Explore More UK - Spring 2021

REVIEW
Making memories
From her home in Scotland, Susan Robertson crossed into
the Arctic Circle for an unforgettable adventure
This page,
clockwise, from
above: Viking Sky
illuminated by the
northern lights;
a sledge ride was
one of the many
highlights of
the trip
When I thought about
which memories to
write about I was
spoilt for choice,
but I decided on our last ocean
cruise, In Search of the Northern
Lights. My husband, Andrew, and I
live in the north of Scotland, where
we get very cold and snowy winters
and our friends thought we were
mad going to Norway for an even
colder holiday. However this cruise
proved them wrong!
Having packed all our thermal
underwear and woolly jumpers we
joined Viking Sky in London to
start our adventure. After a relaxing
overnight cruise we woke in
Stavanger. Having visited before on
a Viking Homelands cruise we took
the opportunity to explore more of
this town by ourselves. A trip to
the Oil Museum was a must as we
live near Aberdeen, the oil capital
of Europe. The visit was fascinating
as we were able to relate to a lot
of the exhibits.
With clear blue skies and
no sign of snow we began to
wonder when we would need all
our winter gear. We needn’t have
worried because the further north
we cruised the more snow we saw
and the colder it became. There was
great excitement as we approached
the marker for passing the Arctic
Circle and we all had cameras at
the ready to capture the occasion.
Our certificates are pinned up in
our kitchen to remind us.
The wind was strong so we
sailed on to Tromsø and were able
to enjoy an extra day there. I really
wanted to buy a reindeer hide and
when we went shopping we
were amazed to find that the
pavements are all heated to keep
them snow-free. Feeling full of
energy, we decided to go up and
down in the cable car above the
town and walk back to the ship.
What superb views over the whole
area we had from the top and we
were so lucky to have such clear
blue skies. After a beautiful concert
in Tromsø cathedral we got our
first show of northern lights. A
lovely end to the day.
PHOTOS: © SHUTTERSTOCK
The next day was a real highlight
for us. This was the trip to the
Sámi to find out all about their way
of life and to meet their reindeer
and ride on a sledge. What a lovely
family and so welcoming to us all.
Andrew and I also had a very fast
ride on the back of their skidoos
as father and daughter raced each
other. A bit speedier than the
reindeer sledge!
Our next stop was Alta in the
far north. A day out to see huskies
and experience a ride almost as fast
as the skidoo. Wandering around
the town we were impressed by the
wonderful ice sculptures, especially
a full-size tractor, before going to
the market where we chatted to a
stall holder who travels all the way
from Sweden to sell his goods.
In the evening we set off in
buses to search for the northern
lights. We weren’t sure whether
they would dance for us as the
weather was a bit cloudy but
suddenly they appeared and we
were mesmerised. What a spectacle
to witness. Soon it was time to
board the ship and start going back
down south again but we still had
Narvik and Bergen to look forward
to before the end of the cruise.
From Narvik we had opted to
visit the Polar Park where we had
knowledgeable guides who told us
about the animals. It was wonderful
to see moose, bears, wolves, musk
ox and lynx fairly close by, although
I wouldn’t like to meet any of them
without the fences.
Almost the end of the cruise
but we still had Bergen to explore.
Having been before we decided to
take the funicular up the mountain
and have a guided walk. It was a
beautiful clear day and the views
were magnificent. A fitting finale to
a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I had one last treat the next
morning – my waffle in Mamsen’s
before we said goodbye to newfound
friends and the wonderful
Viking crew. However, every time
we look at my reindeer hide draped
over the couch we are reminded
of the unforgettable experiences
we had on our In Search of the
Northern Lights trip.
A 13-day 2022 In Search of
the Northern Lights journey,
from London to Bergen, or in
reverse, starts from £3,990pp.
This page,
clockwise, from
above: The Arctic
Cathedral in
Tromsø; an aerial
view of Tromsø,
Norway; a reindeer
was one of the
many animals that
Susan spotted on
the journey
42 VIKING.COM | SPRING 2021
SPRING 2021 | VIKING.COM 43