Gerard M. Foley

Travel & Photography Collection

Norwegian Coastal Express

My late wife Ruth and I had talked about taking the Coastal Express cruise from Bergen, Norway, around the North Cape many times, but we never found the opportunity to do it.

One of fourteen ships leaves Bergen daily, stopping every few hours to provide important local transportation along the coast of Norway.

All the pictures were taken with an Olympus C2020Z digital camera. Autostitch and ICE generated the panoramas.

Paul Kerrien also made this voyage, and has some beautiful pictures at l'express-côtier


In September, 2000, I flew alone from Newark, NJ, USA to Oslo.







Scandinavia Hotel
Scandinavia Hotel
Neighborhood near Scandinavia Hotel
Neighborhood near Scandinavia Hotel

I took the train west from Oslo to the city of Bergen, Norway's second largest.

Rural Station
Rural Station



Awaiting a connecting train
Awaiting a connecting train

Snows of Yesteryear
Snows of Yesteryear
Hikers and Skiers
Hikers and Skiers


In Bergen, I spent some time before boarding the Hurtigruten (Coastal Express) ship Polarlys.



Norway has hundreds of beautiful bridges
Norway has hundreds of beautiful bridges
Oil Rigs at Night
Oil Rigs at Night
Not the last beautiful sunrise
Not the last beautiful sunrise
Loading at Alesund dock
Loading at Alesund dock


An Alesund troll
An Alesund troll








Alesund on our return
Alesund on our return
Molde
Molde

My ship, Polarlys
My ship, Polarlys
At Trondheim Richard With
At Trondheim Richard With
Trondheim
Trondheim
Ringve Museum of Musical Instruments (no photos allowed inside)
Ringve Museum of Musical Instruments (no photos allowed inside)

Outside the Ringve Museum, are 32 acres of botanical gardens.









A shore excursion took us to one of Engabreen glacier, an outlet of the glacier Svartisen.

Many small ferries ply the fjords
Many small ferries ply the fjords
Fish Farm
Fish Farm
On smaller boat to see glacier
On smaller boat to see glacier

Svartisen Glacier
Svartisen Glacier


Animals of the region (stuffed)
Animals of the region (stuffed)
A fellow tourist took my picture
A fellow tourist took my picture
Closer to Svartisen
Closer to Svartisen
Bridge near Bodo
Bridge near Bodo
Whirlpools near Bodo
Whirlpools near Bodo

Stamsund dock from Polarlys
Stamsund dock from Polarlys
Dining Saloon Polarlys
Dining Saloon Polarlys


Another stop was Tromsø, home to the worlds most Northern cathedral.

Church at Tromso
Church at Tromso
Inside Cathedral of the North, Tromsoe
Inside Cathedral of the North, Tromsoe






The moon showed through the first break in the clouds of the voyage
The moon showed through the first break in the clouds of the voyage
Skjervoy at Night
Skjervoy at Night
Westeralen sailing to Bergen
Westeralen sailing to Bergen
One of Polarlys's lounges
One of Polarlys's lounges


Model of earlier Coastal Express
Model of earlier Coastal Express
Russian Border, Kirkenes
Russian Border, Kirkenes
Signs in Russian
Signs in Russian

At the Russian Border at Kirkenes Polarlys starts her return to Bergen.

Kirkenes
Kirkenes
Iron Mine, Kirkenes
Iron Mine, Kirkenes
Loading cargo
Loading cargo



Oksfjord
Oksfjord

Passing by Oksfjord, Norway
Passing by Oksfjord, Norway


Harstad
Harstad



The channel is very narrow here
The channel is very narrow here

At work widening channel
At work widening channel
The mouth of Trollsfjord
The mouth of Trollsfjord
Trollsfjord is only 100m wide where it joins the Raftsund
Trollsfjord is only 100m wide where it joins the Raftsund
From deck of Polarlys
From deck of Polarlys


It widens to a circular cul-de-sac, 800m across, where we turn
It widens to a circular cul-de-sac, 800m across, where we turn

Leaving Trollsfjord
Leaving Trollsfjord

Brønnøysund Telegrafen
Brønnøysund Telegrafen

Brønnøysund local ferry
Brønnøysund local ferry


Aboard Polarlys
Aboard Polarlys

Kristiansund
Kristiansund


After eleven days we return to Bergen
After eleven days we return to Bergen










A crowd of teenagers rushed aboard for a cruise
A crowd of teenagers rushed aboard for a cruise

Near the Bergen docks
Near the Bergen docks


Fresh catch
Fresh catch














Last picture of Europe
Last picture of Europe
First of America
First of America