Page 14 - The Islander - April '22

Page 14, The Islander

Travel

The North Cape: Pinnacle Of Europe

By Don Kiselewski, MCC, D.S., Palm Beach Gardens Travel Leaders

In 1930 a Czechoslovakian
author wrote, “So this is
how it ended. Europe’s and
our history ended just that
abruptly and harshly.” To
put it in context he was
referring to the northern tip
of Norway, which protrudes
into the Arctic Ocean and
is the most northerly point
on the European continent.
This mystical North Cape
(or Nordkapp) is distinguished by travelers as the extreme
border of civilization. It has been considered the fortress that
defends continental Europe against the forces of the sea.
The North Cape juts straight out of the water on the
northern end of Mageroya Island; it is shaped like the bow
of a ship, breaking water. The island has little and/or no The city and harbor of Honningsvåg, Norway
vegetation because
it is far north of
the Arctic Circle.
It is a flat, barren
rock with the town
of Honningsvåg
located in a
somewhat protected
harbor on the south
side. And if you
wonder what people
do at this end of the
world, the answer
is that they fish and An Atlantic puffin with a fresh catch
herd reindeer as on the island of Runde, Norway Reindeer herding is a common practice in Finnmark. A wooden sign directs hikers to Nordkapp, or the North Cape.

CDC COVID-19 Travel well as service the port on the trade route between Russia that the silver halibut now hangs in a church in Moscow.

and Norway. In the 17th century the area was important
Whaling became prevalent along the Artic Ocean
Recommendations to Dutch whaling. coast of Finnmark from 1600 to 1900. Ships from along
the Atlantic coast countries sailed the area. The Basques

Finnmark is the early name given to this northern tip
By Country of Europe. Some 8 to 10 thousand years ago the area was introduced the pelagic style of hunting, wherein the
inhabited by people known as the Komsa. They survived captured whale is tied to the side of the vessel and then
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/ by fishing as well as hunting birds and seals. Today, on sectioned into pieces that are brought on board, so that
map-and-travel-notices.html some of the more remote islands, puffins form the poultry the oil can be boiled out on deck. This eliminated the
element in the diet. It is believed that the culture migrated need for maintaining a whaling station on land.
to the tip of the land from southern Norway. In 1553, three English ships led by Sir Hugh
The Lapp people have inhabited the area for about two Willoughby left London on a discovery mission to find
millennia. These nomads have grazed their domesticated a northern route to China. The ships became separated
Advertise, reindeer from one country to another, traveling with them in a storm and the Edward Bonaventure, under Captain
Richard Chancellor, sailed by an enormous cliff jutting
and living off the land in skin-covered shelters. Three
Check Out countries now divide the northern portion of Scandinavia out of the water that was known as Knyskanes; he named
it “North Cape,” a name that has stuck with it ever since.
(Norway, Sweden and Finland). Originally it was the
Tourism in the area began some 160 years ago. Since
Our Website! Norwegians who took up residence on Mageroya, with then, the biggest tourist draw hasn’t varied; it’s the
the Lapps roaming the mainland. However, over the last
www. quarter century, the number of Lapp descendants who rugged North Cape that attracts them. Lucky tourists
can experience the midnight sun, while others may find
have shrugged off the nomadic lifestyle has increased to
seabreezepublications.com over 10 percent of the island’s total population. themselves trapped in the ever-present fog.
The steamship Prince Gustav started bringing
Some 700 years ago the Norwegians started hunting

and trapping furs in Lapland. There is nothing to passengers to the North Cape on July 9, 1845. At the time,
substantiate exactly when they started to inhabit the there wasn’t a paved road from the low end of the island
area; a 13th century document is the only clue to dating on the south to the north side of the island. It took three
the Norwegians’ inhabitation of the area. It was relayed to four hours to go overland from Honnigsvåg. Energetic
that a man named Tormod Andresson left his estate in visitors looking to reach the top more quickly chose to
Southern Exposure Technologies Honningsvåg to his daughter Ingrid. climb. They were tendered to the shore at the north end of
Between the 13th and 15th centuries, the Norwegians
Computer Install/Setup/Repair and Russians made numerous attempts to expand their the island, where they began the climb on paths and stairs
that crisscrossed all the way up the face of the mountain.
(561) 315-0144 borders into the area. Finnmark was one of the early names In 1873, King Oscar II visited the North Cape, which
getsetgo.annie@gmail.com given to the area. It wasn’t until 1826 that the present day turned out to be great advertising for the destination.
* DSL, Broadband,Wireless Install borders between the countries were established. Another prominent visitor was Louis-Philippe of Orleans,
* Networking, Troubleshooting An interesting folkloric legend (of both Lapp and who sought refuge here in 1795 to avoid the French
* Instruction Norwegian origin) tells of the conflicts between two Revolution. In 1875, Cook’s travel agency in London
* Hardware/Software Installation Norwegian brothers and the Russians. The two bachelor brought the first tour group to the North Cape.
* Virus/Spyware/Adware Fix
* Cleanup/Maintenance/Backup brothers came from the town of Tunes; were big, rough Any visit to the North Cape should be coupled with
* Business Consult/Startup/Move and tumble fishermen and were inseparable. One day time spent below the Arctic Circle. Here you will find the
* Website Design/Maintenance while fishing for halibut, they found themselves in a genuine beauty of Norway, in total contrast to its harsh
Call S.E.T. to install your “new computer, printer devastating storm. Fearing the end was near, they made a pinnacle.
and wireless network”! promise to God that if they were saved, they would have Don Kiselewski writes from his personal experiences,
GET S.E.T. GO! a silver halibut cast to be given to the church. They kept having traveled in 122 countries and cruised the oceans,
REASONABLE HOURLY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY RATES their promise after having their lives spared. seas and rivers of the world. Palm Beach Gardens Travel
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES FOR AS LOW AS $50.00 AN HOUR, It was during this same period that Russian pirates Leaders, his family owned and operated agency, is
WITH A MINIMUM OF 6 HOURS A MONTH,
OR 2 HOURS A WEEK, OR ON AN AS-NEEDED sailed the shore of Finnmark, doing what pirates do located at Mirasol Town Square, 11360 North Jog Road,
BASIS RATE OF $75.00 P/HOUR. best. During one such encounter some 50 pirates came Building A, Suite 102-6, Palm Beach Gardens. The agency
START YOUR NEW YEAR WITH SECURE BACKUPS, ashore and were in the process of pillaging Tunes when has been serving the travel needs of the South Florida
QUALITY MAINTENANCE, ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND the brothers returned from fishing. Legend has it that area for over a quarter of a century. Contact him at (561)
PERSONABLE ON-SITE SUPPORT!
(561) 315-0144 the two brothers killed 22 of the invaders and chased the 694-9696 or Aussie@PBGTravel.com.
CALL S.E.T. TODAY FOR YOUR COMPUTER NEEDS! others away. However, later they were waylaid by Russian
pirates and brutally murdered. The tale ends with a claim Photos by Don Kiselewski