uncomfortably bruising my right knee) among mobs of disgruntled passengers whose flights had just been cancelled by ongoing adverse weather conditions in the Midwest and east. The throngs of people were so thick and disorderly that we couldn’t get to the counter in time to make the flight -- which left on time, but without us.

Our other GCT fellow passengers also leaving from Delta were with us, and they all had their flights cancelled. We were all rerouted and confirmed for the middle or end of the next day. In the meantime, we all wound up traipsing outside the JFK terminals, hauling our luggage through a rainstorm, to catch the airport shuttle to the local Best Western where we had to spend the night and $200 for a lousy basement smoking room.

Trivia: But our traveling companions and we made lemonade out of those lemons, and had a party of sorts in their room (which was not in the basement), with delivered pizza, plus the rum and vodka and chocolate we had in our luggage. A perfectly balanced meal to end our adventure.

The only Norwegian word I remember and can say is takk (thank you), so, my travel-loving friends, takk for reading this epic, which I hope you’ve enjoyed.

Travelogues

Travelogues

RUSSIA, FINLAND and NORWAY

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