Tuesday 7th August 2012
We had gone to bed about 11.20pm, several people were staying up to watch us round the North Cape, which is the northern most point of the continent of Europe. We decided we were too tired, but the captain slowed the engine as we got closer and the change in engine noise woke Hugh. So we got up and went on deck. It was amazing, 1.10 am and very light you could see the north cape and the lighthouse on top.
We arrived in Hammerfest this morning, beautiful day warm and sunny, we had a walk round the harbour and up a zig zag path to a viewpoint looking down over the harbour with its ring of mountains and hills round. It was beautiful up there, we walked over the next hill and looked down on a fjord. We had started out early 8.30 am, I am glad we did, by 10 the tourist buses started coming up by the road to the viewpoint. We had had it to ourselves till ten. Later we went down into the town and had a walk round. All their towns are very tidy and well cared for, this one has the most litter bins I have ever seen all painted blue. A Hurtegruten ship and a German cruise ship came in later and the town got much busier, we were glad we had been here earlier and had the place to ourselves.
Sailed again at 1 pm, warm and sunny this afternoon, 3 lectures, I went to al 3 on one the next port Trondheim and one on war in the Arctic, by a professor. I got very angry listening to him, he did not know what he was talking about, several people got up and left, got his facts wrong, no wonder out universities are such a mess if that is the standard of the lecturers.
Chocolate éclairs for tea and then a very good talk from the air commodore about women at war in Russia, he is very knowledgeable and entertaining to listen to.