January 2, 2011

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Bodo
This morning we were woken just in time to go on deck to see the little rock with an illuminated globe on it which marked the beginning of the Arctic Circle. It was bitter and snowing a little. We had breakfast and then returned to the upper deck for a small ceremony (involving Neptune for some reason) to mark the Arctic passage. There was a prize for the best guess of our time to cross the line. We were way off in our guesses. Admittedly it was difficult to guess because the ship was delayed during the night by the need to stop at one of the small ports to take a pregnant woman off who was about to give birth! Everything seems to happen on this voyage.
After the prize was presented there was a short initiation ceremony which involved having ice water and ice cubes poured over the back of your neck and down your jumper. Then you were given a short drink.
Cheered by ice cubes and alcohol (at 10.30 in the morning) we decided it was time to have a dip in the hot tub. So our fellow passengers were treated to Yvonne in a fur coat and swimsuit and Cillian in his makeshift trunks scooting onto the freezing icy windy deck before hopping into the Jacuzzi.
After this adventure there was a rest and then we arrived in Bodo. Because of the lost time we had only 90 minutes in port….long enough for a walk up town to find it mostly closed for Sunday. We bought a book and a couple of magazines to bring with us and went back to the ship for a very very quick lunch as the restaurant closed.
Joy of joys….Cillian’s suitcase has arrived finally…via Oslo. Fresh clothes and sponge bag and pills and stuff. Slippers for Yvonne. It is like Christmas morning in our cabin!
During afternoon the ship crossed to the Lofoten Islands where we will be tonight and part of tomorrow. We read books and watched the scenery. (Tough this trip, eh!)
We were finishing dinner in the restaurant with the ship stopped in Stamsund when we were told the Northern Lights were showing themselves in the sky. We dressed warmly and went up on the freezing top deck to see. There were a lot of streaks of greeny grey over the mountain behind the town and we stayed up there for an hour or more watching the changing shapes.
Despite a grog served up on deck the cold eventually drove us indoors. That and the failure of our freezing fingers to work out the controls on our cameras to take any kind of a photo. Anyhow we decided the point was to see not to photograph and just enjoyed the view.
Tired and thawed we went to bed before midnight.

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