After sailing along the River Thames to Greenwich, the Viking raiders pelted the Archbishop of Canterbury with cow bones before dealing a fatal blow to the head.
Thankfully, 1000 years later, my daughter Amy and I received a much warmer welcome from the crew of the Viking Mars. And after a 10-minute check-in at Greenwich Pier, we boarded the 930-passenger ship moored on the Thames ahead of our Into The Midnight Sun cruise to Norway.
Champagne awaits us in our balcony suite to celebrate Amy’s 40th birthday, and a steward calls to tell us that drinks from the minibar and ironing service are free, so we empty our bags and leave them freshly pressed. How wonderful!
We set out to explore this elegant adults-only ship, where light streams into the grand double-height atrium. Guests lounge on blanket-covered sofas, reading and listening to the pianist as waiters bring drinks.
We stop for coffee, check our schedule, and head to Mamsen’s bar for Norwegian sandwiches piled high with salmon and shrimp. At midnight, the Cutty Sark sailing ship and Christopher Wren’s Old Royal Naval College are bathed in a silver glow, and we point out sights to the foreign guests.
Cruise expert Lesley Bellew boards Viking Mars for a cruise “Towards the Midnight Sun” from Greenwich Pier to the fjords of Norway. Pictured above, a Viking cruise ship cruises peacefully through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Geirangerfjord.
On board the ship, Lesley (left) finds ‘champagne waiting for her’ in her balcony suite to celebrate her daughter Amy’s (right) 40th birthday
In Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkney Islands, our guide Paul (jporkney.co.uk) treats Amy, a pastry chef, to a visit to Barony Mill, one of the oldest working grain mills in the UK. We set off with two bags of flour to test our baggage allowance on the return from Bergen Airport.
In Shetland, we watch seals sunbathing on a white sandy beach and wildlife spotting continues near Honningsvag in northern Norway, where thousands of puffins turn the sea black, becoming targets for white-tailed sea eagles flying around.
In the Arctic tundra, Amy overwhelms me by spotting an albino reindeer, considered the “magical leader of all reindeer” by the indigenous Sami people.
‘In Kirkwall (pictured above), the capital of Orkney, our guide Paul treats Amy, a pastry chef, to a visit to Barony Mill, one of the oldest working ancient grain mills in the UK,’ says Lesley.
“In Shetland, we saw seals resting on a white sandy beach,” Lesley adds. Above: Atlantic grey seals on the Scottish coast
We feel the magic when we wake up in Tromso, with views of the fjord and the Arctic Cathedral, but it is the husky puppies on the island of Kvaloya that steal our hearts. A dynasty of Vikings once lived off the rich catch of Norwegian cod in the Lofoten Islands, where we see the fish hanging on wooden racks to dry in the sun. Temperatures exceed 20°C and, although it gets cool at night, there is light 24 hours a day to enjoy the views.
Dining in Viking Mars’ restaurants is free, as is wine, beer and soft drinks. To burn off the calories, we take walks around the deck and Amy opts to kayak in the Unesco World Heritage-listed Geirangerfjord while I relax in the infinity pool.
One night we won the lottery sailing near Bodo, when the palest blue sky fades to gold and a rainbow arches over the sea.
We are fascinated by what the Vikings believed was a flaming bridge between Earth and the land of the gods. Viking legends have been woven throughout our journey, but Amy tells me that this is her “birthday pot of gold” and her happiness is undoubtedly mine.
“Amy opts to kayak in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Geirangerfjord (pictured above), while I relax in the infinity pool,” says Lesley.