2024 Norwegian Nomads

A calm bit of sailing between Alesund and Tromso. We arrived in Tromso early Sunday morning.

As the cable car trip from the ship was sold out and very expensive, we decided to roll the dice and do our own tour of Tromso. We got off the ship as quickly as we could and took a shuttle bus to the city centre. The Information Centre was closed due to it being Sunday so Wayne scouted some bus tickets to the cable car.

We timed all our buses and the cable car beautifully and ended up with incredible views of Tromso and a play in the snow.

Back down to the city centre. We had cold drinks in a cafe where the owner chatted to us for ages. Donna and Mark caught the shuttle bus and the rest of us made the ‘what seemed endless’ trip back to the ship. We may or may not have taken a few wrong turns. We’ll never know.

Donna and Mark had lunch with Con. We had a late lunch, unable to resist the lure of the Artisian Food Court. A nap and early dinner preludes our private Northern Lights tour.

Storm (Lights) Chasers

Our tour began with rain and cloud. The Kp index was also 1 – all not good for seeing the Northern Lights.

Eric, our guide, drove us towards Finland for two hours. He set up a campfire and we donned snow suits. It wasn’t raining but very cloudy. We cooked sausages and cinnamon rolls and then ate Norwegian chocolate. No lights!

A little dejected but resigned to not seeing them a second time, we started heading back to the ship.

About 10 minutes into the drive back, Eric screamed to a halt. All I could hear (the girls were stuck in the back seat) was Mark exclaiming, “Wow!”

I said to Donna and Madonna that it must be the lights. We clambered out of the van (no grace about that) and saw this most amazing burst of lights through a small clearing in the sky. All the stars aligned – a break in the weather, a guide who never relaxed, and the lights appearing.

Here are a few of our amateur photos – just point and click!

It was so worth the trip and then the two hour drive. To see nature like this, with really good friends, is a wonderful experience.

PS: Happy birthday to you, Emma Suthers (21st October). Have a wonderful day. I have posted this as it turns midnight. It is now your birthday in the northern hemisphere!

PSS: Happy birthday to you, Charlotte O’Sullivan for the 22nd as we will be at sea and probably won’t have internet.