Scandinavia Cruise 2023 (Oceania Marina)

 Hammerfest, Norway From Alta the cruise itinerary was to take us to the northern most point of Norway, - North Cape/Honningsvaag but the weather did not cooperate and we needed to bypass this stop.  Our final stop before Tromso was Hammerfest -  the northernmost town in the world with more than 10,000 inhabitants. Early morning calmness in port Highlights of this stop: 1. Visited a Sami Village 2.  Struve Geodetic Arc Painting by  Konstantin Korovin , inspired by the  Aurora Borealis  in Hammerfest (Just because I liked it) Tour to a Sami (equivalent to Sweden and FInland's Laplanders) house and learned about some of their culture.   The total population of Sami in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia is estimated to approximately 80,000, and about half of them live in Norway. The vast majority of settlements are located in Northern Norway, primarily the county of Finnmark. There are, however, Sami communities as far south as Trøndelag as...

 Alta, Norway Today's Visit took us to: 1. The Cathedral of Northern Lights 2.  The Alta Museum -  World Heritage Rock Art Centre First stop was the Cathedral of the Northern Lights.   The modern church was built in a  circular  style in 2013.   The building was constructed of concrete and wood with external cladding of titanium sheets. The exterior central feature is its large spiral with  belfry.  However it is the interior lighting that is so noteworthy.  The vertical moulding strips with LED lights behind them create an impressive visual effect, a warm atmosphere, and help with the acoustics. Although His body seems disproportionate, I love how Jesus is gazing heavenward towards the lights   Looking towards the back of the church  Representing Jacob's Ladder a ladder leading to heaven that was featured in a dream the biblical Patriarch Jacob had during his flight from his brother Esau...

  Leknes/Lofoten Norway Lofoten, an archipelago, has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches and untouched lands.  Lofoten also has a rich history. Evidence of human activity is said to date back at least 11,000 years.  There are two towns,  Svolvær  and  Leknes  – the latter is approximately 105 mi north of the  Arctic Circle  and approximately 1,500 mi away from the  North Pole .  The islands have for more than 1,000 years been the centre of great  cod   fisheries , especially in winter, when the cod migrate south from the  Barents Sea  and gather in Lofoten to  spawn . Our tour today covers: 1. Haukland Beach   2.  Lofoten Stockfish Museum - Located at the island of "A".  It is   devoted to the production of Norwegian  stockfish , one of Norway's oldest export commodity. The Museum is located in an old fish landing stat...