25th November 2022. (Look ! only a month behind with the blog now).
The only things I could have told you about Tromso (pop. 68,577, bigger than I thought) before we landed were a) It’s at the top of Norway, b) You’re perilously close to Russia, c) It’s an unlikely home to a hideously expensive craft beer scene.
What I wasn’t expecting was the gloriousness of the light. Not that there was much of it, but instead of the expected grey skies there was was orange and a subtle pink.
Only three full days, one for the lights, one for the whales and one for the craft. With the Northern Lights determinedly only appearing at night we had Friday to do the cultural stuff, which mainly involved trying not to slip over on the slopes down from our apartment to town.
With Norway taking a break from World Cup Finals action, Tromso seemed to have lost interest in the beautiful game, unless this is their official mascot Erling.
Tromso is a gorgeous wooden town,
and we marked the “tiniest bar in the Universe” down as the venue for our post-climb reindeer dog.
I say “climb”, but after the walk across the bridge toward the Arctic Cathedral,
we cheated and took the cable car (think “Heights of Abraham”) to the top of the mountain.
And what cheerful ditty accompanied our ascent ?
No, me neither.
The five minute each way ride cost about £30 each, the first indication of how expensive these 3 days were likely to be, but I reckon it was probably worth it.
Technically, you could have descended the ice path on foot and saved a tenner, but my confidence in the local A & E (and our RAC insurance) didn’t stretch that far.
Back down by the bridge, the Cathedral is a masterpiece of simplicity in the (new) Coventry style.
“That’s enough culture. Where’s your first pub ?” asked Mrs RM.
Note the wholly unwarranted emphasis on the “your”.
retiredmartin 
Is that character truly named Erling? A friend of ours is from that area and his surname is Erling. Had no idea it would be so common a name.
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Erling Haaland is the star Norwegian striker. Plays for Man City. Let’s assume that character is called Erling, too.
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You making this stuff up as you go?? Had me fooled. Four football references a day is the limit. Your north American readers can’t take it.
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Your piece makes us feel cosy here in a Dorset village.
Had my first pint of Palmers in years last night – Fri – and a perfectly good one it was too. The pub had a meat and cheese draw at 2015, which was also fish and chips night – no other food available, but it did have a skittles alley.
No doubt one or more of your many fans know it?
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I spent many a night out in Tromsø when I did my army service up there almost 30 years ago.
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Were you there a whole year round, Morten ?
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Aye, July 94 to July 95!
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Started well enough, then.
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Tromsø looks gorgeous under that blanket of snow and ice, although the slippery pavements don’t sound quite as appealing.
We didn’t get that far north on our Norwegian cruise, but were we to do another, I would definitely look for a voyage that includes Tromsø.
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I think you did similar stops to us, Paul (Flam and Bergen).
I’d be interested to see Tromso in the summer.
NB Although it looked like a deathtrap none of us actually slipped at all, luckily.
It felt colder in the UK last week.
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Which came first, Tromso at the top of Norway or Thurso at the top of Scotland ?
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I’ve asked myself the same question, Paul.
Thurso is – I read – from the Norse for “Thor’s place on the river” or suchlike, so maybe they’re fairly contemporary?
What strikes me though, are the pics of people walking around in stuff other than head-to-toe polar bear skins.
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