Honningsvåg & Nordkapp (North Cape)
Sunday, 30 July 2023
Our day began very early. At around 02:45 we were awoken by a helicopter responding to a medical emergency. The Venus does not have a helipad so it had to hover above the ship for around an hour. One has to admire the skill of the pilot and ship’s bridge-officers. A helicopter hovering just 2 decks above your cabin - seriously loud. It departed just before 04:00. Timing was fortunate. At 3am it was clear, bright and overcast. By 6am thick, very thick fog had descended. We have been given no details of the exact emergency or its outcome.
When we arrived in Honningsvåg, around 8am, the fog had become more like something from a Stephen King novel. We set off on our drive to Nordkapp, as far north as you can go on mainland Europe. There wasn’t much to be seen en route, even if we could have seen it. We did glimpse a few reindeer which quickly ran off.
There isn’t a lot in Nordkapp. A souvenir shop and café and a globe marking the latitude. It’s a box to be ticked, a place to have been. However, we have been there… who would have imagined?
After being awake so early, an afternoon dozing in a nice, dry, warm cabin, ticked all the remaining boxes!