Day 7: Northbound: Båtsfjord, Vardø, Vadsø, Kirkenes - Southbound: Vardø, Båtsfjord and Berlevåg

We are reaching the end of the northbound journey with night-time calls at Båtsfjord and Vardø. We call at Vadsø around breakfast time (there is no service to this port southbound) and then head to our turning point, Kirkenes. There is ice on the Bøkfjorden, but not thick enough to cause any problems.

Kirkenes is only 5 miles from the border with Russia and there are excursions that go there. I remember the days when passengers were informed that they could not use cameras or binoculars at the border. The Russians were extremely sensitive in those days.

Some of our passengers left the ship here to return home and we had new ones join. After a 3 hours 30 minutes layover, we headed bak to Bergen.

At Vardø, there was enough time to go and visit the Vardøhus festning - an old fort - and view the RADAR domes which point east. This town is actually further east than Istanbul!

Båtsfjord and Berlevåg were called at later that evening and we had some views of the Northern Lights.