Tromsø December 2024 – Part 2 of 3

Is that a bit of daylight?

I woke up several times. All dark. Could have been midnight or 8 AM. It all looks the same. I went down for breakfast early because it said that 7 AM was a good time to beat the crowds. Well, there were between 20 and 30 people at breakfast the entire time I was there. I would not necessarily call that “quiet”. I later found out that this was “quiet” in comparison. It’s all relative and such.

I had one plan for Saturday. It looked like the last day of my stay where there might be somewhat clear skies. I really wanted to see a bit of daylight, but that wasn’t gonna happen until around 11 AM so I went to the Troll Museum first. That opened at 9. I was the first visitor of the day and felt like a kid in a candy store. I absolutely loved it.

I already knew all about the Norse Mythology of course but the museum was also just very well done. Combining old and new. Go check it out if you’re ever in Tromsø. If you like trolls and Norse Mythology, that is. Otherwise, really don’t bother.

I then took bus 40 to the University Museum, also called Tromsø Museum. Since that wasn’t open yet I walked around for a bit. That was the plan from the start. The southern part of the island is where my favorite winter beach is located.

I started by taking the long way to where I wanted to go. I was walking on snow through the forest. Yes, there was a clear path. The signs could have been better though.

Lucky, I have a great sense of direction and ended up exactly where I wanted to be. There was a bus stop and everything. Across the parking area and into the park I walked - still on snow. It was not cold, but the wind was freeeeezing.

Is it dusk or dawn when it only lasts a few hours? I’m calling it polar night glow. Could I check what it’s actually called? Of course I could, but where’s the fun in that? Polar night glow it is.

I sat down on my favorite bench and just took things in. I was dressed warm enough not to be cold. It was such an amazing moment. That feeling of connection. I focused on my breathing for a bit. So relaxing. So - just what I needed.

I didn’t go to the very southern tip of the island but instead went to the museum. This is where I walked. It was kind of icy, but I got passed by runners and people on their bicycles.

At the museum they had updated the geology exhibit since I was last there and there was something new on Northern Lights and on how they have the power to shut down air traffic if they get too intense. Also, another interesting exhibit on Sami culture and the Sami Nation. So much damage done. It took me back to the borders and barbed wire sculptures at the art museum. The Sami Nation has no borders and stretches across three modern day countries. There’s a message in that.

Wanna play a little guessing game? What time do you think it is in each of those pictures? I’ll put the answer at the very end of this newsletter.

Guess what time … polar night fun

Back at the hotel for cake and tea I got talking to a lovely couple from England (now living in Australia). They thought I was in my late 20s, early 30s. I’ll take that. Thank you very much. I think she needs new glasses. It made me smile though.

I wanted to go up the mountain across the water and got onto a bus. The bus got very crowded, and I looked around myself and decided that those were not the kind of people I wanted to be on a cable car with. I got off the bus at the Arctic Cathedral, having to literally push my way through.

Surprise! There was a Christmas concert on, and I got tickets. I wrote more about it in this newsletter. What an amazingly beautiful experience. I still can’t believe that happened. It was a total family affair. Everybody knew someone in that choir. Such a lovely and warm thing to experience. Of course, understanding Norwegian was a big part of that. They gave a bit of context to some songs and there were some jokes as well. Mostly music though.

I decided to walk across the bridge to get back to my hotel. There would have been buses too. Now the rule is “pedestrians on the left – bikes on the right”. And as you can see wearing reflectors is a very good idea. Even if you’re walking on a sidewalk.

That bridge is scary high, but very sturdy. Just don’t look down. I love walking across it though. It gives you stunning views of the main island. Just an experience you don’t want to miss. Trust me. Since going to a concert had not been the plan at all, I was running kind of late for that light evening meal, but it made just in time.

Then the big question was – stay up or take a nap. I had an online concert to attend. The one I went to in person in NYC for the past three years. Because of the time difference it started at 1.30 AM. I couldn’t decide so I went back outside and got some snacks. Those were going to keep me awake – hopefully.

What a concert! Loved it. I think I might have nodded off for like five minutes at around 4 AM. It couldn’t be helped.

My next dilemma was – stay up and go to breakfast early or sleep in and possibly miss breakfast. I set my alarm for 7 AM and went straight down to breakfast. It was pouring outside. There was a rainstorm like I hadn’t seen in a long while.

I went back to my room and wrote the newsletter I linked above. Then I snuggled up in my bed for a nap and woke up just in time for cake and coffee. It was still very windy and pouring. I was not going outside – I just wasn’t.

So, for the rest of the day, I stayed in my room and finished reading my Swedish crime novel. I must have read like 300 pages that day. I still think that the topic of a crime novel should not be directly related to what could easily happen where you are. The victim froze to death but let’s not focus on that too much.

I made sure I knew where to go on Monday and sort of planned my day with museum opening hours and film show times. I also made a plan to go up that cable car mountain.

Stick around if you want to read part three.

Answers:

Times I took those pictures:

1 – 13.37; 2 – 9.33

3 – 14.14; 4 – 13.10

5 – 11.38; 6 – 11.49