Tromso, Norway
Cabo or Tromso? – Hard to tell from the weather. Our string of warm summer days continues here above the Arctic Circle. We are almost 70 degrees north of the equator now, but you wouldn’t know it with temperatures in the 70’s and everyone walking around in shorts. Tromso is the “Gateway to the North.” Many of the historic expeditions to the Arctic departed from here, including the exploits of Roald Amundsen, whose statue is found in the town square.
We disembark after breakfast for a variety of excursions, including a trip to the alpine tundra above town and also for a city tour that visits the Arctic Cathedral and the Polar Museum. We spend the afternoon wandering around town taking in the local culture. The outdoor cafes are jammed and it seems everyone is eating ice cream.
Casting off the lines we get under way for the far north of Norway. But with the conditions so perfect we make a spontaneous stop at Fugloya, or “Bird Island,” for an after dinner Zodiac cruise under the midnight sun.
We will look back on these days exploring the fjords like a mid-summer’s night dream. But the ice is calling…
