Day 3
We are beginning to find the rhythm of life on the Havila Capella. In the dead of night, at 2:45am, we made a fleeting 15-minute call at Kristiansund, but we remained in a deep slumber, not even stirring for a peek out the window. By 8:45am, however, we’ree wide awake to cross paths with one of our sister ships, the Havila Pollux.
In a classic coastal tradition, both ships let out a thunderous blast of their horns while passengers wave enthusiastically across the water. We learned that this salute happens whenever we pass a fellow Havila or Hurtigruten ship on the Coastal Express route. It’s a rare treat however as we soon realised just how solitary this 2,500-mile journey is, with very few other vessels breaking the horizon.
By the time we finished breakfast, the landscape had shifted again as our destination came into view. We passed the low, circular silhouette of Munkholmen Island, a site that has worn many hats throughout Norway’s history. It began as a grisly Viking execution ground where the heads of enemies were displayed on stakes, transformed into a tranquil medieval Benedictine monastery, and was eventually fortified into a high-security prison—often referred to as the “Alcatraz of the North.”
At 9:45am, we glide into the harbour of Trondheim, Norway’s third largest town after Oslo and Bergen with a population of around 200,000. With a three-hour window before our departure, we wasted no time heading straight for the heart of the city. We opt for a self-guided walk rather than a formal sightseeing, city walk, vintage tram tour or a boat trip. It’s chilly with a dusting of snow on the ground; this is the way of the world now, and we’re getting used to the ritual of donning thermals and multiple layers every time we venture out.
We head for the impressive Nidaros Cathedral. This Gothic masterpiece, built over the burial site of Saint Olav, is the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world. It took almost 300 years to complete and restorations and repairs continue daily. In the soft grey November light, the intricate carvings on its west front stand out.
We walk from the cathedral toward the Gamle Bybro—the Old Town Bridge. Built in 1861, this iconic red wooden structure is often called the “Portal of Happiness”. Standing on the bridge we have the perfect vantage point to admire the famous colourful wooden warehouses lining the banks of the River Nidelva. These stilted buildings, reflected in the dark, cold water, looked particularly striking against the moody winter sky.
Our exploration of the town was interesting, and as we turned back toward the ship, the leaden sky began to spill flurries of snow. Near the quay, we paused at the statue of Leiv Eiriksson, the Norse explorer who struck out from Trondheim in the year 1000 for the unknown. He reached North America nearly five centuries before Columbus. It was a humbling moment; as we prepared to step back onto our state-of-the-art vessel, we couldn’t help but marvel at the courage it took to point a wooden prow toward an undiscovered continent with nothing but the stars to guide him.
Back on board and warmed up by another delicious lunch, we spend the afternoon watching as we sail back out of the Trondheimsfjord headed for our next stop Rorvik. The scale of the water here is immense. The “quiet revolution” of the Capella means we can enjoy the view without the constant thrum of a heavy engine. The landscape is the absolute star of this voyage. When we were in Zimbabwe in 2022, our guide, Rimson, used to say that “African TV” was sitting around a fire and taking in your surroundings—changing the channel was simply adding another log. We’ve discovered the Norwegian equivalent as we lounge in our cabin and watch the pristine landscape glide beautifully by.
We have a dedicated channel on our cabin TV to keep us informed. It’s our daily oracle for arrival and departure times, points of interest, and the schedule for lectures and events—everything from viking history, wine tasting to the art of making gravlax. This afternoon’s highlight is sailing past the Kjeungskjær Lighthouse. Perched dramatically on a tiny skerry at the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord, this bright red, octagonal tower is arguably Norway’s most picture-perfect seamark. Having guided mariners safely since 1880, this iconic ‘red jewel of the sea’ stands solitary against the rugged coastal landscape, offering a striking symbol of the Trøndelag region’s maritime history.
It’s staggering to think that along Norway’s 100,000 kilometres of coastline, there are over 2,000 of these beacons. The first was built back in 1655, and lighthouses remained inhabited workplaces until as recently as 2006, when the very last one was finally automated. We spend the remainder of the afternoon chilling in our cabin, watching the scenery slide by like a silent movie, with the occasional dash out onto the deck to capture a few more photos. The pristine landscape is simply stunning.
At 7:00pm, the announcement we’ve been waiting for finally comes: the Northern Lights are visible. We scramble into our layers and rush out on deck ready to witness the ethereal Aurora Borealis. It takes time for our eyes to adjust and even longer to fumble with my camera and Brownie’s phone to even see the Lights. It’s bloody freezing, and adjusting camera settings with gloves on is near impossible. We look on enviously as nearby passengers gleefully capture dancing green lights while we struggle on with black screens aaaarggh. This could be our only sighting, the pressure was on! Eventually, we muddle through and manage a couple of blurry green images each. Funnily enough it turns out, capturing moving lights from a moving ship is no easy feat. But perfection doesn’t matter; this is what we’ve came for, and to see those dancing lights float in front of us is absolutely magical. A true ‘pinch-me’ moment that makes every frozen finger and fumbled camera setting worth it.
Thawed by several warming glasses of red we enjoy another fabulous albeit late meal. We make our final stop of the day at Rørvik. The town lies at the end of a historically notorious stretch of open sea known as Folda. With its treacherous waters and hidden reefs, Folda has claimed many lives over the centuries, earning the chilling moniker ‘the cemetery of the sea.’ Fortunately, as we glide through the dark, the state-of-the-art navigational equipment of the Capella ensures our passage is far more serene than those of the mariners who came before us. It’s a quick 20-minute turnaround—just enough time to step out onto the deck and feel the sharpening bite of the near-Arctic air and observe the small dock. By 10:00pm, we’re back on the open sea, the lights of the town fading as we point our bow further north.
As prepare for bed around 11:15pm, another announcement informs us that the Northern Lights were back on the starboard side. Brownie declines the invite to join me on the frozen deck—it’s minus 5, after all! I waddle out as the ice crunches on the deck, so bundled in layers I can barely move, and set up my tripod. And wow, what a show which I have virtually to myself. Clear images are still a work in progress, but the experience of the Northern Lights dancing alongside the ship as we continue our journey north is truly truly magical.
As if today hasn’t been exciting enough, tomorrow, we’re due cross the Arctic Circle. The excitement is building; we are officially entering the land of the Polar Night oh and the Northern Lights. Guess they just couldn’t wait for us to get there!!
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