HAMMERFEST, NORWAY

          Our position today.  Hammerfest not on map but is red circle with arrow just below Honningsvag

Background Info:

        Located on the northwestern corner of Norway, Hammerfest is the administrative center for a municipality that is composed of three large islands and several smaller ones.  Only the island of Kvaloya, on which Hammerfest is located, has a bridge connecting it to mainland Norway.  Hammerfest has a population of just over 10,000 and has similar weather as does Anchorage, Alaska.  It does, however, experience heavy snowfall during winter.  As with our past two ports of call, during summer there is continuous daylight for two months, while during winter, the sun does not rise above the horizon for two months.  How weird is that?? 

        The construction of a large liquefied natural gas site on the island of Melkoya, just off Hammerfest, has resulted in a huge economic boom and new optimism.  The natural gas processing plant is the most expensive construction project in history of Northern Norway.  Hammerfest offers sport and commercial fishing both sea and freshwater, as well as scuba diving.  It is also the starting point for many northern tours.

        A very interesting note:  During the summer, massive reindeer herds migrate from their winter pastures inland out to the coast.  For many years up to 3,000 reindeer have been coming into the town itself, wandering the streets and among the houses.  Although a popular site for tourists, the town’s people complain of traffic disturbances, reindeer poop, and urine smell left by the animals.  So a 12 mile fence was built around the town but has proven ineffective in keeping the reindeer out.  We did not see this fence but did see many "snow" fences to help keep snow out of city.  Although contested, they call Hammerfest the furthest north city in the world.  To be a "city" it has to have a population of over 5,000 and the other towns north of here are less than the 5,000.
        We found Hammerfest to be a very lovely place with colorful buildings and homes.  As we have found with the other Norway cites, it was spotlessly clean.  Quite the opposite of our Russia visit yesterday.
        Our guide said that all but 160 of Hammerfest's 10,000 population had jobs.  The oil and gas (liquidified gas) industry employs over 1,000.  They estimate that the oil fields offshore will be producing oil and gas for more than 40 additional years so this is huge boom for the city.  Fishing is the number two economy driver with tourism increasing yearly.  Our guide said that the local people were all happy to live here.  In the downtown area the sidewalks are heated during the winter snow falls so people can do their shopping more easily.
        Back to our ship life--They turn La Veranda, the breakfast and lunch time buffet restaurant, into an Italian restaurant called Sette Mari for an additional dining option in the evening.  It has a more casual dress requirement for those who like that style.  We dined there last night and really enjoyed it.  Following dinner we went to the theater for a show featuring Stephanie Benton, the female vocalist with the Jean Ann Ryan production company on board.  She was excellent.  

           Our "filling station" yesterday in Murmansk.  I refueling ship was pumping fuel oil all day.

                     Charlotte and Jane outside of Horizon Lounge as we sailed out of Murmansk

                              Sailing along north of Norway in deep blue Arctic Ocean this morning

                                                            Cruising is not easy!!!

               Regent has some new balcony furniture.  Very comfortable but a little too big for space.

                                             Sailing into Hammerfest at noon today

                                             In bus on way up to visit a Sami village.

                          We are at a Sami camp to see how these reindeer herders use to live.

This is a larger than normal Sami home that was built as a small restaurant for tourist is taste reindeer meats.

                         The homes were built with dirt on sides and top for insulating purposes.

                                  Inside there was fire pit in center (which was normal).

                                           Birch wood was used in the construction

     We tasted 3 kinds of reindeer:  smoked, boiled, and dried.  Very lean and kind of tasteless.

                                             The reindeer we tasted with some Sami bread

                                                   Girls sitting under a reindeer skin

                                                                 Their fire pit

                                                   Sami woman serving coffee    

 This is the typical Sami home from past.  One room with fire pit in center and no chimney.  The smoke just goes up and out hole in center of roof.  It was very smokey inside.  They sat of twigs covered with reindeer skins.  That is a snow fence beside it.

              Once again, the home was covered with dirt to help insulate it from harsh winters.

                                                    What the inside looks like.

                       Near the Sami camp was a great view point overlooking the city and our ship.

                                                  Some of the houses in town.