Munkholmen Island

We’re now in Trondheim, Norway’s third largest city and we arrived in driving rain, hail and sleet. 

It eased a little and the island of Munkholmen could be seen from our ship as we stayed here for three hours. 

In the eleventh century, Benedictine monks founded a monastery here. Apparently it wasn’t a very successful venture as the bishop received lots of complaints about noise, heavy drinking and womanising. 

After the Reformation it was converted into a prison.

These days you can visit the central part of the fortress after crossing on the ferry. 

Soon we’ll be heading north, and our next major stop will be well within the Arctic Circle, in Bodo.