Tromso, Norway

A group of guests here at the observatory opted for today's trip to Tromso and I thought it a good idea to join them.  The weather at Senya Island isn't fabulous at the moment -- snow, meaning thick skies through which no aurora can be seen, so Tromso should be a good distraction.  By 08.45 we were on the ferry for the 1.5-hour-long trip.

A Japanese lady, who studied in New York and now works for a French bank, and I explored the town on our own, but our time was somewhat limited as we had to catch the 16.15 ferry back, so we bought a half-day tourist ticket which included three places plus the bus fare.

The first place was the Polar Museum, which included exhibits about the famous explorer Roald Amundsen as well as other Arctic adventurers.  There's always something to learn at exhibits so well worth the visit.  This shot was taken at the second place -- on top of a hill reachable by stairs and by cable car.  We chose the cable car because the steps were covered with treacherous snow.  There's an extra.

The third spot was the Arctic Cathedral.  After that, a bus brought us back to the city centre where we bought some junk food.  We were in plenty of time for the 16.15 ferry and there was the van waiting to take us back when we arrived.  A pretty neat day, altogether.

I didn't do much the rest of the evening.  At one point, I simply turned off all the lights and relaxed on the couch.  Looked outside the whole time but the clouds were still thick.  One good thing, though ... the temperature had risen and the snow was on the thaw.