We are midway through the final portion of a two-week journey through Norway, sailing aboard the Havila Pollux from Alesund to Kirkenes, which is in the northernmost part of the country.

We left the Union Hotel in Oye on a bright sunny morning by a chartered boat, which took us on to Alesund. En route the charter captain, a handsome young man named Daniel, stopped at his family’s business, Christian Gaard. It’s a combination restaurant, conference center and performance space about midway up the fjord located at was once the family farm.

It was there I was able to capture the images above of Pat trying out their rope swing. The swing became a viral sensation some years ago when a visitor posted a picture on Instagram of a young woman in a flowing dress on the same swing. We merely recreated the scene, minus the flowing dress. Facebook users have already seen one of these images.

Have to say we’ve met some entrepreneurs on this trip. This place is only reachable by boat and as was the case in Kalvag, it’s a short summer season, but they seem to make the most of it.

Alesund is where we boarded our boat. The Havila Pollux is a coastal ferry with overnight accommodations. It runs from Bergen to Kirkenes, and back again. I know, we said earlier we weren’t that into cruises, but this one checks the important boxes for us. It’s a smaller boat, with a maximum of 500 overnight guests. It can also carry up to 200 short-term travelers. On this voyage there are only about 250 overnight passengers because it is still early in the summer season. Most appear to be Germans.

The vessel is new. It has two restaurants, a quick-service cafe, and two bars. The food has been good, but like elsewhere in Norway the drinks are expensive. The ship had been out of service for some repairs but came back online just in time for our voyage. Unlike a true cruise ship there is no casino and no staged entertainment, though the excursion staff will do so silly things on board. One was a ceremony that involved pouring ice down people’s backs to mark crossing the Artic Circle.

We paid up for a small suite with a balcony once we boarded, and we are happy we did. It’s a comfortable room with a separate seating area, and we love being able to sit out and watch the coast line. It’s actually nicer IMO than the last true cruise room we had on Regent as part of an Alaska trip in 2023 since the room offers views from every area, not just the balcony.

Let’s just say neither one of us has spent much time reading because the views are amazing. There are plenty of public spaces for those with interior rooms or no balcony, but the interior cabins are way too claustrophobic for my taste.

These ferries will make a number of quick stops to take on or let off the short-term, port-to-port passengers. That sometimes happens in the middle of the night, another change from the cruise experience. The coastal ferries can also deliver miscellaneous cargo. Another operator called Hurtigruten started these routes over 130 years ago, initially serving as a mail carrier that later took on passengers. I suspect neither company delivers much mail anymore.

Port calls tend to be pretty brief. The exception was when the boat docked in Alesund. It was in port from around 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., which was the day we boarded. We reached Alesund around noon, and after checking in had plenty of time to explore the town. It’s in some respects a smaller version of Bergen, but more enjoyable in our view. There was only one large cruise ship in town so the streets and cafes weren’t overrun.

We found the port area to be more pleasant than Bergen because of the smaller crowds. Alesund also seemed to do little things better. The cafes that ring the harbor have outdoor seating near or facing the water, unlike in Bergen. The observation viewpoint on a hill overlooking the town is reachable on foot, via a hop-on-hop-off tour bus, or tram. We walked. The 418 steps didn’t seem that daunting after our earlier trek near Oye.

Our next port of call where we could leave the ship was Trondheim, now Norway’s third largest city. Much of the growth, I suspect, is a result of the discovery of oil in the North Sea. We understand the city has three Michelin-starred restaurants, which is pretty amazing. There are only about 200,000 residents.

We were there on a Sunday afternoon when little was open, but the extended run of beautiful weather continued so we had a good stroll about town. The main tourist attraction is the Nidaros Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Olaf. The old section of town features cobblestone streets and colorful houses.

We’ve got a couple more ports to visit and are looking forward to seeing the midnight sun later in this trip, and also the famed Lofoten Islands. As I write this we are north of the Arctic Circle but it’s still in the low 60s Fahrenheit and sunny.