From Stockholm, Sweden, I took a night train to Narvik, Norway--the farthest point north you can reach in Norway by train. It was a long, scenic ride. Along the way, I slept, relaxed, made notes of my travels so far.
I found that the farther I traveled north, the more I blended in with the locals with my blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. Several times I had to try to say in Swedish or Norwegian, "I only speak English." Thankfully, many of the people I talked to also spoke English, and all of the train staff spoke English.
I tried reindeer stew served beside mashed potatoes and iceberg lettuce. The reindeer meat tasted much like roast beef, but the texture was more unique than the taste--a bit more chewy.
The ride to Narvik was especially beautiful towards the end where there were beautiful lakes reflecting the deep blue sky and the tall peaks of surrounding snow-capped mountains. Some of the lakes were frozen over, while others were wide open.
Once I reached Narvik, I figured out how to take the bus from Narvik to Tromsø and waited at the small train station. The bus ride was even more beautiful than what I had seen from the train. It took about four hours, but went quickly as I captured photographic memories of the breathtaking surroundings. I also discussed international politics with a young Swedish guy who was relocating to Tromsø to find work and take advantage of the strength of the krone (Norwegian currency) against the Swedish krona.
One view along the way from Narvik to Tromsø
Another breathtaking view along the way to TromsøWhen I arrived at the bus station in Tromsø, Brian and Linn were waiting for me. I felt so happy to see my old friend and his lovely Linn. They are such a nice couple and though I hadn't seen Brian for a couple of years, it seemed like we hadn't missed a beat. We greeted each other, then we hopped into their car and took a short drive around Tromsø on our way to dinner. After dinner, we stopped at the local grocery store--not dramatically different than the ones I'm used to back in the US, though quite a lot more fish products and, of course, everything was labeled in Norwegian.
Before continuing to Brian and Linn's home, we stopped to explore an old shipwreck on the ocean shore as the sun set. We delighted in the scenery as the snow covered mountains across the bay transformed into a dark silhouette while the twinkling lights of houses grew brighter and the slivered moon rose in the rainbow sky fading to black.
In the morning, Brian and I went to explore more of Tromsø, stopping at the Sandnessund Bridge to take in more natural beauty of the area, and then later at the Tromsø Museum.
One of the exhibits at the Tromsø Museum was called a "wake hammer," which was a long-handled metal hammer used during church ceremonies to tap and wake people who would fall asleep during homilies. There were lots of other interesting historical artefacts and exhibits at the museum, including the Vikings (they didn't actually wear horns!) and the Sami people, the indigenous tribes of Norway and other Nordic countries.
More of beautiful Norway near Tromsø
Brian standing in a former Nazi bunker from WWII
One of the road tunnels that go underneath the ocean connecting different parts of the city and the islands that make up Tromsø--there were several of these tunnels and they were surprising long, but very handy.
Brian, Linn, and I took the Fjellheisen, or mountain lift to the top of a surrounding mountain. This is the view from the top of the mountain overlooking Tromsø.
The Fjellheisen
Another view of the city and surrounding ocean waters, including one of the ships that travel along the Norwegian coast transporting people and goods
View from the downtown area
The Arctic Cathedral
Store bought lefse and dried fish
The few days I had in Tromsø were lovely. Brian and Linn spoiled me with their wonderful hospitality. I met Linn's family, absolutely wonderful people. We played soccer, caught up on life, relaxed, celebrated Brian's 23rd birthday, and explored a bit of the beautiful city of Tromsø. Brian dropped me off at the airport in Tromso so that I could catch a plane to Oslo, from where I took a train to a smaller city to catch another plane back to the United Kingdom. The train ride to Oslo, Torp felt a lot like I could be traveling through part of Minnesota, which was interesting.
Another connection to Minnesota I noticed was that the MinneSOtan accents that we are famous for sound a lot like the way some of the Norwegian words are spelled or pronounced, such as their word for yes is pronounced "yah" (think 'oh, yah, you betchya'). I thought it was kind of cute and fun.
Norway was a wonderful experience. I hope to make it back some day...maybe next time to see the infamous fjords, the aurora borealis (Northern Lights), and the midnight sun.
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