Mild Drama

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Yes yes, we know a promise was made that the next post would be delivered from the Lofton Islands. But, but the six ferries over 7 and 8 July were so amazing (at least to us) that we took too many shots to piggyback on a Lofton post. Did someone recently complain about the cost of ferries? Please slap that idiot. Views from the ferries were worth well more than we paid.

We crossed the Artic Circle, and kept a sharp lookout for Santa, his Elves, or even Rudolph. Imagine our shock at not only seeing none of this, but noting only a slight change in the landscape and housing. There were even sheep wondering the road, as always, a cow or two grazing, ditto a few horses. All of this above 66 degrees North! No more sunsets until we leave Norway.

We are spending Sunday night in Bodo. Your trusty travelers had anticipated this to be a bit of a hamlet with the hotel adjacent to the ferry dock, like Eidsdal. Wrong. This is a large town; promise it's really above the Artic Circle, but we are sleeping in a swank Clarion Hotel. Construction about the town is extensive, cranes everywhere. Correct, still no Santa or Rudolph.

Equating Northern Norway with Oslo is like stating there is no difference between Atlanta and Clermont. Oslo is not unlike any large city in the U.S., only a tad cooler and much cleaner. Northern Norway is a world apart. We are at the edge of civilization in the north, at least it sure seems that way. Nonetheless the government provides a great deal of infrastructure. We passed through many, many tunnels, some five miles long, and rode on towering bridges. Amazing and thoroughly enjoyable.

Tomorrow we board our last ferry, at least we think, for a three plus hour trip NNW to the Lofton Islands. Stay tuned.

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Photos

No Laughing
Bird promised no one would laugh at HP in a picture, so NO laughing.

Waiting on the Ferry
The three ferries on the second day were a bit like a caravan; the same cars would appear from one ferry terminal to the next.

Granite
Or it sure looks like granite. This rock permeates the north, only the shade varies a bit.

11:20pm
Shot on the evening of 7 July. Sun shinning with a warm glow.

Mountain Village
Houses are erected whenever there is a bit of mostly flat ground, preferably at the water's edge. All have green grass, their prime crop.

Artic Circle Monument
Everything after this point (in Norway) is above the Artic Circle. Guess what we were doing when we took the shot. Correct, ridding a ferry, this one for sixty minutes. We chatted with a couple from Trondheim on their way to pick up their kids from grandmother's cabin who suggested we may like to go on deck for the Monument. Ya think? Without them, we would have missed it.

Above 66 Degrees
Yes, all these folks are living above the Artic Circle. We even saw a plowed field or two but no idea what was recently planted.

Another Village
More houses with mountain in the background.

Glacier
Just after the final ferry on 8 July we shot this glacier from the road. There are several nearby.

Glacier End
Telephoto of the glacier's terminus. Looks a tad ominous, doesn't it?

Bodo
As we departed Bodo, took this shot back at the city. We count five cranes in the photo.

Shipmates Attire
Leaving the Bodo harbor and thought we would share a picture of our shipmates. Promise, this was taken on July 9.