Kirkenes
Our tour guide to the Snow Hotel had a dry, droll sense of humor. She said the proper English pronunciation of Kirkenes is Chicken Ass. I must admit she is correct. So here we are at Chicken Ass, Norway.
We drove past an indoor football field, soccer to us in the U.S., past a high school and kindergarten school, past the town’s ski jump, past Kirkenes’ local corss country Olympic champion’s house, past three frozen lakes, past a fjord and on to Norway’s Snow Hotel.
The reindeer greet guests first in their fenced in area to the left of the Snow Hotel Entrance. Gavin, my nephew’s son’s on-line name is GabbaGabba. He’ll be surprised that his name means “white reindeer white reindeer” in Sami.
Gabba
Here are a few videos of the Sami Reindeer at the Snow Hotel, Kirkenes Norway
Kirkenes Snow Hotel
The Hurtigruten excursion brochure does not do justice to their tours. Each tour we took was more inspired than the short description would have you believe. The Snow Hotel was for me the most startling example of this. Based on pictures of Sweden’s Ice Hotel and the cruise line’s photos of this Snow Hotel, I thought this visit would be disappointing. What a pleasant surprise. From the reindeer to the entrance to the hotel and throughout each of the twenty rooms, I was stunned.
The Entrance to the Snow Hotel
Was it cold in the Snow Hotel? Yes, of course. In fact huge doors close off the warm restaurant and gift shop from the Snow Rooms. The doors are intended to keep the warmth OUT! If you dress for the conditions, you will be warm. We were toasty. I took a photo of the entrance, the bar, each of the guest rooms, and the hallway. The lighting in the hotel is low. I’ve intentionally shot these to present the light as it appears without compensating for exposure. I may adjust exposure for photos I move to the gallery later.
Just inside the Snow Hotel’s Entrance
A Wall Carving in the Bar
Polar Bears
Sitting on an Ice Bar Chair
Our Bartender at her Bar
Wolfin’ Around
Hot Drinks on the Ice Bar
Carvings in the Bar
Reception
The Hallway to the Twenty Rooms
#1, The Wolf Room
#2, The Log Cabin Room
#3, The Bear Room
#4, The Rabbit Room
#5, The Wise Room
#6, Howlin’ Wolf
Hallway Seating for One
#7, Reindeer Room
Hall Lighting
#8, Billy Goat’s Gruff Room
#9, The Troll Room
#10, Frozen, the Room
#11, Child’s Hippo Room
#12, Winnie the Poo Room
Hallway King Crab
#13, The Queen’s Room
#17, Njord Room
#18, Old St Nicholas Room
#19, Sleigh Bed Room
#20, Fisherman’s Room
#21, Wild Boar Room
#22, Marilyn’s Room
#23, Ellen’s Room!
Sled Dogs @ Kirkenes
Ellen began petting a husky. The dog love it and rolled on her back to have her tummy rubbed. I don’t know who was happier, Ellen or the sled dog.
Ellen’s New Friend
The sled dogs often stood atop their dog house, like this fellow did.
Waiting his Turn
A well functional sled team has a combination of four types of trained sled dogs: Wheel Dogs, Team Dogs, Swing Dogs, and the Lead Dog.
Heading back to the Ship, Kirkenes Norway
Hurtigruten’s Trollfjord Awaits our Return
Northern Lights Pt 2
About an hour ago, “the Northern Lights are visible and best viewed forward on deck 6”. A mad scramble ensued, quickly get cold weather clothes on, camera, tripod, hat, gloves, run out the door and onto a crowd on deck 6. There was some pushing and a few outright shoves from behind, Then as people realized they were getting cold, the crowd thinned, then thinned again. I have some good photos of green hued clouds, but nothing I would call a northern lights display. Perhaps we will see more later this evening.
Ellen, who arrived later, was on the side of the ship and said the display seemed to touch the sea. She had a good view.