Boat trip and cable car in Tromso - Aunt Anna on fjord and mountain

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Guest writer: Anna Nilsson Spets

My nautical knowledge is so-so when it comes to the difference between ship, vessel, catamaran and boat and even Wikipedia doesn't make me any wiser, but the day is important for a fjord trip. 

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In the harbour is the brand-new catamaran that will take me out on the fjords around Tromsö, for the day it is staying weather and maybe even the sun will join the trip. 

Brim explorer is the tour company that will offer me something typically Norwegian; fjords! The fleet consists of four catamarans and runs daily, the company prioritises the environment, the catamarans are electric hybrids, they run quietly and create little disturbance for people, birds and animals along the coast, in other words, environmentally friendly. I like that. 

Our guide for the day, Kristofer, shows on the screen how we should go and goes through a number of safety regulations, we throw off and the captain navigates out of the harbour, the catamaran makes at most 12 knots, which is about 25 km / hour. Bard that we are travelling with today holds 130 passengers but this trip we are maybe 20.  

The first fjord, Ramfjord, unlike other fjords, can freeze in winter because freshwater from rapids and rivers flows into the salty water. 

It is magically beautiful, so much so that it almost brings tears to your eyes, or is it the wind that brings tears to my eyes? The barrenness, the green hills, the yellowness of early autumn become an aesthetic mix of colours, textures and shapes. 

The coastline is lined with occasional farms, mostly growing potatoes and other root crops, with livestock in the form of sheep and goats.  

A pair of sea eagles sails high in the sky ... 

Up on the bridge, the captain and the engineer are sitting in the heat, I knock on the door and get to come in and look at all the instruments and machines, it feels extremely modern and computerised, things that I have no idea how they work, but the nice captain knows that. 

We pass Lyngen, the highest mountain in the region. 

This part of Norway also has a dark past since the war years. On the shore of Håkøya are some remains of what was the warship Tirpitz. The Tirpitz was German and stationed in Norway to attack Allied convoys to Murmansk. In November 1944, the Tirpitz was sunk by British bombers and between 1000 and 1200 soldiers lost their lives. A memorial and some bomb craters remind us of the story. 

We pass the dynamite island where dynamite was stored and hidden during the Second World War. A colony of cormorants sits on the islet next to it, which does not take much notice of us. 

The boat has several floors and it's getting quite chilly, I'm glad I have my warm hat, the cute tick-tocking Japanese should probably at least have had trousers ... Or mamelukes. 

Coffee and cardamom biscuits are great, and snacks and drinks are available at the bar. 

Our guide and all-rounder tells you about life around the fjords, the vital fishing and how to dry cod on their typical drying racks. 

Of course, we get to sample dried fish and a small bite of smoked herring. It gives you a taste for more! 

In the northern part of the world, the winter is long and dark, the polar nights, i.e. days without real daylight, are approaching and the guide explains the importance of boosting yourself with cranberry oil, which contains a lot of nutrients. Some hungry non-Scandinavians take a sip and grimace, it doesn't exactly taste like raspberries. 

With the beautiful Kvaløya and Sommarøya in the background, we head back towards Tromsø again. 

Brim explorer offers a 4-5 hour fjord tour and an evening tour to view the northern lights and enjoy a delicious dinner. 

In late autumn and winter there are whale cruises with the chance to see fin, humpback and killer whales. 

The bottom line is that this is highly recommended, fresh nice boats with seating inside and outside on several levels, panoramic windows, extremely knowledgeable staff, disabled-friendly and dog-friendly. The company has tours and experiences in Lofoten, Oslo and Svalbard. 

From water level to slightly higher altitudes was the goal the following day. 

In Tromsdalen, on the other side of the bridge, you can use the The mountain lift/ cable car up the mountain Fløya. I pack myself in with 11 other travellers and the gondola takes us 421 m straight up, the trip takes 4 minutes and runs every half hour. Those who are fit can take the Sherpa stairs up. I jump that one. The top station is called Fjellstua and the hiking trails start from there. 

This day there was indeed a break, at times, but it was very windy, a foggy day would not have been optimal to enjoy the view. 

The view yes ... it was a real ten-pointer, so infinitely beautiful. The windswept mountain birch trees that have been struggling in all weathers for years are starting to change to autumn colours, the lingonberries shine red in the crowberry carpet.  

I feel a bit like I'm standing on top of the world with its breathtaking views. Then some rain comes and I have a coffee, which by the way is outrageously expensive, but the competition is non-existent.  

And look, there was a rainbow on the other side of the fjord, how beautiful is that?  

Built in 1960, the Fjellheisen is open almost all year round and many people go up in the evening to see the northern lights, and on New Year's Eve they celebrate the new year with fireworks from the top.  

4 minutes down and the beauty shrinks behind me but settles in the memory bank just like all meetings and experiences these days in northern Norway. 

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Anna Nilsson Spets

60+ year old lady with a lifelong love for Africa. Emigrated to Flanders in Belgium and works with plants on a daily basis. Writes, takes photos and tries to inspire others to budget travel on their own. Blogs on "Anna's mix" about travelling, work, plants, writing and much more.

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