Tromso

In previous centuries, Tromso was the centre for walrus and seal hunting, trapping, fishing and later the launch pad for several important pioneering Arctic expeditions including some led by Fridtjoft Nansen and Roald Amundsen.  This is why the city has earned the nickname "Gateway to the Arctic".  These days, the town is best known as one of the better places to spot the Northern Lights.  And also for good access to all kinds of outdoor activities.

Fittingly, Andrew has signed up for an excursion to the North Cape tomorrow morning.  Most of the excursions on the Hurtigruten boat are well attended, in spite of the cost, but this one only has 5 people going.  They will be away 6 hours and will join the boat further up the coast.

Tromso's charming city centre has northern Norway's highest number of historic wooden houses, the oldest dating from 1789.

A theatre with a music rotunda in front.

An old church.

The side view of the church.

A colourful wall painted on what was a warehouse along the waterfront.

An old cinema building.  This one is not made of wood.

A statue of a fisherman with a harpoon.  Presumably commemorating the old sealing days that took place in these waters.

An unusual apartment complex right opposite the Polar Museum.

The Arctic Cathedral (1965), also known as Tromsdalen Church  with the 11 triangles suggesting glacial crevasses.  On the voyage south back towards Bergen we are going to attend a midnight concert here so there will be a photo lit up and showing the glowing stain glass window inside.

Fittingly for a town that was the launch pad for so many pioneering expeditions to the Pole, the museum comprehensively shows life in the Arctic, covering everything from trapping to so many of the the ground breaking expeditions.  The museum is housed in a harbourside building that served as Tromso's customs house from 1833 to 1970.

A very realistic exhibit of a reindeer hunter with his downed animal.

All the exhibits of the Arctic frontier are well done and interesting, although some such as those on hunting furry creatures are bit unnerving.  But then we are not frontiers people whose very existence depended on hunting anything edible or usable.  And at that time seals and polar bears were considered fair game for commercial exploitation.

Seal furs of increasing sizes.

One of the main streets was festooned with a string of umbrellas, adding a festive air to the town.

The manhole covers in this town are very beautiful too.  Worthy of a photo.  I was not the only tourist taking photographs of them.