From Tromsø we caught another flight back down to Trondheim in Central Norway. We’d spent a couple hours in Trondheim earlier in our boat journey north, and we we were really looking forward to spending more time there. And after a couple weeks of cold, rainy weather, Trondheim welcomed us with warmth and sun.

I might be biased by the weather we had, but this was definitely my favorite stop in Norway. The country’s third largest city (after Oslo and Bergen), Trondheim is the spiritual heart of Norway.

King Olaf was martyred in battle near here in 1030 and later canonized. His grave became a pilgrimage site, and then home to the spectacular gothic Nidaros Cathedral. Trondheim served as the capital of Norway until 1217. And kings have come here since for their coronations and benedictions.

We really loved the city’s colorful buildings, elegant parks, and vibrant cafe scene. What a wonderful place to hang out for a couple days. Or was it maybe just the sunshine?

We left Bergen on the MS Havila Castor, sailing our way to the far north of Norway. It’ll take six days to reach Kirkenes, at the very top of the Norwegian mainland at the border with Russia.

Two companies — Havila and its older competitor Hurtigruten — today run ferry services that shuttle people, tourists, mail, and freight along this extensive coastline. The fist steam ferries began running between Trondheim and Tromsø in 1838. By 1908 service covered the whole route from Bergen to Kirkenes.

Today, these companies feel like a cross between a ferry service and a cruise line. Some passengers travel short distances, while others spend a week or two going up the coast, down the coast, or even round trip. The boats offer comfortable accommodations, tasty Norwegian cuisine, shore excursions, and plenty of clean Scandinavian design.

Early in our journey we sailed deep into Geraingerfjord, the mother of Norway’s spectacular fjords. The next day we spent a few hours on shore in the elegant university town of Trondheim (which we will return to after the boat trip). And this morning, halfway into our trip, we crossed the Arctic Circle. And with three more days to go!

So far this has been a great way to see Norway. We spend a lot of the days and evenings sitting on our own balcony just watching the landscape glide by. The scenery includes mountains, islands, pretty harbors, little towns, and no end of isolated houses that you can’t even imagine how people get to.

It all sits under moody skies, patches of fog, occasional wind and rain, and sudden bursts of sunshine. And the long summer days seem to get noticeably longer with each northbound day. We love watching the landscape slowly darken between 10 and 11 pm. But not for long: Sunrise tomorrow is scheduled for 3:12 am.