Hammerfest and Crossing back over the Arctic Circle

Hi,

We visited the Polar Bear Club at Hammerfest,  and this is what we meet,  this is part of an historical collection of stuffed birds and animals,  with a collection of the trapping past.


The pictures of the exhibition were hard to take as it was rather dark in the room bit I did manage to take these,
There was a polar bear skin hanging on the wall,  I was able to feel it,  it was so so so soft,  and about at least an inch and half thick.

This stuffed eagle was hanging from the ceiling,   Vernon loves Eagles but unfortunately we did not see any on the trip,  although the did announce that the fishing boat on the port side had some eagles around it,  but it was too far away for the camera to pick up the eagles.

--ooOoo--

Crossing back over the Arctic Circle

When we crossed back over the Arctic Circle they had another ceremony this time a spoonful of Oive oil and then a spoonful of Brandy  (the brandy was better)  We were allowed to keep the spoon as a couvenir for the crossing.

Here is a picture of the spoon.






As this is a short post  a few facts on Norway,  their cost of living is very very high,  their income tax starts at 28%,  VAT is 25%,   Wages as higher with a chambermaid wages start at £13.00 per hour.   If they take a second job the whole amount they earn is taxed at 50%.   Because a lot of the time norway is in the dark they had a lot of alcoholics,  well they had not a lot to do in the dark!!  So alcohol is very expensive because the Norwegian government put the prices up to try to reduce people drinking.   A glass of wine was £20 a glass,   Beer Vernon had a small bottle around half a pint £8.50 (that was local beer),  when we saw the lights and they were fantastic we had a celebration a whisky was £10.00 and I had a Martini and lemonade approx £11.00  A spirt was £4.30.   Let’s just say it was a dry’ish holiday.
Electric is cheap because they use hydro power and it’s so cheap they can leave their lights on all night.

The next post will the last on Norway,  hope you are enjoying them.

Margaret

Norway - The Northern Lights

Hi,
These are the pictures from the Northern Lights the dinosaur was taken by the dinosaur as Vernons sisters calls him as he cant work a computer,   We saw the lights on two nights, oh boy what a show,  the green ones were the first night and I took those.  The second night Vernon took them,   I am going to let you just look at the pictures,  they don't do the lights justice as they dance and play across the sky.  The sight was  Wow moments

 This is my best

These are the second night of the showing and a longer showing that night.

The Dinosaur

Margaret

Norway husky dog sleigh ride and Kirkenes

Hi,

We did do a trip at Tromso. Husky dog sledge ride,   In the dark it was wonderful and they were so kind,  there was three of us who were disabled,  Melody has no hands and looks after her disabled husband,  we went to the where the dogs were separately and meet up with the rest of the party by the dogs,  they made sure vernon was there waiting for me when we arrived by snowmobile.
The first  picture (above)  is me making friends with some of the dogs only that one wanted to eat my stick. These are the pictures of us on the sledge and the dogs,   We had four male at the back they take the weight, and six female

at the front, why because the girls do as they are told and the boys  follow.  the guide took the photos for us.  He talked all the way around the trip,  the actual distance was 6 to 7 kilometers in approx 40 mins,  it was mild at -12 that evening,  he said that two days ago it had been -26.  I was glad it was just -12 cold enough as we rode through the forest.

--ooOoo--

At Kirkenes which is the most northerly town in Norway,  they have only just getting daylight since the 15th January,  from the beginning of December to then they are in complete darkness,    Kirkenes is ten miles from the Russian border,  in the little shop I brought a proper Russian doll I have always wanted one,  we also saw a Christmas one so now I have two.

Sunset at 11.15 am.  it was dark when we went to Breakfast and I think that day 31st January they had about an hour of daylight,  from the end of November /december to the 15th January it is total darkness,  and then they start to get a few mintes of daylight increasing as the days go on.  In may and June its 24 hours of daylight. 


Margaret

Norway Crossing the Arctic Circle

Hi

When we crossed the Arctic Circle they had a ceremony with Njor ( pronounced Nor). god of the seven seas,  he came aboard to blow his horn,  and wish us fine weather in the arctic,  well he worn himself out and finally on the last try the ship blow its horn.

   Part of the ceremony was putting ice cubes down the back,  at -5 and just got over the flu I stayed at the back with Vernon we did not fancy it.   We also got a certificate for crossing the circle.  They also had a special postage stamp and anyone who wanted could have the special crossing stamp franked and the captain signed the postcard.   As a philatelists it was one off my collection along with one going around the cape of Norway and back crossing the arctic circle.
This Melody with the Captain and Njor having the ice down her back,  she has no hands,  and looks after her disabled husband,  what she can do with no hands puts most people with hands to shame.

These are just some of the many photos of the scenery,   Norway is a beautiful country and the scenery is fantastic.

I cant remember where we were when we took these photos I think it might have been Bodo.

Just a small selection of photos,  im leaving you with this picture of ship at sea sailing to the next post.

Margaret

Norway Part one

Hi,

Sorry this is taken so long to write,  I uploaded 300 + photos last Sunday and now it’s just sorting through them to show you the best.   It was a bucket holiday but oh boy what a wonderful trip,  we did see the lights on two nights and capturing them on my camera was something else,   They did a workshop on board how to take the northern lights,  I was told my camera was no good well I played with the settings and I hope when you see what my naff camera did might just surprise you as it did us,  but there's a lot more to see before the lights

We left Bergen on the MS Nordlys which means Northern Lights,  this is our ship

She is a working ship that takes cargo up and down the coast of Norway and is also a car ferry with room for 36 cars.
As we vouaged up the coast of Norway the local Norwegians use the ships as a car ferry from Port to port,  so there was new faces everyday,  some had cabins others on just a short hop would bed down in the lounges overnight.  There was a small restaurant open 24 hours a day for food and drink.
We on the cruise had a card that got us into the restaurant,  if we wanted to buy anything we had to show our card proving we were on the cruise.  The card also acted as a key for our cabin and if we went ashore to get on and off the ship.
When ever one of the fleet of ships passed each other they blow their horns,  flashing lights and waving to each other,  when in port we could also visit any of them if they were in port at the same time.  The Huntigten ships are a very friendly shipping line.
The ship stopped at ports throughout the night taking on cargo or dropping off cargo,   some stops were 15 mins others for half and hour or longer stops for us to get off and do trips or walk into the towns.
  Here are a few views from the ship of Trondheim where we stopped for a few hours,  these pictures were taken from the ship.

Here are some views of the journey as we head up the coast of Norway.

This is the first two days,   I hope you enjoy the pictures,  in all I have over 300 photos of the whole journey don't worry I wont share them all just a small portion of them

Margaret

CD sunday Challenge -# 4 Anything Goes using something from a craft CD

Hi,
Gosh that fortnight went quick,  This fortnight we are continuing the theme of Anything Goes and it is Wynns turn to Host the challenge.
I really enjoyed making this card,  I used a backing sheet from Enchanted Dreams CD by Joanna Sheen,   I used one of my christmas present from Vernon my husband the Dragonfly Edger by Creative Expressions cut from white card,  I finished off the card with dragonfly peel offs and a blue ribbon down the side.

CD Sunday challenge now has a Facebook page for those who would like to enter the challenge and do not have a blog,   here is a link to the page

I hope you will visit the CD Sunday Challenge site, and remember if you want to enter the challenge you must use something from a CD no matter how small and let us know which CD you used.  Here is a link to CD Sunday Challenge blog  we would be pleased to see you.

I hope you are having a lovely weekend

                                        Margaret

Knitted Cardigan

Hi,

I knitted this just before christmas but as I had a bad attack of flu I am just begining to catch up with blogging,
This cardigan I knitted in double knitting wool in Midnight blue although the photos dont quite catch the colour very well.  the pattern was a Stylecraft pattern no 9522 and as I had enough left over wool I made the hat to go with the cardigan.   Its a lovely pattern and I will be making more I am sure. 

                           Margaret