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W I N T E R I S S U E 3 0
is possibly even more beautiful in winter
when you can gaze upon the northern
lights. The Arctic Cathedral is commonly
called the Ishavskatedralen, which translates
to "The Cathedral of the Arctic Sea." Given
the church's distinctive look and location,
it has also been called "the opera house of
Norway," likening it to the Sydney Opera
House in Australia.
Our next stop was the Lofoten Islands,
which stretch 189 km into the Norwegian
Sea from Norway's coast. The Lofoten
archipelago consists of seven main islands,
with fjords and narrow straits in between
the islands. It is surely one of the most
picturesque places in Norway—a location
where you will not be able to stop taking
photos. On our excursion, we traveled
among majestic mountains and timeless
fishing villages, admiring beautiful white-
sand beaches. My husband joined the
optional Lofoten Sea Fishing excursion on
a fiskeskøyte, a classic Norwegian wooden
boat. They used traditional Norwegian fishing
Studlagil Basalt Canyon, Iceland
GETTING THERE: The 15-day Iceland &
Norway's Arctic Explorer voyage sails
from Bergen to Reykjavík or in reverse.
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Ísafjördur
Reykjavík
SVALBARD
Longyearbyen
Honningsvåg
Tromsø
Narvik
Leknes
LOFOTEN
Geiranger
Bergen
Cruise
O vernight in Por t
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VOYAGE
equipment to catch pollock, just as local
fishermen have done for hundreds of years.
At this point, I thought the scener y could
not get any better. I changed my mind
when we sailed into Geiranger fjord, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fjord is
15-km long and 260 m deep. The two most
notable water falls in the Geiranger fjord
are De Sy v Søstre, or "the Seven Sisters,"
and Friaren, or "The Suitor," which is also
known as "The Wooer." The two water falls
face one another across the fjord, and "The
Suitor" is said to be tr ying to woo "The
Seven Sisters." We had no regrets waking
up at 6:30 AM to experience the scenic sail
into the fjord. I even FaceTimed my mother
so that she, too, could experience the
beauty of this magical place. The highlight
of our included excursion was the drive
into the green Flydal Valley to the high
mountain plateau at Djupvatnet Lake. In
the unusually high temperature of 27°, we
felt like children, happily running barefoot
on the snow.
Our journey ended in Bergen, where we had
to say goodbye to the Viking Star, our home
for the last 15 days. As soon as we had
stepped on board, we fell in love with her.
Elegant light-filled spaces, colourful woven
textiles and light woods are all designed
to celebrate Viking's Nordic heritage. We
also enjoyed the comfortable hotel-style
beds and the relaxing Nordic Spa. And, we
appreciated the warm welcome we received
from the dedicated Viking staff. As I repeat
an Icelandic phrase I learned along the way,
Vinsamlegast farðu með mig aftur til skipsins
("Please take me back to the ship"), I am
dreaming of my next voyage.
Our next stop was the Lofoten Islands...On our excursion,
we traveled among majestic mountains and timeless fishing
villages, admiring beautiful white-sand beaches.
