Honningsvag, North Norway
21 July 2013
Tromso to Honningsvag by Wideroe aircraft. Arrive at Tromso airport (it’s a one X-ray unit type of airport) and am promptly pulled aside for a “random” check at the scanner. I’m always wary of “random” checks. I used to fly out of Birmingham airport every Monday morning for about 5 years and had a run of being pulled aside for “random” checks for some weeks, so much so that I became paranoid that somone was watching me on the CCTV and just doing it for the laugh – even the security guard knew what was in my pockets before he’d even frisked me (wallet and passport which I tend to keep on me in case any thieving whatsits decide to nip off with them whilst in the tray). Enter the departure lounge and two strides later I’ve seen it in its entirety.
Wideroe have a free seating policy so I imagine it’s going to be a bunfight like Ryanscare.
I’m 6’5″ so need the extra leg room. Wait in lounge and can hear the TV in the corner – it sounds like the Goon Show is on. Transpires it’s the Smurfs in Norwegian!
Take off and the steward starts the trolley service. Unpacks the trolley and sorts that out, pulls out the credit card machine, logs on and checks that, open up the cash wallet and checks that. It takes him about 5 mins. He then does the trolley service which lasts all of, ooh, 30 seconds to walk the 10ft long aisle and back before returning everything in place.
Quick 10min stopover at Hammerfest to unload/load passengers before landing at Honningsvag. It’s cold, wet, grey and miserable with very low cloud. The “terminal” is a wooden shed and baggage collection is a free for all from the trailer they’ve just pulled in from the aircraft. I ring the taxi company, “Yes, yes, yes, I’m on my way…” and taken to the hotel. As it’s perfectly obvious I won’t be seeing the midnight sun I opt for an afternoon trip which means not doing anything at unsociable hours as planned. All the books tell you it’s going to be really busy and book early to avoid disappointment etc as it’s high season so I’m hoping I can get that one last remaining seat on the bus to Nordkapp as I’ve left it so late…..the tourist office have a deal for NOK495 (£50….yes, everything is expensive in Norway) which includes bus fare home and entrance fee to Nordkapp. However, wait for it, I am a member of the Royal North Cape Club no less!! We drove here in 1998 and signed up then – it gives you free entry for life – so my bus ticket is only NOK240 (£24). Save, save, save!
Nordkapp bus departs 1515hrs so have a couple of hours to kill in Honningsvag which, like Tromso on a Saturday night, is all kicking off……
The bus pulls up and I’m first on. Hand my tourist office voucher to driver. He peers at it quizically and it all seems a bit too hard. Bearing in mind I’m on the only bus to Nordkapp he states, “It doesn’t say the destination”……WHAT?!? The awkward squad are in town. He huffs and he puffs when I say “Nordkapp..”. I’m given a proper ticket and take my seat waiting for the other 53 people to turn up as it’s so busy at this time of year. Clock ticks 1515hrs and the doors shut. Hang on a mo. It’s just me and the driver!?! He turns on the radio as we drive out of town. Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody starts playing and the driver starts getting jiggy with it, tapping his foot and nodding his head like Churchill. That starts me off and I start tapping and nodding to the music. So there we are. Just the two of us. Getting jiggy to the tune of Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s like a scene from Wayne’s World.
The cloud rolls in and visibility is down to 50ft in places. The Nordkapp centre eventually looms in the mist like a ghostly apparition and the driver pulls to a stop. He jokingly points in the direction of north and says “It’s there” – but all I can see is a wall of cloud.
The North Cape is marked by a monument so head over to that for the obligatory photo to celebrate the start of my Cape to Cape trip. The last time I came it was warm and sunny and we did see the midnight sun. Today is somewhat different – it’s 5C and wet (even though we came at about the same time – Jul-98).
There’s not a great deal to see or do so glad to catch the 1815hrs bus for the 35min drive back to Honningsvag.
Early night as I have to be up at 0430hrs for the 0510hrs bus to Rovaniemi…..a 12hr bus journey which I am not looking forward to!! I have set alarm on phone to go off every 5mins from 0430hrs to 0450hrs. Have hotel wake up call at 0430hrs & 0445hrs and told them to leave a note for the night porter to come banging on my door if I don’t answer the wake up. I have to get this bus or everything else will be out of sync!
Today’s “Touring Taurean’s Top Travel Tip”
When in the Honningsvag tourist office buying bus tickets to Nordkapp on the Boreal bus – tell them you’re a member of the Royal North Cape Club – you’ll save a fortune on entrance fees – they didn’t ask for proof of membership.
