Hurtigruten - MS Trollfjord - Day 7

We arrived in Kirkenes at 10am. This is is as far as we will go; the place were we turn around.
Ee are only a few kilometres from the Russian border, and we would love to get even closer? A few of us got on a boat and sailed towards the border, others took the bus. The Norwegians here and the Russians are on very good terms and have been for centuries. The Russian trawlers over there might look worse for wear, but from the side, they looked a lot better. Rusty sterns go with the territory.

First we drove to the old mine at Bjørnvatn. Abandoned, for now at least.

It is really huge and everything used there is humongous.

When the municipal authorities were about to give up putting up new sheds at a certain bus stop, one of the miners had an idea. It was so good that they decided to give him 10.000 crowns for it. A lot of money at the time, but probably less than a new bus shed would cost every time the youngsters tore one down. The miner said that if anyone could tear this one down, he would give them the 10.000. Seeing as it weighs 14 tons, I think his money is safe.

Then to Storskogen where there is a border station. Not one of my best moments so I am not sharing that photograph. Back to the boat and we head back to Bergen.

In the afternoon we spent an hour in Vardø and I just made it around to the other side of the harbour to take a picture of this “bird-habitat”. On the other side, the house is bright red, not much paint left on this side. Keep in mind, that Vardø is in the arctic climate zone, not sub-arctic as the area round. So the winds from the ocean are probably pretty rough, and that side of the house faces the ocean.

Being so far north, you wouldn’t think people have their coffee outside, but they do. Maybe inspired by the fact that here, you are actually further east than Istanbul, 31°10´10”East to be exact.