London and 14-Day Arctic Circle Crossing: Edinburgh Evening Stay Holland America Cruise: Day 12 Honningsvåg, Norway- Stappen Island Bird Safari and Scenic Cruising North Cape May 23, 2025

I had an absolutely lousy night. I really don't know why. Maybe, it was excitement about today, since today, we will go the farthest north we've ever been and the farthest north my husband K and I will likely ever go. It is always possible that our daughter J will find an opportunity to do it.

K got up at 8 to go to see us sailing into Honnigsvåg. I got up at 8:13. I got dressed and went out on our veranda to take some photos after 9 of the icy scene. That third photo definitely shows some glacial action.

  

At 9:10, the three of us went to breakfast. It was 43°, but felt like 39°. We added a bit to breakfast to make up for having to skip lunch.

After breakfast, around 10, we went to deck 14 to go outside and take photos. It was not bitterly cold. The sky was so blue and the sun was so bright. The buildings didn't look as weatherproof as I thought they would. I guess they have really good insulation. All the wood would have had to have been brought in though. That copse on the hill that was protected by snow fences was not going to provide a lot of wood.

  

 

 

There were plenty of others up there to look and to take photos. It was work to get photos over or around the windshield at the front of the deck.

At 10:20, we went back to the cabin and to brush teeth. K was feeling nauseous. So, he was going to rest. But, J and I recognized that this was our only opportunity to do souvenir shopping. So, we bundled up and got off at 10:45. As we walked down the pier, I got some nice shots of the front of the ship. I also photographed something I'm not fond of, but is a big thing around here- drying cod.

  

The souvenir shop was actually a fair-sized store that was packed with our fellow passengers. There was a mailbox out front. So, I took the opportunity to buy a postcard for myself and one for our granddaughter. There were stamps at the register. I actually bought enough, what with a t-shirt for me, one for the granddaughter, Christmas ornaments, etc., that I qualified for a Global Blue rebate. J got herself a postcard and we hurriedly filled them out and dropped them in the mailbox, hoping they'd make it home. Oh, and folks did take photos with the dog statue.

K was vaguely better when we got back. We all went to the meeting point in the World Stage by 12:30. Sitting there, I felt incredibly dozy.

At 1. the finally called us to go out to the bus. We were checked in at the table and handed orange stickers. We went down the stairs to the checkout of the ship. We walked out along the pier, pointing out the cod to K. At the bus area, we had to wait again. Finally, at 1;10, we were on the bus for the Stappen Island Bird Safari.

At 1:15, we departed with Gina, our guide, who was not from here, but had visited and fell in love with it. Like other guides, she told us interesting things. This area makes 91% of its money from fishing and 2% from tourism. They are the biggest exporter of king crab in Norway. Shops and schools are clustered in Honnigsvåg, not in the villages. The Gulf Stream keeps the ocean from freezing. She even goes for a swim on Christmas Day. From the end of November to the end of January, they experience Polar Night. From May 11 to July 11, they have the Midnight Sun.

By 1:27, we were seeing some white. By 1:41, there was snow.  It wasn't solid snow.  There were patches of tundra. And there were caribou. It was so cool to see them just munching away and not caring about the passing bus.

 

  

Look at the color and clarity of the water below. That is Storbukta, on Magerøya, the same island as Honnigsvåg, but diagonally northwest of that port and way up the island.

At 1:55, we were at the village of Gjesvær, which the map on the photo claims is on Magerøya, but is actually on another island across a bridge from Magerøya. The village is strung close around a bay. We got out right by the Bird Safari headquarters. We must not be the only people anxious to see puffins, since they put one right on the sign.

 

Standing by the gangway, I was struck by how the clouds in the far distance looked like mountains. It was only after consulting a map that I was convinced they were clouds.

By 2:05, we were onboard and found three seats together in the middle of the open deck. Two minutes later, we were underway.

Identifying the birds we saw is difficult for me, because they are so far away in the photos and I'm no expert. Google tells me these are a type of gull.

It was stymied by these two.

 

The ground was really inhospitable to any creatures other than birds. But, the ones who were here really liked it.  Besides the three rock photos, we have an eagle in flight and great cormorants.

  

  

The water was really lovely.

 

I was really surprised at how clumped together the nests of these kittiwakes were. It was also amazing that the birds found the only decent section of rock in the third photo.

  

While the following photo may look like it is showing rocky islands, it's really showing the birds massed in the water.

While the first photo seems to be of just razorbills, the second definitely shows a puffin with them. So exciting to see! Much smaller than expected.

  

There were just so many birds just hanging out on the water. Puffins and murres seemed to get along.

  

The landscape may have been austere and the air cold, but it was gorgeous.

 

As we cruised back into Gjesvær , I was struck not only by how colorful the houses were, but also by the lack of garages. You'd think they'd be vital in the winter weather.

There was cod drying on the duck, when we arrived at 3:39, but I suspected that that was more for real than for show like the one on the ship's dock was.

Since I knew that my photo of a puffin wasn't great, I took a photo of one in a case, while I waited for the restroom.

This map showed the route from Honnigsvåg. We'll be sailing by Nordkapp.

I had enough time to get a postcard, before we got on the bus at 3:55. As we departed at 3:57, I got these shots of houses, including a garage.

 

The drive back was uneventful, although, besides the frozen landscape, we did see a Sámi siida.

   

At 4:35, we were back at the port. K tipped the guide 5 Norwegian krone and we hurried onboard to get ready for dinner.

We were just five minutes late and that was due to busy elevators. Since we'd missed lunch, all three of us got our Coke products fix at this meal. I ordered the mozzarella salad with ripe tomato, J the shrimp tacos, avocado, and lime, and K the butternut squash soup with cremé fraîche for our appetizers. All were good.

 

There were not that many appealing entrees tonight. So, I got the rustic home-made lasagna, in spite of being about as far from Italy as you can get in Europe. J chose beef Stroganoff. K got the garlic-herb-roasted chicken that is always on the menu. They were all fine.

  

For dessert, K and I both got the rhubarb crisp. J got the chocolate caramel tart, which did not look like a tart.

 

At 6:40, we were in our cabin to do the crossword puzzle. From there, the three of us could see us sailing away from Honnigsvåg by 7:12.

   

 

We now had to sail to the northeast around the island of Magerøya to get to our next destination. That gave us time to get to the Effy give-away at 8:15 and to get our charm.

Around 8:30, we hurried to deck 14 to see us sailing past Nordkapp, the northernmost point of continental Europe and definitely the farthest north we will ever get. It is located at  71°10'21"N 25°47'04"E.  

  

 

That rock cliff looks pretty bleak, even in sunshine. You'd be forgiven for thinking that those are the rays 

of sunset. But, don't forget, we are now in the Land of the Midnight Sun. The weather was perfect for this. 

I don't know why the whole ship wasn't up there to see it.

 

  

We then went to our cabin to get the view from there. Those few floors did make a bit of a difference, but, 

mainly, there was no safety glass to try to photograph over.

As you can see in that last photo, the waves didn't really crash violently against the cliff. Of course, there 

were barely any waves.

 

We could see the famous globe monument on top of the cliff, if we used binoculars or the zoom on my 

camera.

 

I like this panoramic.

 As we started heading south on the other side of the cliff, we had some views that don't usually appear in 

folks' photos. The rock face looks far more weathered up close.

 Southwest of Nordkapp, there are some rather barren looking islands. But, there were some with snow,

which must have had higher elevation. 

At 9, K went to the fiddle concert, while J went to her cabin. I did Words with Friends.

I turned in around 12 with the phone showing 6503 steps for 2.4 miles and claimed I climbed 2 floors.