'I went on Arctic cruise in search of trolls - polar bears were the real worry'
To Norway! The home of trolls, fjords, the midnight sun, some of the most spectacular scenery in the world and a lot of very good fish. “I want to meet a troll,” I said to my husband, Justin. “A troll?” he asked. “A troll,” I confirmed.
“But I thought you hated trolls. Trying to stamp out democratic debate while hiding behind a duvet in the spare bedroom in their parents’ house, you said.”
“No, not an online troll, a real troll. You know, the kind that lives in the mountains and lurks underneath bridges. If I find a troll, can I bring it home with me?”
“By all means,” said Justin wearily. “If,” he added, “it doesn’t eat you first.”
And so it was off to Norway. The best way to see fjords, of course, is by ship, in this case the MS Trollfjord owned by Hurtigruten, but first for a bit of midnight sun. And so I found myself in Longyearbyen in Svalbard, an archipelago about halfway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. It is well into the Arctic Circle and the closest to the North Pole that most people will ever get. Actually, the real danger around here is not trolls but polar bears.
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The nights and days in Svalbard can be quite disorientating in their length (JUNGE/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)You are not allowed to leave the town – Longyearbyen is the only settlement of any size on the islands – unless you are accompanied by someone with a rifle. And should you find yourself in the proximity of a polar, you are advised to take shelter immediately, in the nearest building or car, relatively simple as in these remote parts all are left routinely unlocked.
Longyearbyen, like most other things on the island, started life as a mining community, although only two of its seven mines still work. It is small, industrial and breathtaking. Its remoteness and access to some of the most stunning scenery I have ever seen mean it is an ideal place to start exploring the Arctic.
The rules are all different in Svalbard. Most people who live here are only here for a few years: we are here in the middle of summer, where there is indeed the midnight sun, and I open the curtains of my hotel room at 3am to see it shining quite brilliantly. But equally, from November to March, there’s no sun at all (although there are the Northern Lights). “That must be difficult,” I say to a local. “It takes its toll,” they replied. “It takes a troll?” I quipped. “No, its toll.” There is a short silence.
Locals of the Norwegian island are more worried about polar bears than trolls (mediadrumworld.com/@ireneamiet)Spend a few days on Spitsbergen: you can take a catamaran up the quite spectacular fjords where you will see glaciers, walruses and whales. Then take a boat or a day trip to Ny-Ålesund, the world’s northernmost settlement, which started as a mining village and is now a research station into the environment and climate change. It’s also where Roald Amundsen started his expedition to the North Pole and the mooring mast for his airship is still there.
It is hard to convey the beauty and grandeur of this place. The very small community is housed in attractive Norwegian wooden cabins, but it is the soaring mountains, glaciers and the shore of the bay of Kongsfjorden that stand out in every shade of blue under the sun.
Incidentally, it is neither trolls nor polar bears that you have to watch out for here (well, actually, do be aware of the bears), but Arctic terns, aggressive little birds that swoop down on you to protect their nests. I got a peck on the head.
And so to the mainland, which is over 24 hours away on the ship. Our ship is beautifully equipped with three restaurants, a sauna, a bar, huge observation decks and, for me, a lovely mini-suite with a porthole.
The cabin is lovely: as well as a double bed, there’s a mini-bar (some drinks, including at dinner, are included in the price; you have to pay more if you go over a certain level) and a seating area with a desk. Of the three restaurants, Flora, inspired by Norway’s produce, serves buffet breakfasts and lunches, plus an a la carte supper.
The rustic Brasserie Árran is inspired by Norway’s native Sámi people and serves the likes of reindeer stew (and marinated halibut for non-meat eating me) and upmarket Røst specialises in fish and is named after a community of the same name in the Lofoten Islands.
One of the large observation decks also has a bar and serves coffee and cakes during the day. On the top deck there’s another observatory and half the deck is open so you can watch the proceedings from outside. There are numerous activities to choose from, from day trips to beautiful areas in the fjords, my preferred option, to sports such as cycling, fishing and kayaking.
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Without wishing to resort too much to hyperbole, the fjords are just spectacular, from the river and dry land.
My personal favourite is the island of Senja: it is the second largest island in Norway, but less well known and thus less well visited than others.
Hurtigruten sends ships deep into the icy territories of the northThe water of its fjords ranges in colour from blue to aqua to emerald; there are yet more soaring mountain peaks. Brilliant sun makes the water sparkle, not always a given in rainy Norway. My spirit and heart soar.
And now the search for a troll starts in earnest. There is great excitement when we stop in Svolvaer, the entrance to the charming Lofoten Islands: our guide points out a sleeping troll set in the mountain range above the town. You can just make out his nose and mouth.
From there we go to the island of Torg on the Helgeland Coast and the mountain Torghatten (“the square hat”). Bingo! We are in troll central at last. For this is no ordinary mountain: it has a hole in the middle of it. And while the more pedantic among you insist that the hole was caused by ice and water erosion in the last ice age, we troll experts know that what really happened was the troll, Hestmannen, caught sight of the pretty little troll, called Lekamøya, and was smitten.
Alas, this was unrequited, and so Hestmannen lifted his bow and arrow, on the grounds that if he couldn’t have her, no one could. However, the troll king of Sømna intervened and held out his hat; the arrow went through it and made a hole, saving the fair Lekamøya.
At that moment the sun came up and it all turned to stone, because, if you remember, trolls don’t do sun. There’s another creature to be avoided around these parts too: the Hulde. This forest spirit seems to be a beautiful woman: men, beware! She will try to entice you to go after her, so it is imperative you check to see whether she has a cow’s tail. If she does, make your excuses and head for the longboat.
Should you follow her, then you will never be seen again. It’s time to depart. I have been here 10 days and it has flown. And this is just a tiny pick of what Norway has to offer: I want to go back to Tromsø, the Paris of the North in November, where there’s a chance to see the Northern Lights. And while I didn’t bring a troll back with me, I did find some beautiful enamelled salt and pepper shakers in the lovely Art Nouveau town of Ålesund (the settlement on Spitsbergen is named after it.) Ha det, Norway. I’ll be back.
Book the holiday
Hurtigruten offers 10 day Svalbard Express – Southbound voyages on MS Trollfjord between May 9 and September 12, 2024, from £3,016pp. Departs from Longyearbyen, Svalbard, for Bergen via Ny-Alesund, Tromso, Senja, Svolvær, Bronnoysund and Alesund. Includes drinks with meals on board, hotel stay and excursions. Flights from Heathrow and transfers from £818pp. hurtigruten.co.uk
You can get more information at visitnorway.com.
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