Cruising Day 6!

06-08: We were up early for our breakfast because we have a tour today to the North Cape. We were really looking forward to that! We stopped in Honningsvåg where we boarded busses for the 40-minute drive to the North Cape. In Honningsvåg there are approximately 2200 inhabitants in the town. The fishing industry is the livelihood for most who live here. We were told the population is decreasing some in the area, especially at the fishing villages. Where we docked there were dried fish heads hanging on massive wooden A-frame racks (hjell) near the harbor, Norwegians don’t typically eat these but it is a huge industry to ship then to places like Nigeria and Indonesia. They have already used the dried body portion of the fish as another food source.

The road to the North Cape was paved but very narrow in some places with cliffs on both sides in many areas. We did arrive safely and has some astounding views. Along the way we saw many white Reindeer herds. The Indigenous Sámi people bring them from other locations here to have their young. They feed and grow all summer and actually swim back to the home destination! This culture has been practiced for thousands of years across the Arctic regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. It is not merely an occupation, but a vital way of life that dictates a calendar of eight distinct seasons and deeply shapes Sámi language, traditions, and connection to the land.

The North Cape is the official most northern point in Europe. There is another point that is actually 0.9 miles farther but even discovering that, the Cape remains officially the spot! We walked all around and saw the various monuments, markers, and more. The circles at the North Cape (Nordkapp) plateau in Norway are known as the Children of the Earth monument. The iconic steel globe at the North Cape (Nordkapp) in Norway is simply called the Globe Monument. Erected in 1978, it sits perched on the edge of a 307-meter-high cliff and is a popular landmark marking the dramatic end of the European continent. We dressed warmly as we expected wind and more, but it was quite warm in the sun. It was an enjoyable trip.

When we got back, soup was served for us in the Havbillk Bar at 2:45p, which was our lunch. We were so warm we didn’t want hot soup so we went to the café and got cold drinks and ended up with some pizza too. We played a few hands of Phase 10 and then went back to the cabin. Today we have experienced the most motion on the ship. There are big swells that give quite the rolling motion to the ship. We had another 10-minute stop, of course we did not get off. Stuart is working on his laptop and I am writing this and sorting photos! We called it an early night since we had to get up early for our tour tomorrow. In addition, we have taken Dramamine and we are not feeling too great.