Sunny Skies, Smooth Seas Welcome Us to the Top of the World

Days 6-8, 2025 European Odyssey

Friday-Sunday, July 4-6, 2025; Honningsvag, Hammerfest and Alta, Norway.

Years ago some guys in a bar in Breckenridge, Colo., asked me where my condo was, and I said, “at the end of the circle.” They proceeded to argue that a circle has no end.

I thought of that while at the bluff at Norway’s Nordkapp, or north cape. It is the northernmost point in mainland Europe, and to some it is the “Top of the World.” But does a globe have a top? And is top measured by our created systems of longitude and latitude? Or perhaps by the distance from the Earth’s core?

If it is not the top of the world, this is the northernmost end of the road in Europe. Somewhat like Ushuaia, Argentina, is the southern end of the Pan American Highway.

Not being greatly concerned about picky details, I simply enjoyed the beautiful day. Fog can be common here, and we are lucky. I stood at the base of the same Globe monument that I photographed from afar in 2023, when we simply sailed by without stopping, and made a quick sketch.

A 45-minute bus transfer from Honningsvag along a two-lane highway took us to the Nordkapp. We passed some reindeer that still had their velvet antlers, and I learned they are the same species as caribou in the Rocky Mountains – just a different name. Small colorful homes dot the inlets. Occasionally we passed an adventurous bicyclist.

My tour included entry to the welcome center at Nordkapp, with its museum, gift shop, restaurant and toilets. There are several monuments on the bluff. With a little more than two hours to explore, I still had time to enjoy a snack and drink in the restaurant.

Land of the midnight sun sounds cliché-ish, but it’s true. We will have daylight for several days and nights.

So at 10 p.m. we easily saw the Globe on the bluff as we sailed from the Barent Sea into the Norwegian Sea. According to my smartphone, I actually hit a new personal best for northernmost travel. My latitude of 71.18 degrees north just beat the 71.16 degrees of 2023.

On Saturday we docked right in the center of Hammerfest. It’s early in the season, (many local businesses open on July 10) but there was plenty to see while walking around. More than a dozen food trucks attracted both locals and tourists. It seemed one of the more popular shore excursions was the opportunity to hike with local dogs.

My 2023 Hammerfest blog post shows I completed three watercolor paintings here. I think I sketched and painted more with a sketchbook (this year I brought a watercolor pad). I walked past the church again, but didn’t make it to the outskirts to see the Struve Geodetic Arc.

I did stop by the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society, which I missed last time. It’s really not that ancient, having been established in 1963. But it is a clever marketing concept. Around 300,000 people have joined, which you can only do in person. I think membership is around $30 or $40, and gives you a lapel pin, membership card, certificate and sticker. Even non-members can enjoy the small display and shop for locally made souvenirs.

Our third northern Norway port was Alta, with its unusual Northern Lights Cathedral. Unfortunately, once again we visited on a Sunday when little was open. I think many passengers stayed on the ship, as going to town involved a tender ride and at least 30 minutes in the shuttle bus line (both ways). I was glad I made the effort, if just to enjoy the sun while sketching the cathedral again.

Next we will have two sea days as we head west to Iceland. We’ve been blessed with amazingly smooth seas. All the better for watching Formula 1 racing on the big screen on the Lido Deck.