SAILING WHERE THE SUN NEVER SETS

Approaching the end of the turquoise coloured Holandsfjord we had, at last, a full view of the majestic Svartisen Glacier glistening in the warm, late afternoon sunshine. It had been a truly memorable day on passage from Herøy, passing the famous Seven Sister mountains and then the Arctic Circle monument, a large silver globe mounted on the island of Vikingen. As for the Land of the Midnight Sun, however, it is constantly moving so we ended up celebrating our entry to 24-hour daylight a few miles north of Vikingen.

The day was full of views of jagged snowcapped peaks and numerous islands, some small and others dramatic, such as the island of Hestmannøy, and then Rødøy with its distinctive lion shape. At the top of the fjord there is a small guest pontoon. We tied up alongside from Oban before her crew, with typical Scottish hospitality, invited us for drinks aboard and introduced us to one of Ernest Hemingway’s favourite drinks – the Dark and Stormy – chilled with glacial ice. They were on their way south, and we north, so we exchanged tips and experiences. The consensus was there