The most northerly city that begins with ‘T’…and ends in ‘ø’ - Tromsø!

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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 the most Northerly Aquarium, the most northerly protestant cathedral (no mention of the most northerly catholic cathedral – that honour must go to another city as they don’t seem to want to talk about it here!!), the most northerly cinema and even the most northerly 18-hole golf course!! The city has the most bars per capita in Norway so it comes as no surprise that Tromsø also claims to have the most northerly brewery!!

The temperature was a few degrees below zero but more importantly it was snowing. In other circumstances we’d all be doing cartwheels but after all, we are here in search of the Northern lights and snow, at this point, means cloud and cloud means no Northern lights. So far on this trip we have had clear skies and now we are ‘in the zone’ it’s a total white out!!!

The ship docked at the terminal four kilometres or so from the centre of Tromsø. We took the free shuttle in to the city. Most of the ten-minute journey we spent in a tunnel. Not just any tunnel. This one was very different. This had a whole road system contained within complete with give ways, junctions and roundabouts. This was not a sub-terrainian tunnel but, like many tunnels in Norway, straight through a mountain. There were even pavements alongside the roadway for pedestrians to wander through this well-lit road network.

We were dropped outside the Radisson hotel only a hundred metres or so from the quayside. We could see the Tromsøya bridge, rising one hundred and twenty metres above the sea, connecting the island to the mainland. Across the narrow sound we saw the Tromsø church, known as the Arctic cathedral symbolising the strength of the pack ice. It was in the shape of a triangle. Is this is the best the designers could do to represent an iceberg? I wonder if the designers kept to an accuracy representation and built nine tenths of the church below the ground!! As we only had a limited time, Roisin and I had decided to have a wander around the town as we headed for the Polaria centre. We passed the statue of Roald Amundsen, commemorating the courage and willpower of the first man to reach the South Pole. There is no plaque to say that this is the most Northerly statue but I bet it has a good claim to be the most northerly statue of Roald Amundsen!!

The building of the Polaria Centre is very characteristic. It looks like, and is said to be inspired by, the ice floes pressing up on the shore. It looks like five book cases of which the end one has been pushed over, knocking in to the next one causing a domino (the game, not the pizza!!) effect!! I personally think it’s the Norwegians having a dig at their Scandinavian neighbours regarding the instability of a range of book cases from a certain flat pack furniture manufacturer!!

Inside the Polaria Centre we were firstly introduced to a film about the Northern Lights. How common they were, why Tromsø is the best place to witness this phenomenon and the beautiful patterns that can develop as the light bounces across the sky. These people certainly know how to rub it in. Unless we receive divine intervention and the clouds suddenly part like some sort of heavenly dividing of the Red Sea, tonight is going to be another disappointment. A walkway brought us face to face with a polar bear’s den and a fierce snowstorm. A small aquarium (was this the one that was the most Northerly, I wondered!) provided an opportunity to get up close to marine life such as a sea cucumber, numerous sea urchins and countless star fish. The notice encouraged visitors to put their hand in the tank and touch these animals. Roisin asked me for a pen which, when I handed one to her she promptly immersed in the shallow water and started to prod the hell out of this small sea urchin. Suddenly and without warning, the top fell off the pen, mid prod. We managed to retrieve the wayward pen top but there is a sea urchin in an aquarium in Tromsø that has a blue pen mark on several of its tentacles!! Another one to add to the list… Tromsø has the most Northerly tattooed sea urchin!!

The main attraction in the Polari Centre were the bearded seal. Although they could be seen from one of the several glass viewing windows as they swam past, there was also a viewing platform but this was very busy and we decided not to stay for feeding time (just in case their inky sea urchin was discovered!) I was I little cooler about the whole thing ready to blame any wrong doing on the squid, until I realised the aquarium had no squids. Next best thing? We legged it!! Final thought on the Polaria Centre – It’s more impressive from the outside than the inside!!

This evening was the highlight of our trip so far, husky sledding. We did notice that there was also an excursion from the ship to participate in reindeer sledging. I thought this is friendly (if not mildly offensive) banter between Aussie and England cricketers. ‘Oi, Rudolph! Your mother’s an elk and your father has a glorified coat rack for Antlers. Well at least you’ve got somewhere to hang your hat??!’

Our guide gave us a lot of information on our way to the rendezvous. We were calling at the Wilderness Centre. This establishment cares for two hundred husky dogs. Whilst most people were probably thinking ‘Wow! that’s a lot of mouths to feed’ I was thinking ‘Wow! That’s a lot of poop to scoop!!’ Roald Amundsen was the first person to use dogs to pull sledges across the frozen wastelands of Antarctica. He also used Siberian Huskies for their thick natural protection against the cold and their dogged strength and determination (sorry about the pun!!) Our guide also told us: ‘Many dogs you are about to see will be chained up. Remember, these ARE working dogs and are, by no means, distressed. This is quite normal for the dogs and they are well treated at the Centre. Don’t be alarmed and go calling the RSPCA or the Norwegian equivalent. Tromsø probably have the most northerly one of those as well!!’

Unlike huskies, don’t ask a Sami (an indigenous Northern Scandinavian) how many reindeer he has. It’s like asking how much money has he got!!?

40 excited Brits (including ourselves) alighted the coach inside the confounds of the Wilderness Centre. We were greeted by a young assistant from the Centre who led us straight through a few trees, down a gentle slope in to a large snow covered clearing. The dogs could be heard immediately as we stepped off the bus. We were greeted by twenty or so sleds and the drivers who walked to meet us as we neared them, who by now had turned in to a cacophony of barking and yapping. With a team of eight dogs per sled, 160 or so dogs do make for a rather ear shattering sound. I don’t recall seeing earplugs in the excursion description!! Only the fact that we were on the edge of a ‘wilderness’ so the combined racket filtered away in to the cold dark night (still very overcast!) sky saved us from eardrum damage!!

We were introduced to our sled and driver. The dogs seemed ready to go. Although the lead dog just sat there with his head turned as if he was eying up the passengers, a few of the younger less experienced dog that were bringing up the rear started to jump up. Their barking hadn’t ceased. Roisin sat at the rear of the sled on a raised lip. She was supported by the back of the sled. I sat on the bottom of the sled, nestled in between Roisin’s legs (It was more dignified than it sounds) The driver passed a thick woollen blanket to me that I laid over my feet and legs. The barking very quickly subsided as the convoy started to move one by one and the dogs were set to work. We averaged a speed of 10mph although, remaining low down it felt a lot faster. The dogs never slowed down once. They all knew what had to be done. In the Antarctic, husky dogs can reach speeds of 18mph but whilst averaging 11mph they can run for hours and cover 150 miles per day!!

One piece of information had just registered with me that was said by our tour guide en route to the Wilderness Centre. When someone asked if the dogs have to stop to go to the toilet, the reply was that they go ‘on the go’!! Number ones or number twos it was all the same. Being low down in the sled, I had to be constantly aware of the possibility of ether ‘splash’ or ‘splat’!! The dog at the rear kept looking around as he was pulling the sled. His companion was probably saying, ‘Go on, I dare you!!’

After the exhilarating 25 minutes we were given some time to take photos and play with the dogs. The only game I know to play with dog is ‘fetch’. As the dogs were all still harnessed to the sled, I thought ‘probably not the best idea!!’ Unfortunately, it was pitch black except for a brazier burning fifty or so metres away. The temperature had now dropped to -10 so to risk taking my gloves off for photos that may not be very good quality was too great. I’d prefer not to lose any of my fingers to frostbite as the Northern Lights hadn’t made an appearance yet. The risk-taking starts if this spectacle ever decides to show and looking up at the skies, there will be no risk taking today!!

We were all still buzzing from our sled ride when we were led in to a modern wooden hut. Urns of coffee and tea were available and very welcome. The room in which were situated had three rows of long tables, was very warm and soon everyone had shed their outer garments, gloves and hats. Several assistants then brought out pieces of chocolate cake. I failed to see the significance of this sticky but very welcome accompaniment to the coffee. I didn’t recall seeing chocolate cake on the list of traditional Norwegian food. However, since then, I have been corrected. There is Norwegian chocolate cake called Norska Sjokoladekake, ironically, translates as Norwegian Chocolate Cake!! Traditional or not, together with the warm coffee, it hit the spot!!

Feeling all warmed up, the best was yet to come. Looking up on hearing a few ‘Aahs’, a couple of the handlers had entered the small lodge holding a husky puppy each. They had brought them to say ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ to us guests. The pups were passed from person to person to the sound of many cameras clicking. These must be the most photographed dogs in Norway. In fact I’m surprised the Tromsø Local Authority don’t promote them as the most ‘Northerly’ photographed dogs!!! After twenty minutes or so, the pups started whimpering with the occasional feeble howl. They had had enough and were telling us so. It was time to say goodbye to our miniature fur balls and to the rest of the Huskies as we boarded the coach for the half hour ride back to the ship.

We still had forty-five minutes of our tour time left so our guide decided to take us on a Tromsø by night tour. There was very little to see because a) the moon was obscured by the clouds (remember them?) and b) it was night!! Nobody on the bus was really that bothered. We let the guide do her job. No one was listening but we didn’t mind her telling us all these facts we’re never going to remember. We’ve all just had the experience of a lifetime. For now, it was the Aurora Bori-who? But just for now!

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Comments

[Anne and Philip Groom]

Roald Amundsen Statue
Sorry Chris, but the most northerly Roald Amundsen Statue is not in Tromso, but in Ny Alesund, Spitzbergen, Svalbard.

[chrisandroisin]

Roald Amindsen statue
Thanks for the clarification Philip. That explains why there is no plaque You get nothing for coming second in this game. (come to think of it, you get nothing for coming first either!!)