Adamskii's Photographic Trips - North East Travel Photographer

THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER BEEN ON A CRUISE - AND WE BOARDED THE BOUDICCA FROM THE TYNE DOCKS TO SAIL UP THE COAST OF NORWAY AND THEN UP INTO THE FROZEN NORTH TO THE SVALBARD ARCHIPELAGO.

THE SHIP ITSELF HELD A MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF 850 PEOPLE AND HAD 10 LIFEBOATS. I WAS SURPRISED HOW CALM THE SEAS WERE FOR THE NORTH SEA AND NORTH ATLANTIC.

THIS IS WHERE I SPENT A LOT OF MY TIME - LOOKING FOR EXCITING THINGS TO PHOTOGRAPH FROM THE FRONT OF THE BOAT. THERE WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CLIMATE AT THE FRONT AND THE BACK - HATS AND GLOVES AT THE FRONT AND T-SHIRT AND SHORTS AT THE BACK. STRANGE.

THERE WERE SEVERAL FORMAL NIGHTS DURING THE TRIP AND OUR FIRST ONE WAS JUST AS THE DRAMATIC NORWEGIAN COAST CAME INTO VIEW.

THIS WAS NEARING OUR FIRST PORT - THE BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL GEIRANGER FJORD.

WE MOTORED THROUGH THE VERY LONG, VERY DEEP FJORD PASSING DRAMATIC WATERFALLS AND SHEER CLIFFS.

THERE WERE SEVERAL PLACES WHERE BOATS HAD SIGNED THEIR GRAFITTI-LIKE NAMES ON THE ROCKS, DATING BACK TO THE TURN OF THE CENTURY (1900 NOT 2000!)

THIS WAS THE WATERFALL CALLED THE 7 SISTERS.

THE WATER WAS SO CALM THE ENTIRE TIME THAT THE REFLECTIONS OF THESE GULLS ARE AS SHARP AS THE BIRDS THEMSELVES.

ONCE THE BOUDICCA HAD MOORED IN THE BAY OF GEIRANGER - A FEW OF US JUMPED ONTO A RIB (RIGID INFLATABLE BOAT) AND HAD A LITTLE MOTOR UP THE FJORD AT WATER LEVEL.

AT THE MOUTH OF GEIRANGER FJORD WE SAW PORPOISE AND AS WE LOOKED BACK WE SAW THE FERRY - IT GIVES A SENSE OF SCALE TO THE SIZE OF GEIRANGER.

WE CAME CLOSE TO A WATERFALL CALLED 'THE SUITER' - OPPOSITE THE 7 SISTERS.

AS WE SAILED BACK OUT OF GEIRANGER BACK ON BOARD THE BOUDICCA WE PASSED THIS WATERFALL - LOOK AT THE TINY HILL FARM NEXT TO THE HUGE WATERFALL. THERE WAS NO WAY UP EXCEPT ROPES AND LADDERS.

AS WELL AS SEEING MORE PORPOISE, WE SAW THIS WHITE-TAILED SEA EAGLE - AND AS I FOLLOWED IT WITH MY 500MM LENS IT TOOK A SALMON OUT OF THE WATER THAT MUST HAVE BEEN A DECENT SIZE!

I LOVE THE REFLECTIONS IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH - GEIRANGER WAS AN AMAZING PLACE.

ONCE WE GOT BACK OUT INTO THE COASTAL WATERS OF NORWAY WE PASSED COUNTLESS MOUNTAINS AND ISLANDS - AND THE SEA BIRDS WERE STARTING TO GET EXCITING - THIS IS AN ARCTIC SKUA CHASING AN ARCTIC TERN WHICH HAS A SMALL FISH IN ITS MOUTH.

WE SPOTTED A NUMBER OF SEA EAGLES THAT DAY - HERE WAS ONE PERCHED HAPPILY ON A POST.

THIS MARKER SIGNALLED US PASSING INTO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE - THE CAPTAIN LET OFF THREE LOUD BLASTS OF THE FOG-HORN TOO.

IT WAS BLAZING SUNSHINE AND 21 DEGREES. WE DECIDED TO HAVE A SIT IN THE JACCUZZI, BUT WE PASSED THIS AMAZING GLACIER SO WE QUICKLY LEAPED OUT AND TOOK SOME PHOTOGRAPHS.

THERE WERE SOME PRETTY GOOD SUNSETS ALONG THE WAY.

THE FOLLOWING MORNING WE WERE TOLD TO BE UP EARLY TO SEE THE AMAZING TROLL FJORD. THIS WAS AN INCREDIBLY NARROW, DEEP FJORD - BARELY WIDE ENOUGH FOR THE BOUDICCA TO PASS THROUGH ITS NARROW ENTRANCE.

YOU CAN SEE HOW CLOSE THE CLIFFS WERE TO OUR SHIP. HE WAS A BRAVE CAPTAIN TO SHOW US THIS FJORD.

THE WATER WAS CLEAR AND YOU CAN SEE HOW DEEP THE FJORD WAS WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW SHARPLY THE ROCK DISAPPEARS.

AFTER THE TROLL FJORD WE ARRIVED AT OUR SECOND PORT IN A PLACE CALLED HONNINGSVAG. WE WERE TAKEN OFF AGAIN ON A RIB AND TAKEN ROUND INTO ANOTHER BAY WHERE THERE WAS A SETTLEMENT KNOWN AS THE 'VILLAGE OF THE DEAD' - THERE WAS NO WAY IN EXCEPT FOR A TINY LITTLE PATH WINDING UP THE MOUNTAINS BEHIND THIS BUILDING.

WE THEN WENT TO AN ICE BAR. -4 DEGREES. EVERYTHING WAS MADE FROM HUGE BLOCKS OF ARCTIC ICE.

EVEN THE SHOT GLASSES WERE MADE OUT OF ICE.

AND JUST BEFORE WE BOARDED THE SHIP TO MOVE ON WE FOUND THIS FANTASTIC LITTLE AUTHENTIC SAMI SHOP - THA SAMI PEOPLE ARE THE TRUE REINDEER HERDERS FROM THE MOUNTAINS SURROUNDING THIS PLACE.