Tuesday 25 May 2010

Norway at its best

The morning we spent in FrØja, an archipelago of more than 5000 small and tiny islands. As the weather was good, many passengers spent the early morning hours outside on the various decks or in the panorama lounge. At 8 o'clock, just after breakfast Anja, the expedition leader, went ashore by polar circle boat to meet with the welcome committee of FrØja. Only minutes later she returned with the Mayor of FrØja, his daughter and the Director of Tourism. They met the guests of MV Fram for a warm welcome to the port of FrØja; where MV Fram touched down for the first time. The citizens organized and planned our visit. Everywhere we enjoyed warm welcomes. Our visits included the culture center with a movie about town, a salmon tasting with drinks, shopping in the center and a highly interesting visit to one of the largest salmon farms of the world. The friendliness of this community has impressed us and with fond memories we return to MV Fram for further exploration. Cruising through narrow passages, passing by rocks eroded by glaciers during the last ice age covered partially with tundra vegetation and boreal forest we head direction polar circle. The weather and the landscape present Norway at its best.

The day ended with another highlight, the one and only MV FRAM Crew Show. Guest and crew enjoyed it alike and surprised each other with hidden talents, dancing, singing, laughing ...simply, the best!