Tromso: Reindeer farm & Sami Culture

No day has been the same in Norway so far, though a sure bet is the plummeting temperature and darker days as we traverse further North. The sun set around 1500 during our visit to Bodo today.

An exceedingly early start for me, sometime around 0430. I emerged around 5. Desperately seeking coffee. I ran into a lovely Canadian lady at the coffee machine. From Vancouver no less. She saved me with some half and half milk in my Americano coffee pour. The alternative was powdered creamer. I'd rather not.

Perhaps it was the Norwegian milk. Perhaps the Northern lights are radioactive. But I managed a 16km run on board the ship before breakfast.

A more subdued morning refuelling before a terrific afternoon at a Reindeer farm and Sami cultural experience.

Bucket of reindeer feed in hand, I approached the herd. Although a wild herd, (all farmed reindeer are herded by the Sami people - Indigenous to the North of Norway / Finland / Sweden / Russia), they were tame and are very accustomed to human interaction. I named the beautiful young buck who'd decided I was a safe bet Twistie. Because one of his antlers was twisted. I'm original like that.

An older, bigger buck with menacing antlers tried to push in. I narrowly escape an antler in places I'd rather not mention.

My revenge was swift as shortly afterwards, I tucked into a bowl of reindeer stew. It was delicious. Tender, not at all gamey. Low fat and purportedly more Omegas than salmon. Sorry Rudolph. #notsorry. #ChristmasGrinch. Photos were challenging as I wanted free hands to ensure antlers did not cause further injury.

The balance of our time here was spent learning about the Sami people (indigenous to Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russia), their culture, history and relationship with the land, and the only group that can herd and commercialise reindeer for meat.

A beautiful, albeit freezing afternoon. The attached video was filmed with permission.

The Sami:

https://nordnorge.com/en/tema/the-sami-are-the-…

In the far north of Europe, ancient sounds, unique craftwork traditions, and a particular language live side by side with modern technology. The Sami culture is the oldest culture in large areas of Northern Norway and is currently experiencing a strong renaissance.

The Sami people live in four countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. The total population in these four countries is estimated at approx. 80,000, of whom around half live in Norway. Slightly under half of these people talk Sami. In Norway, the Sami people in Norway live in almost all parts of Northern Norway, and in the southern parts of the country in Trøndelag and Femundsmarka in Hedmark.Read more