Tromso, Norway

As a trial blog post I am told the previous one looked ok with minimal weird formatting issues (my giant pet peeve) so I will try again! Arrived in Tromso on Thursday evening to a personal chauffeur from my airbnb because they couldn't wait for me to take the bus! They had other plans. The wind was incredibly intense and I am told there were northern lights that night but I missed them, unfortunately. I passed out! The next day I walked around the city (very small as my host had noted) and went for a practice run and groceries. I went to some nice free exhibits (photographs and sculpture: marble pillow!)

 

like 6 minutes walk from my accommodation. The evening welcome dinner at the aquarium was good, photos in previous post.

On the next day I headed out to the Polar Museum, with a lot of detailed descriptions of how they trapped and killed animals in the past - while of course necessary to live in this climate (skins and meat) it was a little grim. Then I went to the third floor and found an entire exhibit about a guy named Fridtjof Nansen who decided in 1893 to build a ship strong enough to get frozen into ice and then drive it into the sea above Norway and see if the current would bring it, in ice, across the sea. Mind. Blown. What an insane idea, a, and b, imagine making a ship that could withstand that? Oh my goodness! There are a lot more details that are too long for this already long post, but go read about him if you like! View from museum:

 

Headed back to prepare for my (HALF marathon) race and got to the starting line only to realize my watch was dead as I had forgotten to charge it. So no documentation in my watch of my personal record, but I definitely achieved one. The day before had been very icy (crazy Norwegian teenagers sliding down hills on their heels, not my idea of fun!) but this day was just slush. I did decide to run with spikes despite my lack of training in them, and it was a good decision as there was minimal damage to my shoes and I felt a lot more confident even though there was no ice. I was elevated a bit off the slush (still wet feet!) and not subject to filling my shoe tread with slush and then sliding on further slush. Out and back course (ran all the way to the airport and back!) and despite some hard snow pelting is it was warm (between 30 and 40) and comfortable. I did really well and really enjoyed myself though I was obviously tired at the end. Took 25 minutes off my previous time which felt pretty good. A few small/medium hills but overall very level and fun. Headed to the post race ceremony and buffet afterward, a little disappointing that many of the female winners didn't come get their awards (not as big a problem for the men, don't know why) but interesting to see. They also Skyped with Norwegians researching in Antarctica who had completed the race at the same time we had. Hilarious! They had mailed them medals so we got to see them put on their medals on Skype! Many male and some female winners from Tromso, many gyms around and it appears to be a strong running culture here. Ate with some nice people and had a good time. 

The next day I was very lazy (though not sore) except that I went on a reindeer sledding tour in the evening. Asked lots of questions!! Did you know that there are 17 possible ways to notch a reindeer ear for identification purposes and with all the 17 possibilities of notches in each ear there are enough different combinations to give every reindeer herder their own individual "brand"? We got to feed the reindeer lichen to aid their digestion and have reindeer stew. He said no reindeer farmers are in it for the money, it's a way of life and that he prefers the city so he brings some of his reindeer here to near Tromso to run this business instead of staying in the remote areas to herd his reindeer (his are with his family's and they watch his for him).

 Today decided to walk across the bridge to the attic cathedral (triangular building in top left of port photo above)

 

It'll be fine, she said, you're not afraid of heights anymore, she said! Yikes! But it was a nice walk and glad I did it! Was not that impressed by the church but the view was amazing. Waiting now at airport for next leg: Oslo! Plane had to go elsewhere to get fuel because they made it circle too long while they were snow plowing here so it might be a while! A few things I have noticed (then done I promise!):

• The weather blows through so quickly, the sky clears and darkens, storms and stops, very quickly. This morning looking out from the church I saw what looked to be a ski jumping doodad like a half mile maybe to the north and looked back 5 minutes later to see again and it was gone into fog. Very interesting weather (on Gulf Stream?! Whatever that means)
• It seems they really like automatic doors, to the extent that I thought the customs lady (who was not impressed with me running in January in Tromso) was trying to keep me from passing until I realized the door was going to open if I kept walking!
• Busses with chains!
• Cars, casually stopping, on very steep grades coming downhill at intersections leading to the main streets. I only saw one accident and I have no idea how that is! Good tires, good driving!
• Green license plates for commercial vehicles. 
• While there are cars, the downtown was relatively calm and lots of people walking around at all times of day. (People with spikes on walking around sounds like horse shoes!) Including at 9:30 at night after my reindeer tour on a Sunday people were waiting for the bus! What accommodating public transit!
• Mercedes plows (short nose big trucks attached to sanders) that shake the house, but often they are just sanding, not plowing.
• Bucket loader plows with snow box attachments on the front.
• Several giant grader-style plows running in tandem at the airport.
• (Relatively) large rocks used as traction on sidewalks (not sure about the roads), so big they were stuck in my running spikes!
• Grey crows (I thought they were black but maybe grey) and back/white birds (magpies) sticking in snowbanks in the wind and gulls flying even in the insane wind, blowing them every which way.
• Beautiful red, yellow, blue or grey houses with seemingly impossible driveways. Just gorgeous and crazy to think of people surviving and thriving this far north having to import so much! (But not reindeer or shrimp! Yum!)
• Supermarket open 7-23. Which hour are they closed? Dying to know!
• Very good time in Norway thus far! On to the next adventure! (When the plane arrives!) Update: arrived at Oslo apartment 1am!