June 18, 2017




   We were both up before 6 and out on the Promenade Deck 3 to watch for Nord Kapp (North Cape).  The sun was high in the sky with just a few clouds, but a strong wind made it feel colder than 6 C.  We have 24 hour daylight for two more days!
   The ship arrived in Honningsvåg, Norway this morning, having passed Europe’s most northern point, Nord Kapp just after 7 a.m.  North Cape is situated at latitude 71° 9' 53 N (or 71° 10' N)  The latitude of Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada, is 74° 43' 0'' N
   Honningsvåg, Norway is located in Porsangen Fjord on the island of Magerøya. Honningsvåg has the best harbour on the island.  Honningsvåg is home to the last neo-Gothic style church built in 1885 after the only  church, from formerly six in the 16th century,  Kjelvik Kirke, was destroyed by a hurricane in 1882.  Honningsvåg was burned to the ground, except for its church and morgue when the Germans left in late 1944.
    For centuries Honningsvåg was a fishing village clinging to the rocky landscape. There is evidence of people living in the region for 10,000 years. Nearby is the bird cliff of Gjesværstappan, which hundreds of thousands of puffins, gannets and cormorants call home. The area is known for its King Crab fishery.
    Also in port today were the Hurtigruten Polarys and the MSC Preziosa.
    We joined retired teachers from near Los Angeles, Marsha and Randy and Mel and Barbara from Tuscan, Arizona for breakfast.  After breakfast, we walked around the Promenade deck since we did not need to get our excursion meeting place until 10:30 a.m. Passengers were tendered to shore in a short ten minute trip. The bus, taking passengers to Nord Kapp (North Cape), drove on the highway snaking through the Arctic tundra, past camp grounds of small recreational vehicles and trailers.  The sun was shining, but clouds could be seen hovering close to the ground at the cape. There were several opportunities for photos of female reindeer and a calf as we drove the 34 kilometers to Nord Kapp. The flat rock cliff of this northern point overlooks the ice free Barents Sea, from over 300 meters above the shoreline.  By the parking lot are buildings housing a museum, gift shop and café.  The first monument was erected to commemorate King Oscar’s climb up the path from the shore up to the cape plateau on July 2, 1873.  Until a road was built in 1956, the cape plateau could only be reached by boat.  The Globus monument was erected in 1974.  Some tours allowed passengers to hike in the Arctic tundra.  When our bus arrived at Nord Kapp, you could see less than 100 meters away in the low cloud.  We managed to navigate through the Visitor Center to the Globus monument, but pictures of the Barents Sea were not possible.  The fog drifted but never left.  We browsed the gift shop and found a wine stopper with a small square top which had a tiny Nord Kapp Globus lasered inside it.  We also indulged ourselves by purchasing a souvenir t-shirt each.  We were given 90 minutes to explore the center and plateau, but our bus was 30 minutes late returning for us.  Steps 11,832.  The fog dissipated within one kilometer of the parking lot gate when we left. 
  We didn’t explore Honningsvåg, but found the line to wait for the tender boats back to the ship.  In less than twenty minutes we were on a tender.  We missed the lunch buffet so went for cappuccinos in the Crows Nest on Deck12 and had a small piece of cake.  The ship left port in bright sunshine at 6:30 during dinner.  We joined a couple from Sydney, Australia, Judith and Jack and two Ontario women Marilyn and Miss Cowan.  Miss Cowan’s father, Charlie, worked for Weights and Measures Canada in Calgary until the early 1980s.
   Our dinner selections this evening were Seafood Devilled Eggs, Chicken, Ham and Parmesan Croquette and Spring greens with pecans and pear slices salad as appetizers.  The main course was Beef Prime Rib au jus with corn medley and baked potato or Greek style shredded beef salad with feta and kalamatra olives.  We chose Sacher (chocolate) Torte with apricot filling and Macadamia nut ice cream for dessert.
   After dinner we watched the ship passed North Cape which had a faint mist around it.  The photos from this morning are much sharper.  Then we went to the World Stage Theatre for a BBC & Holland America production called Frozen Planet Live about animal life in the Arctic and Antarctic.

After a short visit to the Casino, went back to the stateroom.  Final Steps 16,726












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