An Unexpected Adventure

Norway –

February is the month when we used to begin planning our return to Berkeley East; travel plans took shape, reservations were made.  So, when an email arrived, reminding us of expiring airline tickets, the timing seemed appropriate.  But this year, there was no boat to be recommissioned, BE was sold, and we had nowhere to go.  Still, our minds began to wonder: where could these tickets take us?  Somewhere exotic?  Some place tropical?  A warm winter escape?  Opportunity was knocking for a spur-of-the-moment escapade.   

Prior to the pandemic, we booked a return from Berkeley East in the Singapore Airlines Suites: two individual, connecting cabins on a Singapore Airlines Airbus 380.  We had some miles that needed to be used and a friend suggested that this was a bucket-list experience.  And we were, and are, all about the list.  It was fortunate that the airline extended our tickets due to COVID, but now the time had come to use them, or lose them.  We questioned if we even cared where the tickets would take us, we could simply have a ride in “The Suites”; even if we never left the airplane. As a very wise poet once said: “Sometimes, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.”  

After some research, we found that the only workable “Suites” route was New York to Frankfurt, and back.  While we could have left it at that, we decided to explore expanding the trip in search of another bucket-list item, The Northern Lights.  Our thoughts had gone from exotic and warm, to north of the Arctic Circle. 

And the trip had grown from one direct, round-trip flight without leaving the airport, to an expedition encompassing two continents, three countries, ten different segments, on six different airlines, in five different airports, plus multiple modes of transport.  Along with the usual planes, trains and automobiles, there were boats, sleighs, sleds, snow mobiles, trams, and vernaculars.  And surprisingly, most everything went without hitch.   

The passage in “The Suites” was nothing less than fabulous.  Given that the individual cabins were conceived by French luxury yacht designer Jean-Jacques Coste, we felt right at home; it was like being on Berkeley East, but in the air.  And while we enjoyed the spirit of crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a 54-foot sailboat, this trip across “The Pond” was a bit more relaxing, although equally as challenging, as decisions like whether to have Krug, or Tattingers, Champagne, were very stressful.   

Our bucket-list flight did not disappoint, we arrived in Frankfurt refreshed and ready for the next legs of travel to Bergan, Norway.  Located on Norway’s southwestern coast, surrounded by mountains and fjords, Bergen is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, formerly Europe’s largest wooden city with some 50 wooden houses dating from the 18^th, 19^th, and 20^th centuries.  It is Norway’s second largest city which somehow manages to emit a charming, small-town feel through narrow cobblestone lanes, picturesque waterfront, quaint cafes.  And the famed fish market helped Bergen earn the designation of a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, with the best halibut we’ve even tasted.

The city is also infamous for precipitation, with an average of 200 wet days per year, which we experienced firsthand as we explored.  We navigated the weather by ducking into cozy restaurants to wait out the downfalls, or riding the Fløibanen Funicular, up and down, back, and forth, from the center of town to the summit of Mount Fløyen, for panoramic views of the city.  While clouds shrouded the land below, it was still a breathtaking sight. 

We made Bergan our base for a few days and ventured out to see more of Norway, following the famed “Norway in a Nutshell” path through protected fjords and mountain ranges, where ice age upon ice age have created a spectacular countryside.  The route wandered through snow covered mountains with waterfalls and deep ravines on the historic Flam Railway, and a cruise through the magnificent Aurlandsfjord, and the narrow Nærøyfjord. 

As fantastic as our time around Bergan had been, we were still on a quest to see the Northern Lights, and the city is typically too far south, with too much ambient light, for visibility.  Even in Alta, where we were headed, at just below the 70^th latitude, there were no guarantees the spectacular natural phenomenon would materialize. That said, there were recent US sightings as far south as Colorado, and even in the North Carolina mountains. 

The northern lights, also called the Aurora Borealis, are beautiful dancing waves of light that develop when energized  particles from the sun slam into Earth’s upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph. Luckily, the earth’s magnetic field protects from the onslaught, leaving us to marvel at the spirals of brilliant color covering the sky.  While we waited anxiously for the Aurora, our days were filled with nordic events that we had never before experienced. 

On our first night in Alta, we were picked up by local Sami people and their reindeer. The Sami culture is the oldest indigenous culture in Northern Norway and is currently experiencing a strong resurgence, with many continuing a traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle based around their own reindeer herds. After meeting our guides, we found ourselves racing along the frozen Alta River on a sleigh being pulled by reindeer.  A stop at a traditional Lavvu (tent) around a bonfire for storytelling created the perfect beginning to our Nordic adventure. 

While we had already been out on the fjords via a large electric cruise boat, we thought an arctic voyage might be more exhilarating.  Rugged up in thermal suits and nearly every piece of clothing we had with us; we boarded a 35-foot boat in search of King Crabs. 

Originally native to the Northern Pacific, King Crabs were first found in Norway in 1977, and they quickly became a prized delicacy.  They are known locally as ‘Stalin’s Red Army’, as the invasion of King Crabs came to Norway from Russia where they were introduced by scientists.  When Norway’s fishermen began discovering the spindly giants entangled in their nets, a new, lucrative industry was born.  While it could be argued that the method to catch King Crabs is far from “fishing”, pots baited with herring and mackerel can catch up to 50 large crabs at a time.  But quotas are set by the government to ensure the future of the commercial fishery.  After the frigid, but stunning, excursion, we enjoyed the tasty crabs that we had plucked from the pots by the warmth of the fire back at the lodge.

While the main lodge housed 24 rooms with beautiful views, it was also home to the northernmost Igloo hotel in the world.  First created there 23 years ago, local artists and builders come together each year to craft a unique seasonal hotel with a special theme; this year’s theme was Africa. The Igloo Hotel has an area of 27,000 square feet, and it takes about 250 tonnes of ice and nearly 250,000 cubic feet of snow to build, typically in a period of four to five weeks. It is designed with a mixture of igloo rooms and suites, and has an ice bar, plus a chapel for weddings. While the Igloo Hotel was amazing to visit, and is equipped for overnight stays, we opted to sleep on a soft mattress in a heated lodge room.

When we signed up for the Husky Experience, we envisioned being huddled side-be-side on a sled under a warm reindeer skin, while the experienced musher guided us through the artic wilderness.  Imagine our surprise when we were presented with a list of dog names and their harness sizes, and quickly shown how to ready our own husky team and sled.  There were five sleds, 10 people and four dogs per sled.  And as the dogs were let out, it was like a free for all; dogs chasing dogs, people chasing dogs, dogs chasing people.  One of the pups on our list didn’t have a harness size, and when we asked about it, we were told that that particular canine typically ate its harness, so it would be added at the last moment. 

When we were finally able to herd our husky team into place, we were shown how to drive, push, slow and stop the sled.  One of us sat in the sled while the other one drove, rather mushed, the team through the night.  Most of the time, it was obvious that the huskies were in charge and we were just along for the ride.  It was fantastic, and in the end, our guide shared with us her preparation for Finnmarksløpet, the world’s Northern most Husky sled race and at 1200 kilometers, the second-longest in the world, which starts and stops around Alta.  We followed the event online and learned our guide finished fourth, so we feel we had expert training.

After being towed around by wild, energized, slobbering dogs, having full control of a Lynks Adventure Snowmobile, going 50 mph through the snow, was thrilling.  When we were asked to sign a responsibility form for total loss of the vehicle, we wondered how that could possibly happen in such a controlled environment.  But traversing the varied landscape through the forest, along the mountain ridges, and across the frozen lakes, proved quite challenging.  Fortunately, no crashes or injuries were reported. 

We were fortunate to witness the Northern Lights show multiple times in Alta.  Every evening, we would join other guests at the lodge in search of the Auroras.  Guests were constantly dashing out into the cold night for a glimpse of the sky, only to hurry back in to warm by the fire.

We quickly learned that the Northern Lights are not always visible to the naked eye, the camera lens can often capture their presence long before the magnificent colors materialize, so we would often find ourselves standing knee-deep in snow, snapping photos up into the darkness, until the sky brightened.  Norwegian tales say that the Aurora Borealis are believed to be the souls of old maids dancing in heaven and waving at people down below.  We prefer this tale over the scientific explanation.  They must be very happy old maids to produce something so beautiful. 

Throughout our many years of travel planning, Norway has never been in our thoughts.   We didn’t consider sailing Berkeley East there, as crossing the North Sea can be a very treacherous task.  And given that we were typically only free to travel off the boat in winter, Norway’s freezing temperatures were a big deterrent. But Norway is one of the most beautiful countries we’ve ever seen, and the residents are some of the happiest, friendliest people we’ve ever encountered.  It is truly a country worthy of any bucket list.