Beach of the Atlantic Ocean from the Arctic Circle

The finals days of our three-week, estrogen-rich, renewable energy excursion were spent in the northern portion of Norway, above the Arctic Circle. Tromsø greeted us with snowy mountains in all directions and, without interrupting the anomaly of sunny weather we traveled around with, the coldest air we’d felt in awhile. The sight of the ocean under blue skies with the ominous wintery mountains all around was sensory overload enough to snap us out of our travel-induced exhausted and most of us were too excited to stay inside. After various afternoon activities, including discovering the new bus system, visiting souvenir shops in town, and walking along the quartz covered beach collecting shells and sea glass, all 19 of us sat in the dining room of the hotel and devoured a traditional Norwegian meal of meatballs (with a vegetarian version for the large portion of meat skeptics among us), rice, and salad. It was so nice to all enjoy a meal together, not to mention to eat prepared food with neither the worry of converting prices nor excessive dishwashing. Read more

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Our visit to Tromsø, a city located above the Arctic Circle, gave us the unique opportunity to see the famous midnight sun.  The midnight sun is a phenomenon that occurs during the summer months when the Earths tilt causes 24 hours of sunlight above the Arctic Circle. Unfortunately, the preferred method of viewing the midnight sun in Tromsø, by taking a cable car to the top of a nearby mountain, was down for repairs during our visit. Nevertheless, the scenic backdrop behind our hotel provided a great viewing spot, and also a great place to collect shells and sea glass! It was amazing to witness such a distinct and beautiful phenomenon that can be seen in so few places worldwide. Walking around at midnight in bright daylight was also an interesting and fun experience.  Below is a panorama photo I took at around midnight at the coastal area by our hotel!

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Great food with great friends; our last night in Norway was filled with laughs and full bellies at Emma’s Dream Kitchen (Emma’s Drømmekjøkken). The restaurant, located in the center of the Tromsø downtown area, was elaborately decorated with old-fashioned Norwegian paintings and even some newer ones as well to give the restaurant a Scandinavian feel. Our private third floor room was ornamented with a carriage of porcelain dolls, which gave the space a fun and youthful impression. Read more

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Frozen yogurt and paninis in hand, our group rode the Troms county bus some steep kilometres up from the Tromsø city center to the University of Tromsø’s Geophysical Observatory, located on the highest point of Trømsoya island. From the bus stop, it was a quick stroll by the glistening Prestvannet lake. With the early June sun warming our backs, we approached the red bricked building all smiles and ready to learn of ongoing research on arctic solar technology.

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