Hurtigruten norsk tur: Del otte

Today the itinerary was Tromso, Finnsnes, Harstad, Risoyhamn, Sortland, Stokmarknes, Svolvaer and Stamsund (at 10 pm). We had opted to take the Vesteralen Panorama Bus tour which saw us disembarking at Harstad at 8 am (gulp) and rejoining the ship at Stokmarknes at 2.15 pm. In between these times, we had a tour of a few sites of interest, drove up and down a few fjords, took a ferry across Guillfjord and thence to Stokmarknes. In the evening there was a reasonably long stop at Svolvaer and we took advantage of this to walk around to get a feel for a Norwegian town on a Saturday night. A bit like Callington on a Saturday night - dead! But dead with snow, which makes all the difference.

Trondenes church, just outside of Harstad, is the northernmost mediaeval stone church in Norway and the world's most northern surviving mediaeval building. It was built around 1400. The present building is thought to be the third on the same site, the first one was wooden and the second partly built of stone. Some of the walls of this one were incorporated in the one we see today. It's in a spectacular position overlooking the fjord.

The church is well known for its rich decorations, the most impressive of which are these three gothic diptychs. There are remnants of some mediaeval frescoes to be seen as well and the pulpit is equipped with an hour glass to allow the minister to time his sermons. Trondenes holds both catholic and protestant services.

And in the church door (the original?) was this massive key (the original?). Just think of how many people have handled this over the centuries.

Next door to the church at Trondenes was the Trondenes Historical Centre, which gives insights into the region's history from the Stone Ages to today, with an emphasis on the Vikings and the Middle Ages. It was very well laid out and had a lot interesting artefacts on display, including these Viking weaving implements. Collectively the exhibits show how difficult it was to survive in such a harsh climate.

What, what? You mean you don't like my pickled herring and dried cod? Heresy. These are what drove the Viking invasion of Britain.

An authentic cod drying rack with some authentic dried cod, or stockfish as there are properly known. They are rock-hard and need a lot, and I mean a lot, of pre-preparation before they are become vaguely palatable. I'm not sure how the Vikings managed to do this whilst they were raping and pillaging.

The more recent history of Harstad/Trondenes is tragic. During WW2, there was a lot of German activity in the area, with many gun emplacements built along the coast. This was done by the slave labour of POWs, many of whom died under the brutal conditions. The Germans. meticulous as ever, logged every detail on the prisoners' record cards, including how they died. This wall in the museum shows many of the cards of the 1200 or so who died hereabouts.
Although I would have liked to, we didn't visit the cemetery in Harstad where there are 33 Commonwealth burials from WW2. But here's some information from the CWGC website about the graves. "During the Second World War, Norway was of strategic importance to the Germans. Their invasion on 9 April 1940 was sudden and widespread and despite Allied intervention, the entire country was under German occupation by early June. Thereafter, Allied activity in Norway was confined to raids and special operations, with the Commonwealth air forces providing support to Norwegian resistance groups until the German capitulation in May 1945. There are no Commonwealth war cemeteries in Norway, those who died there being buried in civil cemeteries and churchyards. Harstad was used as the military headquarters and main port of disembarkation for the expeditionary force sent to northern Norway in April 1940 and was repeatedly attacked by German aircraft throughout the entire operation. 701 Walrus Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm and 263 Gladiator (Fighter) Squadron operated from Harstad, the latter moving to Bardufoss Aerodrome in May. The graves of those who died in Bardufoss were later transferred to the Commonwealth plot at Harstad. Harstad Cemetery contains 33 Commonwealth burials, one of them unidentified. The cemetery also contains plots of other Allied war graves".

We drove through some really beautiful scenery - all that you could expect of a Norwegian fjordscape.

Ditto.

The original Finnmarken, with a capacity for a mere 44 persons. Hardly what I'd call a vessel for a luxury cruise. I guess our expectations were lower in those days.

Jump forward 50 years and this is the Finnmarken we were sailing on. Far more comfortable.

A little theatrical, perhaps, but our tour bus managed to be in the middle of a bridge as the Finnmarken passed below. Note the passengers waving on the bow. I bet they were all British as we like to wave at things simply because they are mving and we are not. This 'coincidence' took a lot of coordination between bus driver and ship via mobile phone and a couple of 'spontaneous' photo stops. But it give a great view of the boat - and nutters waving.

Gosh, that boat must have been travelling at a fair old lick when it hit this house. I wonder if the captain was made to walk the plank?

Another troll house. This one was actually under a bridge, conveniently situated to ambush passing sailors. I'm not sure he would have had much luck in stopping the Finnmarken in its tracks. Maybe he did try and we ran over him?

A Black Guillemot. The last time I saw one of these was on Mull last year but not quite so close up.

A Shag in flight. I like the aerodynamics of its flight: head and neck extended and the legs tucked up under the rear tail feathers.

Slowly going down the narrow Trollfjord gave spectacular scenery and an opportunity for many seascapes, of which these are just a few. I've got loads of them. If you want more, just let me know.

Whilst in Svolvaer we happened upon the Lofoten Krigsminnenmuseum, a charmingly jumbled collection of WW2 artefacts and memorabilia, mostly of the German occupation. Lots of information to absorb, particularly about the role the Norwegian navy played in the allied activities in the North Sea and beyond. I didn't realise that over 300 Norwegian vessels were involved at Dunkirk or the number taking part in guarding the North Atlantic convoys. An unsung contribution to the war effort.

A projection onto the walls of a hotel in Svolvaer. Quite striking in the snow.

 

Svolvaer Kirk - closed.

Svolvaer on a Saturday night. I did it a disservice by comparing it with Callington. It actually looked a very pleasant place, especially in the snow.