Nordkapp

Our overnight trip on the MS Vesterålen had started well, with a lovely display of the Aurora draped over the sky. Sweet dreams! The ship headed off further North, with fewer and fewer lights to be seen. Pretty much pitch black for most of the sailing time, as we headed around the North Cape (Nordkapp).

Click for map of area: http://goo.gl/maps/EzeDr

There were some opportunities to briefly hop off the ship during the night, but most at times when nothing was happening on shore, or far too early. 

Late-night stop

This morning, we docked at the port at Honningsvåg. Many of the passengers decided to make an excursion to the true end of the Nordkapp and look down the big cliff there, but a round trip on a bus and a hefty pricetag (høfty pricetåg) put us off. We took the opportunity to slip-slide around the town and check out the January sales in the local fishing tackle shop and Rimi supermarket. 

Our ship has been great, and a nice compromise between the huge MS Finnmarken and the little-ship-that-could MS Lofoten. It has handled the journey with ease, and made the parts of the journey that ventured out into the sea manageable (Force 8-9 gale winds). The cabin has been quiet and our porthole (open this time) looked out onto the bow wave, showing the vessel smashing through the frothing sea. We are now used to the to-ing and fro-ing, which is quite therapeutic if you don't fight it.

MS Vesterålen at Honningsvåg

Plenty of time to relax and watch the fjord scenery in the half-light today, catch up on some reading, cards and so on. 

The Book Wørm

Now about 73% through the entire 'Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'

Several more stops this evening and overnight to Kirkenes, including the boat reaching it's most Northern point in the trip tonight around 9:30pm. At some point, we are informed that a fisherman will come on board and show everyone how to do something or other. Sounds interesting.....