Author: Ella

We hoofed it up to the planetarium because they had a presentation on the Northern lights Bus back down to the Nordnorsk KundstMuseum for some Nordic art Walk over to Tromsø Cathedral (northern most Lutheran Cathedral) Stroll in and out of shops just because Discovered another hidden mall

Post by Ella. After a day outside in the 44° feels-like 39° weather (rain in the morning, a little sunshine breaking through in the afternoon), I think a gal needs her shot of aquavit. That’s how I started the meal at Arctandria Restaurant. Loitin Akevitt. Great caraway taste. For starters, we shared a plank of…

Post by Ella. A trip to the Arctic Alpine Botanical gardens in Tromsø certainly gave us a clue. Cultivated from seed from arctic and alpine regions all over the world. A scenic public bus ride carried us from the Arctic University Museum to the gardens. Which are free of charge, just walk in and stroll…

A big circle. The scenic route. Forget tour busses. The public busses are great. First to the Arctic University Museum for a little science and culture Then to the Arctic Alpine Botanical gardens for some flora And how about a little religion at the Arctic Cathedral? Topped off by dinner at Arctandria restaurant for sea…

Post by Ella. I’ll bet you’ve been missing this 🤪. The food on the ferry was not bad but nothing to write home about, except the breakfast buffets. They had everything you could ever want. I had a nice little glass of lingonberry smoothie one morning. In Tromsø last night, we had dinner at Nyt (does…

Post by Ella. Address: Storgata 91. The fly in the ointment, no shades on the windows in the land of the midnight sun. But Grubb had a creative solution. We will put the cushions back where they belong before we leave. No one will ever know.

Post by Ella Today would be the highest temperature we would get during our three day stay in Tromsø. A high of 48°F and rain on and off all day. Seemed the perfect time for a ride on the Fjellheisen (cable car).  Took a little head scratching to figure out the busses. Well, not the…

Up to the cable car for a ride to the top of Fjellheisen Down to the depths at the Troll  Museum Over to the Contemporary art gallery Lovely early dinner at Walter &  Leonard

Another travel day but different. We docked in Tromsø at 14:15 but had to check out of our cabin at noon. We stashed our luggage in the luggage room, conveniently located on our deck. Spent a couple hours hangin’ on the observation deck, sipping cappuccinos, chatting with new friends.  In truth, not much to say…

We hit the Trollefjord around midnight last night and then continued towards Tromsø, winding through the waterways. Arrived Tromsø at 14:15, self checked into.our apartment, wandered around the town.

I forgot to include information about the Gallery we stopped in on our brief tour of Lofoten. Galleri Espolin, dedicated to Kaare Espolin Johnson (1907 – 1994), an artist new to both of us. Kaare struggled with poor eye sight from a very young age and as a young man, lost the sight in one…

Post by Ella. Stunning, mighty. The Trollefjord, a two kilometer long fjord is well known for its majestic nature. Only 60 meters wide at its narrowest, impossible for the super cruise liners but for our relatively small ferry with an experienced captain, yes indeed. Troll stories abound about this fjord. It was formed by the…

Post by Ella. This evening, after an early dinner, we got off the ship at Stamsund, located on the island Vestvågøy in the Lofoten archipelago, to board a “Highlights of Lofoten” tour bus bound for Svolvær, located on the island of Austvågøya also in the Lofoten archipelago. At Svolvær, we rejoined the ship. The bus was…

Post by Ella. Bodø, a town of 55,000, is situated on the Norwegian Sea just a few degrees north of the Arctic Circle. During the Second World War, the town was mostly destroyed by the Germans. The town was rebuilt quickly and a train station and airport added. Having only 2 hours to explore this…

Because of the earth’s rotational tilt, the latitude of the Arctic  Circle varies by 2° over a 41,000 year time period. Right now, the Arctic Circle is approximately 66°33′45.6. Cause for a celebration with a glass of champagne. Or if you prefer, get ice poured down your back and you get a free shot of aquavits….