A local in Tromso told us "this normally reduces them to tears, because the winters are so harsh, it’s a sign that summer is finally coming" However, living in the UK we kind of understand how that might be true.
After I looked at the -12 forecast, I began packing the thermals; cashmere jumpers and ski suits, this turned out to be a good idea!
Upon arrival, we instantly saw that we had beautiful views over the lake, so we dumped the bags and got straight to exploring our surroundings.
First Stop…FOOD!
Boasting to be the world’s smallest bar we headed straight to Raketten. There was a mixture of reindeer, pork and beef hot dogs, with all the toppings, plus a glass (or 2) of mulled wine.
Next onto our lights trip....
For our trip to see the lights we booked with Northern Soul Adventures and opted for a small group excursion. They certainly didn’t disappoint in any way.Driving for around 2 hours, our guide Alex found the perfect spot, just in time for the lights to start. This picture captured on our trip speaks volumes about how breathtaking our day was, in fact it was magical!
We set up the campfire and watched the lights dance for hours, it really was amazing.
The next day Tromso, Norway...
We explored the Port and went up the Fjellheisen cable car to the ledge of Storsteinen for a bird's eye view of Tromso (make sure you wrap up warm!) Armed with a Scandinavian waffle and hot chocolate with plenty of cream, we took in the view, which was incredible!
Next, we crossed the mile-long bridge and visited the Arctic Cathedral (as featured on Jane McDonalds Northern Lights Cruise) for a bit of culture.
Our final day...
As a surprise, we had a morning out at sea on the Artic Queen luxury yacht to try and find the whales. Unfortunately, they had moved on, but as we sat up on the top of the yacht, we sat calmly watching the sun peep over the mountains for the first time, it was the most tranquil I have felt in a while.Heading downstairs afterwards, the captain cooked us some fish soup (where apparently apple juice is the secret ingredient) who knew.....
Lastly, was a trip up the cable car as the sky was so clear. This resulted in climbing to the peak of the mountain (the burn was real…definitely looked closer than it was) but it was worth it! As we stood at the top, we started to see flickers of the lights and for 10 minutes there they were over Tromso.
After working up an appetite we headed down to Full Steam for some dinner. Half museum and half restaurant the food didn’t disappoint. For those who felt more adventurous, you could opt for a platter of Whale, Seal and Stockfish.
