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.
