We docked at this small port town of 10,000 inhabitants in splendid sunshine at 1 p.m. and almost immediately met our group for the hike up Mount Salen to the Mikkelgammen Sami Camp. The path was very steep in places and we were both overdressed. We were glad of our hiking poles. Once at the top we entered a Sami-style lodge with a sod roof. A large fire heated the room, the last thing we needed. There we sampled a selection of reindeer meat - boiled, salted, and smoked with bite of delicious bread and some smoked salmon. Not quite as good as Akira's, but close! The reindeer tasted a bit like elk. After that, we entered a typical Sami tepee-like structure with a sod roof. The inside had birch twigs covering the floor covered in reindeer skins with a central fire. A hole in the roof let the smoke escape and also served to deter the multitudes of mosquitoes. We sat down and a Sami man told us some of the history of the Sami people and sang us songs that had somehow managed to survive the coming of Christianity to Northern Norway. We found it all quite delightful.
As the town is very modern we came back to the ship rather than explore it. This city battles Honningsvaag for the title of the most northerly city in the world. It can get up to 9 metres of snow in the winter yet the port remains ice free because of the Gulf Stream. During the polar nights, the Northern Lights can be seen every other night.
Tonight we are getting dressed up to head to one of the specialty restaurants for dinner. Tomorrow the fashion show, and a cocktail party as we have our second sea day (Yeah!) on our way to Spitsbergen and our Rib Boat Adventure to Bird Island.
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