WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 2 2016 issue

The dancing lights were even more dazzling than I’d
imagined. And so were the experiences I hadn’t imagined:
dog sledding through the Arctic outback, hunting
the Aurora aboard a snowmobile that zipped along a vast icy
tundra on a moonless night; lodging in a Snow Hotel, where
even my bed was made
entirely of ice – and feasting
on king crab harvested
from a hole cut in a
frozen fiord, savoring one
of the best (and certainly,
most memorable) meals
ever.
My Arctic Winter
turned out to be a trip of
a lifetime.
I traveled aboard Hurtigruten’s
Finnmarken, a
455-foot-long working
freighter. We visited 34
ports during our weeklong
voyage, delivering
everything from tea to
toilet paper, from cars to
corpses. The ship also
serves as a mail boat, a
commuter ferry for local families and day-tripping backpackers
– and a 320-cabin cruise ship. It’s the Rolls-Royce of its
breed, even boasting a sauna, outdoor swimming pool and two
hot tubs.
But there are few other bells and whistles aboard the Finnmarken.
No casino, spa or kids club, no lavish shows, comedians
or karaoke. Cabins are comfy, but simple and compact.
Bathrooms are small but efficient, with much-appreciated heated
floors – but water temperature sometimes changed erratically
in the cramped
shower. The shower
was equipped with
a flimsy curtain and
an all-purpose liquid
soap dispenser. (Many
passengers bought
shampoo, conditioner,
body lotion and tissues
during shore stops;
none of these basic
amenities was provided
in cabins.)
For a week we sailed
north along the Norwegian
Coast, from
Bergen to Kirkenes.
Some of our stops occurred
in the dead of
night, sometimes for
as little as 15 minutes –
just long enough for something or someone to be boarded or
off-loaded. During day stops, we usually had time to explore
ashore on our own, or by joining one of the optional Hurtigruten
shore excursions.
28 Wine Dine & Travel 2016