Tromsø - the Arctic Capital

It started last night. The mist. Just a little bit, in patches, and likewise this morning as we arrived into a fairly chill 8 degrees Tromsø. Layers at the ready. We’ve been to Tromsø before, 9 years ago on our Winter Solstice trip. It’s rather nice to actually see it this time. There’s the difference with the extremes. Yes, we had great sightings of the Northern Lights when we were here last, but no, we didn’t actually see any scenery in detail, quite simply because it was mostly dark for 20 hours of the day and totally covered in snow. So today we have the delights of the Arctic Capital in daylight. Also, as we are a small ship, we have been able to dock at the harbour in the town, rather than the larger docks on the side of town where the bigger ships have to dock.

At breakfast, we said our goodbyes to Johan and taught him a final phrase. “Demob happy”. It was a new one for him but once explained, he agreed he was indeed demob happy. He’s been on the ship for a year and now gets 28 days off. Not a life for me, but the staff all seem genuinely happy, so maybe they’ve got it right.

We were determined not to be the last on the bus, so headed off in good time for our excursion. After yesterday’s experience, we feel we have learnt and made sure we were first(ish) in the queue, so were at the front of the bus, instead of the back. Corina was our guide for today’s bus tour.

The first stop was the Fjellheisen cable car ride up Storsteinen mountain which is a gentle 1381 feet high. This was a very regal ride. No pylons, just straight up. We were rewarded with absolutely stunning views at the top, even though there was a slight mist. It was really peaceful but we could still just hear the traffic below in the town. We had another glass barrier so you could get the scariest of experiences, but I womaned-up and managed to stand close to the glass and even look down…without screaming too loudly. We ambled around the top of the mountain and appreciated the views, before heading back down. I do like to challenge my fears on a constant basis and as we were near the front of the queue for the ride back down the mountain, I headed straight for the front of the cable car.

It’s that bit where the cable car is on the level and then you know it’s going to go over the edge of the world to start its descent. That was the tricky, big-girl pants time that had been needed in Rio. The views were stunning and I kept trying to be logical that the drop wasn’t actually that bad. A woman in the lift then started regaling a situation she’d been in where the cable car had stopped at the junction of the pylon. At that point, I swear I nearly fainted. The situation got worse when she said the operator had to get out of the roof and fix the problem. I was nearly hyperventilating on her account. Facing one's demons is good for the soul (apparently).

I was quite pleased that it was a little bit cooler today as it meant I had the first outing of my posh new Rab gilet and very welcome it was too. Thank you again, Isy.

After the cable car experience, we did the sights of Tromsø. Then our next stop was the Polaria arctic experience centre. It’s one of those places for all the family. Bearded seals and fishes in the aquarium you can go under and over, a film taken by a drone which took us on a nature tour. This was very gulp-worthy as it was so beautiful if a little queasy-making as it was a bit like being in a simulator.

Our last stop was the Arctic Cathedral which is actually just a church. However, the locals felt the architecture was so unique that it should be classed as a Cathedral. So although there is an actual Cathedral in Tromsø, this is classed as the Arctic Cathedral. The architecture is stunning and has been likened to icebergs or Sami tents. Built in 1965, the original building had more glass than it does today. However, in 1972 the stained glass windows at the back of the Cathedral were added. Why, I hear you cry! Apparently, the Cathedral was so bright with all the glass, that the congregation had to wear sunglasses. This didn’t go down so well with the priest who couldn’t tell who had fallen asleep. It was also extremely stark and minimalist making the environment inside feel arctic (that was the idea, guys). The thought process was to add colourful stained glass windows to create a sense of warmth and to also ensure the congregation didn’t have to wear their sunnies to mass. Apparently, the architect, Jan Inge Hovig revisited the Cathedral in 1972 when this alteration had been completed and had a bit of a meltdown. He claimed his life’s work had been ruined and vowed never to return to the Cathedral again. Blimey, what a diva.

It was all aboard to then move a few hundred yards into a slightly less than salubrious location so that the ship could be restocked.