Day 1

No photos today. Trust me, they wouldn’t be a good look. After two days of travel including 5 flights: Port Macquarie to Sydney, Sydney to Singapore, Singapore to Heathrow, Heathrow to Oslo, Oslo to Tromso, Im too tired to care about much.

In truth, Im starving hungry, dehydrated, super tired and my hotel room is less than satisfactory, plus the staff are god-awful rude.

Bas is already here in Norway (at a friend’s place between Forde and Flore) and I have 4 nights in Tromso to explore before he arrives.

Im hoping I’ll feel better after a walk, some food, a glass of wine, a knock-out sleeping pill, and at least 10 hours of sleep. For now I feel 💩

I’m back…. Im sitting in a wine bar with a fabulous old buttery chardonnay and watching the quiet world of downtown Tromso pass by.

My first observation is that everyone (apart from the girl in the hotel) is happy… or maybe I was just cranky. Ok, in fairness, I probably pissed her off, but let’s move on. 😇

These Arctic Norwegians have a spring in their step - it matches the lilt in their syntax. You need to get in the zone for this bit - start practicing saying hurty-gerty, herty-gruten over and over. Now walk… (with a bounce) while you say it. It makes you smile, right?

And everyone makes eye contact, these guys are not just passing by, they are in the moment and connecting with the world as it approaches them. No phones (so far), but no kids either, so that observation could be fleeting.

Tomorrow I’m heading for the gondola, the one that goes up the mountain out my window.Read more