Hurtigruten Museum in Stokmarknes

 November 13, 2023

When traveling the coast of Norway with Hurtigruten, there are lazy days where one never sets foot on shore.  Sunday, November 13 was not one of those.  Shortly after climbing aboard the Richard With in Sortland, after the Taste of Vesteralen, we arrived in Stokmarknes, birthplace of the Hurtigruten company.  This town is the home of the Museum of the Coastal Express.  Here we would dock for exactly one hour.  To save a bit of time, I purchased my ticket aboard the ship.  The museum entrance was mere steps from the dock.  Still, there was insufficient time to do justice to this museum.  

Like a ship in a bottle, the MS Finnmarken is the primary display piece at this museum.  The dream child of Richard With, the Finnmarken was constructed in 1956, and ran the Coastal Express route until 1993.  For 37 years she plied the waters, ferrying passengers and goods all the way up the coast and back, deftly threading through the islands and skerries. 

The ship's living areas were beautifully appointed, like the finest parlor of the day.

Skilled finish carpentry was highlighted by the use of exotic hardwoods on railings, furniture and walls.

Cabins, for both passengers and the majority of the crew were adequate, but not at all luxurious.  Function triumphed over form here.

The kitchen appeared to be well equipped to turn out the basic meals listed on the posted menu.

As in the MS Finnmarken's modern counterparts, there were many comfortable places to while away the hours as the spectacular Norway coastline slipped past the windows.

The captain, as well as some of the other higher ranking crew members, enjoyed more well appointed cabins.  Though far from plush, hardwoods and interesting textiles replaced cold metal, and colorful walls replaced sterile white.

No computer monitors here, but all the equipment needed to track a safe route up and down the coast of Norway in all kinds of weather.

Posted placards clearly laid out the tasks and responsibilities of each crew member.  As the MS Finnmarken ferried both passengers, it was both a delivery vessel and hotel.  There were many hands on deck, and things got very busy when they docked, as there were goods to load and unload.  

Even the outside stairs and deck were crafted with beautiful wood.  On the modern ships they use heavy coats of highly textured paint to prevent slipping in wet or icy conditions. 

Off the ship, in other areas of the museum, there were interesting displays about lighthouses through the years, as well as their keepers.  Since I was short of time, I was only able quickly peruse that area.

Walking around the ship, surrounded as she was, by a glass and beamed enclosure, I felt I had been shrunk, and been popped through the bottle opening to explore.

Accustomed to seeing only the portion of the ship above the waterline, it was fascinating to see the huge hull, rudder and propeller.

It was a quiet tour, with only a few of us participating, but before heading back to our ship I exchanged photo-taking with another passenger. The big brass propeller provided a perfect photo op to showcase the size of the ship.

Taste of Vesteralen, Part Three, Return to the Ship

 November 13, 2022

Under heavy clouds we said farewell to all things Viking and boarded the bus.  We rolled through the countryside, along the fjords, and crossed from island to island on bridges.

The Vesteralen region is a archipelago just north of the famed Lofoten Islands.  They probably were not seen at their best with the heavy cloud cover, but were beautiful nonetheless.  Here the bus had pulled off the road near a bridge, so we could walk across to take some photos without the reflections, grime and blur of the bus windows.  Though nearer noon than nine, the sun was not far up the horizon, but did add a pretty glow when the clouds shifted.

At one point we came to a stretch of water where there was no bridge, so we took a passenger ferry across.  It took less than an hour, but that was long enough for us to de-board and enjoy some coffee and snacks in their little café area. We were seated in six-person booths.  With the tables preset for the precise number of passengers, we were all packed in, in no particular order.  I was enjoying a sampling of lefse, rolled around a bit of sweetened cream cheese.  The only American at the table, I was abruptly asked a political question.  I thought briefly, and then said, "since we are all squished in here, and will be spending several more days on a rather small ship, I think it would make more sense to talk about the weather or something."  That was the end of that.  

Back on the road, we trundled along.  The early tour departure had left me sleepy, bringing back memories of riding on the berry bus to Tsugawa's field as a child. 

At another photo stop in a scenic area, Josephine, who I'd helped up off the ice, suggested we take each other's photos. 

On the home stretch, the bus paused a while on a bridge.  And then, gliding towards us was our beautiful ship.  It was raining, so the windows were challenging to photograph through.  A handful of our shipmates were on deck 5 to wave.

Soon after they passed beneath us, we parked at the dock in Sortland, where the MS Richard With was just gliding in.