Our goal was to see the Northern Lights. Why else travel to a part of Norway within the Arctic Circle in the bitter cold of January? We saw the aurora borealis in all its glory, but the lights turned out to be just one part of the spectacle of this trip.
The Northern Lights were strong enough to be visible to the naked eye, but, as is the case, can be seen better through a camera lens. Here are just a few of the photos my husband and I took during the three nights when the lights were at their peak.
We were on board the MS Spitsbergen as part of an HX expedition called Ultimate Norway–Arctic Exploration under the Northern Lights. The ship sailed in the Norwegian Sea, which is a gateway to the Arctic Ocean. Brrr.
We set sail from Tromso, a place in northern Norway I’d never heard of before this trip.
Before getting on the boat, we toured Tromso, which is actually a lovely city of 78,000, making it the largest city in northern Norway. Here’s an ariel view of the city I took after riding a cable car to the top of Big Rock Mountain.
I felt Tromso was the last I saw of real civilization for the next six days. Once on board the ship, this trip became an expedition, which I learned involved suiting up in ship-issued boots and heavy winter gear, boarding a rubber boat called a zodiac, and zipping out to a frozen island to walk in the snow. Out of my comfort zone, for sure, although I managed to smile for the camera.
There is only about five hours of daylight in January in northern Norway, so one of our hikes took place in the dark. We were issued head lamps and walking sticks and rewarded with a bonfire at both the beginning of the trek and the end.
Kayaking was an activity for the adventurous. I enjoyed watching from the safety of the ship.
In fact, as the week wore on, I didn’t feel the need to bundle up and motor off to an island to see the sights. The views from the ship were sufficiently amazing.
There were some excursions to small villages. We visited the historic island of Tranaya, on the south coast of Senja. There we saw a wooden church dating from 1773, a parsonage, a guest house, and a herd of sheep.
In a village named Svolvaer, we learned about the salting and drying of cod, which is big business in northern Norway. A local explained the process and showed off his drying racks.
Henningsvaer was another picturesque village we briefly visited. I learned Norwegian buildings are often painted red simply because it’s a cheap color to buy.
One sign of civilization: a Methodist church. Rare, since most Norwegians are Lutherans.
I always try to sample the food and drink of a country when I visit. A distinctly Norwegian dish I ate in a restaurant in Tromso was bacalao. It contained cod with potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and olives. I rated it three stars, but the tour guide sitting across from ate every bit of his.
An interesting beverage I had was glogg, a mulled wine. I chose the without-the-vodka option, by the way, since it was noon and I don’t like vodka. I was advised to garnish it with raisons and almonds, which made it a little difficult to drink, in my opinion.
A different kind of trip for me, for sure. Northern Norway in January is a frozen beauty that offers winter sports for the adventurous. For everyone, there’s a chance to see the glorious Northern Lights.
After leaving Norway, my husband and I traveled to London for what we thought would be a three-night visit before flying home. More about that in my next post.
Patsy Pridgen 