Oriana's Last Cruise

When we booked the cruise to Svalbard we did not know that it would be Oriana's last cruise for P &O and a celebration for my retirement. Svalbard was bleak but magical and listening to a glacier creak and groan is not something I will ever forget.

Torshavn in the Faroe Islands.

Our first trip was the natural harbour at Gjogv in the north of the Faroes. It is in effect a large cleft in the rock. 

The narrow road climbed over the mountains in the centre of the island.

Gjogv is a quant little village with grass-roofed houses, although some have tin roofs.

A fortunate crack in the rock that has been turned into a harbour with the addition of steps, slipway and a small dock.

This is a touching monument to all those who have died at sea or away from the village. Comments translate as "died of misfortune" or "extinct between Eiður and Gjógv" which was a road accident or "died due to bad luck in Reykjavík".

Pancakes with blueberry jam and cream (very nice) were followed by a trip to the Western edge of the island to see dramatic cliffs.

On each journey we passed over "Brúgvin um Streymin", a bridge over the Atlantic. There are two main islands that this bridge joins and the river isn't a river, it is the Atlantic Ocean.

Leknes in the  Lofoten Islands.

Leknes is a tender port for ships of Oriana's size. We began the day with a short walk into the town of  Leknes itself and then a trip to the far end of the island chain to see Reine, a small fishing village.

The Lofoten Islands are mountainous.

Tobacconist?

Oh, a public house. 

Advert or sculpture?

Fascinating street lights.

Oriana rides at anchor in Buknesfjoden.

One of the locals.

On our way to Reine we passed Morpheus beach.

According to VisitLofoten.com, "Flakstad Church is a timber church, a cross between a longship with a transept and a regular cruciform church. The placement of the tower is a distinctive feature of several churches built during this time; on the church roof at the crossing. A peculiarity of churches built during this time is the high spire which at the bottom ends in an onion-shaped dome. There have been two major restorations after the church was built in 1780; the first in 1872 and the second and last in 1938. The way the church stands today, it can be said with certainty that it appeared in 1780."

Kåkersundet Brücke or Kåkersundet Bridge

Reine is actually a small island in a bay called Reinevagen.

Fishing is their main economic activity and there are dried fish everywhere.

The scenery is spectacular.

Morpheus beach on the way back.

Back in Leknes and more drying fish.

The fishing port.

Honningsvaag, 

Bird watching trip

Gill and I took a birdwatching trip to Gjesvær on the northern tip of the island of Mageroya to see the birds on Lille Nordoya an uninhabited island even further north. While there were the usual sea birds found on cliffs the main attraction were the White Tailed Eagles.

It was cold but worth it to see the eagles flying up and down the cliffs. 

Longyearbyen.

To the north of Norway lies the archipelago of Svalbard and its capital, Longyearbyen.

Seabirds followed Oriana into port.

From Longyearbyen we took a trip to Pyramiden, an old Soviet mining town. The landscape is bleak, made more so by the low cloud.

The glaciers were spectacular.

Pyramiden is an abandoned Soviet era coal mining settlement on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard 50 km north of Longyearbyen, which has become a tourist destination. Originally founded by Sweden in 1910 it was sold to the Soviet Union in 1927 and closed as uneconomic in 1998. The setlement has since remained largely abandoned with most of its infrastructure and buildings still in place, the cold climate preserving much of the infrastructure left behind.

Since 2007, there have been efforts to make it a tourist attraction; the town's hotel was renovated and reopened in 2013. 

The small vessel that we took to travel the 50km each way from Longyearbyen to Pyramiden. 

The company sign.

In 1996, a charter flight for Arktikugol crashed on the approach to Svalbard Airport with the loss of 141 lives, although there are still helicopter flights into and out of the tiny heliport.

Pyramiden is maintained as a tourist destination by Arctic Travel Company Grumant, a division of Arktikugol. Tours through many buildings are available upon request at the Pyramiden Hotel.

Other buildings are in a very poor state of repair.

A very friendly arctic fox.

The abandoned accommodation blocks are now home to large numbers of Kittiwakes who have nested on window ledges for so long their nests have grown taller and taller.

This is the mosaic in the refectory.

When the low cloud cleared we could see further.

The northernmost monument to Vladimir Lenin and the northernmost swimming pool were also found here.

Lenin has a spectacular view.

On the return journey the boat captain took us close to the Nordenskiöldbreen glacier where he cut the engines so we could hear the glacier. Amazing!

More seabirds on the journey back.

Back in Longyearbyen the iconic Coal Miner Statue (Gruvearbeideren) is in the town centre.

The life-sized stainless steel Polar Bear sculpture was in the process of being moved.

Is this clever graffiti or art?

More amusing foreign signs.

After leaving Longyearbyen Oriana cruised Tempelfjorden to see the Tunabreen Glacier which was equally outstanding. We saw whales and drank hot chocolate at midnight in full daylight, though wrapped up against the cold. A truly amazing place.

Tromsø.

Tromsø was warmer, much warmer.

The Statue of King Olav V in Tromsø is a popular monument depicting the beloved Norwegian monarch as a warm, approachable figure. It is located in Kongeparken (Kings Park),

More clever graffiti or art?

The Tromsø Bridge (Tromsøbrua) is an iconic cantilever road bridge connecting Tromsø city centre on Tromsøya island to the mainland (Tromsdalen). Opened in 1960, the 1,036-meter-long bridge is a recognized cultural heritage site famous for its distinctive arched profile and sweeping Arctic views.

Some locals.

The view from the bridge.

The cable car.

The view from the top.

Just beyond the main island Tromsøya lies Håkøya where the remnants of the Tirpitz still rest on the seabed.

Hang glider pilots jump off the top of the mountain.

The Arctic Cathedral. 

Tromsdalen Church, also called the Arctic Cathedral, was inaugurated on November 19, 1965. Architect Jan Inge Hovig succeeded in creating a masterpiece. The church is a sailing landmark that is clearly visible over a very large area.

The church consists of 11 aluminum-coated concrete slabs on each side of the roof, giving it a distinctive appearance. The main entrance is marked by a large glass facade with a distinct cross, while the east wall has an impressive glass mosaic that was installed in 1972.

There was a wedding taking place so we could not venture inside.

The Roald Amundsen museum.

Tromsøbrua seen from the sea as we sailed out of the harbour.

Aalesund. 

We went for a wander round the town and then visited the Sunnmøre Museum.

Ålesund Kirke (Alesund Church) is a striking stone church in Norway, completed in 1909 and designed by architect Sverre Knudsen. Featuring Romanesque and Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) elements, it is famous for its marble cladding, vibrant frescoes, and stained-glass windows gifted by German Kaiser Wilhelm II

"De falne til minne" is a poignant monument dedicated to the fallen of World War II, capturing the sorrow of a grieving family. Nestled in front of a quaint cemetery and adjacent to Ålesund Church, this granite structure stands at approximately two and a half meters tall. Its beauty lies not only in its craftsmanship but also in the deep emotional resonance it evokes, making it a significant landmark for reflection and remembrance.

The Peder Knudsen monument in Ålesund is a bronze relief sculpture honouring the notable Norwegian musician, composer, and choir conductor Peder Knudsen.

The Sunnmøre Museum

Sunnmøre museum tells the story of the way of life in the old farming community. In the idyllic Borgund setting is a large collection of buildings from all over Sunnmøre.

The open-air museum consists of a collection of different building types from Sunnmøre. The museum area is widely used for recreation, and borders both the fjord and the forest. South of the museum area is Borgund church and the area where the medieval town of Borgund was located.

By the sea are the boat halls and the museum quay, where a large collection of Sunnmøre traditional boats is on display, and copies of ships and smaller boats from the Viking Age. By the quay are Borgundknarren, a copy of a merchant ship from the Middle Ages, and MK Heland, a fishing boat that participated in the English voyage during World War II.

Belfast,

We visited the Titanic museum which was excellent and well worth taking our time looking at all of the exhibits. The immersive gondola ride through the ship construction is outstanding.