Thursday 20th June 2013 - White Sea Adventure

It hardly seems yesterday that I was signing off the last post for my Indian Ocean Grand Voyage but it’s two-and-a-half months since I returned and the intervening weeks have disappeared in a frenzy of garden projects and house clearing.  I hasten to add that I have no intentions of moving but I had to begin the process of getting rid of 26 years of accumulated artefacts!!  I have made good progress but I reckon another 2 skips might see the worst cleared.

I’m off again on Saturday 22^nd June with the Fred Olsen MV Braemar for a 16 night cruise to Norway and the White Sea – well I’ve done the Black Sea so I thought I had better be fair and have a look at Russia’s Northern Fleet which is based in Murmansk. 

 

Date	Arrive	Depart
Sat 22		Late PM	Dover, UK
Mon 24	Early AM	Early PM	Stavanger, Norway
Wed 26	Early AM	Late PM	Bodo, Norway
Thu 27	Early AM	Late PM	Tromso, Norway
Fri 28	Early AM	Early PM	Honningsvag (North Cape), Norway
Sat 29	Early AM	Late Night	Murmansk, Russia
Mon 01	Early AM	Late PM	Archangel, Russia
Sat 06	Early AM	Late PM	Bergen, Hordaland
Mon 08	Early AM		Dover, UK

This Arctic and White Sea cruise travels to some of the most beautiful and remote areas of the world but for me this will be my fourth visit to the Fjords but I’m hoping since it’s the right time of the year that I may catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. The full Itinerary is shown above and I will be Blogging away as usual so that you can follow my every move – well perhaps not everything!!
The first port of call is Stavanger before making our way to Bodø, a maiden visit for me and I’m hoping to take a Zodiac trip in search of Sea Eagles since Bodø is known as the Sea Eagle capital of the world.

The next stop is Tromsø, the Arctic city that is likely to offer the best opportunity of witnessing the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis and I’m hoping to visit the famous White Cathedral that I have missed on previous visits.

After stopping at Honningsvag for the North Cape Plateau, the cruise will follow the route of the merchant seaman who braved the conveys to Murmansk and Archangel in World War II. . Midway between Moscow and the North Pole, Murmansk is the largest city north of the Arctic Circle. .
We then have 5 days at sea as we cruise all the way back down to Bergen – the city of rain!!  Third time lucky it might be dry for me!

So travel with me as I sail on Saturday afternoon.