Furlongs Travel Blog

Homeward Bound

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:58 GMT

Shock horror, Richard is beaten to breakfast this morning! At least 4 guests are early risers, heading out to explore Tromso for a couple of hours. Breakfast at the Radisson Blu Hotel is buffet style with a nice selection, and somewhat busy at peak times. The waiters and waitresses work hard to replenish the buffet and clean tables ready for the next guests. Sometimes they are rather too keen, so we find it's best not to leave your dining table totally unattended if you're visiting the food buffet, otherwise you lose all your cutlery and crockery! Late morning we all gather in the hotel lobby and join our coaches for the transfer to Tromso Airport. Although Richard and Dawn stayed up last night to check everyone into the flight and print boarding cards, we still need to obtain the flight luggage tags. This is done at self-service kiosks, which is quite fun! Dawn helps here, while Richard does the next step. Once you have your luggage labels you proceed to a self-service bag drop. Basically you attach the luggage label to your bag, put the bag on a conveyor, Richard scans it (like at your supermarket!) and if the system approves, the conveyor starts automatically and your bag disappears! Everything is self-service. We can spot only two airline staff on duty. Give it a couple of years and we'll be making our own coffee and flying the aircraft too.

While we wait in Tromso Airport the snow begins to fall quite heavily. Airport snow ploughs and snow blowers come out. There's lots of activity but no aircraft at our gate. The runway is closed for a while. Richard begins to estimate how long it will take to dog sled to Oslo (where we have our flight connection). Fortunately the Norwegians know what they're doing when it comes to wintery conditions. The runway is re-opened and aircraft start to land. We're about an hour late but at least we take off. Landing at Oslo we now have a quick connection which wasn't the original plan. The gentlemen of the party are grateful however, because this cuts out the opportunity to visit the duty free shops. We make it to our London flight and land into Heathrow pretty much on time. All luggage is retrieved and we head home. Happy holiday memories everyone!!

Midnight Concert in Tromso

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:15 GMT

Following an early morning call at Honninsvag and another at Havoysund, we arrive in Hammerfest, the world's most northern town at 70° 39” 48’ N. Here we visit the Polar Bear Club museum and some venture to the museum depicting the reconstruction of the town after World War II. Next on the itinerary is a quick stop at Oksfjord. On route here the wind is strong but our sturdy ship, the MS Midnatsol, copes well. Prior to dinner this evening, Richard and Dawn invite all guests to a private reception in the ship's lecture hall. Strangely we need to sit in little groups dotted about the hall, but all is revealed when a few extra guests join us - some officers and members of the ship's crew. Each staff member is assigned to a group for just 5 minutes to answer any questions our guests may have. Then we circulate the staff to the next group, and so on. Everyone finds out something new about the ship's operation and the gathering is voted a big success. Many thanks go to the Bjorn the Chief Engineer, Magne the Hotel Manager, Dag the Assistant Chef, Johan the Restaurant Manager, Bente the Purser, Hild the Tour Manage, and Maria the Shore Excursion Assistant. Dinner follows as main luggage is secretly taken away and stored ready for our arrival at Tromso. After dinner, we enjoy a last day treat ... the Northern Lights appear again! Not as brilliant as our northbound experience but certainly a wonderful ending. On disembarkation at Tromso most guests head off with Dawn for the Midnight Concert in the Arctic Cathedral. Richard on the other hand supervises the transportation of main luggage from ship to our hotel. He's hired a luggage truck and driver, but is somewhat surprised when a 40-ton lorry turns up! The truck looks slightly out of place parked outside a modern 4-star hotel but Richard merrily unloads 68 bags and prepares for guests to arrive! The Midnight Concert is a very special event and everyone seems to have enjoyed it immensely despite the late hour.

Reaching Kirkenes, next door to Russia!

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:00 GMT

Early this morning we visit Vardo, and a little later we visit Vadso, which is located on the banks of Varangerfjord and is the administrative centre of Finnmark, the northernmost county of Norway. Around 10am we dock at Kirkenes. This is a town of around 5,000 inhabitants, situated just 10km from the Russian border. It is also the town of many winter activities and guests head off to snow mobile, dog sled, and to visit a Snow Hotel. Most of the Furlongs party have chosen the Husky Dog Adventure. This involves getting into a one-size fits all "baby grow" insulated body suit. And very fashionable it looks too! Two guests join each sled and eight dogs and a musher complete the outfit. Either before or after the sledding you enjoyed a hot drink in a tent with a nice warm stove. There were also reindeer to see and dogs in kennels to say hello to. With so much to do it was not surprising we were late getting back to the ship, but luckily there were also new guests arriving from a late flight, so we didn't get into too much trouble. Kirkenes is the turning point in the Norwegian coastal voyage and now we head back towards Tromso. Late this afternoon we dock again in Vardo and during our brief stay we manage to visit the Fort and the pretty church

Windy at North Cape

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:03 GMT

For some of us, a strange day today. After an early visit to Hammerfest, we enjoy breakfast until 10am and then start lunch at 10.30am! The reason is we're reaching Honningsvag at 11.45am and here we're disembarking for an excursion to the North Cape. This is Mainland Europe's most northerly point. We board our coach and together with an excellent local guide called Ronald, we drive out of town and up onto the North Cape plateau. The road up to the North Cape is only open for Hurtigruten ship visitors in winter and it's pretty remote so we have to follow a big snow plough. It is an exciting drive! The wind is blowing the snow fiercely and at times we can only see where we are going due to the bright red poles placed at the edge of the road. However we have an experienced coach driver and we are in good hands. On arrival at the North Cape, we're advised to wrap up nice and warm. Most of us head straight for the visitor centre. This is a spacious building built partly into the rock and including a cinema, cafe, exhibitions and, as always, a large gift shop. We also venture outside to the edge of the North Cape plateau. Here it is definitely hold onto your hat territory! At one point you can pretty much lean into the wind at 45 degrees and still not fall over. Back in the warm we watch an interesting film about the North Cape through the seasons, and many of us also enjoy a hot drink and freshly made waffles. Returning to Honningsvag we embark MS Midnatsol and sail on, passing the illuminated rock at Finnkjerka before encountering Giant King Crabs on deck 9 (don't ask!). Tonight it's the North Cape buffet for dinner ... featuring guess what?!

Visiting Tromso and the Polar Museum

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:02 GMT

Around 4am this morning there's a short tannoy announcement. If you chose to have your cabin tannoy switched on (which is optional) you are advised there are some Northern Lights activity. As a result a few guests got up. Around 5am there is another tannoy announcement advising there is some "good" Northern Lights activity. As a result quite a few more guests get up! And everyone is certainly rewarded. The Northern Lights are bright. There are greens and pinks, and the lights dance and change shape rapidly above us. It is a truly wonderful sight. After a very good show, most of us retire from the cold open deck to catch up on some sleep. Breakfast follows later and lots of stories are exchanged. Some guests slept in their warm clothes ready to run to the deck. Some grabbed a coat to go over their pajamas! Some simply watched the lights through their cabin window. Some had a good sleep and looked at the photos. After the early excitement our ports of call today include Harstad and Finnsnes, where a few of our guests jumped ship to enjoy a wilderness adventure featuring reindeer driving, plus dog sledding or snowmobiling. After lunch we arrive in the Arctic capital of Tromso. Here we have entry included to the Polar Museum, which covers polar history, exploration and life in the arctic. We've specially kept the museum open for an extra hour and therefore have the place to ourselves! We're all back on board ship by the 6.30pm departure time. Richard checks this of course, although he's not quite sure how he would stop an 11,000 ton ship from leaving if he had any guests missing! Charm perhaps? Dawn laughs and heads off for dinner.

Northern Lights and Fish Cakes!

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:00 GMT

We cross the Arctic Circle at 07:14am (plus 14 seconds!) this morning. None of us wins first prize by May is pretty close at 07:11:04! Shortly afterwards we pass the southbound ship MS Nordnorge. Many Furlongs guests have travelled on Nordnorge on previous occasions including down to Antarctica, so she is one if our favourites. On board Midnatsol we enjoy King Neptune's visit on the open deck where he celebrates crossing the Arctic Circle by pouring freezing cold water and ice cubes down your neck. Nice chap, King Neptune. Our next port of call is Bodo, capital of the Nordland Region. From here we cross a stretch of open water called Vestfjord, which is pretty calm for us. Then we get a real treat ... the clouds disappear and the Northern Lights appear. The display is wonderful, with bright green curtains of light, ever changing shapes, crossing from one side of the horizon to the other, and interspersed with bright stars and constellations. The lights last at least one hour and only begin to fade as we sail into Stamsund, which is most convenient! Dinner is served and Richard and Dawn distribute St Valentine Day treats. Jenny enjoys her special birthday. And to complete the evening, the captain takes a look into the narrow Trollfjord, and Fish Cakes are served on the open deck at 11pm. What more could you wish for?!

Richard avoids major expenditure!

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:08 GMT

This morning we wake up in Trondheim and as we look outside the snow is falling. Some guests are joining organised excursions and others decide to follow Dawn and Richard into town. The ship docks some way from the town centre so our slow walk from the quayside to the Nidaros Cathedral takes a good 30 minutes in the snow. On route we pass some of the old Bryggen warehouses that are built on wooden pillars over the water. Trondheim was founded by the Viking King Olav in 997. It developed into Norway's religious centre and the Nidaros Cathedral is now if great national and cultural importance. Some of us visit the cathedral while others enjoy window shopping or have a coffee in one of the town's many coffee bars. Dawn spots a nice winter jacket in a sports outfitters. Richard walks off when he discovers the cost! The ship sails from Trondheim at 12 noon and thankfully all Furlongs guests are on board! We sail past the small Munkholmen island, originally a monastery, subsequently a 17th fort, and now a popular leisure destination in the summer. Nobody there today. Heading for Rorvik we pass the pretty red lighthouse at Kjeungskjaer which sits on a tiny remote rock. Apparently you can rent the lighthouse for private weddings and parties. Perhaps the destination for a new Furlongs holiday!? Early evening we cross an open stretch of sea called the Folda, and everyone seems pleased we've avoided this by choosing the 2nd sitting for dinner! Tomorrow morning we'll cross the Arctic Circle and there's a competition to guess the exact time we'll cross it. A clue? Sometime between 6.30am and 8am. All will be revealed tomorrow!

Visiting Alesund

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:00 GMT

Sunday today. Most of us enjoyed a good sleep last night and we wake up for a late breakfast! The ship restaurant serves up a good buffet so no one goes hungry. We dock at Torvik just for half an hour but quite a few guests disembark and take a short walk up to the crossroads and back again. From the ship you can see about 10 houses, and that's it! At 12 noon we arrive in Alesund. Richard and Dawn gather everyone on the quayside and we split into three small groups for a 'Furlongs' city walk complete with our hand-picked local guides! Aydin, Harald and Ranveig take us around and we hear about the history and present times of this pretty town famous for it's Art Nouveau architecture. After some siesta time we dock at Molde for just 45 minutes. Almost spontaneously, Richard and Dawn decide to escort a short walk to the town centre. All togged up we head along a shopping street (thankfully, thinks Richard, the shops are closed!). We stop at the Town Hall to see the statue of The Rose Maiden and a little further on there's another statue, this one called The Jazz Boy. The young girl celebrates the town's connection with rose gardens, and the young man playing a saxophone celebrates the annual jazz festival that takes place in the town. The town is today well known for the manufacture of furniture and light fittings. Someone asks if the light fittings are for the Northern Lights!

From Arctic London to Arctic Norway!

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:11 GMT

Following a very early start, we head for Heathrow Airport for an efficient check-in with Scandinavian Airlines. We're slightly late taking off and there's also a head wind so we're slightly late arriving in Oslo. Here we commence the 1,000 metre dash! Passport control first, then a long corridor, a long escalator, pick up bags, up in a lift, drop off bags, through security and off to Gate 21, where some lovely ladies are kindly holding our flight! We all make it and 40 minutes later we're landing at Bergen. Our two deluxe coaches are waiting at Bergen Airport and we drive to the centre of town for some free time at the Bryggen. Richard and Dawn drive to the ship terminal to drop off the luggage. We get together again at 3pm for a Bergen city tour with local guides, Inger and Carly. All agree they do a great job! Arriving at our ship, the Midnatsol, we embark, settle in, enjoy dinner, and take a well earned sleep! See you tomorrow!

Our last day in Ecuador

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:42 GMT

Most guests join a complimentary trip to the Malecon waterfront area of Guayaquil this morning. With an evening flight departure, hotel rooms are extended so we may enjoy facilities until the last minute. Around 4pm we head for the delicious tea buffet in the Cafe Colon. The buffet features a magnificent selection of hot and cold dishes which everyone seems to enjoy! Dawn supervises at the hotel while Richard heads to Guayaquil Airport with 47 suitcases. Boarding cards and luggage is dealt with in advance so guests don´t even need to queue! The flight takes off pretty much on time and we head back home with a whole host of wonderful holiday memories.