To the Arctic Circle and Beyond...

Even though I'm home now I still have plenty of photos and adventures left over from the summer and I hope to put them all up on my blog in the next little while.

In July, when the days in Northern Europe were stretching to their longest, we left the Baltic and ventured a little farther north, to the Arctic Circle.

The twelve day cruise included many ports in beautiful Norway, cruising through spectacular fjords, gawking at the Midnight Sun and an excurson to the Nordkapp, or North Cape, said to be the most northerly point in Europe.




The view on the way to the Nordkapp. On this tour there was no guide, so I sat in the front of the bus and blabbed information over the microphone to all the guests. The bus driver was very friendly and pointed out all sorts of sights to see along the way.
Almost there!
This, ladies and gentlemen, is a real, live reindeer. I was extremely excited to see him.


The weather in northern Norway was quite warm (for way up there anyway) and the reindeer were all sluggish and tired from the heat.
Here we are at the North Cape with its globe pointing off into the great unknown.

There was a whole field full of inukshuks, built by people to mark their visits to the Nordkapp.
In 1988, seven children from different parts of the world gathered at the North Cape and created this monument to friendship, hope and joy. It is called "Children of the Earth."





Depending on who you ask, the Nordkapp might not be the most northerly point in Europe. There is a piece of land nearby that extends a kilometer farther, but it is an island, not part of the mainland. Either way, this spot has been embraced as the North Cape and it was cool to visit.
There are troll statues everywhere in Norway and lots of troll legends to hear. And of course, lots of troll dolls to buy.

One night after work I went up to the back deck on the ship to read and relax. These photos were taken between 1 and 2 am. I was in love with the Midnight Sun and never wanted to go to bed.

Norway is a stunningly beautiful country and I have photos from other cruises there to post another time. I felt lucky to be able to cruise around and see such breathtaking sights.