North Cape

    Today at a ship stop, we all took a bus tour to North Cape, the northern most spot in Europe. The point is on a cliff about 300 feet above the Barents Sea and there's an observation point, a couple of cool statues and of course a gift shop.

   On the way to the point there were lots or reindeer herds grazing on what little grass there was. It was hard to get a picture from the aisle seat of the bus, but we did stop at a small Sami house where we could get a close up look at a reindeer and the old deer herder. I didn't know this, but reindeer are white in winter and brown in summer, they're also bigger than the ones I've seen at zoos and on lawns at Christmas time.

   I haven't seen any whales to tell Casey & Timmy about, but at least I can show them something.

   One of my nameless friends sent me a note asking if I was really up here, or was I hiding out in my basement posting pictures from postcards. So here's my face (Joe) at the North Cape for proof. He suggested I have a recent newspaper front page in the picture, but no one could read it anyway. The Norwegians have a strange alphabet.

   Half the 250 or so passengers get off tomorrow at Kirkinnes, near the Russian border and fly home. I get to do all this again from the other direction. Some of the towns I didn't get to see because we stopped in the middle of the night. On the southern leg, I'll get more of a chance.

   The midnight sun takes getting used to, it's hard enough figuring out what day it is on vacation, but with no night time, it's even harder. It's 10:30 at night here now and it looks no different than 10:30 in the morning.

   Tomorrow I try to find the ship's laundry ..... it's definitey time.