Ambience Day 9 – Alta and the Cathedral of the Northern Lights

“Northward the sea grows wilder, the light more honest.”

Modern iteration of a traditional Nordic proverb

 

Morning Approach to Alta

 
Last night, as we sailed north towards Alta on Ambience, the northern lights put on a show that no one who was up on deck will ever forget.  For at least 7 hours, the lights appeared in the sky, quietly fading in and out against a backdrop of brilliantly shining stars.  An almost full moon also lit the night sky, but the aurora borealis was so bright that we could clearly see the curtains of green, with dashes of red and purple thrown in with our naked eyes.  At their peak, the lights danced overhead, reflecting emerald green in the ocean below and creating a truly wonderful spectacle.

 

Furthest North

 
After another night at sea, Ambience began her approach to Alta, marking the furthest north either of us had ever travelled. By our reckoning, this pushed us beyond familiar markers  - further north than Sean’s time living in Whitehorse, Yukon decades ago, and even beyond the Arctic terminus of the Trans Canada Trail reached during our #Hike4Birds journey. Alta sits at roughly 69.97° N, while Tuktoyaktuk, the northern endpoint of the TCT, lies at about 69.44° N. The difference is modest on a map - just over half a degree of latitude, equaling roughly 55 kilometres - yet standing on the threshold of the Arctic once again, it felt quietly significant to see how far our curiosity had propelled us once more.
 

Whale Sightings on Ambience

 
After all the excitement of last night, we woke up to find ourselves in a different world. The ship was slipping down a wide fjord, tall rock cliffs towered above the ship, and beyond them, snow-capped mountains were lit in the soft light of dawn on one side of the ship.  On the other side, the sky glowed orange, reminding me of the warm tones of the anemones on the pier in Trondheim.  As the light slowly increased, the snow-capped peaks began to burn with an otherworldly light, and the colourfully painted sky reflected in the ocean waters, turning the cliffs a deep red. 

 
Almost immediately after I stepped up to the railing at the top of the ship, I heard an enthusiastic shout of 'whales!!' from the ORCA spotter at the front of the jogging track.  By sheer luck, I was standing in the right place at the right time to see three Humpback whales surface in the calm waters off the side of the ship. 

 
They were travelling in a relatively tight pack, and we watched as their long black backs slowly rolled in unison, giving us a lovely view of their gently curved dorsal fins with the telltale hump at the base. 

 
Just before they dove down into the depths, they lifted their magnificent tails gracefully out of the water, giving us a lovely view of their flukes. Sean was lucky enough to capture the moment, and the ORCA team suggested he should upload the images to HappyWhale when we get home.  Whales can be distinguished by unique fluke shapes, scars, and other markings, and if someone has submitted a photo of these whales previously, we will be able to learn a little about their history!

Approaching Alta

As the last soft whale blows disappeared into the distance, we began to notice individual homes that were scattered across the steep and sparsely treed slopes of the shoreline.  There were no visible roads or boat docks, making us wonder how their occupants reached them - or if it was simply water access only.

 
In more than one spot, we also noticed small Sami villages tucked in at the base of the cliffs where the rock met the water. It was such a serene and peaceful landscape that we would have loved the solitude and freedom it offered.

 
The Sami are the Indigenous people who inhabit the region of Sapmi (formerly referred to as Lapland).  This area encompasses large parts of what we now call northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia.  Traditionally, the Sami were coastal fishermen, fur trappers, and sheep herders, but they are now best known as semi-nomadic reindeer herders.  Much like the relationship between the buffalo of the Great Plains First Nations in North America, reindeer provide the Sami with meat, fur, and transportation, and serve an important cultural role.  Today, there are around 2,800 Sami actively involved in reindeer herding in Norway.
 

Rafts of Seabirds. Flocks of Gulls

 
As we approached Alta, activity on the waterway began to pick up.  A fleet of small fishing vessels was heading out down the fjord, and some of the ships were absolutely swarmed by gulls.  We began to see groups of European Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls flying overhead and feeding on the water.  The light steadily grew, and with it the colour in the landscape continued to shift.

 
We noticed huge waterfalls tumbling down the cliff faces, from a distance looking like slim, delicate bands.  In reality, however, it is more likely that they were powerful torrents of water with the power to wear down rock and shape valleys.  We passed small islands and promontories that were covered in a layer of surprising green moss and grass.

 
Outside, it was decidedly colder and damper this morning, with the air temperature hovering around - 2 ⁰C.  As we stood on the deck, a layer of tough, sharp, sparkling white frost accumulated on the railings of the ship.  

Quite a few people had been enticed up on deck by the glorious morning, and many of the photographers were struggling as their breath froze to their cameras, making it impossible to zoom in or out.  Sean's camera batteries were being drained by the cold at a rapid pace, making it clear that temperature was going to be a factor in how we explored Alta over the next two days.
 

Dockside Harbour Porpoises 

 
Then, just as Ambience was pulling up to the dock, a group of Harbour Porpoises broke the surface in a jubilant, splashy, chaotic motion.  For the second time that morning, I was in the right place at the right time, watching a large flock of Herring Gulls frantically feeding on the surface of the water and wondering if there was a whale nearby when the porpoises appeared for a few brief moments.  We hadn't even had breakfast yet, and already the day felt like it had presented a wealth of beauty and amazing nature moments.
 

Breakfast onboard

 
Once Ambience had docked around 8:45 AM, we stepped inside to warm up and get a bite of breakfast in the Borough Market Lido.  The cruise ship was right beside the airport, and through the windows of the buffet, we watched several small aircraft land on the short runway as Sean enjoyed his usual omelet and I devoured a small plate of pastries. 

 
Beyond the runway, we could see a large expanse of mudflats at the mouth of the Alta River.  It looked like it was teeming with hundreds of gulls and other birds, but it was too far away for us to get any specific details.  Although we were tired after a short night, we couldn't wait to begin exploring Alta, the northernmost port on our itinerary.
 

Alta Norway

 
Alta is the traditional territory of the Sami people and is the largest city in Finnmark and one of the northernmost ports that many ships visit.  Here, people can visit the Northern Lights Cathedral and the Alta Museum, which is a UNESCO site.   Alta is also home to the first observatory dedicated to studying the Aurora Borealis, owing to its location and the clarity of the northern skies.    

 

Alta Excursion Possibilities

 
Ambience’s first day in Alta came with a distinctly Arctic flavour, offering experiences that leaned into the region’s northern possibilities and cultural depth. Many travellers were tempted by the promise of celestial drama on the Search for the Northern Lights excursion (£150 pp), while others opted for the more intimate Northern Lights at Paeskatun experience (£125 pp), set among quiet hills far from the city’s glow. Cultural travellers gravitated toward the Alta Museum and Northern Light Cathedral tour (£69 pp), pairing prehistoric rock art with the city’s shimmering modern landmark. For a taste of local tradition and adrenaline, the cruise line offered Alta Dog Carting (£199 pp), trading snow for wheels but keeping the thrill of a husky team at full stride. Meanwhile, those curious about Sámi heritage could venture inland on the Sámi Adventure in Maze (£109 pp), gaining insight into reindeer culture, storytelling, and life in the far north.
 

Shuttle Bus to Alta

 
Soon after a late breakfast on board, we gathered our jackets and camera gear and disembarked, taking the free shuttle for the short ride into the downtown core.  The distance from the dock to the city centre is not far – our 10-minute bus ride would be an easy 45-minute walk along an established sidewalk.

When we were dropped off at the bus station, we soon discovered that downtown Alta is not a very large community.  In fact, generally speaking, there was only one main street, and it was around 3-4 blocks long.   Along this street are a range of hotels and a good number of shops and restaurants.  Just a few feet from the drop-off point was the town mall, Boreal Adventure Tourism information, and only slightly beyond that was Alta’s iconic Northern Lights Cathedral
 

Northern Lights Cathedral

 
Since the iconic Cathedral didn't look busy yet, we decided to pay a visit there first. 
 
The Cathedral of the Northern Lights in Alta is one of Norway’s most visually captivating buildings.  It is one of the northernmost churches in the world, completed in 2013, and consecrated on February 10 of that year.  The exterior is clad in titanium panels, the structure spirals upward, designed to echo the flowing movement of the aurora.   For all the modern materials and futuristic design, the structure actually felt elemental.  With a full sky of northern lights above it, this building must reflect and link the faithful to the heavens above.

 
After photographing the exterior, we stepped in, paying a small entrance fee of 70 NOK or 9-10 dollars Canadian, after which we entered into the central prayer space.
 
Inside, the cathedral, the main auditorium is round rather than in the shape of a cross, as many churches are.  The interior of the Cathedral of Northern Lights is beautifully minimalist in its design - composed of plain wooden chairs, a wide open altar, and walls defined by strips of lighting. 

 
The altar wall is treated with blue glaze to accentuate the figure of Christ in the centre.  The representation of Christ on the altar is cast in bronze and is the focal point of the room.  Interestingly, though the image of crucification is set more as Christ giving a blessing and looking upward with hope. 

 
This depiction of Christ is one of my favourite parts of this church -  Christ is not nailed to the cross, looking downwards in defeat and sadness, but rather he is standing, making the shape of the cross with his outstretched arms, looking upwards towards the heavens  - it is a gesture of hope, and thankfulness for being the saviour.  The effect is wonderful when sitting, reflecting and taking the room in.
 
In fact, the entire structure seems directed to the ideals of light and hope rather than despair and repentance.

 
Beyond the beautiful altar and along one of the walls is a stunning organ with 1800 pipes.
 
Amid this room, at the central rear of the church, is a hollow concrete pillar that visitors and the faithful can step into. Inside this space, which is almost chimney-like, amid the darkened interior, is a long golden ladder leading upwards.  

This is a Jacob’s Ladder, which is a biblical vision from the Bible (Genesis 28:10-22), where the patriarch Jacob dreams of a ladder or stairway linking earth at the bottom with heaven, at the top. It symbolizes a divine connection between earth and heaven, God’s active presence, and a promise of protection and a means of finding one’s way to heaven.
 
The lighting was such that it caught the shape of the ladder and cast mesmerizing shadows throughout the chimney-like structure. Beneath it, one could sit on a bench and place a lit candle on a ledge as a prayer for someone.

 
As we left, my thought was that it would have been wonderful to go to mass and service here -unfortunately, that takes place on Sundays, and today was Tuesday. 
 

Warming up with Coffee

 
After our visit to the Northern Lights Cathedral, we walked along the main street of Alta in search of a cafe, and soon found one in the central shopping center.  We were surprised to find an indoor mall in Europe, but given the cold temperatures that envelop this northern town during the winter months, I suppose it makes perfect sense.  

We were soon sitting down at the UNO Cafe with cups of steaming hot coffee and slices of warm, delicious, apple cinnamon cake.  As we sat there, a large crowd of people began filling the cafe, indicating it was a popular spot for a lunch break among the locals.

 

Short Hike

 
When we stepped out of the Cathedral, we noticed a sign with a map showing five local walking trails that all began at that point.  While not a large urban centre, the area nonetheless had lots of local trails that aided in the exploration of the surrounding landscapes, the Altafjord and Alta River Valley.

 
Since we had already walked the length of the main street a couple of times, we decided to explore farther afield by following one of the routes.  According to the descriptions, they ranged in length from 0.8 to 2.5 km in length, and seemed to lead to various viewpoints around the city.  We knew the sun would set around 2:30 PM, and even in the sunshine, it was beginning to feel damp and increasingly chilly, so we decided to walk a local trail, which was 1.8 km long and would take us to the Skaialuft port. 

 
As promised, it was a pleasant walk, mostly on paved sidewalks or along gravel roads through quiet neighbourhoods.  Many homes had colourful red, yellow, or dusky green siding, and huge glass windows to take in the ocean and mountain views. Quite a few porches already had alpine skis propped against the walls in preparation for the coming snow.  In many ways, the areas we passed through reminded us very strongly of neighbourhoods on the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, except for the absence of any large trees.  The overall feeling was one of calm, and an environment still dominated by a wild and untamed landscape.

 
Soon, we had climbed up and over a spit of land and were descending back down towards the water on the far side.  Modern homes and condos lined the waterfront, each with a fantastic view of the steep slopes and snow-covered peaks across the water.  The slopes were sparsely forested, but most of the branches were bare, exposing the contours of the reddish rock beneath.  Where snow had dusted the higher peaks, each ridge was accented in black and white.  The entire scene was extremely serene and beautiful but difficult to describe.
 

Bird watching in Alta Harbour

 
As we made our way down to the water, we found ourselves tracing the base of a steep, rocky, yellowish cliff.  A subtle movement made us look up, and here we noticed two Hooded Crows moving around among the rocks, presumably searching for food among the cracks and crevices.  

We noticed that many of the mosses and grasses growing among the rocks were covered in a beautiful layer of thick ice crystals, and realized that eking out a life in this sparse environment must be a challenge for the local wildlife that were year-round residents.

At the water's edge, we stopped to admire the view, a simple rope fence leading off into the bay capturing our imagination.  As we paused to take in the scenery, we noticed a lone bird diving a few meters offshore.  It had a familiar shape and size which reminded us of the Common Murres and Razorbills we'd seen while visiting the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve on the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland.  However, something was unfamiliar about its mottled white and black plumage, and we later learned it was a Black Guillemot.  

Always fascinated by a new species for us here in Norway, we spent some time watching it fish in the still waters off Alta’s coast.
 

Sunset in Alta

 
The sun soon began to dip below the tops of the mountains, sending a noticeable chill along the shoreline.  We walked out to the marina and then began the short trek back into town.  When we had climbed back up the hill, we passed the Alta Kirke for the second time. 

 
This small, white wooden building was the first parish church built in Alta in 1858.  It was heavily damaged during WWII, but has since been restored.  It now sits at the top of a ridge with a beautiful view over a forested valley, surrounded by a small, green cemetery.  As we made our way back, the sinking sun was shining through its stained glass windows, making it look as though the church was lit from within.  
 

Sometimes it’s hard being Canadian

 
When we got back into the downtown area, we stepped into a different cafe to warm up.  However, we didn't end up staying too long, as there seemed to be some confusion.  When I asked for coffee, I didn't fully understand what the lady behind the counter asked me, and as a result, we ended up with mugs of acidic premade coffee from a self-serve dispenser.  It wasn't the rich, strong brew we had been looking forward to, but at least it was warm, and we were content enough.  However, the combination of our weak coffee, our accents, and Sean's baseball cap clearly led the other couple in the cafe to assume we were Americans.  They made some disparaging remarks in English, gave us nasty looks, and pointedly moved to the far end of the cafe while saying something in Norwegian to the proprietor.  While this wasn't the first time we've observed this reaction, it was certainly the strongest and most direct.  We aren't fans of current US foreign policy at the moment either, but it made us realize how unpleasant it must be for Americans wishing to travel abroad right now.
 

Boreal Adventure Center

 
After briefly warming up, and as the day’s light began to fade in the early afternoon, we headed back out for another walk down the main street.  

We stepped into the Boreal Adventure Center, which also served as the local tourist information hub. It was quite busy with people perusing the selection of locally hand-crafted souvenirs and asking questions.  To Sean's delight, he discovered that we could purchase a personalized Polar Explorer certificate to take home as a memento for 100 kr.   

 
The staff were very friendly and helpful, and as we waited while they filled out our names, we were very impressed with the patience and overwhelming positivity with which they answered a litany of questions from the flood of visitors.
 

Afternoon in Alta, Return to Ambience

 
One of the main reasons people visit Alta, Norway, is for the excellent chance of seeing the aurora borealis that this location offers.  Unfortunately, the forecast for tonight wasn't too optimistic, predicting that the skies would cloud over as the afternoon progressed.  Somewhat disappointingly, the predictions appeared to be correct, but it wasn't yet fully dark or completely overcast, so we held out hope of seeing the lights dancing above the Northern Lights Cathedral. 

 
However, it was too cold to simply sit outside, and nothing much was happening overhead just yet.  As a result, we ducked inside Mikkeli Live, a cozy little pub on the main street that serves the local Mack beer.  We spent a few hours working on the travel journal, chatting about the journey, and popping outside every so often to check the sky. 

 
The lights on the main street were turned on, and the beginnings of the Christmas decorations that were already up made the downtown look positively festive. However, as the afternoon wore on, the sky showed no signs of clearing up, and our energy began to flag.  The combination of several nights with a lot of excitement and little sleep, and the fact that it was pitch dark by 3:00 PM, convinced us to head back to Ambience shortly before dinner time.

After the short shuttle bus ride, we were welcomed aboard with the offer of hot mulled wine, and then made our way up to the Borough Market for a bite to eat.
 

Enrichment Talk: Tirpitz and World War II

 
Tonight was a presentation on Tirpitz and World War II, which was a major chapter in northern and naval warfare by Stephen Payne. According to Dr. Payne,  during the Second World War, Alta played a significant and often overlooked role as a strategic anchorage for the German battleship Tirpitz, one of the largest and most feared warships ever built by the Nazi. Hidden deep within the fjords of northern Norway, the Tirpitz used Altafjord and the nearby Kåfjord as protective bases from which it threatened Allied Arctic convoys supplying the Soviet Union.

 
Its mere presence forced the Allies to divert immense naval resources to counter it, and the area became the focus of repeated British air and submarine attacks.  The prolonged struggle to neutralize the Tirpitz left a lasting imprint on Alta and the surrounding communities, who lived under occupation while their fjords echoed with wartime activity.
 
As always, Dr. Payne’s talks were captivating and extremely popular among the passengers.
 

Evening on Ambience

 
By 6 PM, we were back in our room to shower and clean up before heading off to the Botanicals Lounge for a glass of wine, as I wanted to be in a venue that would let us see if the northern lights were outside.
 
As Sean read and listened to the amazing live music, I kept going up on deck to check for lights and chat with people.  Unfortunately, given the cloud cover, it was fairly clear (no pun intended) that spotting the northern lights would be a dubious undertaking tonight.

 
This was frustrating for some passengers who had paid 150 pounds per person to set off on a tour to see the aurora.  The result being that much of the conversation on board was about whether nature excursions should be “guaranteed” rather than accepting that the whims of Mother Nature have to be approached with a different mindset.
 
After yet another amazing day and little possibility of seeing the sky dance tonight, we were soon off back to our room.  Tonight would not see Ambience move or head toward another port.   Tonight, we will remain tied to the dock for an extended sampling of the Arctic north.
 
See you on deck!
 
Nautical Term for the Day: Smooth Sailing - Calm seas and steady winds made for effortless passage. The phrase now applies to any easy-going situation.