Goldie Bear ventures into the Arctic Circle

It has been an exciting day for Goldie Bear. The boat we are on the MS Nordkapp crossed into the Arctic Circle at 7.58am this morning Norwegian time (that would have been just after tea time in NZ) and the crew on the boat put on a special celebration. Cromwell sits at 45 degrees South. Bodo where we visited today sits at 67 degrees North.

It is pretty cold this far North and there is snow on the mountains as we go through the fjords. You can see that we are in warm coats and hats. Goldies fur is keeping his head and ears warm, he has lost his polar fleece hat. Maybe we need to find him a special new hat to remember this adventure. Goldie met Mark at the celebration. He is a school custodian from Idaho in the United States of America. Custodian is what the Americans call their caretakers. Goldie thinks that Ray and Mark would get on really well.

The Arctic celebration included getting ice poured down your back by the Norse god of the sea Njord. It made us shiver!

Goldie got to meet the captain of the boat.

He also got to celebrate with Njord!

Trains, boats and Bergen

Goldie loved being in Oslo and exploring the city. Next it was time to take a train to Bergen. Norway's second largest city.

Bergen is very pretty with lots of little alleways and old buildings. The weather was pretty wet so Goldie stayed tucked up in Mrs Harrison's handbag but he did meet some characters - a polar bear (stuffed), rubber duckies and a troll!

He had a good look at the city before getting on the Hurtigruten boat MS Nordkapp that will take us to Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands.

He is enjoying looking out the window on the boat and lazing on the comfy bed. He's off on a hike later today.

Goldie Bear in Scandinavia

Goldie Bear has been in London with Miss Jolly since the beginning of this year in her Year 4 class in London. He was ready for another adventure so I picked him up from Miss Jolly and he is joining me travelling in Norway and Finland.

He has had his first day in Norway today in the capital city Oslo. Beginning with a visit to the Palace to see if the king would let him come in and say hello. Nobody answered the door.

So he took a look around the palace grounds and visited the special sculpture garden designed by Norwegian school children to check out the sculptures.

Maybe we need to design a sculpture park for Goldfields.