Chasing light in Tromsø, Norway

Guest blog written by Rebecca De Britt. Find more of her adventures on Instagram: bec.db

 On a plane north from Oslo, I watched the sunset over the clouds and realised that it was the last time I’d see the sun for a week. It was early January, and we’d just crossed the arctic circle. As we landed in Tromsø mid-afternoon, the sky had turned pitch black and it felt more like the middle of the night – a sensation that messed with my circadian rhythm big time and took some getting used to, especially for an Australian who gets thrown off by daylight savings. But as I toured the town and my eyes adjusted to the dark, I began to make out the breathtaking outlines of monstrous mountains that gave a clue to the environment I’d just arrived in.  Sure enough, daylight (okay, the glow of the sun sitting beyond the horizon) came the next day and revealed a town blanketed in snow and surrounded by a frigid grey harbour and the looming mountains overhead. The best way to take in Tromsø’s otherworldly environment is to catch the cable car to the top of Fjellheisen, where you can order a coffee and watch the extreme weather that rules this hardy society. Today’s forecast was a storm, moving fast across the sky and completely obscuring the view from Fjellheisen. Still, my local hosts and I stayed to slip around on the ice, let the wind blow in our faces, and enjoy a local delicacy of waffles with jam and brunost (brown goats cheese). Sounds unusual, but it’s so delicious that I stopped writing this article to Google ‘where to buy brunost in Brisbane’. Tromsø is a northern lights hotspot, and I thought I’d be devastated if I missed them – which I did. But in a testament to the town’s beauty, I found myself not really caring. Surrounded by rich cultural experiences and a completely unique landscape, I still ended up more satisfied than I could have hoped for. One activity I’d deem mandatory in Tromsø is hanging out with reindeer. About an hour out of town, the indigenous Sami people open their culture and lifestyle to visitors. You’ll be able to sit in a traditional Sami home and listen to stories about their culture, before heading out to wrangle up some reindeer and be pulled along by their sledges. In the pitch black, you’ll trundle along between valleys and across a frozen lake, with the cold wind blowing in your face. Afterwards, it’s time to warm up with a steaming bowl of lapskaus – a thick stew with meat, potatoes, vegetables, and spices. Anything warm would have been heavenly after being stuck out in the cold night, but the flavoursome and cosy lapskaus went down a treat.  Back in town, it’s time to do more of what Norwegians do best – making the most of nature. It was a -15◦C afternoon with darkness looming overhead when we decided it was perfect weather for a picnic. So, lunch packed, we trekked out to Prestvannet, a lake that was completely frozen over. By the time we arrived at 2.30pm, the vague sunlight from midday was nowhere to be seen and our picnic was enjoyed in the grey glow of early afternoon. Still, the walk was a classic winter wonderland (with a bit of fear thrown in from crossing a frozen lake), and a trip to Tromsø isn’t complete with spending at least one day wandering across the surrounding areas while cross-country skiiers slide right by you on the walking path. As the typical Norwegian saying goes, “there is no bad weather, only bad clothes”. I’ve never heard a saying ring more true than this one. I promised that I would return to the arctic again to see the northern lights, and I finally caught up with them two years later in Russia. Still, getting to the top of the world is flippin expensive so unless you’ve got cash to burn, make room in your schedule to stay for a while and give the lights a chance to emerge. #noregrets Eat: There are endless varieties of lapskaus, so try a few. Enjoy brunost, lefse and smoked salmon, and if you dare, try Norway’s potent national drink, Aquavit. Do: Reindeer sledding with the Sami, and they also have several other activities. Additionally, Polaria (an aquarium and arctic educational centre) is a great day out. Bring: A really good pair of gloves, grippy boots, and more money than you think you’ll need.   Instagram: bec.db