Polar night

Sure you've heard of the "midnight sun" but do you know the opposite? It is called the "polar night" and once we crossed into the Arctic, we do not see the sun. No sunrise. No sunset. For a couple of treasured hours we have a soft twilight glow. Arlo said that even though we are on vacation we keep to a rigorous schedule of rising hours before dawn every day. 

Chasing the light

The phrase "chasing the light" (or "hunting the light") describes those of us in pursuit of the northern lights. It feels a lot like a chase, but also a little like a safari or bird watching expedition. We take watch out the windows and keep an eye on the sky. We program our phones so that the captain can alert us at any hour should the aurora appear after we go to sleep. When we start to get an inkling of activity we rush to don all our cold weather gear, grab our cameras, and race to the "sun deck" for open air views. When that fails we watch a movie or photo slide show about the aurora borealis. When we returned to our cabins one night we found souvenir "hunting the light" beanies which begs the catchphrase "I went to see the northern lights and all I got was this lousy hat..."

Rite of passage

On my birthday we crossed the Arctic Circle and gathered on deck to meet King Neptune. He challenged us to bravely come forth for an initiation to his world of cod, halibut, mermaids, and crab. Of course I was all in. Neptune then sat me down and ladled ice down my back with glee. The captain handed me an official polar certificate and a cup of warm glogg to celebrate my unusual right of passage. 

Don't miss the boat

We arrived in Trondheim at 6 AM and had until noon to explore. But since it didn't get light until 10 AM we took our time leaving for the walk to town. We made the traditional pilgrimage to the cathedral, the largest in Norway, then had a stroll along the river to see the colorful warehouses. I fell in love with the picturesque town and must have slowed my steps to enjoy it. We thought we had allowed enough time to get to the ship by noon but when we heard the five-minute warning blast we realized we were cutting it close and had to start running. May I say that running through ice and snow takes longer. This must be why they invented skates and skis. As we rounded the corner to the dock the crew was pulling up the gangplank and then caught sight of us. We got a scolding from the personnel director who explained that it would have been an expensive ticket had we needed to charter a plane to the next port. The Captain waits for no one.

Trolls

At the Trondheim visitor center, I asked if the Norwegian trolls are naughty or nice. The specialist said, "They are not really bad or really good, but they are a bit stupid. And they eat people." If eating people is not particularly bad then I guess I know why the Vikings were so fierce!

Nordlys

Nordlys is the Norwegian word for northern lights. The best viewing is north of the Arctic Circle where the ship is headed in a couple of days. Darkness (check), clear skies, and solar activity are also required. Lining up all of these condition is almost impossible to plan in advance for. Maybe that's why seeing them is such a treat. We got lucky and at about 9 PM on our second night aboard the ship, the clouds parted enough to put on a show. The lights dance. They move and change by the second. The colors can go from green to red. They swirl. They streak. They wave and spike. And then they are gone.

Ålesund

At Ålesund we had a couple of hours to tromp through 8 inches of new fallen snow to town. A fire in 1903 burned the town to the ground and by 1995 they had rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style of the time. At the dock we met a local who showed us a boat building project in progress using traditional tools and materials of a replica 1880s deep sea fishing vessel. 

Ports of call

The ferry stops at 34 ports of call along the 1300 mile coastal route and transports goods, cars, and locals, as well as a few crazy tourists. Most on board are Norwegians followed by Germans. On our ship there's a small group of photographers from China and at least one other American. Stops at many of the small villages last only 15 minutes, too brief to disembark. At least once each day we make a longer stop and can explore the town on our own or with a group.

Christmas

After our safety briefing that featured animated northern lights above the lifeboats (if I'm boarding a lifeboat, will I remember to look up?) the crew welcomed us with a Christmas buffet feast of crab, crayfish, mussels, herring, and salmon. Around midnight we caught a brief glimpse of the northern lights and minutes later it started snowing. A merry Christmas all around! 

Sent from Ann's iPhone

Bergen, Norway

After catching up on our sleep and enjoying a huge Norwegian breakfast we spent a sunny Christmas day exploring the world heritage city of Bergen. It felt as if the city had been evacuated, it was so empty and quiet. We rode the funicular up to Mount Floyen for a stomp through the snow and a stunning view of the town. Every museum and shop is closed for the holiday so we saved a lot of money. We board the ferry this evening for our trip up the coast.

Auspicious beginning

Somewhere over northern Canada at just about midnight we saw our first look at the northern lights from our 747! An auspicious beginning to our adventure!

Bucket Brigade

Action item: Fulfill my mother's bucket list wish to see the Northern Lights.

And away we go! Follow us on our winter adventure to Norway!