The beautiful coastal city of Haugesund was our last port in Norway. It is known for its Viking history, film and music festivals, its coastline and the many small island communities.
We had a RIB (Rubber Inflatable Boat) tour booked. Everyone was grabbing the seats at the back because it was meant to be a less bumpy ride so Steve and I, being the last ones on, were left with the front seats. The driver said it was for more adrenaline junkies which is why everyone wanted the back seats. We were in the best seats. We had a great view!
We were taken out through a labyrinth of islands and canals and then out into the open water. We were bouncing around over the waves and troughs very fast. It was so much fun!
There were many small island communities. We went by Røvær that has a population of 100. On the island there is a school with 11 kids and a grocery store. The grocery store works on an honesty system. There is a card machine to get in and you get what you need and pay on the way out. It’s about 10 minutes from Haugesund in a RIB. It would have been great to stop and check it out. There is a ferry service so maybe next time.
After the RIB ride we walked across the bridge to check out the city. The views from the bridge up and down the river were beautiful.
The city itself is quite small so it didn’t take long to walk around it. It was Sunday too so it was very quiet. The Norwegians enjoy their Sundays getting back to nature so nothing was open.
We did do some window shopping.
With not much happening in the city we took a walk along the waterfront and went back to the ship to relax and settle in for our final day at sea.
Haugesund was another unique city to visit. Unfortunately being a Sunday we didn’t get the full experience. In hindsight we should have organised a tour beyond the city.
It was a wonderful 12 days exploring the fiords of Norway and experiencing the midnight sun and crossing the Arctic Circle.