Explore More - Epic Expedtions

46 VIKING.COM EXPLORE

46 VIKING.COM EXPLORE MORE

TRAVEL Full disclosure: I am a massive Viking fan. And asking me to write about a Viking cruise is guaranteed to make me use far too many superlatives: fabulous, amazing, wonderful—all are synonymous with any Viking cruise, but I will try to restrain myself. That the cruise was going to be excellent was a given; what I was not expecting were the surprises. It all began in Bergen, which, it turns out, is a mighty Norwegian city. It has a storied history and ancient wooden buildings and was once part of the Hanseatic League. After a whole day in Bergen and being the perfect guest—you know the sort of thing, looking for a classy fridge magnet, trying to buy a hand-stitched Norwegian flag for less than 500 euros (impossible), and eating my body weight in cinnamon rolls—I was ready for bed by about 9:30 PM. I headed to my stateroom, got into my pajamas and went to bed, ready to sleep. Sleep, what was I thinking? I was in the land of the midnight sun. It may have been almost midnight, but it was practically still afternoon outside. I know I could have closed the curtains, but we were gliding past beautiful untamed islands, whose Thor-like presence would have been rude to ignore. These magnificent monoliths backlit by the sun were simply mesmerizing. Mile after mile, despite the simple repetition of sea and austere islands, I could not tear myself away. There was nuance in the shapes. And the birds that clustered on and around them, the sparse flora and fauna nestling in nooks and clinging to crannies, and the way the sunlight reflected in the deep, dark water made every second thrillingly different and created a hunger for the next moment of magic. I think I finally fell asleep at about 3:30 AM. The midnight sun is one of those things you need to witness to believe it, and I can pretty much guarantee you will be as surprised and enchanted as I was. After that, the surprises came thick and fast. Breakfast, 7:30 AM. Day two. Late-night island spotting is exhausting, but nothing comes in the way of breakfast, and breakfast in the World Café is the best. I was steaming full speed ahead past reception and heading for the Eggs Benedict when I realized the smiling Mâitre d’ had said, “Good morning, Miss Cotter Craig.” Hang on a minute. I had only been on board for a little more than 24 hours, there were 900-some people on Viking Sea, and yet, he was able to greet me and every guest who came in for breakfast, by name. As the cruise continued, I discovered this was standard among the stateroom stewards, the security team who waved us on and off the ship, the onshore staff, the waitstaff—everyone. Now that was a surprise like a warm hug. Next, Geirangerfjord. I had been a bit skeptical about the fjord part of this cruise. I am Scottish, and I live on the shores of Loch Linnhe. I have also swum in Loch Ness and have even taken a boat out on Loch Lomond. So what on earth could a fjord offer that my beloved Scottish lochs did not? Quite a lot, it turned out. The first thing that took my breath away was the farmhouses, precariously positioned hundreds of feet atop fortress-like walls rising from who knows what depths and accessible only by narrow vertical tracks. The second surprise was that the Geirangerfjord is at a latitude of 62° north and only a few hundred miles south of the Arctic Circle, yet this is where the most delicious and northerly apricots in the world thrive and grow. Arctic apricots? Yes, please. I needed a short rest after all these overwhelming discoveries, and it was not even 9:00 AM. Clockwise, from facing page: Ålesund, Norway; Bergen’s Bryggen wharf; the Geirangerfjord EXPLORE MORE VIKING.COM 47