In search of the Northern Lights

Thursday was departure day and of course I forgot somethng - specifically the notes so that I could write up the BCWAC meeting of Wed evening.
Dudley was collected and I got the bus to Cardiff and had an unsatisfactory Subway lunch before getting the train and bus to Heathrow. Also forgot a plastic bottle but someone had left one lying around so I was able to slake my thirst.
Thought I had forgotten my foreign Credit Card so paid for bus to hotel on Nationwide. It will be interesting to see the difference as I found it and paid for the trip back to the Airport on the Halifax.
Restless night - eventually got to sleep with phone playing tunes.

Friday

Woken at 5am by the telly, as I had messed up setting that alarm. Shower, breakfast - didn't really take advantage. Back to airport and usual hassles, at least the gate was quiet and I got on the plane early and didn't have to struggle to get to my seat down the back.
The bus was waiting and took us to the port very efficiently and, unlike the airport we strolled on board.
  Lunch was fun finding a table and we are allocated seating for dinner. Boat is very intimate. Retreated to cabin for a siesta and when I got up it was dark, 4pm back to winter.
Saturday
I don't remember. We must have visited Hammerfest. The most northerly town, and the most
destroyed. Visited the museum. Most impressed by their display of mangles - reminded me of
mother doing the washing in the 1960's.

Sunday
Is today. The Dawn or morning light as we left Harstad was beautiful. Called on Stokmarknes, I think there was a dredged channel to get in - but it wasn't impressive. Visited the Museum dedicated to the Hurtigruten Fleet. We only had an hour, which was enough I guess. The scenery
around dusk was spectacular, as we threaded our way through a narrow, winding channel with snow covered mountains on each side. Then the snow came in and we cancelled a visit to a famous steep sided Fjord.

I skipped dinner and dedicated myself to sorting out travel to Villamora. Seems I will be home for less than a week before I am off again.

Monday
Stayed upto see Bodo. The place where we disembarked in 1972. 2.30am. Nothing looked familiar.
Morning shower and loos were occupied, I had to go upstairs. Weather was showers.

Radio 4 programmes seem to whiz through - half hours pass very rapidly, but I am getting Cabin
Fever. or is it.Boat Fever. Sit upstairs and watch the scenery go by.
We left the  Arctic Circle today - I have the photos - no photos of the mountain with a hole in
it as it was getting dark but it was also very dull.

Seems tonight was a special dinner - I guess we will lose some guests at Trondheim. I didn't attend, Lunchtime dessert was superb - I had all four - Chocolate Mousse base, Ice cream on top surrounded by strawberries and raspberries and topped with surprise tart. With a fish starter the middle course of pasta and veggy stuff was dissapointing. I do like the potato salad. On top of a 3 course breakfast I don't need to eat.

I guess I had better not mention my failure to notice the arrival time in Bergen and the need to purchase a new ticket back to Oslo.