Narvik

I intended to fall back on a stock shot of the Narvik War Museum for today's post, but in the end I have to shy away from such deceit and simply admit we didn't go. Forgive me for admitting, a war museum is not something I would normally choose to visit, and I didn't feel obliged to go on this occasion simply because it was the only thing on the "excursion" agenda that's included.

We didn't fancy the Arctic Train either.

So the morning's activities were restricted to a circumnavigation of the ship, taking a few shots of Narvik.

It has to be the most dour of all our stops on this trip, even under a relatively bright sky, and on a warmer than usual day.

Much of the harbour area is taken up with industrial structures, and the shipping of iron ore still dominates the activity here.

Away from the rust-red buildings and tortured gantries there are still pretty sights to see. 

This afternoon we have a couple of interesting lectures to look forward to - the underwater search for Magnus' grandfather's ship; and how whales engineer their ecosystems.

Contemplating these intriguing talks, we completed our turn around the deck to be greeted with a sight that summed up our feelings towards today's port of call.