Behind the scenes (I)

Of course, of course - after a long time being on the road in order to get to Oslo and FRAM, one has every right to be tired. So this sea day was a calm one, relaxing and no current need for action. Let's benefit from this opportunity to sneak into those places you normally would not be aware of on this elegant, shiny ship. The places that are vital for the life on board. Find a little collage below of the following rooms: Top left - the "car" deck. It is only named like this because in the very, very beginning FRAM was conceived to take on cars for short ferry rides. Now we store everything here, from Polar Cirkel boats to fresh deliveries to oil spill rafts to rubber boots. It is a big space, sometimes even not big enough. Top right - the electrician's workshop. Any idea how many devices work on electrical power in this ship? It is a frightening number. And one single man is supposed to keep all these running and in shape. A hell of a job, because it does not only involve running around the ship to fix things, but also to take apart and analyze in the small but well-equipped repair shop on deck 2. Bottom left - the incinerator room. That's right, we have a whole compartment where garbage gets processed. Paper, wood and cardboard gets burned in a closed system, every thing else is being sorted and - by the means of heavy hydraulic pistons - compressed to a storable size, until we leave it in the next port. Bottom right - the laundry. In fact, there are several of them on board, this is only the crew's laundry, where we do our shirts and uniforms and stuff ourselves. Sometimes it takes a bit of timing, since 70 crew members and 6-8 staff are all using the same machines.
There is way more to see, strange storages, like for instance the chocolate room, the prison (no inmates at the moment…) or the broadcasting center, providing the whole vessel with data, music and time. It is not the Queen Mary, but still a big ship. Next sea day we will take you down to the lowest of all decks - to the engine room. Stay tuned!

Icelandic Roulette

Well, here we are in Oslo, in a little akward situation: We do not know how many passengers will make it. Many Norwegians try to reach Oslo by car and train - will they be in time? For most of the others the situation is hopeless, coming in from London or Paris simply doesn't work. So we scan the pier and are happy for every single traveller who arrives. And, believe it or not, when we have to cast the lines no less than 92 guests are enjoying a very quiet departure. And there's still the chance to pick up some more in Stockholm the day after tomorrow.

Those who are leaving us are taken care of - big, comfy busses are organized to take them either to Copenhagen or even Calais. Certainly a bus is better now than a train, you have a seat and your luggage is with you all the time. It is a farewell under strange circumstances, but it has a great bottomline: Everybody wants to come back, sooner or later. That's the spirit!
So we try to make the best out of it, fill the coming days with a lot of lectures and spoil our guests. And for those of you who couldn't make it: We are truly sorry, nature has indeed rained (ashes) on our parade, once again we learn that not everything is predictable and that we are left to accept what our planet does of its own accord. We do hope you will make it another time!
So, this is only a short entry, not much seen in Oslo. More will follow.

In the grip of the volcano

This is no sea day like any other, we are all absorbed by one singular subject at the moment: The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland; not only that it is a fascinating phenomenon in itself, it largely affects the forthcoming of our whole operation. All the flights south of Bodø (which is very far north) are cancelled, none of the current group of guest will get a flight home. The options are scarce, hotel rooms in Oslo are more or less booked, trains are a way of moving on but it is certainly a good idea to have a seat reserved. And nobody is able to tell when the situation will get any more relaxed. Quite many are simply stuck. Some passengers resort to a very original solution - they book another passage on FRAM… Considering the hotel room prices in Oslo, this will probably even come out cheaper.
Those who were supposed to arrive tomorrow are also being rerouted. Since many of them are Norwegians we tend to hope that at least a large portion of them might arrive. English and French guests will hopefully join in Stockholm since this is the next possible destination in train's and ferry's reach.
Any relatives at home - we will keep you informed here, of course. But so far be assured: we had such a splendid journey that the spirit is still at a superb level and the smiles all around are genuine and relaxed. It is always a wise thing to accept nature's turns as fate and start from there…
Last update!: We will provide a bus transfer to all who want it, either to Calais (British guests), or Copenhagen (French guests, with option to Paris). It is still a logistical challenge, but Karin and Fiona don't rest until everybody is taken care of. So it will take a little longer to go home, but it'll be home at last. Thanks for remaining patient and brave!

The Times of the Hanseatic League

Well, MV FRAM is not precisely an old schooner, but as we approach the pier in Bergen, old trade center of the Hanseatic times. In spite of all the fire hazard, the wooden old town Bryggen is still there, although you can spot fire extinguishing devices on the roofs now. The creaking of the planks creates a feeling of old times, of heavy ledgers on tiny pedestals in candlelight, blocks and tackles lifting barrels and heavy bundles of wool, fur or spices, while the clumsy hulks of galleons are heaving in the port. OK, this impression fades quickly when you step outside of Bryggen, where Norwegian daily life is taking place with all the hustle and bustle of a modern city. It is a place of theatre and music, too, Grieg and Ibsen are famous names. The day passes quickly, city tour, Grieg concerto, shopping, going to cafés or simply wandering around, tasting delicacies at the fish market. Or all of that. Certainly a very suitable place to finish our fabulous trip, because over night and the following day it will be the transfer to Oslo, city of disembarkation. To prevent everybody from getting too dreary the MV Crew Show is held tonight, and all participants are really doing their very, very best.

Followed by the rain, but following the ice

Well, nature is so beautiful, it needs to be cleaned up every now and then…
Apparently this is just what's happening, rain pouring down on the ship and the harbour of Olden as we make port in the morning. This doesn't keep a large group of school kids (among them three of Expedition leader Karin's nieces) to enter FRAM with outbursts of laughter and joy, paying a visit. Also in spite of the weather, a pretty big group of brave ones gets ready for the longest hike of this voyage, the walk to the Briksdals Glacier. The group is even bigger than expected, because the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland has made most of the European airspace inaccessible, so the helicopter excursion cannot take place. What an interesting relation between volcanism and tourism!

The light of the day is changing rapidly giving the lake of the Oldedalen a emerald green colour that is so intense as if lit from underneath. Beautiful!
After a 20 minutes ride we set off for the hike into the Briksdal Valley, that climbs rather steep in the beginning but levels off a good twenty minutes later. Everybody can go at his own pace, so no one feels pushed towards a heart condition.  The weather seems to favour the brave, so the rain ceases and even a few glimpses of sun are to be seen. As we get higher, the valley widens and after a while we reach the hanging glacier of Briksdal. White and shiny, with cracks and joints of deep blue, the Briksdalsbreen beams in the afternoon light, the lake at the valleys foot covered with the most delicate ice crystals. Nobody raises his voice, we all listen to the nature around us, breathe the cold air and marvel at the scenery.
Later on, cheeks red, big smiles in the faces, we have coffee and cake outside the valley before we head back to FRAM. Now, that was really something!

The ancient heart of Norwegian tourism

Sorry for the break, guys, but our satellite for transmission hovers around the equator. That means, every time we enter a deep fjord the high walls block it out and we have to wait for the next broadcast opportunity. Like now...Carrying on:
...Ok, ok, we were lucky so far, really lucky, so no one complains about the overcast day as we pull into Ålesund. This widespread city is scrambled around the entrance of the Geiranger-Fjord and  has a most extraordinary old town which is due to the fact that after a devastating fire in 1904 the whole place was restored in one go, the new buildings being built in Art Nouveau style. So they are shiny and cosy and playful, which makes the guided walk an architectural little highlight.
In spite of the fading daylight we steam deeper and deeper into the fjord, and just before nightfall we arrive in the probably most popular place in the whole of coastal Norway - Geiranger. The steep walls of the Geirangerfjord looming over the ship, waterfalls gurgling and rushing down the mountain flancs whereever you look. As we land the first Polar Cirkel Boat the situation is a bit unreal: Not a living soul in sight, no car, no light, nothing. The place is asleep, and for a good reason: We are the very first cruise ship of the season that brings people to Geiranger. This will change dramatically in the next months: Believe it or not, this 450 soul-village welcomes about 600.000 tourists per season, in a few months, that is. Imagination creates pictures of overcroweded streets, of fights over souvenirs in the shops, and the never-ending sound of cars and noisy crowds. Un-be-lievable! Very happy to be here right now, we enjoy a slow and quiet walk uphill to the Geiranger Fjordcenter (that opens just for us!), where they have a very well-done exhibition about life in the Fjord and the times when tourism discovered Geiranger in the beginning of the 20th century. Under the stars and to the sound of the waterfall only, we stroll back to the jetty where FRAM is fully lit in the night - a very unusual sight, since she usually goes to places that never get dark. Good night Geiranger, good luck with the tourist invasion - we are outta here!

When terminology fails

How many words does a language have to describe nature's highlights?

Gorgeous, baffling, marvelous, breathtaking, mind-boggling- stop it right here! Otherwise there will be no description of the day. But what else springs to mind when you enter a place like Sognefjorden in the brightest of all days in springtime? The weather is suitable for a coronation, the valleys and villages are gleaming in the morning sun. Splendid, great, overwhelming, fantastic! A little later, FRAM stops in the railway station. That's right - we are in Flåm, departure point of one of the most spectacular train rides in the world, starting right at the pier. Only 21km, but 20 tunnels, bringing us high up to nearly 900 m, crossing rivers and valleys and glaciers. Unbelievable, unreal, thrilling, magic! Some take the train back right away, some continue to Voss and the open air museum of Møstetunet. But the real fresh air fanatics join the mountain bike tour from Berekvam back to Flåm. Some time later a dozen of us glide down the fjord-flanking little roads, warm wind and sun in the face, the glittering of numerous waterfalls around the path, passing frozen waterfalls and lush meadows, stopping here and there for a picture.

Tremendous, enchanting, awe-inspiring, stunning!  Finally, after too short a time, we roll back into the port, where FRAM is already waiting to carry on, deeper again into the Fjords until the world seems to end. Gudvangen, dead end for ships but the starting point for a very unusual excursion - the white caves of the Sognedal. Pragmatically speaking, it is a marble reservoir that has been dug out of the mountains for about fourty years. But look what they did to the place! They transformed it into a beautifully lit grotto with little snippets of classical music here and there, you walk on your own, treading softly on a carpet to avoid noises that distract you from this silent moments of introspection. At the end of this peaceful path is a big hall with wooden benches and reindeer skins and tea and candles and cookies. A little quieter than before, we get back on the bus, down to the pier, into the boats and - finally, after a very long day, home to FRAM.

Isn't the world - simply beautiful?

Fjordland

Today we're getting even more familiar, in the morning we enter the Eidfjord until we reach Ulvik, a small village with surprisingly big hotels, which is due to the fact that some companies simply love to hold their conferences in these remote places. Who wouldn't…
The Hotel Manager is also the ship's agent, and so we are welcomed by two offices in one person on the jetty which they just put in the water yesterday, only for us…

So, walking and marvelling and taking pictures is the best you can do to spend a relaxing morning, and also practising getting in and out of the Polar Cirkel boats. Well, the Fjord was calm like a mirror - ideal training conditions!



Later on we proceed deeper and deeper into the serrated coastline, the surrounding walls get higher and higher, until we make fast in Eidfjord, a peaceful village at the foot of the Hardangervidda. Hikers paradise greets us with traditional music, presented by several generations of singers and musicians-to-be. Well, there is certainly not enough time for an extended mountain adventure, but the brisker walkers manage to do the little roundtrip to the lake, just to get a taste of it and maybe to come back another time.

 

A ship comes home...

In the morning we can detect some commotion within the Norwegian crew. The reason is obvious: After months and months abroad, after a whole last summer in Greenland and Canada, after travelling down south in October, after a long and exiting season in the rough waters of Antarctica, a peaceful crossing back to the north from Buenos Aires, and finally after Lisbon, La Coruña, Bordeaux, Honfleur and Dover, MS FRAM at last reaches the shores of Norway. It is as if we are preparing a wonderful party, all the officers are scheduling meetings with their families, friends, the coastline is a well-known sight, for many since their childhood, suddenly we hear stories, anecdotes and episodes from villages that are just around the corner. Home! The good mood is contageous, everybody walks around with a big smile.
But this day is not only a remarkable day for the Norwegians, the entrance into the Stavanger Fjord is one of beauty and stark contrasts. Huge drilling rigs indicate that we are approaching the hotspot of Norwegian (and international) oil production, sitting right next to pittoresque tiny white cabins in forest clearings that look almost a little forlorn in the shadow of their gargantuan neighbours.

Wonderful smooth rocks emerge from the water, reminding every skipper and captain: This is Norway, you'll better know what you're doing. Our captain surely does, and a while later we reach Stavanger, fourth largest city in Norway. We go to pier smack in the city center, the smallish houses looking really small compared to our actually not-so-big ship. It's all a matter of scale.

Those who are not going on the after-lunch sunshine trip into the narrow and scenic Lysefjord with it's high cascading waterfalls also take advantage of the splendid weather for a gentle stroll through peaceful Stavanger, visit the old cathedral or the high-tech Petroleum museum, or the tin can museum in the old town that reminds of the times near the end of the 19th century, when the conservation of sardines in cans led to unexpected and enormous riches in the area.
Later on it's time for fare-well to friends and family and we steer into a magic sunset. Now we will stay a while on the coast of Norway FRAM - the feeling of being home will last.

'Scuse me, got the time?

Travelling in Europe has its peculiarities, especially when it comes to the seam of British and French territories; not only that you encounter two languages on the same island plus a couple of nearly extinct dialects, not only that even the Queen of England is not allowed to land by helicopter when she wants to pay a visit (she has to take the boat, like everyone else) - no, also time itself seems a little bit confused: We have to change our watches and clocks four times in four days…

Bordeaux to Sark: one hour back; Guernsey to Honfleur: one hour forward; Dover: back again, after Dover: "back" to forward. Well, it's not too much trouble for the body, but have you got any idea how many clocks are ticking on a medium-sized vessel like FRAM? Computers, networks, navigation systems, wake-up calls, daily programs, mealtimes and of course the Master Clock - all of this has to be adjusted or at least observed.

Be it as it may, in the morning at 9:30 (or 10:30?) we start with the first lectures on Photography, followed at 11:00 (or 12?) by History and Geology. The sea is flat calm, this adds to the slow yet very happy mood on board. Not much more on your mind but lunch (somewhat around 12 or 1pm), afternoon lectures, reading, relaxing out on deck, watching the oil rigs drift by. In the evening a very special event. When the crew sings, we normally expect Edgar, the bartender, or Jonivert, the galley man. But tonight it's the Captain himself, singing a duet with our nurse Yanitza. At the end of a lazy day Bjørn, the piano man, entertains everybody with his enormous repertoire until midnight. Eleven o'clock, that is...

Over and Dover again

A long time ago, the sea level was nearly 200 meters higher than today. That's right, a really long time, about 75 million years before now. Maybe this is not the first thought that comes to the mind if you think about Dover, but when you stand on the front deck in the first morning light, teacup in one hand, camera in the other, the chalk coast gleaming like white paint - well then you have time to ponder these things.

The famous cliffs grow bigger and bigger, as a tiny boat goes alongside to bring the harbour pilot on board. The cruise terminal awaits us, while on FRAM everybody is extra busy; passports have to be ready for immigration, transfers have to be arranged, luggage has to be stored away - it's the end of the trip! This week really went past in a jiffy, so many places, so many countries. So it's time to say good-bye and to say hello at the same time, because our first new guests are already in town, waiting to be allowed to board. That's how it goes: An end is a beginning, every good-bye is a welcome in disguise.

Some of us are well away from the changeover activities, instead they take a ride to Canterbury, arena for Chaucer's classic Canterbury tales and of course the site of the most famous Cathedral, domicile of the leader of the Church of England. After an extensive church visit and a stroll through the busy town, they return to Dovers passenger terminal and join the new group just in time to take part in the welcome and the mandatory drill. So, we are good to go north, after having visited so many locations that have experienced a Viking influence we are heading for a completely different part of Europe - the actual land of the Vikings: Norway.

Monet and Calvados

Honfleur! Nearly as flowery as the name (which rather refers to rivers than to flowers, but OK, let's not be picky…) is the idea of being in the estuary of the Seine river. That means, a little further down the road (or up the stream) is Paris! But opposed to the splendor of France's capital, the harbour area of this little village  in the Calvados district is sporting the smallest houses imaginable. People seem to have walked in and out sideways! Certainly this was before the sweet shops had opened that are numerous in the sweet, cosy little port. The times of the old Normandy drift through the narrow alleys, the fortifications witness the hundred year's war, the old wooden church tells seafarer tales. If they only banned the cars from this magnificent place, it would be a world class walk-through history lesson! But already in April it is pretty crowded, which is of course also due to the magnificent weather.

In the meantime, a bus with eager art lovers is making its way towards Giverny, a little community on the  banks of the Seine river which never would be known by many if it weren't for the unforgettable works of Claude Monet, the grandseigneur of impressionism. And here it is, the probably most famous little garden bridge in the world, leading across the waterlily pond, portrayed oh so often by Monet. Hard to tell what touches you more, seeing this places through the painters eyes or step inside the Cathedral of Rouen, a immensely impressive, building that reaches as far back as the 12th century. It has always been a holy place, already featuring a church in the 4th century in the same location. And it feels.

Senses wide open, everybody returns to Honfleur, only to enjoy the old spirit of this place even more.

After sunset we cast the lines and leave beautiful France. Au revoir!