The BIG Change

There are days when everything is culminating, like a well written detective story. Usually a changeover day is enough to deal with in its own right, we’d like to make sure our departing guests have a safe ongoing journey while at the same time we have to spend some thought to the logistics that have to be managed with the arriving group a few hours later. It feels like wiping the blackboard clean for a new formula.

This time, we don’t just wipe the board clean, we dismount the whole blackboard and throw away the chalk: Today was the introduction of the brand-new “operating system” for the whole ship, called Fidelio. Basically everything that runs on electronics here got merged into this vital piece of soft- and hardware. It’s a bit like a brain transplant while the patient is playing a game of chess. No wonder we all were very excited to see the transition at work, after weeks of having parts of the ship looking like the NORAD command centre. (Or rather the CHAOS computer club, as nobody was wearing uniform…)

And what can we say: Job well done, smooth opening, check-in worked like a charm, the new machines spat out the new cruise cards for the new system. Phew!

And now to the main thing, the upcoming expedition. What an excitement - we are going to go around Iceland now! FRAM has never done this before, so everybody is very much on his/her toes, wondering what the next ten days will bring. Many familiar faces arrive throughout the afternoon, the new destination lures many loyal fans of FRAM back on board.

Already during the welcoming speech the new arrivals seem eager to explore the new places with us. And after the necessary procedures like check-in, jacket distribution and safety instruction we cast the lines under a rather grey sky, heading into the Icelandic evening, while Captain Hårvik welcomes the new group.

A Day At Sea



Gannet

Today was a perfect sea day.  The skies were clear for the better part of the day.  The sea was calm.  

It was a good day for bird watching.  Graceful Gannets were present throughout the day as well as Northern Fulmars and Arctic Terns.  In the morning we were visited by a group of Long-finned Pilot whales.

A day at sea is often a welcome respite to a busy holiday on Fram.  It is a chance to sit back and relax.  It is a time to collect your thoughts and review the exciting places we have been and all of the things we have done.  It is a chance to edit and collate photos and a time to write postcards.  You could also spend time in one of our two hot tubs, both of which have an amazing view of the sea.  You could elect to go to the gym or to the sauna. Or you could do just nothing at all.  just watch the ocean glide by. 

We do our best to keep you busy and to add to your understanding of the places we have visited.  A day at sea is a time for our lecture team to shine.  We had a full program of lectures in three different languages.  We also managed to squeeze in some bridge visits and of course there were the necessary briefings for tomorrow and how disembarkation would work on the following day.  But it’s too early to talk about that.

In the evening at 22:00 our whisky experts Bernie & Beastie enlightened, entertained and educated us.   Once again they provided three different whiskies to taste. What better way to end a relaxing day than sampling fine whisky whilst regarding a setting sun?

The Outer Hebrides: Stornoway on Lewis Island

We enjoyed a cultural morning in the midst of fantastic scenery.  This morning we had two different tours by motor coach available.

The first two motor coaches went on a circular tour over the moors between Stornoway and Barabhas to the standing stones of Callanish and the black houses at Gearrannan.  We traveled through a large area which is famous for its breeding birds in summer.  Solid grey skies and rainy cold weather added a sombre touch to the wind swept moorlands.  Highland cattle grazed beside the road and raised their heads ruminatively when we stopped the bus to admire the hardy shaggy bovines.  

Callanish Stone Circle
Photo © Steffen Biersack

Our first stop was at the Callanish Stone Circle (or more accurately, Callanish Stone Circle No.1 since there are a whole group of them).  We all enjoyed seeing this mysterious group of standing stones, contemporary with the Pyramids of Giza and built for reasons which are still obscure.  Many passengers found the visitor centre and its hot coffee particularly welcome.

Black Houses
Photo © Steffen Biersack

We then moved on to the small village of restored black houses at Arnol, where we marvelled at the resilience of the people who lived an incredibly tough life. The distinctive smell of a peat fire permeated the damp air.

Inside a black house
Photo © Steffen Biersack

The third motor coach went on a tour into a remote area in the north of Lewis to the Bostadh Sands and a replica Iron Age House.  The rain continued through out the morning so it was a welcome relief to shelter inside the “ancient” stone longhouse where a local guide described in detail how the longhouse would have functioned and what life might have been like way back then.

The two different tours managed to be back at the pier at 12:30 which gave us time for a stroll through town as all aboard was not until 14:30. 

We departed the pier at 15:00 and headed out into the increasingly stormy weather.  As evening approached Fram pushed solidly through the heavy seas.  It seemed many people were unfamiliar with the unsteady footing and rolling of the ship as the dining room and ship seemed somewhat subdued through the course of the evening.

Summertime and Scottish Castles

What a beautiful day! Yesterday it was rainy and windy and today – more than 20° C, so we really enjoyed the day in Oban.

Oban is a beloved town of around 8000 inhabitants but during the summer season there a lot more because of the tourists. Strolling around you find many nice restaurants and B&BS in the small streets. Oban is a Gallic name and means “little bay” and indeed the bay is lovely, therefore many houses are facing the sea. You have a marvelous view from the MacCaig’s Tower over the town and the bay towards the islands Mull and Lismore. Another good places to visit are the Oban Destillery and the Dunollie Castle closed to a beautiful forest and park.

Today we had three different excursions to explore again the Scottish highlands and see some interesting places. So one trip headed to the south leaving again the mainland and visited the island Seil and the village Ellenabeich. In former times this area was a center of slate mining. We

 stopped at several places to enjoy the view especially over the sea towards Mull and explored the village. On the second trip we drove through the wonderful landscape of the Scottish highland with its Lochs and hills, the heather and the woods. We past Kilchum Castle and the Three Sisters, three mountains. 

The destination of the third trip was the Inveraray Castle close to the small and beautiful town Inveraray. The castle was built in 18^th century and belongs to the family of the Duke of Argyll. We visited several impressive rooms which are still in use on special occasions and had a short walk to the amazing park of the castle.
Being back onboard of Fram we all agreed it was a fabulous day and especially the Hebrides and the northern part of Scotland are beautiful areas. Now we are heading further north and passing the most western point of the mainland of Scotland.

Staffa and Iona

Staffa Photo © A. Wenzel

Our plan was to land on the lee side of Staffa at 08:00 but a strong ocean swell made that a risky proposition at best.  In the interest of safety we decided it would be far more germane to do a Polar Cirkel boat cruise.  Staffa is not known as a major seabird colony but lots of seabirds nest here including: Herring Gulls, Glaucous Gulls, Black-backed Gulls, Flumars, Black Guillemots and everyone’s favourite - Puffins!  Just about everyone got really great views of these endearing little sea birds.

Staffa is one of the most romantic and dramatic of Scotland’s uninhabited islands. Immortalized by various artists including Walter Scott, John Keats, Felix Mendelssohn, J.M.W. Turner, William Wordsworth and Jules Verne.

Staffa Photo © A. Wenzel

Fingals Cave is named after Finn McCool, the third century Irish hero who is said to have defended the Hebrides against early raids by the Vikings. Great hexagonal columns of basalt from lava flows 65 million years ago give Staffa a rather striking  appearance.  Similar hexagonal structures can be seen across the world including the Giants Causeway in Antrim, Northern Ireland. 

Iona Photo © A. Wenzel

In the afternoon we arrived at Iona at 14:00.  The Expedition Team went on shore by Polar Cirkel boat and then were soon followed by an enthusiastic group of hikers.  Next came three different groups for the guided walk around Iona and finally those who wished to explore Iona on their own.

It rained for most of the afternoon but even in the rain Iona is a very pretty little village. 

The walk led past the ruins of the old nunnery, the cemetery with the gravestone of John Smith, and numerous little craft shops. The first thing to greet us past the ticket office were the high crosses of St Martin's and St John's (replica) still standing after the centuries, and resplendent in their intricate carvings of floral and knotwork motifs. More crosses (and the original St John's cross) are now laid out in a small museum behind the abbey, along with many decorative grave markers of knights, nuns and other important personages.

Iona Photo © A. Wenzel

Iona is the fabled island of St Columba, who founded a monastery there in 563 AD. From here the teachings of Christianity spread throughout pagan Scotland and much of northern England. It is thought that the famous Book of Kells (now residing in Trinity College in Dublin) was at least partly produced here. Although the original wooden monastery was abandoned later in the 9th century, a Benedictine abbey was established in 1203, which still stands (and functions) today. 

Iona - The Nunnery Photo © A. Wenzel

By 19:00 everyone was back on the ship.  The skies had cleared and the rain seemed to be finished for the day.  On board Fram the evening was filled with presentations for Oban and Stornoway. At 22:00 Ralph entertained everyone in the Observation Lounge with the songs of Frank Sinatra.

Sheep and Stories – the Isle of Skye

When we arrived close to Portree the sky was close to us. The clouds were hanging deep and some of the mountains were covered by them, but when we just waited for a short while suddenly other parts became visible. It was like magic.

Today was the first time we used the Polar Circle Boats and therefore is was a special excitement for us. Close to Portree Fram anchored and the first went ashore. Portree is the capital of Isle of Skye with around 2500 inhabitants. There are shops, restaurants, pubs, hotels, schools and the administration. Arriving on a sunday we expected that everything would be closed, but some shops were open and also a Fish & Chips Restaurant. Nevertheless most of the inhabitants went to church and had dressed up. Portree is a lovely town with small and colorful houses and narrow streets. We really enjoyed it to stroll around.

We also had the chance to go on two excursions: to the northern part the so called Trotternish peninsula and to the western part and the Eilean Donan Castle.

The highlands on the Isle of Skye are beautiful with the heathland, many different types of trees and huge flocks of the yellow gorse. And of course sheep – most of them together with one or two lambs. Beautiful and remarkable places in the north are Kilt Rock or the rock formation “Old  Man of Storr” and of course the grave of the Scottish heroin Flora McDonald – who rescued Bonnie Prince Charlie in the 18^th century. The next stop was in the little village Uig.

Going to the south-western part we also saw the heathland and remarkable mountains which are very famous for hiking and climbing. The main stop was at the Eilean Donan Castle an impressive building in the style of a mediaeval castle. The image of Eilean Donan has been seen in many books, on postcards and in movies as the Highlander. We could visit all the rooms of the McRae-family who is now the owner, an amazing place in a very beautiful surrounding. It is a place full of stories and fights.

For the first time on this trip we had the opportunity to go out on a kayak-trip:  An exciting experience in calm water and unexpected encounters with seals. We also discovered quite nice caves.

For all of us, it was a great day.

Did I ever mention that there is a great evening entertainment on FRAM? Last evening Bernie and Beastie invited for a Whiskey tasting and today there will be a fashion show.

National Day In Norway

Photo © Lisa Anderson

To help celebrate Norway’s National Day, we assembled on deck seven at the stern of Fram at 08:00.  Else Kristine Tessem, the Hotel Manager and Line Overgaard, the Expedition Leader were looking splendid in their national costumes.  The ship’s officers were in uniform and the Expedition Team looked spiffy in their new Helly Hansen uniforms.  The Captain gave a speech recognizing the 200th birthday of Norway which was followed by Norway’s national anthem.

Ring of Brodgar
Photo © A. Wenzel

As we approached the docks in Kirkwall we paraded around the outside decks of Fram.  It was a beautiful morning and a great start to our day!

There were two different motor coach tours available. Two motor coaches headed off to visit the historic sites of Skara Brae, Skaill House & the Ring of Brodgar while a third coach had a tour of the Italian Chapel and the Highland Park distillery.

Sheep dotted the lush green pastures throughout the island.  The piping calls of Curlews and the effervescent songs of Skylarks filled the air.  

The tours were back at the ship for lunch time which left the afternoon free to explore Kirkwall.

Ring of Brodgar
Photo © A. Wenzel

There was a festive parade starting dockside at noon and a concert at St. Magnus cathedral at 13:00.  

Skara Brae
Photo © A. Wenzel

Fram cast off her lines at 18:00.

In the evening it was possible to avail yourself of a pair of excellent rubber boots as the Expedition Team set up a rubber boot shop on deck three.

At 22:00 there was an opportunity to broaden your education and appreciation of whisky.  Bernie organized a whisky tasting of three different single malts in the Observation Lounge.  

Cheers to Orkney!

The Most Northern Part of Scotland

The clouds and mist gave the Shetland Islands a perfect mysterious appearance. Just in time the pilot arrived and shortly after the pass-control we could visit the nice little capital Lerwick. It was founded in1806 and today it is modern town with a big hospital, different schools and all possibilities of leisure activities.

In the afternoon we started our excursions and again the weather was perfect, partly clouded, no rain and little wind. One trip was to the famous historical site “Jarlshof” and the other a visit of the Quendale Mill. Both excursions gave us a good impression of the wide and treeless landscape. The main professions are agriculture and fishing. There are several places where we saw the cut peat which are traditionally used for heating. Although we expected to see many Shetland ponies we were told that there are only 1000 of them on the islands. A small number compared to the sheep, they are 300.000, more than ten times the number of the human inhabitants.

We stopped in Hoswick, a small village with two nice shops for knitwear, one offers more traditional sweaters and in the other more fashionable designed knitwear. But not everyone was interested in shopping and therefor preferred a short walk along the beach. There are beautiful sandy beaches on the islands and at one place we saw around 30 seals, the common seal and the grey seal, just relaxing and enjoying the sunshine

The Jarlshof is a remarkable archaeological site uncovered 1896 by a storm. The eldest ruins dated back to the Stone Age. During the 6000 to 7000 years all settlers lived at this place therefor we saw ruins from the Bronze Age, the Vikings and from the late Middle Age.

The trip to the Quendale Mill gave us the chance to see many birds like puffins, guillemots or razor bills. We also had the opportunity to visit the eldest lighthouse built by Robert Stevenson in 1821.

For the rest of our stay in Lerwick we took the chance to stroll around through small streets and enjoy the different views on the harbor. We left Lerwick at 8 pm and are now heading directly to the Orkney Islands. Some of the crew showed us in the late evening how to carve funny figures out of ice or fruits.

The Wettest City In Europe

Bergen: one of the prettiest cities in the world and one of the the wettest.  According to Wiki Answers: Bergen is easily the wettest city in Europe.

Tell any Norwegian, “ I love Bergen.  It is such a beautiful city.”

and they will typically respond, 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… but it rains a lot.”

While we enjoyed great weather yesterday, today was more typical Bergenian climate. Cool and damp. 

Most people opted to join an all day excursion to Hardangerfjord by motor coach.

We started with a short city tour and then made our way out of the city where the mountains were verdant with exuberant spring green growth.

The human eye is most senisitive to the middle of the light spectrum which is exactly where green wave lengths lie.  Perhaps it is for this reason that the mountains and countryside are so appealing to us, especially in the spring.

At this time of year the fresh leaves are super saturated hues of green that we see at no other time of year.  Each leaf is perfect.  Time, weather and insects have not yet rendered their deleterious  effects.

The steep mountain slopes were covered in a mixed deciduous, coniferous forest.  The fresh and lively deciduous green was punctuated by dark green swaths of conifers. 

We stopped for photographs and sight seeing at numerous spots including breath taking water falls.  Indeed, Norway could probably be crowned the water fall capital of the world.  With the rain and the spring run-off of winter melt water, the cascading mountain streams and rivers are at their most spectacular.

Our well spoken guide regaled us throughout the day with pertinent facts, information and stories of the regions we visited.  Our trip to Hardangerfjord took us away from the coast where we gained a better appreciation of the interior of Norway. 

Shortly after 17:00 we were back at the ship in Bergen.

And in the rain, at 18:00  we cast off our lines, bid adieu to the most beautiful city in Norway.

Look out Lerwick!  Here we come!

Unexpected Experiences in Bergen

No one expected to stay longer in Bergen, but sometimes life is full of surprises. A longer lasting maintenance of FRAM enlarged our stop until the 15^th of May. But in the end we spend a wonderful day in and around Bergen.

The beautiful city which belongs to the Unesco World Heritage List has around 270 000 inhabitants. The most historical and colorful part is at Bryggen founded by the merchants of the Hanseatic League. The old wooden houses are quite old some are from the beginning of the 18^th century. One of the most beautiful buildings houses the Hanseatic Museum where the history of the trade and the living conditions of that time are perfect presented.

Afterwards we took the Fløien funicular up to 300 meter above sea level. How wonderful! Sunshine, a marvelous view over some parts of the town, the islands and the mountains; is there anything better? The following bus tour gives us an impression of Bergen, the different parts and the development. It is really a wealthy city – and of course a lively city. There is a lot ongoing specially the preparations for the National Day on the 17^th of May.

Some of us preferred to make a hike up on the mountains just behind Bergen. It was a wonderful hike around mount Føien and 21 succeeded to walk up to Blåmannen. The great weather conditions – blue sky, sunshine and some lovely clouds – presented us stunning views.

In the late afternoon we had the possibility to sail on board of Statsrad Lehmkuhl, a 100 years old ship. It is owned and run by the foundation “Seilskipet Statsrad Lehmkuhl” and used for different purposes, f. ex. a trip around Bergen listening to Irish music and eating shrimps and herring.

It was a busy and exciting day filled up with a lot of impressions of Bergen.