Stokmarknes to Skjervoy–Monday 7 March 2016

March 08, 2016

We were in the Trollfiord late last night, so what to we see early this morning, the MS Trollfjord docking just in front of us in Harstad. As you might have guessed, trolls are a big deal in Norway.

Just to let you know that Ms. Healthy Eater isn’t always. Think chocolate chips with a little bit of pastry twisted around them. Now you understand the smile on Linda’s face.

Tonight’s menu. I tried to convince Linda that the appetizer is rotten gull soup, a Norwegian delicacy where they let a gull rot then cream it with some potatoes and serve it with a sprinkling of fennel on top. I don’t think she bought my story, but it will be interesting to see if she smells it before she eats it. Bad Bob.

Throughout the day there are different talks and demonstrations in addition to the different excursions they offer. Whenever we are onboard and they have one we attend. This morning’s was on the 1894-96 Fram expedition which was an attempt to get caught in the polar ice and float trapped in it to the north pole. Having seen the Fram while in Oslo last week, this program had special meaning to us. They didn’t succeed but the adventure they had was unreal. Just like all the programs, it was in English, even though there are very few native English speakers on board, English being the common language in Europe. It is a small world when a German gives a talk in English about a Norwegian polar expedition. Just another reason why we enjoy traveling in Europe.

Linda worked hard to take a photo of the Gisund Bridge as we passed under it. So knowing what is good for me, you now know what part of the Gisund Bridge looks like.

Lunch. The piece of fish with the brown skin was called dogfish. I didn’t go back for another piece.

Ms. Healthy Eater was making up for her chocolate pastry slip this morning. Sort of that is. Partially hidden is a huge slice of blue cheese. I may have to rename her Ms. Mostly Healthy Eater.

Do you like red buildings surrounded by snow? You better because Linda Happy Snap was snapping away.

Exactly what Linda wanted to see on this trip, red buildings.

Similar but not the same red buildings.

Interesting red barn building.

Three red buildings in one photo. That woman knows what she likes.

It doesn’t get any better than this, which means this is the last red building photo. For all I know she might already be making plans to come back next winter.

There is probably a red building somewhere in this photo because why else would she take it, but you aren’t going to find me looking for any more red buildings.

Linda’s feet won’t be cold when we go dog sledding.

Is there no end to the red building photos this woman takes? I sure hope she gets her fill of them because once we return to Retama she is going to have serious withdrawal problems because there won’t be a red building in sight. Poor Linda.

At most ports there is a small number of people who get off the ship. At Tromso it was a mob as people were backed up into the halls and the stairways were filled. Thanks to Mrs. Gotta B. Early we were near the front.

Linda’s snow go boots were working perfectly. Warm feet and not a slip or slide even though she wasn’t all studded up.

It was our dog sled excursion. It is about as touristy a thing as you can imagine, but did we ever enjoy play tourist.

We were not in the first group to go out, but it really didn’t matter because we got to hear the whole experience of several hundred dogs barking and barking in anticipation of pulling the sleds. If you’ve ever experienced this (this is our second time) you know what it is like. if you’ve never had the experience of hearing the dogs, do it if you ever have the opportunity. And the more dogs the better.

The joys of travel. This couple was from Germany and we had a great time over tea (coffee for Linda) and chocolate cake while seated near a warm fire.

Linda making friends with her namesake, Lyney.

The dogs are bred to pull and run and run and run, not for looks.

There are days to run and then there are days to be lazy.

The dogs live in duplex’s.

Look at the boots on that woman.

Linda’s neon Neos.

In the nursery. When we came near this pen the puppy’s started come out, but the mother went over and herded them all back inside, where they stayed while we all made puppy noises and took pictures. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Oh wait, it does get better. These puppies were a little older and their mother was okay with them playing with the humans.

Puppy love.

Linda was telling all the dogs who were going to be pulling our sled how awesome they were. Some were paying more attention than others.

Partial selfie of the day.

Selfie of the day.

View to the front.

Needless to say, we had a fantastic time. Sometimes the going was smooth, other times it was through fresh snow, but the best were all the sections where there was a series of hummocks, up and down while going side to side. It was one of those things we will always remember.

Tired dogs. Happy Linda and Bob.

A stockfish. Air dried cod that is as hard as a rock. To eat it you literally have to beat it with a hammer to soften it up.

Ready to start hammering it. Didn’t believe me about the hammer, did you.

Good to the last chew. Even Linda had a very small, itsy bitsy, teeny weeny speck of it.

I guess you could call it more of a touch than a taste, but at least she tried it, something that maybe only one or two woman did. Most wouldn’t even get near it. Linda the Awesome Viking.