Kirkenes – the Russian Border

Dinner last night was an experience. The restaurant is located at the rear of the ship on deck 4. And from about 8 o'clock it was really stormy outside. It feels like intense turbulence in an airplane, so bad that the captain then says 'everyone sit down and fasten their seat belts', but here the captain says that no one is allowed on deck anymore, and the soup is simply served. Place glasses as much as possible on the rubber placemat on your table so that nothing slips off the table when we catch another wave. It was significantly quieter than usual in the restaurant and the service served the 3 courses quickly. Despite this bumpy ride, we slept wonderfully. This morning we got up early again because we went on an excursion to the snow hotel. But first go onto the deck and enjoy the view at -17 degrees (wind chill -27 degrees). The deck was still quite slippery in some places and the splashing seawater caused quite a few ice deposits and icicles. The wind just hurts your face, so the turtleneck goes up. The only disadvantage is that the glasses then fog up and freeze. Could someone have already invented heated glasses? Upon arrival in Kirkenes, immediately disembark and board the bus. In Norway you also have to wear a seat belt on the bus and believe me that is not easy if you are wearing North Pole gear. It does make you feel warm. On the way to the snow hotel we get some local information. For example, the border with Russia is not far away and Norwegians and Russians who lived within 30 km of the border could travel without a visa. Since the war with Ukraine, relations have cooled somewhat. Kirkenes grew up because of its iron ore mines, but these have now closed. Nowadays tourism is very important, especially the Hurtigruten boats that dock here. Another fun fact is that Kirkenes is a three-country point, in Finland it is 1 hour later and in Russia it is 2 hours later. So you can walk around in 3 different time zones. When we arrive at the snow hotel, we first go to see the Huskies. There are more than 150. The husky dogs are used for the sleigh rides they offer. The dogs share a cage and always want to run. They are trained to run a distance of 28-30 km. The snow hotel can be booked 365 days a year, even if it is 25 degrees outside in summer. It is always -4 degrees inside. They make their own snow to maintain the hotel and the route of the snowmobile tours. The snow hotel has 13 rooms and an ice bar. Santa Claus also regularly stays here. On site you can also book cabins with large windows so you can see the northern lights and a whole range of outdoor activities. Once back on the boat we could immediately sit down for lunch and then take a short nap. Kirkenes has an airport, which is why some of the guests disembarked here and new travelers have also arrived. As soon as they were on board, we left again. Kirkenes is the turning point of our journey so we are on the way back south. We will soon be back on the Barents Sea with hopefully less wind than yesterday so that we can go on deck for the northern lights.