Land of the Midnight Sun
Solstice
I am currently in Norway, the land my great-grandfather and other relatives tread about a hundred years ago. My husband and I have been cruising ever-northward on the Hurtigruten, the local cruise/ferry/mail-drop-off boat. We began in Bergen and have made our way up towards Kirkines, passing the Northernmost point of Europe, far above the arctic circle, along the way.
The Hurtigrutin, literally a life-line to these small towns tucked away in the fjords and on barren islands, slides into port, delivers the mail, picks up local cheese, produce and fish for the passengers, as well as travelers who might hop on until the next stop, or who might be traveling for for several days. Then, she departs “on-schedule” about a half an hour later.
We have been able to experience some incredible “local” experiences, like taking a boat safari to view the “Bird Islands,” in Honnigsvad, where our little group helped to keep the economy of a small town of about a hundred souls going. We’ve kayaked the River Nid in Trondheim, and been driven down the “Troll Road” near Trollstigen.
But, the highlight of trip, for me, has been the hours between about eleven at night and one in the morning, where the sky “pinkens” to an unearthly color. It’s almost as if the air was dusted with lilac breath. The colors in the photo below are real. I have slightly “de-hazed” the picture, but the vivid colors are all due to Earth Mother’s grace.
The couple of nights after we departed from Tronheim and Tromso were the most dramatic. The further north we went, the light became stronger, but also, weirdly, more diffuse, and clearer white, as if it was not coming from a single source, but rather was washing over us like a bath of heaven’s glow.
I have so many stories to share with you about this incredible trip, but, for now, I thought you might like to see a few photos from my midnight hours aboard the Hurtigruten. I hope you enjoy them!
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Photos and story ©Erika Burkhalter. All rights reserved.