Travelling by Hurtigruten? Read this first!

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The Hurtigruten exemplifies Norway.  Whether it’s sitting inwards a Jacuzzi inwards the midnight Sun , passing past times snowcapped mountains in addition to dramatic fjords or sipping Hot Toddy’s nether the dazzling Northern Lights , the Hurtigruten provides the perfect mix of rugged landscape , luxury in addition to arctic intrigue.

Norway’s Hurtigruten has come upwards a long way since the ferries starting fourth dimension sailed inwards the 1890’s.  The cargo in addition to rider ships began to go upwards the length of the Norwegian coastline to enable little coastal towns a agency of transporting goods , in addition to moving about.  By the 1980’s , little airports had popped upwards all over Kingdom of Norway in addition to its roads were far to a greater extent than efficient , thus the component of the Hurtigruten changed.  Now it caters to a luxury marketplace lay , offering cruises from Bergen to Kirkenes amongst newer boats sporting Jacuzzis in addition to elegant bars. 

Even though the Hurtigruten is notoriously expensive – Norwegians I spoke to said it was pricey... fifty-fifty for Kingdom of Norway – in that location are ways to bask this iconic slice of Kingdom of Norway if you’re travelling amongst express funds.  On my stint inwards the fjords inwards June this twelvemonth , I journeyed upwards the coast on iii dissimilar vessels – the MS Richard With (named for the founder of Hurtigruten) , the MS Trollfjord (named afterwards an iconic narrow fjord) in addition to the MS Nordlys (Nordlys agency ‘Northern Lights’).

When organising my travels , I booked my leg on the MS Trollfjord specifically – this is quite a novel boat , in addition to it shows.  Glass elevators , huge windows , fairylights twinkling inwards the ceiling , ii hot tubs on the top deck… this boat had it all.  I spent ii nights onboard the MS Trollfjord , cruising from Ålesund through the Geirangerfjord , past times Trondheim in addition to Bodø in addition to upwards to the Lofoten Islands.

That’s the starting fourth dimension affair worth noting: the boats aren’t all the same.  If you’re afterwards something genuinely memorable , play your cards thus you’re on i of the Millenia boats.  That’s non to say that the other ships inwards the fleet aren’t decadent – they are – but beingness aboard the MS Trollfjord was something else entirely.

The 2nd affair is that you don’t select to mass a six or eleven twenty-four hours cruise.  In fact , I’d recommend against it.  Even if you’re planning a trip of verbalise luxury amongst no expense spared , you’re going to girlfriend some of the best bits of Kingdom of Norway if you lot don’t bask some longer stops along the way.   You tin forcefulness out mass port-to-port trips (for illustration , I went port-to-port from Ålesund to Svolvær inwards the Lofotens) which attain from a few hours to a few days , depending on the length of your journey.  When I was finished inwards the Lofoten Islands , I got some other port-to-port from Svolvær to Tromsø.  You tin forcefulness out oft score some slap-up deals when travelling port-to-port for a twenty-four hours or two.

If you’re travelling for a brusk amount of fourth dimension , consider your demand for a cabin. For twenty-four hours journeys , you lot definitely don’t demand one.  It’s perfectly rubber to piece of occupation out your luggage inwards the luggage agree , or proceed it on you.  The Hurtigruten website states that you lot demand to mass a cabin for overnight trips , but you lot tin forcefulness out however select ‘no cabin’ on trips spanning i night.  Whether you’re travelling inwards summertime in addition to tin forcefulness out soak upwards the midnight Sun , or travelling inwards wintertime in addition to tin forcefulness out pass the black gazing at the Northern Lights , a black spent without a cabin is perfectly fine (and I guarantee you lot won’t survive the simply i napping on a couch inwards the early on hours of the morning).  

I’d besides recommend booking through the Norwegian site.  Now I’m non certain if it was all downwards to the central charge per unit of measurement , but I saved a few hundred dollars past times booking through the Norwegian website in addition to letting Google interpret tell us what was going on.  Open it upwards inwards your native linguistic communication , brand certain you lot know what you’re booking (some of the translations were a chip questionable) , thus follow the same steps inwards Norwegian.

As for excursions , nutrient in addition to drink – create what you lot will.  I chose to salve my pennies on these things in addition to soak upwards the Lofoten goodness for 4 days , in addition to had a to a greater extent than magical fourth dimension than I could’ve anticipated.  These things are all overpriced , but extremely convenient.  You're totally welcome to convey your ain nutrient onboard , but are encouraged to consume it inwards your cabin.

 

I’d definitely recommend scheduling a trip on the Hurtigruten into your Kingdom of Norway itinerary!  

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Travel tips: What is an artist residency?

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As you've likely read or deduced (or perchance you're new... hi!) , I'm currently living in addition to working inwards Republic of Iceland since like shooting fish in a barrel June.  

I'm non hither spending nights serving drinks inwards a bar task , or volunteering to rehabilitate arctic foxes (can you lot exercise that? I'd definitely exercise that).  I'm hither on an creative individual residency.  If you lot don't know what that is , I'm going to tell you!  If you lot exercise , but you're non certain how to apply for 1 , I'm going to tell you lot that too.  Let's acquire started.

What is an creative individual residency?
Far away , inwards some remote landscape , or brightly lit metropolis , creative people are finding inspiration.  Maybe a warehouse becomes abandoned , or perchance somebody entrepreneurial builds a studio , in addition to they telephone telephone out for artists to come upwardly in addition to visit.  In the illustration of Nes (where I am now) , they've repurposed an one-time fish processing warehouse in addition to turned it into studios.  They've also acquired a few houses inwards the town , thus people tin alive inwards piffling trouble solid groups in addition to walk to the studio.

In the following town over inwards Blonduos , they direct maintain a textile residency that runs a piffling differently. There is 1 large , historic edifice at that topographic point , in addition to all of the artists alive inwards piffling rooms following to the studios (and nether a magnificent loft filled amongst looms). 

Depending on the residency itself , you lot tin apply for a few weeks to a year.  You could hold upwardly living all lone inwards the wilderness inwards Republic of Finland , or inwards a bustling metropolis amongst a grouping of immature artists.  It's extremely varied , in addition to there's something to adapt everyone.  Some residencies are discipline-specific (like the cloth residency) , piece others are to a greater extent than liberal (this calendar month at Nes nosotros direct maintain a composer , a dancer , a bassist , a author , a painter , an architect/concept creative individual , a filmmaker , an analogue lensman in addition to a mixed media artist).  No thing you're creative inclination , there's a residency computer program out at that topographic point for you.

If you're upwardly for some exploring , browse Res Artis.  Here you lot tin search past times dependent , location , duration , etc.

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The studios at Fogo Island are what my dreams are made of

What makes it dissimilar to other kinds of travel?
Most residencies volition direct maintain you lot spending a lot of fourth dimension inwards 1 town or city.  I'm a fan of longterm travelling , where I direct maintain ample fourth dimension to encounter local people in addition to accept inwards all the sights - every bit opposed to a whirlwind 24 hours inwards a province seeing exclusively the most famous landmarks.

You'll likely hold upwardly living longterm amongst people you've never met before.  I remember this is pretty amazing.  It also agency that you're getting to accept inwards all of their noesis in addition to experiences over midnight beers in addition to early on morn walks.  They're all creative individual people , thus they've got enough of noesis to part inwards that honour , but they're from all over the basis in addition to they all honey to move , thus they'll add together a few locations to your bucket listing too.

If you're doing a residency for a prolonged menstruum of fourth dimension (a duet of months or so) , you lot exercise start to go business office of the local community.  You'll detect yourself playing poker at 4am amongst the local fishermen.  You'll detect yourself befriending the supermarket clerk who is constantly translating ingredients for you.  You mightiness bring together a local companionship or ii , or part stories inwards the local puddle , or larn the names of everybody's dogs (or children).

A small-scale assemblage/sculpture projection I worked on when I start arrived inwards Skagaströnd

How much does it cost?
Residencies vary from expensive , to inexpensive , to free.  Some may fifty-fifty offering a stipend , though these are real competitive.  If you've managed to secure a spot at a residency , you lot mightiness hold upwardly able to secure some funding through a grant.  You could exercise this inwards your dwelling trouble solid province , or the province you lot intend to catch , in addition to is a bully way to offset some or all of your move costs.  Application requirements vary past times province , province in addition to metropolis , thus acquire inwards affect amongst them in addition to detect out what they require.  As somebody who to a greater extent than oft than non lives in addition to industrial plant inwards Melbourne , I tin oft await for funding amongst City of Melbourne , Victoria State funding , in addition to also amongst the Commonwealth of Australia Council.  Look large in addition to small.

Whether you're Victorian or non , the drafting tools on the Vic Arts website are pretty invaluable , thus you lot tin occupation those every bit a starting point.

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The magical loom loft at the nearby cloth residency inwards Blonduos (this infinite is unreal)

How exercise I apply?  Should I apply?
There's no terms inwards applying for anything.  Find a residency you lot similar the await of (try the Res Artis site , or but Google past times location - "artist residencies Norway" or "artist residencies Canada") , consider how that house would heighten your creative go , in addition to thus tell them.  Do you lot desire to catch the Moroccan desert because you're writing a novel onrush some other planet?  Are you lot a H2O colourist eager to hold upwardly inspired past times the Northern Lights inwards Iceland?  Are you lot interested inwards working amongst small-scale , local communities inwards rural Asian towns?  Tell them.  

Applications acquire easier in addition to amend amongst fourth dimension , thus don't experience downwards if things don't autumn into house correct away.  Be honest most why you lot desire to hold upwardly inspired past times that item place. 



It goes without maxim that this manner of move isn't for everyone , but if you're looking for an excuse to exercise some extra move , it's worth a look-in.  I've had a flake of involvement inwards this business office of my life , thus if you lot direct maintain farther questions , you lot can email me here.

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