Cruise to the North Cape (2018)

Leaving a trail after leaving the harbour of Copenhagen in Denmark. Having a cocktail on deck of the cruise ship 'Serenade of the Seas' is a great way to leave all worries behind us.

Enjoying the sunset on the cruise ship 'Serenade of the Seas' while sailing in the Kattegat near Denmark. We always try to be on deck if a sunset appears to be beautiful as the sight is never really boring to us.

Watching the ocean in our stateroom on board the cruise ship 'Serenade of the Seas' while sailing the Atlantic Ocean near Norway. Even though the ocean was pretty wild it certainly didn't feel like that inside.

Standing at the top of Mount Dalsnibba near to the town of Geiranger in Norway it's hard not to be amazed. So many pretty mountains all around us on this beautiful sunny day. So much snow still too, I even walked a bit in it.

So much snow still on Mount Dalsnibba near the town of Geiranger in Norway. Since it's already the beginning of June we suspected the snow will likely never really disappear here.

A good overview of all the hairpin curves we had to conquer coming up to Mount Dalsnibba near the town of Geiranger in Norway. And yes, we had to take them again going down!

Driving back down from Mount Dalsnibba we passed this icy lake called Djupvatnet near the town of Geiranger in Norway.

High up in the mountains surrounding the village of Geiranger in Norway is where the best views of the Geirangerfjord can be experienced, especially on a clear and sunny day like the one we had.

Walking next to the rapid stream coming from the Storfossen waterfall in the town of Geiranger, Norway. Impressive how the water is forcing itself through the rocks.

The force of water always has a great attraction to us. Walking along the strong rapids coming from the Storfossen waterfall was a great experience. It can easily be reached on foot from the village of Geiranger in Norway. Funny to see how a tree is trying to grow up here.

Back at the Geirangerfjord after spending a really lovely day in the town of Geiranger in Norway. It's time to leave Geiranger and we are looking forward to the wonders that await us while sailing the fjord back towards the ocean.

Immediately after leaving the village of Geiranger, sailing through the Geirangerfjord in Norway means passing a number of really gorgeous waterfalls. In the distance the Seven Sisters are already visible.

The Seven Sisters waterfall in the Geirangerfjord in Norway is truly beautiful to see. The 410-metre tall waterfall consists of seven separate streams, and the tallest of the seven has a free fall that measures 250 metres. The winds at the top blow the water away making it really special.

Enjoying the Bridal Veil waterfall in the Geirangerfjord in Norway. The water is coming from underneath the vegetation in various places looking like the mountain is leaking. It really does look like a bridal veil.

Leaving the most spectacular nature behind us while sailing through the Geirangerfjord in Norway. Our cruise ship 'Serenade of the Seas' was ready to sail towards the ocean to continue our way towards the North Cape.

The first town we visited on the cruise to the North Cape was Tromsø in Norway. When we arrived in the morning the weather was clouded and pretty dull. A few hours later however, it cleared up great which made the colourful buildings reflect nicely in the harbour.

Standing at the edge of the North Cape cliffs in Norway we stared over the Barents Sea in the direction of the North Pole, still 2.000 km away. The weather conditions were good enough to spot incoming rain so we could find some shelter in time.

Spectacular weather and views while walking around on the North Cape in Norway. It felt awesome to be here at this most northern part of continental Europe.

People gathering around the globe on the North Cape in Norway. To get a better overview we walked away from the main attraction to one of the other cliffs in the vicinity. With only 4 degrees Celcius, the weather was bearable. There was hardly any wind and the occasional rainshowers were short lived and passed quickly.

Sailing on the cruise ship 'Serenade of the Seas' and rounding the North Cape in Norway. This dark light as I call it made the Barents Sea almost look magical. Great experience.

We were glad to be comfortably standing on deck of the stable cruise ship 'Serenade of the Seas' while sailing on the Barents Sea rounding the North Cape. We would not have liked these stormy conditions on a much smaller boat like the one we saw here.

Back on the cruise ship again after our visit to the North Cape, We were surprised the captain informed us that we were going to sail north of the Cape so everyone could get a good view of the impressive cliff from the Barents Sea. It's a truly massive granite wall.

We had been in the town of Ålesund in Norway a few times before but it was really nice to return once again. It's always a joy to walk around and we love the Jugendstil architecture in this town. Climbing up the 120m high Aksla mountain is most rewarding as it gives an excellent view on the town below. It's only 418 steps!

While slowly sailing through the Aurlandsfjord in Norway on our way to the town of Flåm we admired the steep cliffs of the mountains. We loved this nameless waterfall that graciously dumped its water down into the fjord.

Tvindefossen in the county of Vestland in Norway is an amazing set of cascading waterfalls. Definitely worth a visit. We were first out of the tour bus that took us here so we had an unobstructed view of the falls.

Tvindefossen in the county of Vestland in Norway in full view. It's an impressive set of cascading falls. We were the first ones there and got an excellent view.

Our bus tour took us way up into the mountains to the Stalheim hotel in a cummuninity called Vossestrand in Norway. The hotel is the perfect place for an excellent view over the Naerøy valley. Nice place to have a coffee.

During the excursion to the Naerøy valley we had a short stop in the small village of Gudvangen in Norway. We were pretty taken by the many waterfalls coming down from the surrounding mountains.

Details of one of the waterfall in the mountains surrounding the village of Gudvangen in Norway.

This original viking ship is a true gem in the town of Gudvangen in Norway. It is extremely well preserved and its location at the end of Næøryfjord is well chosen. People are not allowed to sit in it but taking photos and posing next to it is allowed.

Many people in Norway have summer houses or cottages in other parts of the country, either to live there themselves or for renting out to visitors. These four identical sunny boathouses can be found in the harbour of the town of Flåm in Norway.

Great reflections of clouds in the Aurlandsfjord in Norway while sailing towards the ocean after having visited the town of Flåm. We could not leave this spectacular views and stayed on deck for quite a long time taking in this beautiful nature.

Spectacular view while sailing through the Aurlandsfjord in Norway. We had a beautiful day in the town of Flåm and this is the way to go towards the ocean. Wonderful weather and great reflections in the calm waters.

Spending the day in the city of Bergen in Norway. We decided on exploring the city centre all by ourself. Of course, looking at Bryggen, the historic trading houses at the harbour, was on the list of things to see. We also had a great lunch with the brother of our female friend living on the island of Gotland in Sweden.

Lying on deck of the cruise ship 'Serenade of the Seas' after we had left the harbour of Bergen in Norway. I loved looking at the ocean reflected in the ship's bridge.

About an hour after we left the city of Bergen in Norway we reached the ocean. The wild ocean looked awesome in the early evening sunshine.