….home again, cross the sea…..love the song and all that but after 3 days going round my head I wouldn’t mind a change. Mind you the lyrics do include the phrase to be free – very apt!

Yesterday was one of those days when its good to be alive and out on the sea, it was just perfect – blue sky, blue sea, white clouds, steaming along in between the islands and fjords – the landscape of Norway does not disappoint. When we meet a sister Hurtigruten ship going the other way there is a joyful hooting exchange. There was one island completely covered in trees – haven’t seen many of them in weeks.

The Nordlys is extremely well designed – every sort of seat just where you want it to gaze at the sea, or if you feel like standing to look out of the picture windows there’s a handy rail to lean on. There are lifts – and much used. In the main the clientele are people who use lifts. And take full advantage of the copious quantities of (excellent) food…..sometimes I come across one struggling up the stairs and looking as though they would do well to do a bit more of that and a lot less in the restaurant….. There’s a bunch of Americans on board. Now, of course Americans are NOT all like this, and there are other nationalities that do this….but its the ones that are like this that you notice – why are they so LOUD? One woman pushed her way past and in between the chairs all occupied by quiet people just looking at the view, her phone on handsfree, having a loud skype call and shouting constantly “can you SEE the mOUN’ns?” as she worked her way round, holding her phone in front of each of us, up against the picture windows at the front of the ship.

I’ve been spending the odd half hour on the treadmill, well, all that excellent food is hard to resist!

Today its the famous Lofoten Islands, we weave our way between them all day. Its misty and atmospheric. You can go on excursions to do things like small boat rides or horse rides – it means paying £2 or £300 to be bussed somewhere, processed and led on an hour’s activity geared for the type of people described above before being brought back to the ship a couple of hours later at the next port of call. These excursions usually include (more) food and a trip to a museum and you miss the joy of just quietly sailing through this amazing place. No thanks! I’ll have my feet up, my eyes gazing out to sea and my earplugs in!!!!