Tromso, Norway

The trip 300 kilometres north of the polar circle was not taken off my own bat, this had been the idea of my girlfriend to which I had acceded, knowing otherwise she would not be keen to go to some warmer places next late autumn or winter. The execution was facilitated by a new direct flight connection launched recently by a pink-violet cheap airline between Gdańsk and Tromso, the biggest city beyond the polar circle in the civilised word (Murmansk and Norilsk in Russia are more populous, yet would not rank among my agreeable destinations).

Getting to Tromso is now much cheaper from Warsaw. Previously you could take a cheap flight from Poland’s capital to Oslo or Bergen and then board a plane of a local airplane, a few times more expensive than a flight from Poland. Today the cost of a return plane ticket from Gdańsk to Tromso and Pendolino train to get to Gdańsk from Warsaw might be as low as 300 PLN if you are lucky to hunt cheap flights and buy train tickets in advance. The only drawback are late hours of the return flight, meaning the plane touches down in Gdansk at 1 a.m. and we had to wait five hours at the airport for the morning trains home.

We have not taken checked-in luggage for four full days of stay, but travelled light in terms of clothing and filled our hand luggage (suitcase and rucksack) with stocks of food purchased in a supermarket in Gdańsk. Food in Norway is somewhat four to five times more expensive than in Poland, so as our Airbnb (again) lodgings was with access to a kitchen so we made substantial savings on the trip (total cost per person of mere 1,100 PLN).

Now time for some impressions.

The main purpose of the trip was to see the northern lights. Not a single time during five evenings have we spotted it, as most of the time chances of seeing the aurora are below 20%. Sky should be cloud-free and solar activity are you should stray far from external lights (difficult, unless to take an organised chase which costs nearly 1,000 PLN, can be called off without money refund and does not guarantee you see the lights). All those conditions have not been met and we ended up roaming around in the evenings and not spotting any aurora on the sky.

The climate in Tromso, despite its sub-arctic location is quite mild in winters, thanks to warming-up impact of the Gulf Stream. Temperatures during our stay fluctuated between -1C and -5C. Though average temperature of January is 2 Celsius degrees lower than in Warsaw, thaws are frequent. Thermal long-johns and vest proved useful, same as snow boots and trekking socks, but the second pair of gloves, foot and palm warmers were rendered useless.

Polar nights are also over-rated in terms of darkness (to the right how light it is on a typical not-cloudy day). Sun is not seen, but sunlight make hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. visibly lighter. It also needs to be noted our stay fell just before the first sunrise which in Tromso is celebrated on 15 January.

The biggest challenge in moving around town is ice, particularly treacherous during thaws. When heaps of snow melt or rain falls on a frozen ground, water freezes immediately, but the top layer is watery and therefore hazardously slippery. Gravel is put down on most paths; main roads and pavements in the centre of the town are mechanically cleared of snow. Locals have gotten accustomed to the ice (we saw locals jogging in sneakers and riding bikes on ice), many have ice spikes attached to soles of their footwear, vehicles are fitted with snow tyres with spikes thanks to which they hold the icy road well (no skids).

Spikes in tyres are the only way they prepare their cars for winter. Despite cold climate many car-owners keep their vehicles in the open air and parking facilities lack sockets for engine block heaters which are common in Scandinavian countries and Canada (in Siberia where petrol is cheap cars kept outside heated garages, their engines are not turned off at all).

Electricity in Norway is dirt-cheap and light in the winter is treated as a common good, therefore lights are on outside every inhabited dwelling and on in all rooms except for bedrooms when dwellers are asleep. Oddly enough, curtains or rollers in windows are not common, so actually you can see from a street what is going on inside a house.

Locals seem to be trustful. Fences do not separate private properties, people keep skis and bicycles unguarded in the open air. In terms of communication, they are very reserved. One can easily communicate in English, but should not reckon on a longer conversation, since nobody is keen to engage in it.

On top, some more photos. To the right, Prestvannet lake, frozen over and snow-covered. Looking towards the place on the horizon beyond which the sun shines, through a mist. Enchanting, yet harsh.

A close-up of southern part of Tromsoya island in winter daylight. Shot taken from an island to which one can get by a cable-car. Trip there was one of four main expenses made there (other than weekly bus tickets, entrance to the polar museum and one visit to a café for a cake and a coffee).

A view from Mount Something (not condemn me for not remembering the names which are enough difficult to pronounce), a peak whose name my girlfriend has found, Norgeskart application displays as Heastajalga - Google Maps proves here useless, which I climbed reluctantly, but sight from the above compensated for the hardship of ascent in knee-deep snow which is not my favourite form of leisure.