Tromsø in Norway - Aunt Anna and 50 shades of grey

Guest writer: Anna Nilsson Spets

-Take the filter off the camera, a friend wrote when I posted a picture from the runway in Tromsö, Norway. It was just that I didn't have a filter, it was really grey, all shades of grey that exist and it stood out like a sore thumb. 

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Tromsö is 1570 km from Stockholm and from where I live in Belgium it is another 150 km.

When I left home the temperature was triple that, 30 degrees here and 10 degrees at the finish. The first day I buy a hat and mittens ... phew. 

I check in at Tromsö activities hostel which turns out to be quite central, worn, but cosy. Sharing a room with two American backpackers travelling through Scandinavia, they think I'm a cool lady type.

The hostel does not focus on comfort but definitely on cosiness, a good accommodation option for those who do not need luxury. The luxury can be found in the harbour area where the hotel chains are located next to each other. Each room has a pair of bunk beds, there is a shared bathroom and kitchen, and there is a common room for hanging out with like-minded people.  

So what do you do in Tromsø on five days when the weather is mostly rainy and windy? 

No worries, there's plenty to see and do, eat and drink. Thanks to great co-operation with Visit Tromso I guide me through many sights. At the tourist information centre Visit Tromsø I find maps, leaflets and you can also book different tours. It is out of season, right in between the summer season with its many hikers and the winter season with snow activities. 

Polaria is an experiential museum with several interactive exhibits and a cinema. There is an aquarium with the marine inhabitants of the North Sea, which is really interesting and educational. 

The four seals allow themselves to be fed and looked at; two harbour seals and two harbour seals swim in the pool. Bella, the largest harbour seal, weighs 300 kilos and is given ice chips as a treat. The seal keeper is happy to answer my questions and tells me that she has been working with the seals for 13 years and has a strong bond with her charges. 

Next to Polaria is the seal hunting vessel. Cushions who has completed 33 hunting seasons and brought home over 97 000 seals. In the past, seals were a very important part of life in this part of the world and everything was utilised: the meat, the fur and the cranes. Seal hunting still takes place in Norway, but very restrictively and only to prevent damage to the fishing industry. 

A stone's throw from Polaria is troll, the world's only troll museum. Certainly exotic for a non-Scandinavian to learn about all the different kinds of trolls and other unknowns in forests, lakes and mountains. In northern Norway in particular, many legends revolve around the sea troll.

Trolls also offers interactive activities in the form of troll selfies sent to your e-mail, a book room with troll books and a playroom. A small souvenir shop naturally offers troll-related items. A very different kind of museum, really fun actually. 

The Polar MuseumYes, it requires several hours to read and watch everything. There are several old buildings located at the so-called Skansen, right by the harbour. The focus is on life and living around the Arctic Circle and the many expeditions to the surrounding areas and even further north. Photos and artefacts galore, it's almost too much to take in.  

I read about Amundsen, Andrée and all these polar explorers and realise that I need to update myself on that part of history. 

The heart of Tromsø is partly around Storgata and of course the harbour. Storgata is currently a large construction site where you have to jump between the mud puddles. Shopping, yes lots, but for that you need a big wallet. Tromsö is touristy to the max, the souvenir shops are extremely numerous with the usual stuff in the form of fridge magnets, mugs and Viking helmets. 

Along Storgata there are also many trendy clothing and design shops, retro shops with staggering prices. Nothing for a budget traveller or backpacker like me, but certainly something for those who come with the big cruise ships because it's not only the famous Hurtigrutten that stops by.  

In one of the back streets I find Housewives, handicrafts at their best. Beautiful folk costumes, wonderful silversmithing, authentic Norwegian sweaters and a paradise for yarn freaks. I buy ... yarn. 

Blown Glass blowing studio warms both body and soul, you mouth-blow glass for all it's worth, the enthusiastic owner is trained at Kosta. Beautiful glass to buy at home but also workshops. 

Churches ... The church that attracts the most visitors is ... Arctic Cathedral, located on the other side of the long bridge in Tromsdalen. Struggling through the wind and rain, I pay a visit to this most spectacular building built in the 1960s.  

The cathedral is very sparsely decorated, what I like is the beautiful mosaic window with its many symbols. 

In the centre is the beautiful wooden cathedral, which suits me much better. 

Wood is also the common building material in most of the houses here, but unfortunately the entire city centre is being destroyed. Along the harbour side there is pile driving and large rental complexes are going up, it looks awful and ruins the whole cityscape. Tromsö is also called the Paris of the North or the gateway to the Arctic Ocean. 

The very atmosphere in the city is ... international and open-minded. For me, travelling isn't just about experiences, it's about encounters, such as the Liberian who sells fake sweaters and goes on a tour, the young couple who have cycled from Germany to Tromsø, the usual drunks who ask for cigarettes or the Frenchman who walks through the world. 

You should eat, otherwise you will die, and there is no risk of starvation in Tromsö, but you can easily go bankrupt because if you want to taste it, you have to pay for it. The town's smallest restaurant with seating offers sausages and bread for NOK 60. 

Many of the restaurants are down in the harbour area, there is a lot of fish of course but you also find everything from Chinese food to Ethiopian. I go big and eat a whale burger, it only costs 250 Norwegian ... At least the tap water was free. 

Fika, yes, the Norwegians do it a lot and gladly, there are a lot of nice cafes, I stuck to Kaffebönna which has several cafes here. Huge cardamom buns and delicious coffee taste great after hours in the rain. Or like this mini pavlova at another plejs, melted like butter in your mouth. 

Drinking. Just as there are an infinite number of restaurants, there are bars - I popped into one at Magic ice barnot to drink but to check out the decor. It costs 300 NOK in admission and the price includes a warm poncho, mittens and a drink. Everything is of course made of ice, the beautiful artwork is by Estonian artists.  

The city's oldest pub is called oil depots and is almost a hundred years old, bira is available for all tastes, 78 taps and of course in bottles as well. Mack is the name of the beer brewed in Tromsö, you can take a guided tour and tasting.  

The weather for the next few days shows a break, great for the nature experiences I have on the agenda, you'll follow me ? 

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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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