Norway 2012

Tuesday 29th May

Kirkeness-Vardo-Batsfjord-Berlevag

Kirkeness is only 10 minutes drive away from the Russian border. Everyone on both sides of the border get along very well and visit quite often. It was interesting learning about what happened in Norway during World War 2. It was occupied by the Nazis and Kirkeness had 30,000 occupying troops in it because of its strategic location near the Russian port of Murmansk.

You can read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_Norway_by_Nazi_Germany

We went on a tour of the town, past the iron ore mine (Australian owned) and through some pretty countryside to the Russian border.

Back on board we saw this fishing boat coming back in with hundreds of birds eager to get the leftovers from the cleaning process.

Some big waves heading south,

along a stark coastline.

In one of these small fishing ports we had our first ever encounter with falling snow.

One of Hurtigruten's sister ships went past but it was difficult to make out its name, and it was getting cold outside taking these photos.

This is the midnight sun. This was as low as the sun got for the next few days.

And to prove that it is indeed a small world. We met Ken and Ann Brown. They came on board at Kirkeness for the southbound trip back to Bergen. I worked with Ken at Perth Airport for 20 years or so. A few beers were consumed.