Day 7 half way! Batsfjord/ Kirkenes to Berlevag

Krkenes, King crab capital of Norway! King crabs are an invasive species sadly and becoming quite a pest
I loved this 'slow down' sign!
I would have been interested in visiting the bunkers used during the war, but nobody was around to take the tour. They missed out on good takings!
I decided to head uphill to a lookout point above the city. What a great choice!
Wow, the view down to where our ship was anchored was sensational, made even more attractive by the lovely fluffy white cotton plants.(don't know real name)
Up there, among the rounded rocks, were moors, with pretty little pools among the cotton plants
You had to watch your step!
Then, nestled amongst the heather and grass, I found this gorgeous little orchid.
It was a fantastic place to explore. Quite unexpected after a rather negative first impression of Kirkenes.
Kirkenes playground was certainly innovative and exciting for kids, with its giant crab slide! 
Webade farewell to our final northbound stop and set sail back to Bergen. What an unbelievable trip it's been so far.
Our next stop was Vardo, where sadly we only had 40 minutes. There was a lot to see. 
The main attraction was the Vardohus fortress ( still used by the military today), and beside that, a monument to all the 91 people burnt alive because they were believed to be witches!
There was a  very pretty church overlooking both of the points of interest.
Not sure what this was, but I presume it’s something to do with either weather or defence?
One garden we passed was full of discarded forms of transport - these sledges for winter use
I’ve seen lots of puffins, my favourite bird species, but none big enough to photograph, except this one!

Close by the dock, hundreds of gulls had built intricate nests amongst the tyres, and were very busy feeding their chicks.

Off we went towards the bird island of Honoya
There were hundreds of cormorants, guillemot and I’m sure puffins! They were hiding.

The grand finale! Skies like I’ve never seen before.
Incredibly, on the other side of the ship there was no sign of the sunset. All blue!
Wat a tremendous evening it was. Spectacular!
Many were eating dinner and missed this truly amazing evening sky
As we left Vardo, with its wind turbines almost still, the sun was setting.
Breathtaking
Our final stop, this time with no ambulance, was Berlevag, with its fascinating breakwaters.
Another fabulous day full of wonderful sights and memories!




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