Journeying North

Our journey has continued North with the Nordnorge taking us to Finnsnes and on to Tromsø in the afternoon. There is snow all around us now, with the occasional light sprinkling of snow. Our soundtrack on land is the crunch of snow underfoot. When it melts, city streets become dangerous to drive and walk on as it turns to slippery ice, catching locals and tourists by surprise. Tromsø is a particularly large city given its remoteness. We tried out snowshoeing in the Park, engaging in the Norwegian Friluftsliv - the right of every person to engage in the outdoors. This includes the right to walk across the land, pitch a tent and make a fire (there are some regulations), what we might consider trespassing. No land owner can put up signs or fences to stop people. The park that we visited includes a floodlit ski trail to enable residents to ski to and from the city when it is dark. Skiers have the right of way and so you have to watch out where you step, making sure not to to disturb the ski lane as you cross the trail. There were a number of people out and about skiing, sledging, ice skating, and walking. I would love to visit Tromsø at another time of year.Read more