Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1534784
SPR ING 2020 | VIKINGCRUISES.CO.UK 51 deck in the Arctic air at the World Café beckoned. With views of Tromsø Bridge across the waters to the gleaming white Arctic Cathedral – which resembled the shell-like roof of Sydney Opera House – there was nowhere else on earth I wanted to be. After an energising sushi lunch, I was ready to embark on my own adventure. Having read that you can travel by cable car up to Storsteinen (which is one of the best places to see the midnight sun), part of Mount Fløya, I wanted to run up the 671-metre mountain by myself and see how far I could get. e views were some of the best over Tromsø and it was invigorating exploring the town and the mountain on foot. I found that in Bergen the runseeing method worked well too. I mapped out a route that covered about 10km (6.2 miles) to take me past all the places I wanted to see. It included Bryggen (the colourful dock and UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979), the famous fish market and the old Nordnes neighbourhood. is is my favourite part of Bergen and I visit it every time I'm in this city – I adore the pretty wooden houses and quiet neighbourhood streets. ere are both active and cultural excursions available in Bergen, including flightseeing over ords and glaciers, experiencing a local Norwegian farm and a group hike past the beautiful Skomakerdiket lake and up Mount Fløien for views over the town. I crave panoramic splendour and one of the most breathtaking moments of the trip had been at Eagle's Bend viewpoint in Geiranger. We were so lucky to visit in sunny weather and cloudless skies, it meant we could soak up the awe-inspiring views of the harbour and S-shaped Geirangerord. As we cruised out our captain made sure that everyone on board got to see the gushing 400-metre Seven Sisters waterfall by turning the ship 360 degrees in the ord. It's true what they say, that from a distance it looks like the hair of seven women. at night we dined at e Chef 's Table to experience more Norwegian delights. e reindeer consommé was paired with Pinot Noir and there was also fårikål (sheep in cabbage) - Norway's national dish. Dessert was cloudberry soup, these highly prized amber fruits look like raspberries and grow in marshlands, for this reason some call them Arctic Gold. I've coined this term for my own use too. Since I returned from my trip to Norway, I've started horse riding again and ran my first marathon, so I am feeling more confident than I have done in years. Now, if I get asked to describe my experience on Viking's Into the Midnight Sun cruise, I tell them it was pure Arctic Gold. A 15-day 2021 Into the Midnight Sun trip starts from £5,290pp. We were so lucky to visit in sunny weather and cloudless skies, it meant we could soak up the awe-inspiring views PHOTOS: ISTOCK 15-day Into the Midnight Sun itinerary from $9,995pp in Veranda stateroom. viking.com 19