TravelWorld International Magazine Winter 2023

Andalsnes, known as the mountaineering capital of the country,
boasts an indoor climbing facility right at the harbor. An adjacent
tram carries visitors to the top of a nearby peak for a stunning view.
Welcoming Troll
Banners –
and people,
nearly 6,000
participants –
filled the town
of Tromso for
the running of
the Midnight
Sun Marathon
on June 17,
2023
It can seem
as if stunning
waterfalls just
spring from the
mountains to
cascade down
to the farms
and villages
below. The
force from this
one sent spray
far across the
surrounding
hills.
THE THRILL OF
THE UNKNOWN
We called at Tromso, a city that
sprawls over two islands in a
coastal fjord well- protected
from the open ocean. It was on
the day of the annual Midnight
Sun Marathon. Runners from
all over the world converge on
Tromso during the summer
solstice to compete in this
women’s-only road race, first
held in 1972. We enjoyed local
beer at a tavern on the water
with a view of the soaring
modern Arctic Cathedral in the
background and talked to a
pair from Wisconsin who had
traveled to Tromso solely for
that evening’s competition.
Traveling north, the scenery
only becomes more impressive
and the people even friendlier.
We visited with indigenous Sami
reindeer herders, marveled
at cascading waterfalls,
snapped photos of immaculate
farmhouses, grazing sheep,
historic stave churches, and
quirky trolls. We sat on our
stateroom balcony late into the
evening, reading by the light of
the midnight sun.
Norway is nothing if not
fascinating. It’s extremely
modern, but its history extends
back to Viking settlements and
seafaring peoples who traveled
far afield to populate new lands.
At Nordkapp, on the island of
Mageroya, I had a chance to
stand once again on a rocky
promontory and look across the
sea to the unknown beyond! For
me, it felt like a prize. It was the
highlight of a journey filled with
superlatives.
The Sognefjord is Norway’s longest, deepest, and,
arguably, most beautiful of the country’s fjords. It
stretches a total of 204 kilometers inland, it also holds
the title of second-longest fjord in the world!
Olden, a charming small town with only about 500 residents, is
situated near the end of Nordfjord, an arm of Norway’s longest
fjord, and it was one of our first port calls.
TWO SIDES OF THE COIN
The imaginary line that defines Arctic and Antarctic circles
is at approximately 66 degrees 33 minutes 47.5 seconds
North and South latitude. Interestingly, almost half of
Norway lies north of the Arctic Circle, with a population of
between 400-500,000. Two-thirds of Greenland is north
of that imaginary boundary as well, and six other nations,
including the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Finland, Iceland,
Sweden, and Russia, claim an Arctic land mass.
Antarctica is very different. Not only are there no
permanent settlements but virtually the entire ice-covered
continent, except for a peninsula that juts northward
towards South America, lies within the Antarctic Circle.
Antarctica belongs to no single nation but is administered
by an international consortium, with strict controls
governing both scientific and tourist travel. Most visitors
do not physically set foot on the continent, and travelers,
even those on expedition ships, seldom actually cross the
invisible Antarctic boundary.
We were fortunate, despite less than favorable weather
during our cruise aboard Sapphire Princess last January
and February, to come close. Our most southerly latitude
was 64 degrees 58 minutes south latitude, less than 100
miles north of the Antarctic Circle.
Yes, Norway has glaciers too!
Briksdalsbreen, a single arm
of a larger glacier, it is part of
Jostedalsbreen National Park.
Den Gode Nabo is a popular destination
for good food and drink, right on the
bank of the Nidelven River just off Old
Town Bridge in Trondheim, Norway.
An impressive globe
sculpture stands high
on the promontory at
Nordkapp. Astoundingly,
the North Pole still lies
more than 2,000 miles
to the north, across
the Barents Sea. The
adjacent North Cape Hall
Visitors Center tells of
early tourists who arrived
by sea and reached the
summit via a rugged path.
30 31