Sommaroy Island Sojourn

 

We arrived in Tromso, Norway aboard the Viking Venus and set out early for our excursion to the Sommaroy Islands. It was a long bus ride, but the views were lovely along the way.

Viking writes, "Journey through a winter landscape dotted with traditional farms in valleys hemmed in by steep gray mountains, rising out of the deep blue ocean. Arrive at the wintery idyll of Sommarøy, an island village of 300 residents that generations of fishermen and hunters have called home. Learn about an ordinary day in the life of Sommarøy’s residents, how they earn a living from the sea and the surrounding countryside. After your tour, savor a fresh waffle in the local café before returning along the Kattfjord, with stunning views of the majestic mountain locals call Blåmann."

If you want to see beautiful landscapes then this is for you. There were a couple of side stops for pictures and there were two restroom breaks. The waffle was tasty with the famous brown carmelized cheese and raspberry jam.

Happy travels to all...

~ Cindy

#VikingVenus   #MyVikingStory  #VikingOceanCruises  #InSearchofNorthernLights

Northern Norway During World War II: Tirpitz Museum

 

Today we ventured out into the outskirts of Alta, Norway to visit the Tirpitz Museum, a World War II Museum featuring the Tirpitz!

Our guide was a very knowledgeable Norwegian who was born in Tromso. You can tell that history is a passion for him. He was very informative and engaging.

We learned how World War II affected Alta during the war. “During the war, the Altafjord was the Nazis’ largest naval base outside of Germany. Occupied by thousands of soldiers, Alta was destroyed near the end of the war as the Germans instituted a scorched-earth policy in the wake of their retreat,” writes Viking.

Named after the German battleship that was anchored here, the museum is home to an interesting array of photographs and artifacts that help tell the story of Norway’s struggle against the Germans. We watched a film about the Tirpitz and it helped put the whole battle into perspective for me. We also browsed the exhibits as our guide led us through the artifacts.

Highly recommend if you are interested in WW II and how Alta played a key role in eliminating the infamous Tirpitz.

Happy travels!

~ Cindy

#MyVikingStory   #VikingVenus   #VikingOceanCruises

Northern Lights Appear Aboard the Viking Venus

 

In Alta around 9:40 p.m. on Friday night, the elusive Northern Lights appeared on the portside of the Viking Venus. Justin and I scurried to don our winter gear and headed for deck 8. Streams of passengers were of course doing the same thing. But it wasn’t too crowded and we found good spots on the rails for viewing. 

I took these shots with my IPhone 11 PRO. The night vision mode was surprisingly very good and picked up the green hues that were just barely visible by the naked eye. I took photos for about 25 minutes and these were ones I liked the best. 

We hope that we’ll have more evenings like this and will have our winter gear draped over the chair for instant retrieval!

Happy travels to all…on to Tromso!

~ Cindy

#MyVikingStory    #VikingVenus    #VikingOceanCruises    

Northern Lights At Mt Paeskatun

 

Northern Lights At Paeskatun

We kept our fingers crossed as the day progressed that the skies would be clear tonight so that we could witness the Northern Lights up on Mt. Paeska. The day was bright and fortunately nor rain or snow to down our spirits.

We arrived after about a 35 minute drive from the Viking Venus in Alta to the top of Mt. Paeska. The hosts were a family that produced slate for the area and have quite a manufacturing process going. There was a demonstration of how they make slate shingles and all around the area were slate huts housing various activities. 

The Sami tent, or lavvu, held a lovely fire in the center with benches laden with reindeer pelts for us to warm up. Of course, there was the gift shop which was small. Another larger hut held cakes and hot drinks for us to warm up in.

They had a couple of presentations while we waited to see if the Northern Lights would appear. I spoke with one of the owners to gain some insight into where the lights may appear. They tend to begin in the east, she said, but you have to look behind you as well. So really, head on a swivel is what I got out of that. 

We thought we saw a tinge of green up in the clouds but it was so faint and we couldn’t be sure. Our tour lasted for 2 hours and I’m sad to say that none appeared. However, I did take some night shots with my iPHONE 11PRO and was happy with the results. I’m waiting for the IPhone 14 to come out before I upgrade.

We had a lovely surprise from Viking when we arrived back at our stateroom. A plate with sandwiches and sweets along with a bottle of Pinot Grigio! We have to start taking these bottles of wine to dinner with us. We have three in our refrigerator now that they have given us. We managed to drink one additional champagne bottle at the start of the cruise. 

We’re here overnight in Alta and will head out to Tromso Friday evening.

Happy travels to all until next time…

Cindy

#MyVikingStory   #VikingVenus  #MtPaeskatun

Isogaisa Sami Experience ~ Narvik Norway

 We’ve arrived in Narvik, Norway aboard the Viking Venus. The day has been bright and rather temperate for a winter month. We managed to get up into the low 40’s. Our excursion this afternoon was exploring the beautiful terrain of this area while traveling to our destination….Isogaisa Sami Experience.

Snowy mountains flanked us on both sides as we traveled through the countryside. Many waterways were present that glistened in the distance with ice shimmering. 

Our host family took us to their lavvu which looks like a huge teepee. Inside a fired burned in the center and we all sat around the fire in chairs lined with reindeer hides. The Shaman and his wife offered us tea, coffee, and biscuits. Once everyone was settled, he began to share information about his culture. Later they shared a salmon wrap.

Their language is quite extensive and I learned they do not have a word for war. I seem to recall him saying they have nearly 1000 combinations of words to describe snow and ice. And pronoun usage is so much more complicated than ours. There are also several different dialects and Sami’s who live in other areas don’t always understand each other. However, they do recognize the Sami language. Norway at one time outlawed the speaking of the Sami language. They’ve tried to retain it and teach it to their children but it’s been difficult. They speak Norwegian mostly with some Sami and English.

The Shaman took us through a very special ceremony where we held this small piece of dried mushroom and while he beat on a drum chanted in Sami language and encouraged us all to think about our forefathers and mothers. It’s a way of communicating with them and there was a real sense of peace for me. At the end, we threw the mushroom into the fire pit and drank this special drink they make. 

Of course one of the special moments for me was the adorable male Husky who sat so patiently in the corner by the family. I don’t think he feels comfortable around crowds. He was already 7 months old and was a very large dog. They are also raising huskies for sled rides. 

All in all, it was a lovely afternoon and a learning experience for me. Their youngest daughter goes to a Montessori school which I found interesting. They have an older boy who wasn’t home at the time.

Tomorrow we arrive in Alta for two nights. We’re hopeful to catch some Northern Lights! I can’t guarantee I’ll get any good pictures. It’s an art. I have a new app that I’ll try. Tomorrow morning we have another lecture on cell phones and how to take Northern Lights photos. I hope to get it sorted out then.

Happy travels until next time…

~ Cindy

#VikingVenus     #MyVikingStory   

Welcome to Narvik Norway

Good morning, Narvik Norway! We’ve arrived in port and what a beautiful day it is. The air is crisp and bright skies surround us. We are awaiting our tour this afternoon into a Sami village for an unusual excursion. More on that later. 

We are aboard the Viking Venus and traveling In Search of the Northern Lights. Last night we got a quick call to check out the lights, but it was a bit too hazy to capture anything. I am not a professional photographer and supposedly capturing the Northern Lights takes a lot of patience and a bit of finesse. We will see.

More experiences in the days to follow. Be sure to check back to Zamszanytravels.com for our latest updates! 

Until next time, happy and safe travels to all…

~ Cindy

#VikingVenus  #MyVikingStory

Norwegian Gold & Silversmiths Excursion

 

Good morning, Bergen! After a good nights sleep aboard the Viking Venus, we traveled to Arven~ Norwegian Gold & Silversmiths. It was a very interesting experience to learn how they create their silver and gold items. Arven is a historic gold and silversmiths. We learned the history of the company and how the names changed and how the companies were absorbed over the years. 

They have very talented designers that can repair, create new pieces, restore, and do just about anything to your beloved pieces. We watched the designers and craftsman working on different projects. We even stamped our own pendants and received a lovely medal as a souvenir.

Highly recommend and of course there was shopping available with a 10% discount. We even got our VAT tax back when we came back to the ship. 

Viking Venus is now sailing the North Sea and our next destination will be Narvik.

Happy travels…

~ Cindy

#MyVikingStory    #VikingVenus

Oslo Private Tour with Steiner

 

We’re traveling to Norway once again on the Viking Venus! During our pre in Oslo, we selected a private tour through Viator/Trip Advisor with Steiner and SJ. 

Our day was bright and brisk and warmed up mid-day. Perfect weather for touring lovely Oslo. Our guide picked us up at our hotel, Hotel Thon Opera at 9:30 a.m. We first drove to Ekeberg for a very scenic view of Oslo. Our guide, Steiner, gave an oversight and introduction to Oslo’s history. 

Steiner guides on the weekends and works for the government in Human Resources during the week. He’s very knowledgeable about the area. 

We drove to the the east area, Gronland, and saw the industrial area along the Aker river and enjoyed the murals in the Hipster area. You’ll be able to spot those easily.

Just before lunch, we went to the posh area of Frogner where the Vigeland Park is a prime area for families. We’d been here before and Justin calls it the “Oslo Naked Park.” We focused on the circle of life statues. The artist worked on these for 40 years. He created small models of the statues and then enlarged into bronze statues and others were granite. The Nazi’s left him alone during the war which I found interesting.

Lunch was at our old haunt, Skur 33 along the harbor. Beautiful view of the harbor and delicious dishes. The owner, I think, said she actually remembered us from a few years back.

Afterwards, we went to the City Hall which is a site not to be missed. The beautiful murals are beyond compare. I’ve never seen any city hall as opulent as this. We even got a private tour of the council chamber. Security guards escorted us to this area. 

Tomorrow we head to Bergen and will board our Viking Venus. Our adventure continues!

Stay safe and happy travels to all!

Cindy

#MyVikingStory    #VikingVenus