Norway: Midnight sun at North Cape Postcard

To put the record straight, the North Cape, a magnificent sheer granite cliff face towering above the island of Mageroya in northern Norway, high above the Arctic Circle, is not, as many people consider it to be, the most northerly point in mainland Europe. However, viewing the midnight sun on Norway's North Cape is an unforgettable experience, the sun sinks majestically toward the horizon but then stops, hanging in the sky; a giant red ball over a pristine, golden sea. Then it begins to rise again.

Its 307 m high, steep cliff is often referred to as the northernmost point of Europe, However, the neighbouring point Knivskjellodden is actually 1,457 metres further north. Moreover, both of these points are situated on an island, which means the northernmost point of mainland Europe is in fact Cape Nordkinn (Kinnarodden), about 20 km from the village of Mehamn.

The North Cape was named by English explorer Richard Chancellor in 1553 when he passed the cape in the search for a Northeast passage. From then on, it was occasionally visited by daring explorers who climbed the steep cliff face to the plateau; famous visitors include King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway in 1873 and Thailand's King Chulalongkorn in 1907. A road was opened to the North Cape in 1956. Today, the North Cape is a major tourist attraction.

Memerhati pemandangan matahari jatuh memang sungguh mengasyikkan. Teringat BR suatu ketika dahulu di tahun 1980-an sebuah drama bersiri yang ditayangkan di TV bertajuk "Lure Of Sunset" yang mengisahkan tentang kasih sayang dan pengorbanan...

Untuk maklumat lanjut mengenai North Cape ini, sila ke: Wikipedia/North Cape