It's cold today in Vancouver.
At least in comparison with yesterday. Temperature dropped from 29 C to 20 C overnight. In addition: no sun and overcast but fortunately no rain forecasted.

A short to my breakfast joint ( Nelson the Seagull ) in Gastown where poached eggs on toasted sourdough bead started the day for me and with a nice flat white on the side I was ready in a jiffy.

The 19 trolley bus just around corner brought me to Stanley Park where a nice relaxing tor in a horse drawn carriage. Two big shirehorses ( Tim & Bob ) pulled our coach along the seashore and across to the fantastic rose gardens.

On my way back into town I jumped of at Robson, one of the main shopping streets. Besides the almost obligatory Starbucks and McDonalds and the international labels there are quite a number of Canadian shops.

With this in mind I choose "Blenz", a local coffee chain, for a nice cup of coffee and a brownie.

A nice walk along the seashore from Stanley Park back to Canada Place was the last of my adventures on this Friday.

With only a brownie for lunch I was longing for something a bit more substantial for dinner and followed the recommendation of a fellow passenger on the ship and went to a tiny local steak house: a nice t-bone, cooked medium-rare with veggies and fries on the side.
Fantastic !

BTW: Later tonight ( at 20:55 ) I have to check-in. Tomorrow is my last day in Canada.


O.K. all done, checked in.

Now lets hope the flight is on time !!



Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

The world is a village !

On my view for breakfast this morning I met two of the Hurtigruten Expedition people, we had a little chat and then our ways departed.

After the "cold" weather in Alaska the temperature in Vancouver is in comparison hot with 28 C.
So after a warm hoodie during parts of the voyage a t-shirt and shorts are now much more appropriate.

After a a little stroll along Canada Place I discovered that no cruise ships are docking which is a blessing because then the town is not so crowded with tourists and at the main tourist places are no long queues.

O.K. then lets make that to ones advantage and cross the water with the ferry to Lonsdale, jump and the 236 Bus for Grouse Mountain but get off at the Caprilano Suspension Bridge Park.

This suspension bridge dates back to 1889 when it was build to get loggers from one side of the canyon to the other. These days its a main tourist attraction with the bridge itself, a tree walk and a high walk along the canyon.

Walking across the bridge was worse then the rough sea I experienced during my voyage but it was still fun.


ViewTicket

On my way back I stopped at Lonsdale Quay to soak up the view of the Vancouver Skyline before heading again to the other side, jump on the Skytrain and head for Metrotown to do some little shopping at this huge shopping mall.


Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

After we left yesterday afternoon St Lawrence Island the RA headed straight for Nome ( Alaska ), the final stop for me and actually almost all passengers. Almost ? Yes a few are continuing they your along the North-East-Passage heading for Halifax or Boston where they will disembark.

For me the last day on the ship will start with waking up at 6:30 a.m. ( I have to set my alarm ), morning shower and then breakfast, the last meal on the ship. Packing the last things into my hand-luggage……..

Belonging to disembarkation group "Blue" I left the shift with a farewell in my mind at around 8:00

and again we have shuttled with local school busses 🚌 into town where several local agents greeted us at the local Nome Convention Centre and explained how to "kill the time" until we will get shuttled to the local airport:



Everything was very well organised and even a lunch was served in a local church "Old St Joes" church, these days a local assembly hall.
Nome itself is not very big and as you will see from the pictures not a very exciting place. Great was the local museum with displays of the local people and the town significance in gold mining, something what is still done on an industrial basis.
Wyatt Earp, I learned, was a local sheriff for some time in Nome.

Soon the time arrived to go to the airport. Airport, yes it is an airport with two commercial flights every day to Anchorage and one freight flight every other day. The terminal is small with about 30 seats. Now imagine a ship with roughly 350 passengers departing.
No wonder Hurtigruten had to do that in 3 stages with 3 charter flights. On these three arriving flights new passengers for the Roald Amundsen are arriving through this tiny airport. Chatting to one of the ground staff ladies whilst waiting I learned that they had this excitement already three times this year, usually its 4-6 times a year.

Bang on time our flight departed for Vancouver and thanks to Hurtigruten we have been served with food and drinks on the flight, normally one has to p[ay for that !

Arrival in VC was on time ( 20:15 ) , immigration and waiting for my suitcase was not long and by about 21:15 I reached my hotel.


Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

Yesterday ( 22.8.2022 ) we learned during our evening lecture " Tomorrow Information" that we will have a surprise landing on St Lawrence Island.
Something not advertised in our original itinerary for this voyage. Hurrah !!

Sunset in this region at this time of the year is very late: yesterday it was at 23:01



Another interesting thing has happened this morning at 2:30 am

No, I did not set my alarm to "experience" this. Just a short time travel anyway.

St Lawrence Island is only 58 km away from Russia. In case you want to know more this island click here

Thick fog this morning when I woke up and one could not see the Island. Weather is miserable, no sun so I decided to skip this very last excursion and have a relaxing morning onboard.

Soon after lunch ( I am skipping that as well ) when we are leaving St Lawrence Island to head for our final stop, Nome, I will attend some lectures:
- Technical aspects of MS Roald Amundsen
- Virtual tour behind the scenes and who is what
- Climate Change - Reasons for Hope
- Captain's Farewell

And then: packing ! Luggage has to be put in front of ones cabin door by 22:00 latest

Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

Weather forecast for today: sunny ☀️, light wind and NO rain. Hurrah !

Our excursion with the zodiac boats to the island will go ahead unless something unforeseen happens.

Woke up to a glorious start of the day

sunshine all around.

During breakfast the sun went up even further and by the time it was my turn for the trip by zodiac boats to St Matthew Island the sun was up in full.

After a short ride in the boat the uninhabited island was reached and we had to climb out of the boat with water reaching almost up to ones lower calfs. Then we had about an hours to explore this remote island in the Bering Sea.

Vegetation: no tress, tundra like. One has the feeling of walking on a sponge and it was interesting to see how nature tries to bloom in this rough climate.

The members of the expedition team told that todays landing was the first of the season as during all previous voyages the weather was against landing on the island. So I was very lucky.

It was also interesting to see what kind of rubbish is been washed ashore and they asked us to bring back to our landing site as much as possible as it would be taken away from the island. Look at the pictures to see what we all found.

Later today I will have my scheduled visit off bridge, something I am looking forward to as well.

And this was very interesting as well. The captain gave us a sort introduction ( in laymen's terms ) about how the RA is been steered and what actually "Hybrid Power" means. The Diesel engines are obviously responsible for moving the ship but surplus energy they are producing is stored in two large batteries so that in case of need this stored power can also be used. With all electrical system, lights etc. on the batteries could, in case of engine failure, generate enough power to move the ship for about ½ h. If all electrical are switched off for about 1 h, enough he said, to get the ship out of danger.
No wheel anymore, basically a comfy chair with some joysticks. Communication is done via Wi-Fi ( satellite ) and only North-East/WEst passage conventional radio is been used due to very bad or no connection it all.
The visit on the bridge didn't last very long but was more then interesting.

What I also learned these days that the RA has a de-salination plant on board so that fresh water does not need to be bunkered in ports which is considering the small harbours / towns no drain on the local resources.
All waste water from the cabins showers and wash-basins is filtered on board and then pumped into the sea.
In short: very environmentally friendly and following Hurtigruten's mission of sustainability.

Later today I have to attend the information lecture for tomorrow ( something did very day anyway ) because for tomorrow they have a surprise for us.
Watch this space.

Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

A day at sea on our way to St Matthew Island, a part of the former land bridge between Russia and Alaska.

21.8. at 7:30: Still very low clouds and high winds. Let's what's going on today. Definitely no excursion but a few lectures.

First lecture - 9:00 : Disembarkation Procedure at Nome ( the final destination of the trip ).
A very precise procedure which is not surprising with roughly 300 persons disembarking and Nome Airport very small airport. The day before at 22:00 luggage has to be in front of ones cabin door.
Almost a military operation !

Early afternoon: A Q & A hosted by the captain, technical officer, hotel manager etc.

We even have the chance to visit the bridge which for understandable reason is only possible in small groups and is spread over two days.
My turn: tomorrow

Else its a day at sea, with other words relaxing. Wind has died down and makes everything smoother.

Before going to bed I fulfilled my duty to report my arrival on Wednesday into Canada through the official "ArriveCan" app
And received almost instantaneously the necessary QR which one needs in Vancouver to scan ones arrival.


To track my tour click here

Before I start todays travel journey some interesting facts and observations being on board:

- The Roald Amundsen is a ship registered in Tromsø ( Norway ) with other words under Norwegian flag
( unlike almost all the other cruise lines which are registered in Monrovia, Nassau and the like )

- the ships officers including the captain are all Norwegian

- the Zodiac drivers are all from the US because US Maritime law mandates that you have to have a US
license to drive them

- the restaurant staff are with apparently two exceptions from the Philippines. All the ones I came in contact with are very very polite
And have a very good memory for names. I for example was greeted for every meal by my first name and some even remembered
my cabin number. I was surprised when I discovered the some of them even speak German.
Hurtigruten seems to treat and pay them quite well because the few I spoke to in more depth all mentioned that and that they even get their
homeflight paid.

The passengers are an interesting chapter:

- Roughly 70% of the passengers are German ( a fact that is sometimes disturbing )

- same are from Austria, Netherlands, Norway, UK and Switzerland.

- Average age of the passengers I would guesstimate to be somewhere in the region 55 - 70

I know one should not use stereotypes BUT certain behaviours are very country specific and proof to the utmost extend.

In short: a very interesting microcosmos.

20.8.2022 @ 9:02 am

After a good nights sleep ( yes despite the very rough weather outside ) I woke up refreshed for a new day of adventure.

Only problem: no adventure today. The weather gods are not in our favour. Still very high winds around 40-50 kn and very foggy.
Alaskan weather.



All onshore excursions for today have been cancelled so that one can only see the islands ( or what you can see through the fog ) from the vessel.

As on the days before I am going to attend the lectures they are offering." Bald Eagles - Myth and Truth", "Bears of Alaska", lectures about the various indigenous people of these island etc have been lectures I attended.

To "replace " todays cancelled tours two new ones are on offer: " Geology - Plate Tectonics and Volcanos " and "Military History of the Aleutian Island" are on offer.

All lectures last about 45 min followed by Q & A and are done in a very interesting easy to understand way.

BTW: No pictures today unless foggy ones are of interest.

As all the expeditions have been cancelled for today we learned that we will stay for a little while on the northern side of Chuginadak Island before "setting sail" to drive slowly up north via St Paul ( where we can't stop because the islanders don't want guests because of Covid ) to St Matthew Island where we expect to arrive on 22.8.2022



Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

Before I go today ( 18.8. ) to bed just a quick update: weather forecast for tomorrow is not very good.
Typical Alaskan actually: rainy with a temperature around 14 C and a bit of wind.

What to know something about Dutch Harbour ?
First of all: the name of the town is not Dutch Harbour, thats the name of the harbour, but Unalaska. The area was also the first place where the first areal attack on continental USA took place. But click here for more information.

It was a very "moving ", a bit a heavy sea it was. Nevertheless I slept well and was ready for breakfast. The Restaurant where breakfast is been served was in comparison to the previous days not very busy. Looks as if many people didn't feel very much like having breakfast.

In about two hours, at 10:00, we are reaching Unalaska, mooring quayside at Dutch Harbour.

The preparations for our disembarkation had been completed overnight.

Onshore coaches will be waiting us for a tour through Unalaska. Let's hope it is not raining !

And it didn't rain ! Overcast but at times the sun came through which made the landscape around the Dutch Harbour with its mountains appear in an interesting light.

As the the towns on the Aleutians Unalaska and its Harbour ( Dutch Harbour ) are very small and so it sounded somehow funny when our bus driver told us that our first stop will be in "downtown" at the Russian-Orthodox Church. Downtown….

The church itself is closed and the pope recently left and so far no new occupant has been found. But somebody has mown the lawn in the cemetery so that one could explore some of the graves surrounding the church.

This was followed by a leisurely stroll along the shore to the War memorial which commemorates the losses at sea and during the Japanese attack way back in 1942.

As the school busses which brought us into downtown worked for us on an hop-on hop-off basis it was easy to catch the next one and to the next point of interest: The Museum of the Aleutians.

Here you get a very good introduction into the life and history of the local people, about the "Russian" time and what they left behind. One of the Orthodox priest for example was the first one how travelled between the various islands and translated the only vocal tribe languages into written ones.

A section of the museum is also dedicated to the Alaska Purchase and why that happened. But still the biggest and most interesting pat of the museum is about the indigenous people.

Back to the ship we drove past the airport where the strip goes almost across the road and traffic lights have to stop the traffic when planes are landing or starting.

Back on board is 18:00 and time of departure 19:00

Today was my day as far as dinner is concerned: Seafood Buffet !!
Scallops, giant shrimps, halibut, salmon, sushi with salmon, you name it. When the chef came out of his empire I asked: everything was brought on board today. Local !! Fresh!!

During dinner the announcement about our next stop ( Chuginadak Island ) came. About 160 nautical miles away.
They warned about very rough sea during the night and recommended sea sick pills.
The planned landing at the island tomorrow will be evaluated tomorrow as winds of about 50-60 kn ( knot ) are expected ( 90-100 km/h ).
Maybe I should take one as well ? !

When we are leaving Unalaska / Dutch Harbour we will be entering the Bering Sea, named after Vitus Bering, a Danish navigator in Russian service, who in 1728 was the first European sailor exploring these waters.

BTW: Unalaska ( Dutch Harbour ) is almost on the very same latitude ( Längengrad ) as Hamburg: 54 Grad or Berlin with 52 Grad

Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

When you look at the travel map you will find that we skipped one of the scheduled stops ( Chignik ) of the excursion. This little ville ( about 100 inhabitants ) does currently nobody into the village because they are afraid of Covid, an experience they so far have been spared off ). To compensate for that missed experience Hurtigruten had us stay at Kukak Bay and we spend some more time at Geographic Harbor.

So we spend in comparison to the voyage a day ago 280 nautical miles on sea until we reached Unga Island with the Unga Village.
During our voyage tonight we will be leaving the Alaskan Peninsula and reach the Aleuten Islands. A region completely different in vegetation as they not have any trees and or geological different.

Woken up to another of these "wow-days": sun just started rising and by the time I sat down for breakfast to sun ☀️ was up and my morning coffee drenched in sunlight.

At this point in time Unga Island was already on the not so far horizon with other words plenty of time to marvel the scenery from the observation deck of the vessel.
Finally the "shuttle" to Ungar Island and Ungar Village started. With the zodiacs they brought as ashore with a wet landing ( wet because we have been covered up to our ankles in water - but thanks to the wellies > courtesy of Hurtigruten, our feet stayed dry. Before we humble passengers went ashore an advance group of the staff went ashore and "fenced" of the area we where allowed to roam freely.
No trees but wide lush meadows and a variety of plants. One of them ( look at my pictures ) is very common and commonly named the Alaskan Season Plant. When the upper part of the flower is in bloom then winter is not far away they say. I have to say almost all I saw indicated that winter is around the corner.
Ungar Village was left by the last people back in 1960 and has since deteriorated as the pictures proof. One can still identify the remnants of the old Lutheran Church and there are two fenced off areas, one the old Russian-Orthodox Cemetery and the other area the Lutheran one.
Both accessible but completely overgrown so it was impossible to identify individual graves. Nevertheless outside the cemeteries one can find two grave stones: one next to the shore line by an American person which was buried in 1916 and on the other side of the village an orthodox gravestone in remembrance of a person buried in 1883.
From the two hills one had fantastic views of the sea and the surrounding area.
After about 1 ½ roaming around the zodiacs shuttled us back the the vessel with a little detour along the "Bird Rock" a massive rock being the home of an abundance of birds, Puffins especially.

Another interesting animal which is at home on Ungar is the "Ungar Cow". A special breed of cow which was brought here by the Russians. The cow is at home in northwest Siberia and hence very winter hardy. With other words ideal for this part of the world as well. The Russians brought them to have milk, butter and other dairy products. They are smaller then the cows we know, come if all different colours, both male and female one have horns and most importantly they have much longer and larger intestine as they have to feed as much as possible during the short Alaskan summer to be prepared for the long winter with scarce food supply.
Unfortunately we didn't see any but their fresh cow pads in abundance.

Back onboard the "relaxing" part of the day started: a cup of coffee, my laptop on my legs at a window to write this blog post and still enjoy the view from the Explorer Lounge
of the ship. Coffee with a view……….

Departure for our next sop ( Dutch Harbour ) will be mid afternoon and with an expected ETA on 19.8.22 around 10:00 a.m

Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

Wow, what it day it was.

Weather was simply fantastic: hardly any fog, mainly blue sky and most importantly SUN

As we had already arrived yesterday after a very short voyage at Geographic Harbour breakfast with a great view was a fantastic start of the day. Ham & Eggs with a view and what a view !

By the time it was my turn to arrive at the expedition floor where all the excursions at places where we have to anger start the weather was even better: more blue sky and more sun.

Ideal !

Nicely kitted out with our lifejackets ( rain protection not necessary today ! ) we haded off in our zodiacs deeper into the fjord.

It is very hard to describe ones experience and the pictures do not do justice to what I and my fellow passengers experienced. One is simply lost for words and looks around with ones mouth and eyes wide open.

If you look at the pictures of the mountains please be informed that the white patches are NOT snow but volcanic ash dating back from the huge volcanic eruption in 1912. This port of Alaska does still have around 7 active volcanos.

We have not been lucky as far as the weather was concerned but we also saw some local wildlife: bears ( almost 9, with two female ones with her cubs ). And sound bold eagles still in their"teenage" outfit i.e. not with their destinctive white head feathers.

The bears, usually solitary animals our feeding in the mud flats with mussels and salmon and as their is plenty of food when the tide goes out one can see many if them relatively close together.

More than 1 ½ h we cruised around the fjord to enjoy scenery and wildlife. A fantastic experience.

Back on the ship I retreated to the aberration lounge and whilst having a coffee looked at the pictures I took and started writing the blog for today.

Next stop: Ungar Island > 280 nautical miles away. ETA: tomorrow at around 10:00 a.m.

Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

After we left today ( 15.8. ) Kodiak our vessel was heading towards Kinak Bay

where we will arrive early in the morning on Tuesday 16.8.
The weather-forecast is not very good: typical Alaskan weather: rain. So I am not sure if I will participate in the planned Zodiac excursion which for me would start at 8:10 am.
The alarm is set for 7:00 when I will decide.

On our way to Kinak Bay our vessel stopped at Kukak Bay where we will be leaving at around 11:00 to float "around the corner" to Kinak Bay.

I decided: relatively clear and no rain.

So I got quickly dressed and postponed the shower for later as the first tour was about to start at 8:00 and was was a bit pressed for time.
Waterproof jacket ( just in case and courtesy of Hurtigruten ), boots, camera….and off I went and was lucky to get on the first zodiac to leave for the bay exploration.
I have not only been lucky as far as the weather was concerned but: bears, 4 of them, looking for food on the mudbanks of the bay.
Unfortunately they have been a bit too far away and in the haste of this morning to get ready I forgot my zoom lens.
Seals and a bold eagle have been around as well.
Kinak Bay is part of the Katmaii National Park ( 16564 km2 ) and was created in 1918. The park is home to ver 1000 bears and is home to about 20 volcanos of which 7 have been active since 1900.
Exploring the bay one can even see on top of the mountains the petrified volcanic ash which looks like dirt snow.
Else: tranquillity and nature pure !
An hours later our little boat was back at the vessel and it was time for a shower.
Breakfast I had to skip ( I am not going to die of starvation because of that ! ) but I will have lunch today.

At around 3 pm we arrived at Kinak Bay, our final stop for today. Again a fjord with lush rainforest a bit spoiled by light drizzle and some clouds.
Also for the last time today a zodiac boat excursion through the bay where I didn't take any picture but again awesome scenery which is almost impossible to describe.

Whilst enjoying my dinner we started our voyage to our next point: Geographic Harbour. A very short trip ! Just about 2 h or in other words: around the corner ( as you will be able to see at my travel map ).

Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

Seward - Kodiak 165 nautical miles did they say.

Kodiak is the biggest of the US Islands

where we arrived as scheduled around 9:00 am.

From the obersavation desk many passengers including myself watched with interest ( and amazement ) how they manoeuvred this big ship to the dock. Parking ones car is a doddle I can tell you.

After the first two excursion groups had made their way ashore to the waiting school busses 🚌 it was the turn of the people booked on the "Kodiak Highlights Tour": Alutiiq Museum, Kodiak Fisheries Research Centre and Abercrombie Fort.

In the Alutiiq Museum the life of the local indigenous people is been shown and it was interesting to discover that they knew the concept of a "banya" ( sauna ) long before even the Russians came to Alaska. The Museum as well as the Fisheries Research Centre have been build with funds from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ( March 1989 ).
Until this point the weather was dull and at times very drizzly but on our way from the research centre to the Abercrombie Fort it cleared up completely and the sun came out. Just in time to marvel the fantastic views from the top of the fort.
The fort was build during WWII as a fortification against the Japanese but have never seen any action.

Our bus dropped us off midtown and a 15 min walk back to the ship followed. Believe it our not: Kodiak even has a McDonalds.

Back on the ship I typed this blow as usually internet connection is at its best whilst docked.

Next: Afternoon coffee

Everybody has to be back on the ship by 17:00, i.e. we will be leaving Kodiak shortly afterwards.

Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

Today we are heading towards Seward.
Wasn't on the originally advertised schedule but as we can't stop at two other little villages which are very small and where the local people are ( understandably! ) afraid of being swamped with 300 visitors because of Covid we make an alternative stop at Seward.



Not a lot to write about today.
This morning I attended a lecture about photography which was very interesting and enjoyed afterwards my book whilst stretching out on the comfy chairs in the explorer lounge.

Weather is still dull with a bit of rain. Let's hope it is dry by the time we reach Seward.

When we, almost on time, docked at Seward harbour the light rain has stopped and so one could watch how the Roald Amundsen reversed into the harbour bay and how the ship was secured. A little time later the gangway was installed and we could disembark.
Just in time: drizzle has started.
A walk out of the harbour area, passing the terminus of the Alaska Railway and then along "Fourth Street" through Seward to reach the "Alaska Sealife Centre".
A great centre which is also part of a US Nationwide chain of various sea life centre engaged in exploring sea life and the conservation of the same. Various sea animals can be watched at close sight as you will see from pictures I took.

With almost nothing else to do in Seward, at least not on a wet day, a free shuttle bus drove me back to the cruise terminal to embark again and relax with a cup of coffee.

All aboard is at 18:00 and shortly afterwards we will be leaving Seward.


BTW: Internet connection on the ship was so far very good. O.K. steaming and browsing is veeerrrryyy slow, but to update my blog and upload my daily dose of pictures it is very good. Will be interesting to see how the situation is during the next few days when we are reaching far more remote island. So watch this space.


Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

Good morning
And that despite the fact it's very dull outside, but so far dry and no wind.

so let's see how that develops during the day.

A bit a day of rest. Clouds are very low and one can't even see the shore line. A bit of rain as well.
The forecast says that around the time we are going on our glacier excursion the rain would stop. Hope is everything.

I attended a lecture "The Secret Lives of Glaciers - How Glaciers Form, Grow and Flow" this morning which was very informative and set the scene to what we are hopefully able to see this afternoon. We learned how glaciers are actually forming, why they the colours they have, how they grow and why they recede. Apparently there is at this point in time only glacier on this earth ( in Patagonia ) which is still growing. All the others are receding.

I spent the morning reading a book 📕 about a local policemen in Sitka ( the town we stopped yesterday and where I bought the book ).
Very funny with hilarious characters.

Finally we entered the Icy Bay and the first floating ice appeared in the water, getting bigger the further we went into the fjord until we reached the end where through the mist and rain one could see the glacier ice floating into the water.

Some of the "ice bergs" almost black incorporation lots of stones and silt whilst others this fantastic cobalt blue. Stunning.

The outside temperature has dropped quite a bit in comparison to yesterday: 13 C. Fortunately I prepared for that with a thick sweatshirt.


Will I participate in the zodiac excursion later this afternoon ? At this point in time a definitive maybe !

The "maybe" changed into a "no". Why? Heavy rain, almost no visibility. Alternative program for me: whilst sitting in a comfy chair in the explorer lounge a nice cup of coffee and a piece of poundcake with an outside view of the passing little glaciers.

The day finished with a lecture about tomorrows program.

Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

Rough start of the day.
I woke up a bit early because of the rough sea. Fortunately it to better and we ben greeted ( again ) with a nice sunrise above the island on the horizon.


We are heading towards Sitka where we will be mooring till about 15:00 and will have the chance to go ashore and explore the town.

And the latter happened at around 9:00. Again we been shuttled with a tender boat ashore to explore Sika. Whilst Wrangell looked a bit run-down, Sitka is the exact opposite. Nice promenade along the marina leads you to the Sitka National Historical Park with its totem poles. The park is been run by the US National Park Service. The park itself is a typical rainforest scattered with totem poles. Near the National Park Centre is a carving hut where one can look over the shoulder of an indigenous master carver and as him question.

Strolling back to Lincoln Street, the main shopping street in Sitka, my next stop was the historic Russian Bishops House ( also maintained by the National Park Service ) and then heading on to the Russian-orthodox St.Michaels Cathedral, the first Russian church in what is today Alaska. A local priest is still holding mess to an overall congregation of about 2000, almost all indigenous people. Makes sense if one takes into consideration that Alaska belonged for quite some time to the Russian Empire.

After a drink in a local joint heading back to the marina to catch one of our shuttles to get me back onboard.

Approximate departure time: 15:00



Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

Woken up to another glorious day

which I started with a 10 min walk on the upper observation desk to blow last nights cobwebs out.



Today we should be arriving in Wrangell ( on Wrangell Island ) at around 9:00 local time and will be mooring until the late afternoon.

Various excursions are possible ( you had to book them ) one of which I will be attending.

At around 9:00 we arrived at Wrangell ( for info click here ). Being at the first US harbour the Amundsen and all the crew members who haven't been here within the two month need to be cleared by US Immigration first before the disembarkation for the various passenger expeditions can start.

Finally I made my way ashore to explore this small town which was originally founded by the Russians ( Samowars are exhibited in he local museum ) and the town is named after the Russian Baron Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel, who was the representative of Russian interest of what is today Alaska. Heading to the little Shakes Island where the tribes hut of the indigenous Tlingit people can be seen together with some totem poles ( unfortunately the hut was closed and the poles covered ). Anyway: a very tranquil little island next to the harbour.

Next stop was the Civic Centre which houses also the local museum where one can learn a lot about the local history.

On my way back I found by coincidence the presbyterian church which was the first christian churching town before the Catholics came.

Two old historic houses on the main street are the other "highlights" of the town.

Having seen everything I made my way back onboard to enjoy some afternoon cake and coffee on deck.




Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

It's now Alaska Time, I.e. UCT - 9.
I woke up at 5:15 because the sun was shining through the window directly into my eye.
A glorious sunrise

and no this is NOT the sunset picture from
yesterday.
Got quickly dressed to capture the start of another glorious day.
During the night we made it almost to Prince Rupert where back in September 2019 I disembarked the ferry to continue my journey by train.

But not this time, the voyage continues and later this morning we will pass the US/Canada border.

I booked for today an exciting excursion by Zodiac into one of the fjords. Watch this space !

Weather today: F A N T A S T I C

The uploaded pictures will prove that but being on sea it as always very windy so that one didn't feel the sun.
Only when we entered the Misty Fjord later today the wind subsided and one started to get hot 🥵 but much milder then the heat which seems to have hit Europe again.

As soon as we entered the fjord the landscape which was already fantastic unto this point got breathtaking. Unspoiled nature !

Again: look at the pictures and I'm certain you will agree.

At around 16:30 I had to get ready for my scheduled zodiac excursion which was 100 times better than expected.
We cruised in little zodiacs in the final part of the fjord where the Amundsen could not anger.
Completely unspoiled nature, actually a protected rainforest. Very rough nature with its very own beauty !

Upon return to the ship I had to rush a bit to attend the briefing for tomorrow which includes the schedule for tomorrows onshore excursion in Wrangell on Wrangell Island.

Dinner tonight was in a separate restaurant on the ship: a very tasty vanilla milkshake and a steakburger with fries.
FYI: The name of the head chef on the ship is "McDonald". Coincidence ?


Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

After a good nights sleep ( yesterday was quite exciting with all the procedures to done in preparation for the actual embarkation )
I woke up well in time to get prepared for my allocated breakfast slot.

Yesterdays dinner time and todays breakfast time was stipulated by Hurtigruten but from today onwards you can book the time very convenient via the "Hurtigruten App" which works perfectly on the ships own WiFi network.

Mealtimes, excursions etc can all be booked via the app and all necessary information you might need is available at your fingertip.
With the app Hurtigruten follows one of their promises to be environmentally friendly by eliminating as much paper as possible.

One can even arrange to have ones room only been made up and towels etc changed via a sign you leave at your door handle.
Who needs fresh towels every day ? One doesn't even do that at home.

Since we left Vancouver yesterday evening we passed through the Strait of Georgia and the Johnstone Strat ( between Vancouver Island and the mainland ) during the night. Would have nice to travel this during the day but as I have learned this is necessary based on the changing currents in these waters.
At around 11:00 - 11:30 am we reached the area around Port Hardy where we have been greeted by the pilot who came on board for the next miles till Prince Rupert. A mandatory requirement by the naval authorities they told us.

For the first few hours the weather was not that great. Fortunately no rain and only at around 11:00 it started clearing up a bit and one could see a few of the little island in the strait.

Another interesting observation is that whilst the Roald Amundsen is a Norwegian Ship ( and really registered in Norway { Trømso } ) it seems that I am travelling on a German ship. Having checked at the ships reception I learned that about 65% of the passengers are from Germany. The rest from France, UK, etc.
Everything on the ship is written or announced in both English and German.
Its "quite interesting" to listen to conservations of the German passengers or observe how they are staring at other people or making comments completely negating the fact that they might be understood by for example myself.

Another observation are the COVID rules on board: wearing masks in the public areas like for example the restaurants, before going into the restaurants one has to wash ones hands etc.

Information lectures started today so that one can familiarise with the booking of the various expeditions ( almost all of them are included in the passage, how they are been organised etc. Another lecture was given by the "hotel manager" about the various amenity's on the ship. Will I be bored ? No, I have already booked various on-shore expeditions, small boat tours and the like.
I will report back on the days they are happening.

Interestingly two of the originally planned on-shore excursions had to be cancelled. The two little communities, one of them has only 97 inhabitants didn't want a whole ship with roughly 300 passengers flooding their little village as they are understandably afraid of COVID.

Hurtigruten organised two alternatives instead so that one doesn't "loose out".

Lunch: I am skipping that today. After a good breakfast and hardly any exercise > not necessary.

Dinner I booked for 18:00 but before will be at 17:30 the "Captain's Welcome" with a welcome drink and his introduction of his crew and the expedition team.

Lasts but not least: before I go to bed tonight I have to adjust my watch to UTC-8 as starting tomorrow morning at 2:00 we are on "Alaska Daylight Time" . Very important as all meal times etc are from that point onwards on "AKDT"


Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

The bid day has arrived.

After a very good night of sleep ( still some little oddities of the jet-leg to shake off ) I woke up to another glorious day in Vancouver.



As my embarkation is scheduled for 16:00 I have to pack everything up and store my suitcase with the hotel reception.

Followed by a relaxing breakfast I will then have to kill a couple of hours before the whole process begins:

- mandatory COVID test
- registration procedure
- etc

All the lines above I wrote and uploaded whilst still in my hotel.
From now on the updates to this blog may appear only sporadicly. Why ? Well, whilst I will have internet access on the ship the coverage, depending on the location of the ship, may not exist.

Whilst waiting for " my time " I refreshed myself with a cuppa at a local coffee shop with internet access !

At of curiosity I went after breakfast to the place where every passenger had to get Covid tested to find out if I can already get in done"to of time". I was lucky and after a 15 min I got my negative result.
One more box ticked.

Next: Canada Place to see if "my" ship has already arrived. YES together with two other much much bigger ones the Roald Amundsen
Was already moored at Canada PLace so that I could some pictures.

I tried my luck to embark earlier than my scheduled time and was lucky.

In hall C of the Convention centre a massive cruise ship embarkation hall for the various lines has been set-up. Within a few minutes all the initial points have been deal with by Hurtigruten and I was able to proceed to the next stop "US Immigration". Yes US because the final
Stop of the expedition, Nome, is in Alaska, i.e. the USA. One always feels a bit like a criminal when once fingerprints of both both hands are scanned but the very friendly US officer completed me within minutes.

Next stop: security checks for the luggage which was tagged, taken off me and brought to me a bit later.

Onboard you get greeted by the staff, get your room key, register your room card at reception by producing a credit card as everything on board is completely cashless. Interestingly: the onboard currency is the Euro.

By the time I reached my room my suitcase was already waiting for me at door.

First impressions: one is on a Scandinavian ship. Interior design is wood and warm pleasing colours. Whilst the room is not huge it is surprisingly comfy and spacious for its size.

Next is the mandatory security drill which will take place before we leave Vancouver at around 18:00.

Then: dinner.

I will report back tomorrow.




Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

Weather forecast for today:

. in short: very sunny and warm.

What's on the agenda for today ?

Well after breakfast I'm going on "Hop-on Hop-off tour of Vancouver" to explore amongst other things Stanley Park the 405-hectare big public park in Vancouver.
I have been here last time when I visited Vancouver but didn't explore everything.
But first things first: Breakfast at "Nelson the Seagull" a place recommend to me by friends in Gastown, a short walk from my hotel.
All baked goods are been baked on the premises, recommendable is their sourdough bread.

Having enjoyed my very good breakfast ( I will come again ! ) a leisurely stroll to Canada place where my Hop-on Hop-off
Bus is departing.
For the next 1 ¾ hour the bus meandered across Vancouver giving me a good impression about the city and its various and diverse quarters. Did I hop-off ? No, not during the first round.
Reaching my starting point I decided to stay on till the "Stanley Park" stop.
This huge about 405 h big park is not really a park but mainly a unique urban jungle, showing how this part of Vancouver looked like when the first people settled here.
A little miniature train, one of many attractions in the park, had to be checked out.
A leisurely stroll to the shore of the Burrard Inlet gave fantastic views of the Lions Gate bridge


and North Vancouver.

Stanley Park is really the main place for the local people to enjoy. An extensive cycle network ( all following a strict one-way system ) was this also a paradise for cyclists, skaters and the like. Water parks with fountains for the much younger ones who enjoy splashing about.

The city bus brought me back into town where a coffee in a lovely little coffee shop brought my stamina back.

A final stroll to Canada place just to check if the "Roald Amundsen" had already arrived. No, she hasn't but two other ships must have arrived this morning and are been supplied to get ready very likely later in the afternoon.

Another exiting day finished.

Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

First day in Vancouver


After a good nights sleep ( no jet-leg complications ! )

Weather for Vancouver:


With other words: let's go and have a great day.

First stop on todays agenda: breakfast. Today a "quick" one at Tim Hortons, a Canadian chain, serving a decent coffee and good baked goodies.

Next: a leisurely stroll along Canada Place to familiarise myself for the scheduled embarkation this coming Monday.
Two gigantic cruise ships ( not for any money of this world will I ever cruise on those ! ) mooring alongside with hundreds of passengers disembarking.
Fortunately my one on Monday is much much smaller.
One of my favourite places in Vancouver is Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver reachable with the SeaBus across the bay.
Lonsdale was till 1992 home of the Wallace Shipyard, the biggest one in British Columbia. They since ceased business and the whole area has been redeveloped with many of the original features kept intact. A vibrant area !

From here a bus wizzed my up the hill to the Grouse Mountain Cable Car station. At one of my previous visits in Vancouver I went up Grouse Mountain just to experience Vancouver through clouds. But not today !

The cable car brings one up to the top ( 1231 m above sea level ). For the a bit steep price of can$ 72.50 ( with senior discount ! ) one gets fantastic views of Vancouver, the bay and the mountains of the Cascades Range with the snow covered peak of Mount Baker.

Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here

Fantastic start of today's journey:
- suitcase was picked up as per schedule
- no problems on the Elizabeth Line to Heathrow T5
- Security check went like a breeze
BUT then:



Beding well on time is not always in once favour.

Check-in done
Suitcase packed.


I AM READY !