Batsfjord to LHR Terminal 4

No sun. Just clouds and a slightly irritated sea. It’s 0600 and there’s only one more stop before we reach the end of our voyage, Kirkenes.

We don’t want to leave, yet we long to see our family after so long.

We stare out over the balcony in silence recalling the last few days.

Replaying memories

It’s 0700. Lin’s packed everything. I make a last cup of powder (ugh) coffee and an English Breakfast tea for Lin, with milk we purloined from the restaurant yesterday.

Despite the cold air, we drink outside on the balcony, leaning on the caprail, watching the ship’s wake recede as we replay the week’s memories.

Breakfast

It’s 0800. With one last look around the suite and one more quick look out to sea to be saved as a cherished snapshot, we vacate the cabin and head for breakfast.

The restaurant’s full. But somehow it’s different. No-one’s talking. We are all held captive by memories we don’t want to lose.

We eat, but without tasting.

Disembarking

It’s 0915. We’ve docked in Kirkenes. We’re at deck level. The gate opens. We disembark. We climb into the airport bus and leave.

Kirkenes Airport

The coach ride to the tiny Kirkenes airport takes us along snow and ice covered roads. Road signs are in Norwegian and Russian.

A sign to Murmansk reminds us that Kirkenes is right on the borders between Norway, Finland and Russia.

The airport is busy today. It has four aircraft movements.

Norwegian Air DY311 takes us to Oslo via Tromso.

Boingo Internet

With five hours in Oslo before BA769 departs, we find a café and try the Internet. Boingo takes £6 for access, but stubbornly refuses to let me in.

Piers tries Boingo’s contact telephone number. It’s answered by an automated voice that keeps repeating itself whilst assuring him it wants to help. The voice won’t stop. There’s an email address for support but not having email access we can’t use it. The Airport Information desk washes their hands of the problem. Argh!

Goodbye Norway

Although our BA flight leaves forty minutes late, the two hour journey goes quickly, maybe because Piers falls asleep.

Tonight, we stay at the Hilton, Terminal 4 before finding our car and driving to see our eldest son and his family.

We’ve said goodbye to Norway but so want to return. Thirty two ports in six days. Wonderful weather, flat calm seas. Huskies, snowmobiling, mountains, fjords and the Northern Lights. We’ve overdosed on wonderment.

Now we head north from Heathrow, this time not to see the Northern Lights but our eldest son, his wife and two of our wonderful grandchildren.

We leave one reality for another.

Memories

Maybe the best of the Hurtigruten experience can be seen here.

Piers and Lin
heading to see our family
Volvo V50

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The tiny airport has four aircraft movements today click to enlarge

The first aircraft of the day click to enlarge