Hunting The Light - We Found Them

[BORDER REIVER]

We're back home safely, despite rough weather and yes, we saw the lights.

Here's a link to some of my Aurora Borealis photos in case anyone wants to see.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76212734@N08/sets/72157642431736135/

 

Here's a link to a blog of our journey I've tried to create. Hope it works, I'd no idea what I was doing in the end.

http://bordereiver.blogspot.co.uk/

Edited March 16, 2014 by BORDER REIVER

[SarniaLo]

Oh, some really nice ones! Well done, thank you for sharing, and I'm really glad you had a good time and you were able to see them (amazing experience, isn't it?).

Edited March 16, 2014 by SarniaLo

[BORDER REIVER]

Oh, some fairly nice ones! Well done, thank you for sharing, and I'm really glad you had a good time and you were able to see them (amazing experience, isn't it?).

 

It is amazing, but I'm REALLY pleased we didn't sail on the Lofoten in that stormy weather. We did pass the Lofoten and life on the little ship seemed a bit mental, with passengers jumping around, screaming and waving banners as we passed, while we just waved. The only place we really missed out on was Svolvaer, the place looks to be in an amazing setting , but it was dark both times. Some other time maybe.

Edited March 16, 2014 by BORDER REIVER

[Barrheadlass]

I thought I was excited before I saw your pics and read your commentary...now I'm really, really keen to go. Loved your entire blog. Disappointed to read about rude people. I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip! It looks, too, that I may need to invest in some warmer clothes. Thank you for sharing!

Edited March 16, 2014 by Barrheadlass

[RSF Cruiser]

Thanks for sharing. Your blog brought back many wonderful memories. I, too, was surprised with how pale the Northern Lights really are to the human eye, but none the less, they were incredible to watch.

[RSF Cruiser]

I thought I was excited before I saw your pics and read your commentary...now I'm really, really keen to go. Loved your entire blog. Disappointed to read about rude people. I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip! It looks, too, that I may need to invest in some warmer clothes. Thank you for sharing!

Layers are most important. I always wore long underwear while outside, a beanie and sometimes, a fur hat over the beanie when on deck, and then liners under my gloves. I generally wore liners under my socks, too. With layers, you always have the option of removing some of them if it gets too warm.

[SarniaLo]

It is amazing, but I'm REALLY pleased we didn't sail on the Lofoten in that stormy weather. We did pass the Lofoten and life on the little ship seemed a bit mental, with passengers jumping around, screaming and waving banners as we passed, while we just waved.

It was a very special trip aboard the MS Lofoten at the time you were there, since it was the trip celebrating the ship's 50th birthday (her first trip was on March 5th 1964); so the ship was probably full with Lofoten's afficionados who were excited by this particular trip and I'm sure there were special celebration on board as well.

I will go check out your blog!

[MacThespian]

Just went through your blog and found it very interesting--with some really, really fine photos. Thanks for posting the link.

[BORDER REIVER]

Just went through your blog and found it very interesting--with some really, really fine photos. Thanks for posting the link.

 

Thank you, your comments are appreciated.

Travel photography is a huge subject and after owning quite a few SLR's, I just want to keep it all as simple as possible. I had 2 decent "point and shoot" type compact digital cameras, one with a decent zoom and one near indestructible one. They were in my pockets (not in cases) ready for when they were needed. OK, some of the settings could be worked out, but mostly it was just Auto. How they come out is the luck of the draw and out of 1,300 photos, there were quite a lot that needed deleting because of duplication and poor quality.

When the Northern Lights appeared I shot 115 photos in maybe less than 1/2 hour.

There was a really pleasant guy with a tripod and huge DSLR, but by the time he set everything up, he had little time left for his photos. He was getting a bit frustrated with the movement of the ship and being crowded by other passengers. I had eventually decided not to take a tripod and just braced myself against the side of the ship or the deck rail. Keeping still for 4 seconds isn't too big a deal.

It would have been great to photograph the lights with a good camera on a tripod, on land. That was my dream, it didn't happen, but my snapshots are enough for memories.

[Sumdumgi]

Thanks for taking the time and effort to write such a comprehensive and interesting blog with some wonderful images.

 

My wife and I almost booked on the same trip but decided against it as we had only a couple of weeks to prepare and didn't feel we had sufficiently researched it. Looking at your blog we have decided it's definitely something we want to do and we may consider this winter or perhaps March 2015.

 

We have visited Norway during the summer and have been to the North Cape and Svalbard but would like to experience it in winter and hopefully see the Lights.

[tring]

I really enjoyed looking at both your accounts of Greenland and the Northern Lights - both venues that are high on our 'to do ' list.

 

Your account leaves me tending towards a Hurtigruten Northern Lights.

 

Thank you.

[ibfishing2]

Thank you, your comments are appreciated.

Travel photography is a huge subject and after owning quite a few SLR's, I just want to keep it all as simple as possible. I had 2 decent "point and shoot" type compact digital cameras, one with a decent zoom and one near indestructible one. They were in my pockets (not in cases) ready for when they were needed. OK, some of the settings could be worked out, but mostly it was just Auto. How they come out is the luck of the draw and out of 1,300 photos, there were quite a lot that needed deleting because of duplication and poor quality.

When the Northern Lights appeared I shot 115 photos in maybe less than 1/2 hour.

There was a really pleasant guy with a tripod and huge DSLR, but by the time he set everything up, he had little time left for his photos. He was getting a bit frustrated with the movement of the ship and being crowded by other passengers. I had eventually decided not to take a tripod and just braced myself against the side of the ship or the deck rail. Keeping still for 4 seconds isn't too big a deal.

It would have been great to photograph the lights with a good camera on a tripod, on land. That was my dream, it didn't happen, but my snapshots are enough for memories.

 

BORDER REIVER

I saw your post re: Norway.

 

I can get Krone notes from my bank. I remember your comment about 10kr for restroom. :) Where is the best place to get coins?

Sorry to ask what might be a simple question.

[BORDER REIVER]

BORDER REIVER

I saw your post re: Norway.

 

I can get Krone notes from my bank. I remember your comment about 10kr for restroom. :) Where is the best place to get coins?

Sorry to ask what might be a simple question.

 

We had some left over from a cruise to Norway last year. On that cruise we, like you, only had notes, so the first thing we did when getting to a port (Stavanger) was to go to a bank and get notes changed for coins. It was very easy.

Alternatively, just buy something in the shop or cafeteria on your ship (or at the Hurtigruten terminal) and make sure you get some coins.

[ibfishing2]

We had some left over from a cruise to Norway last year. On that cruise we, like you, only had notes, so the first thing we did when getting to a port (Stavanger) was to go to a bank and get notes changed for coins. It was very easy.

Alternatively, just buy something in the shop or cafeteria on your ship (or at the Hurtigruten terminal) and make sure you get some coins.

 

Thank you for your help

[South Coaster 123]

A wonderful review, so interesting to read, illustrated with such amazing photography. Thank you very much for sharing. I would love to do this voyage, but my OH is less keen!

 

 

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[BORDER REIVER]

A wonderful review, so interesting to read, illustrated with such amazing photography. Thank you very much for sharing. I would love to do this voyage, but my OH is less keen!

 

 

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If you can indicate why your OH is less keen, there's members of this forum who could pretty well answer any questions you might have.

As a person who has always had travel sickness, I wasn't keen on that aspect of it, but I managed pretty well and we both had a great time. I wouldn't rush back to do it again any time soon, because we've been to Norway 4 out of the last 5 years and the memories of those cruises will last forever.

Would I go with Hurtigruten again? Definitely...we would both like to visit Antarctica and Spitzbergen and the sense of adventure that goes with a Hurtigruten cruise really appeals to us.

[SarniaLo]

If you can indicate why your OH is less keen, there's members of this forum who could pretty well answer any questions you might have. .

I agree! ;)

I have been with Hurtigruten 4 times and the 5th one is planned for next september. On my third trip I met a couple, the husband was there very reluctantly but he agreed to come with his wife who really wanted to do the trip for her 50th birthday. Because the husband was not enthusiastic, they compromised on doing only Bergen-Kirkenes. When they left the boat in Kirkenes the husband was kicking himself for not having taken the round trip and he left the ship with tears in his eyes because he enjoyed the trip so much and didn't want it to end!

[South Coaster 123]

Thank you both for your replies. I will show them to my OH. I think he has got used to luxury travel in balcony cabins with the likes of Cunard and P&O. He just doesn't share my fascination with Norway ( we have visited 2 or 3 times on said cruise lines!) I would happily swop the luxury for the adventure, We have been to a Hurtigruten talk, but he wasn't swayed. The cabins are too small, it will be too cold etc etc. ( and he won't pay the price for the bigger cabins ) Maybe next year, or separate holidays lol! I could put my foot down, but if you don't share the same dream....

[RSF Cruiser]

My husband did not want to take the trip - it's too cold, too far, travel is difficult, etc. I went with my adult daughter, nephew, his significant other, and two friends from Norway. We went last year over Christmas and New Years. My daughter and I got separate cabins, just in case my husband changed his mind. He never did. Although I had preferred he joined us, I had a wonderful time and hope to return - I have the Norway and Hurtigruten bug (this was my second trip to Norway and first on Hurtigruten). There's internet on the ship so you can talk with those who stayed home with Skype.

 

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[South Coaster 123]

Now there's food for thought! ;)

[BORDER REIVER]

Thank you both for your replies. I will show them to my OH. I think he has got used to luxury travel in balcony cabins with the likes of Cunard and P&O. He just doesn't share my fascination with Norway ( we have visited 2 or 3 times on said cruise lines!) I would happily swop the luxury for the adventure, We have been to a Hurtigruten talk, but he wasn't swayed. The cabins are too small, it will be too cold etc etc. ( and he won't pay the price for the bigger cabins ) Maybe next year, or separate holidays lol! I could put my foot down, but if you don't share the same dream....

Our previous cruises were with Cunard (Q.V. & Q.E.), P&O (Aurora) & Fred Olsen (Boudicca) and much as we enjoyed the balcony cabins & luxury, we got really bored with pretty well knowing what was going to happen whatever time of day or night. We needed a change from dressing up each evening and wanted a trip where we could really relax and wait in anticipation of what was to come. The Nordnorge is a beautiful ship, gleaming and spotlessly clean, as I would imagine the rest of the Hurtigruten fleet are. The cabins are slightly smaller, but we hardly spent any time in there anyway as there was so much lovely scenery that kept us out on deck for a lot of the time.

We cruised on Queen Elizabeth to Norway last year and for almost all of the 2 weeks, the temperatures were way warmer than in the UK (28C in Trondheim and 22c in Honningsvag), so Norway isn't necessarily cold all of the time.

[bobbisailsolo]

Great review! Wondering, do you think you would have enjoyed it if you had traveled alone? I am considering a hurtigruten cruise next March, but wonder if I'd be bored on my own.

 

 

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[BORDER REIVER]

Great review! Wondering, do you think you would have enjoyed it if you had traveled alone? I am considering a hurtigruten cruise next March, but wonder if I'd be bored on my own.

 

 

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I would have, because there's always so much going on and people to talk to, including locals. Some people need company though and would find any kind of solo travel difficult.

If you like stunning scenery, you've got it in abundance while it's light and you'll never notice a lack of company.