Sep. 4 - the North Cape of Norway

Honningsvag Norway, gateway to the North Cape

On Wednesday, September 4, we stopped in several small ports (we will also see these on our way back). But, the three and a half hour stop was in Honningsvag on Mageroy Island. Don was fascinated by the tunnel which connects the island to the mainland. It is over 700 feet under the sea – quite a feat of engineering.

Globe Monument at North Cape

We had been hearing about the North Cape for most of the voyage. It is one of the high lights of the trip. This is the part of Norway that is the furthest north (above the 71st parallel). They have built a visitor center with a huge gift shop and cafeteria. It is three stories underground and has a panorama movie theater and lots of exhibits. Outside there are several monuments; the main one being a huge globe on the edge of the cliff. Years ago people used to dock their ships at the base of the cliff and climb up to this spot. Now they have a new road and 200,000 tourists a year!

This part of Norway is so beautiful. The road winds through the rocky hills covered with tiny, colorful wild flowers, moss, and lichen. This island is also home to Norway’s indigenous people, the Sami. They are related to our Native Americans and have had a similar history of isolation, discrimination, and eventual acculturation. They live in a tee-pee like home called a lavvo and take care of the reindeer, which are mostly domesticated now. We saw lots of reindeer grazing on the hills. In the spring they bring the herd to the island on ships. The reindeer spend the summer grazing and breeding and swim back to the mainland in the fall.

A Sami dressed in native costume and his reindeer

From this port we were actually heading south along the coast. We stopped in several more small ports during the night and found ourselves sailing in the Barents Sea the next morning heading for our final stop in Kirkenes before turning around.