Adventures Of A Global Backpacker: Norway, A Dark Day Afternoon

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Norway, A Dark Day Afternoon

I wake up the second day in Tromso a little bit confused. With no alarm clock set from the previous evening, peering out my window with sleepy eyes I am not sure what time it is as I am looking at gray overcast twilight skies. A blink or two and I discover it is about 11 in the morning.

About two hours later night is falling as I begin a walk into the city center from the quiet neighborhood in which I am staying. However, there is still enough light to appreciate the beautiful winter landscape that I was not able to see so well yesterday during a true evening walk.

Tromso Twilight Landscape

Pass “The World's Most Northern Brewery”, I am again walking through the main street of Tromso. The holiday decorations and the sounds of a street musician gives the atmosphere a special feeling. The spirit of Christmas is truly in the air.

Passing the Tromso library, on the other side of the city center I make my way towards a bridge that will take me to the one of a kind “Arctic Cathedral”.

Crossing the bridge the wind has picked up and with the chill it brings, I am doing all I can to keep my extremities warm.

My fast walking and finger curling comes to a stop as some of the views from the bridge have to be enjoyed standing still.

One Bridge View

Unfortunately at this time of the day the cathedral is not open to the general public and can only be admired from the outside.

As more darkness has taken over the afternoon the temperature has fallen considerably and it is almost a brutal walk back into the city center. There are buses that run to and from the “Arctic Cathedral” but I did not want to chance my life fate standing still in the cold waiting for one.

Back in the city center, I do what quite a few of the locals seem to be doing during this time of the year, I head for an indoor shopping mall. However, my motives are different.