Blogs from Tromsø, Northern Norway, Norway, Europe - page 2

I made sure I got up so that I had enough time to have breakfast without rushing. Made it by 9:30 which was just right. After breakfast I spent the morning catching up on my blog. While I was working on it I received an email from the tour company advising me that the tour I had booked for tonight was to be cancelled due to weather conditions - they said cloud and fog. Damn - but this just meant I now had more time to finish my blog before heading off for the day. Just after 12:30 I was finished on the blog and was right up to date as at the previous night - yay! I decided to walk over the big bridge joining the island to the mainland, as I wanted to see ... read more

Janine and I headed to the boulangerie to get some baquettes and criossants for breakfast. We also went to the supermarket and picked up berries and fruit and other items to add to the table. Jess prepared everything again and we all enjoyed breakfast together. I needed to leave the apartment by 10:45 to head to the train station as I needed to get to Charles de Gaulle airport in time for my 2pm flight to Tromsö in Norway. We headed off down Boulevard St Germain for about a 12 minute walk and Con was kind enough to take my suitcase. This time we took the direct route with no stops along the way and guess what? Google maps was accurate! As I already had my ticket I was ready to leave - so said goodbye ... read more

Bonjour à tous, Je ne vous ai encore rien dit sur la Norvège, et pourtant j’y suis depuis plus d’une semaine. Monarchie constitutionnelle, roi Herald V, Capitale Oslo, 385 200 km2 (France 551 000), population 5 240 000 habitants, monnaie couronne norvégienne 1E=1.1 NOK. Possède de frontières avec la Suède, Finlande, Russie. Elle est aujourd’hui un des pays les plus riches du monde, avec ses ressources pétrolières et gazières, et la pêche . Elle est considérée comme le pays le plus démocratique du monde, a été déclarée comme le pays le plus pacifique du monde, en 2007. Ça risque de changer, depuis 2009, plus de 10% de la population sont des immigrés, à Oslo c’est 25%. Je comprends un peu mieux ce qui me surprenait. J’ajouterai pour conclure que ce pays a été richement doté par ... read more

Tromsø is 186 miles inside the Arctic Circle. At 71,000 inhabitants, it is the principle city of Northern Norway and is the largest European city to lie within the Arctic boundary. It is more northerly than Orkney, Iceland and even most of Alaska….and we’re not done with travelling North yet!! Tromsø is situated on Tromsøya island in the area of Trom and has a fast expanding population. This is due to the relatively mild climate for a town that is so far North. The mercury very really falls below -15 in winter which is comparable with the climate in the countries capital, Oslo. I was expecting to see ice floes as we sailed in to Tromsø but I was informed that due to the Gulf Stream, the water in these parts never freezes over. Tromsø boasts ... read more

Tromsø has certainly been more than all I hoped for. And I had hoped for a lot. I'd hoped to see the Northern Lights, but I never expected to get them three nights in a row. Or to get a show so spectacular that even a local photographer whose family have lived in Tromsø for generations was in awe! I don't think I can ever beat that and so, I've bought the t-shirt - the most expensive t-shirt I have ever bought. Lots of snow as expected. But far more beautiful than I anticipated, as the snowy landscapes were crowned with saturated blue skies to the extent that when people see the photos, they may think photoshop had been used to enhance it. Plus golden and pink sunsets glowing over the snow. If you did nothing ... read more