Norway - Heading north

In 1553, a British sailor was looking for a new route to the New World. Richard Chancellor then discovers the end of the world. Well almost. Where the Atlantic Ocean meets the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean, there is only the sea between visitors and the North Pole. Welcome to "Nordkapp", the North Cape, in the county of Finnmark.

Then came the whale fishermen before the very first tourist: Francesco Negri, an Italian priest, wanted to see how men could survive at this latitude.

The first tourists came in 1845 and the tour operator Thomas Cook organized the first trips from London in 1875. Since 1893 and the establishment of regular maritime links between the Norwegian islands by the Hurtigruten, the North Cape is visited more and more.
It was not until 1956 and the opening of a small road to allow more access.

A road that crosses splendid landscapes. In winter, after the long polar night at the end of January, it is through a veritable immaculate white desert that we arrive at the northernmost point of Europe. Well, to be precise, the northernmost point is 1.4 km away, with the unpronounceable name of Knivskjellodden.

It is a great moment of emotion, if, in good weather, one stands at the foot of the terrestrial globe, at the top of a cliff of 307 meters, the gaze lost in the distance ... especially after the departure of Asian tourists and their cameras.

..... But everyone wants to immortalize this magical moment, facing the immensity.

When the boats connecting the Norwegian islands stop at Honningsvag in the Porsangerfjord, coaches await tourists.

In winter, it is only in convoy that vehicles are allowed to take the small road that leads to the North Cape. A snow plow opens the way, because the weather can change quickly, very quickly even.
But most visitors come to enjoy the spectacle of the midnight sun, from mid-May until the end of July. They are about 200,000 to make this journey each year.
Too bad, because the midnight sun can be admired almost everywhere, and, in summer, there are crowds with many motorhomes and buses.

A large reception hall, the "Nordkappenhallen" houses a small chapel (if you want to get married there, it is possible),

a small Thai shrine in memory of the visit of the King of Thailand in 1907, a few windows retracing the history of the site (not quite interesting), a large shop offering souvenirs (found elsewhere), a restaurant where some people drink a glass of champagne to celebrate their visit.

Either way, the site is touristy, but just the road to get there is worth the trip, just like the view towards this immensity all in blue!