Science: Since the axial tilt of Earth is considerable (23 degrees, 26 minutes, 21.41196 seconds), at high latitudes there are “days” when the Sun does not set in summer. This Midnight Sun occurs at latitudes from 65°44′ to 90° north or south.
And, Tromsø (pronounced between “Tromser” and “Tromsah”) Norway, found at 69°38′59″N, is the perfect location to experience the Midnight Sun!
That’s where we are.
We are flying from Oslo, Norway, on Scandinavian Airlines.
Somewhere over Norway.
Typically, commercial jets fly too high to see anything below except shapes. Fortunately, the shapes found in Norway are worth seeing.
The long and winding road…
We don’t know where we are, so we don’t know where this road is coming from or going to. It seems kinda lonely down there, but I guess that tiny ribbon of asphalt is a lifeline to all those who choose to live there.
Tiny Norwegian villages.
Why do people live here? What do they do for a living? If they fish or farm, they can do that only seasonally. And imagine being a teenager and trying to find love in a town with a population of thirty…Well, I guess, at least, there are no strangers here.
We’ve included a few more photographs for your enjoyment.
Tromsø awaits!
The aircraft descends, and we get a glimpse of Tromsø island, on the left. You have probably already noticed: the waters in the fjords of Norway are blue.
Prepare for landing.
One final photograph before we land. Our Airbnb is in that cluster of houses center-left, about thirty minute walk to the bridge. Notice the green mountain with the bit of bald outcropping near the center of the photograph? There is a ski lift terminal there, which is where we will eventually see the Midnight Sun!
Our House
Our Airbnb is in a quiet neighborhood of a quiet town, looking like something from a postcard.
The American Dream.
When you visit Scandinavia, you will discover that living conditions are tight: everything is small. (This is true in most of Europe.) So, while the house looks spacious enough, the fine print on the Airbnb contract states, “Entire home”. Not “Entire house”. Yes, there are two other families sharing this one small house, so we really have just an apartment.
The living room, Tromsø style.
It’s a strange design by our standards. There is a dining area on the other side of this room, so where is there a dining table here? Why are there two modern-esque chairs mixed in with old-timey furniture? Why is that one chair facing the other two? We don’t know, but we are careful not to change anything.
Our view.
There are many homey touches, including fresh flowers. And, although it is a bit overcast, there is plenty of growth. Summer in northern Norway is a great time to be a plant.
One other thing to note with both Airbnbs we stay at on our trip: they really are someone’s living space. Closets and dressers are full (so we are still living out of a suitcase), refrigerators have leftovers, and bathroom cabinets have someone’s toiletries. So, in these tiny spaces, there is even less space.
Still, cum Romae faciunt Romani, and we don’t worry about it.
Our front porch.
Okay, let’s go out and see what Tromsø has to offer.
Tromsø
There is not a lot to do in Tromsø. It’s not a major tourist destination; it appears to be more of a “survive the winter” destination. But we are here in summer, so that’s good.
The Tromsø Coat of Arms: Beware the Lego Reindeer.
The city boldly displays their Coat of Arms on a manhole cover. I think the logo would make a fine bottle opener.
How convenient.
Like many places we’ve visited (but not all), there is an abundance of convenience stores selling overpriced goods. However, not all have naked green headless mannequins.
No copyright issues here.
Uncle Sam is looking for folks to work at Kaffebønna part-time or full-time. Yeah, they like the letter Ø in this language.
Girls just want to have fun.
Someday there will be an emergency. “We need someone to walk across a gorge on a thin belt!” And these girls will save the day. And, like McDonalds, 7-Eleven is international.
Now here’s something worth seeing.
We stick our heads in the Troll Museum, hoping to learn more about Leroy Jenkins. We were sadly misled.
Bird moms doing what bird moms do.
The sea mew (Larus canus) uses the tiny window ledge to set up house. We don’t know what they are using for nesting materials, but their nests seem very sloppy.
Even more gulls above the “resturant”.
As we look around, we notice that these mews are using any spot they can find near the water.
Let’s go shopping for birds.
At the Nerstrands senter, there are plenty of letters that can be used for nest building. And, by now, you’ve probably noticed the white streaks that accompany these fine nests.
A rich source of nitrogen.
Yes, it’s important to dodge the rain of poop that the birds uncaringly unleash. Walk in the center of the path, not near the edges.
But Tromsø is more than trolls and birds.
Thar she blows!
Tromsø also has a harpoon display!
Yes, where you have oceans, you have whales, and where you have whales, you have whale hunters. In fact, as of 2022, Norway has a whale quota of 917 minke whales that are allowed to be harvested.
The world-famous Tromsø bridge.
The Tromsø Bridge is a bridge that crosses the Tromsø Sound between Fridtjof Nansen’s place on Tromsøya and Tromsdalen on the mainland in Tromsø. The bridge was designed by Erling Viksjø and was the first free-build bridge to be built in Norway. It received the honorary prize Betongtavlen for 1963. The bridge has a pedestrian path; according to the internet, “Tromsøbrua var blant de mest utsatte for selvmord og selvmordsforsøk i hele landet før det i 2005 ble montert et «selvmordsgjerde» for å forhindre dette.”
Note, too, the ostentatious church on the right. In a land of vast natural beauty, someone thinks such a structure is a tribute to their god. Jeez.
The view to the other direction.
If you travel on the bridge, you will pass the church and come to the base of the mountain shown here. The small building at the top is the terminal of the ski lift mentioned earlier. (Note that we never see any ski runs, just the ski lodge.)
Since when is a bra good?
On a random (to us) building is a very Roy G. Biv rainbow reminding us that everything will be okay. We don’t know why.
What a marvelous thing!
So, after the disappointing trolls, the bird poop, and selvmord, we find that some generous soul is giving away a used metal plate full of holes, just to be nice. What an age we live in!
Fjord Cruise by Luxury Yacht
Tromsø has water and boats, so let’s take a boat ride!
Can you tell we are in Tromsø?
We are traveling on a luxury yacht. We know because “luxury yacht” is in the name: Fjord Cruise by Luxury Yacht.
“Experience the breathtaking Scandinavian beauty that surrounds Tromsø on a 3-hour tour through the Norwegian sea. Gaze at towering, snowy mountains, narrow fjords, and remote islands, accessible exclusively by boat. After being welcomed onto the boat with coffee and tea, don your thermal suits to protect against the cold. Gaze out across the one-of-a-kind Arctic landscape en route to Eidkjosen, passing the stunning Håkøya island, known for its snowy peaks and rugged shoreline. You’ll slow down as you pass through Sørbotn, a small, remote bay, to peer out at the scenery. Along the way, you can try out some fishing if you so desire, or try your hand at captaining. Dine on sumptuous, fresh fish soup on your way back to Tromsø, taking in the singular serenity of the arctic environment.”
Fortunately, we do not require thermal suits.
Touring through the Norwegian sea.
There are only five passengers and one captain. It appears cramped, but it’s not; there is plenty of space on the boat to move around. We enjoy the sights, smells, and the company.
This is what we never want to do.
This boat speeds past us, reminding us of how nice we have it in our quiet, comfortable boat where we have the time to enjoy the moment.
Idyllic Norway.
One of the other passengers remarks that, if it was always like this, he would move here.
And we agree.
Unfortunately, it isn’t always like this. In fact, Tromsø is known to get over 21 feet of snow in a season, including 4 feet of snow in just one day.
So, let’s fish!
The mighty fisherman stalks his hidden prey.
The captain takes us to a spot where there are known to be fish. We are told to let the lure sink to the bottom, then reel it in just a bit.
Son, I am disappoint.
Yeah, I snagged it by its tail.
Everyone’s a winner…except the fish, I guess.
Yes, the fish here in Norway seem to get snagged a lot. Perhaps they are just clumsy.
This is a candidate for Snag and Release.
Some of the fish are too small, both by regulation and because there’s not enough there to eat.
What? He caught it by its mouth?
These rods and reels seem a bit over-powered for the fish we keep catching.
Finally, a FISH!
The gentleman, who caught the most fish, catches the biggest fish. Notice the size of its mouth; it can open that mouth larger than the girth of its body.
Dinner is about to be served.
The captain keeps the larger fish, killing and gutting them. He throws the unused parts back in the water, where the gulls feast. I feel a bit sorry for the fish, until I see that one of the just-killed fish has an intact smaller fish in its gullet; these fish spend their time swimming with mouth open, eating anything that gets in their way. So, we are just part of the cycle.
We enjoy fish chowder prepared by the captain. We suspect that he used the fish caught the day before to feed his current passengers, and so on. What a deal!
The Tromsø Sound.
We head back to Tromsø. The mountain on the right with the ski lodge is where we will be enjoying to Midnight Sun!
This is obviously a…thing.
Near the dock we see a structure that people are using as a platform to jump into the water. Is this the original design, or have these people commandeered it for their own purposes? We have no idea.
Arctandria Sjømatrestaurant
Even though we have eaten fish chowder, we decide to pamper ourselves, so we go to the Arctandria Sjømatrestaurant for seafood.
See? Food!
Yes, photographs of food do not do justice to the flavors and the ambience of dining in Tromsø.
Mmmmm, steak.
This is what Northern Minke whale steak looks like. What does it taste like? The sauce. But the sauce is pretty good.
Et stykke Vågekval av beste slag og av god familie, stekes, serveres med rotgrønnsaker, ertepuré, tyttebær, rødvinssaus og fløtegratinerte poteter. Enkelt og greit!
En smak av fangst, tradisjon og kultur. Smaker den historie – så får du ny.
The best part of dinner.
There are few people in the restaurant, and we are able to spend a bit of time talking to our waitress. She was born and raised in Tromsø and never wants to leave. We ask her about the winter darkness, and she tells us that there is a special beauty to the Arctic Night that you understand only when you experience it. She also tells us that enduring the Arctic Night is empowering, and invites us to return during winter. We say, “That sounds like fun.” But, no.
Postcards
Just as a side note, here are some of the postcards we are sending to friends and family.
Everyone loves getting postcards.
Midnight Sun
And, finally, it’s time for the Midnight Sun!
The name says it all.
We start at the bottom by riding on “the mountain lift”. And if you still aren’t sure what this is, they drew a picture, showing that the lift originates on the bridge, which it doesn’t.
The top of the lift.
This is the top of the lift I’ve been talking about. It’s cool because the part where the people are is made of glass, so you can really lean out and get a feeling of being, well, on a mountain.
Okay, so, now that we are here, what do we do? Well, nothing really. It’s about 11pm, there are a few people milling about, and that’s it. So, let’s go for a hike and take some photographs.
The Arctic Day.
In the town below, normal people are asleep. We, however, are wired. 😀
The view to the other direction.
Down in the Tromsø Sound, a cruise ship full of cruisers also enjoy this moment.
Selfie!
The wind is still, so there are a few flies that don’t ever go away. They don’t bite, they are just irritating.
And another selfie.
As I said, there isn’t really anything to do here except enjoy the moment. We see a small group of people with lawn chairs, sleeping bags, coolers, etc., some sitting and some playing with a ball. I want to ask them, “Are you staying over night?”, but night won’t happen for a few more weeks. “Are you staying until tomorrow?”, but tomorrow is in just a few minutes.
So, we take a lot of photographs, then head to the ski lodge.
That’s one big chair.
Here we can relax and watch the sunset. Well, no. Not sunrise either. Maybe sun-bounce is a better way to think of it.
Smile and say “ost”.
By this time, we can see that the sun has moved to the right (from our perspective when facing the sun) and is starting to rise.
Fingering the sun.
Yup, we have been awake for a long time and are getting a bit silly.
It’s tomorrow!
It’s after midnight, and the last gondola leaves at 12:30am, so we have time for just a few more photographs.
Good morning!
You might have noticed that they, very wisely, made the top of the railing high enough that you can’t fall over it, no matter how far you lean. And remember, this is summer. For much of the year, it’s dark and slippery here, even more reason to have a high railing.
Boobies.
I say, “Pose,” and this is what she does. Which is why I love her.
Are we drinking beer really late at night or really early in the morning?
We take the final gondola down, and wait for a taxi. At the end, there are only us and another couple, and one taxi. So, we share the ride and have a pleasant conversation. The taxi driver drops them off first, and they pay, then he takes us to our place and tells us, “No charge”. Nice. So, we tip him the amount we would have paid if we were the only ones in the taxi. I mean, it’s 1:00am; just the fact that he’s working this late/early is worth something!
Thus, our adventures in the midnight sun are drawing to a close. But stay tuned: we still have more Scandinavia to visit!