On Day 6 of the Northbound Coastal Voyage the ship stopped at Honningsvåg and from there I took the Hurtigruten excursion to North Cape.
There were a lot of passengers from MS Nordkapp wanting to go to the North Cape.
MS Trollfjord was also docked in Honningsvåg further up the quay but behind a security screen.
I was lucky and managed to get a front seat on the coach. As we left other passengers were still getting onto the other coaches. Plus there were other groups catching tours there too.
On the way to North Cape
These are just some of the racks where fish were being dried.
Everywhere was covered in snow – even the roads.
Our coach was following another coaches away from Honningsvåg.
This is where we turned onto the monitored road to the North Cape.
Our guide explained that the road was controlled and if conditions were not safe it would be closed. Vehicles would then be lead back from North Cape following a snowplow. The road was now a lot narrower and flanked by snow drifts.
From the guide we learnt that our driver used to drive tucks across Europe for a living. Now he drove coaches around Honningsvåg. He explained that he did not use chains or snow tyres on our coach, but assured us everything would be OK!
At North Cape
After leaving the coach I followed the crowd to the North Cape sculpture and joined the queue.
We were all queueing orderly but others were leaping onto the sculpture base and disturbing everyone else’s images. At times the atmosphere became very heated. I was lucky and an Australian lady used my iPhone and took a series of pictures of me under the famous sculpture.
This is the view from the side of the sculpture with folks behind the one who queued!
I left the area and had a peak over the ide to the sea
and then walked away to the side of the buildings.
Looking back cross to the museum building.
This is the monument celebrating the children of the world.
The snow was blowing off the drifts making waterlike patterns as it moved.
From the guide I had learnt about the visits of royalty to the cape that had made it famous. However, until the road was built the only access was by boat followed by a stiff climb up the cliffs.
I went inside the museum and explored the lower floors before I went for a quick delicious snack.
Then it was time to head back to the coach for the journey back.
Back to Honningsvåg
While we were at North Cape the wind had increased blowing snow across the road.
Our guide explained that these conditions of drifting snow would mean that the road would have to be closed until it had been cleared by snowplows.
The coach was now in the outskirts of Honningsvåg.
Above on the hillside were the town’s avalanche barriers.
And then we were back at the coach park and the end of the tour.
Then we explored Honningsvåg until it was time to board MS Nordkapp to continue our journey North.
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