Bagni di Lucca and Beyond

Whilst visiting our son who was studying in Oslo, we did some travelling in wintery Norway. We ventured as far north as Tromso, in the Arctic Circle. The climate of Tromso is surprisingly mild, considering its latitude, due to the influence of the gulf stream and a protective ring of mountains. “Mild”, as in only -13 to -20 degrees, that is. Tromso experiences such arctic phenomena as the midnight sun in summer and the northern lights (aurora borealis) in winter.

The locals complain of ever decreasing annual snowfalls, but we were fortunate to have had a beautiful blanket of deep snow. We were not so lucky with the northern lights though, which failed to shine for us.

Visiting Tromso in winter may not be everyone’s cup of glog. It presents many challenges. The days are vanishingly short, with the sun not even managing to drag itself above the horizon. Dusk descends at around 2:30 in the afternoon. Many shops and tourist attractions are closed and the locals tend to be hibernating.

Many unexpected delights do, however, await the intrepid visitor in this winter wonderland. Among these include cross-country skiing, snow-walking, ice-fishing and trips out of town to view the northern lights. Cross-country skiing is something of a national sport in Norway, and not for those inclined to avoid physical discomfort. It is a saying that Norwegians “er fodt med ski pa beina” (born with skis on their feet), but for those born elsewhere, it is incredibly taxing.

So what did we choose to do in Tromso? Dogsledding.

This was an amazing experience. We were picked up from our hotel in a little bus and taken to the forest outside Tromso where we were treated to dinner of reindeer stew in a Sami tent. Sami are the indigenous population of northern Scandinavia (formerly Lapps) and the only people permitted to own reindeer herds. Thereafter, we were outfitted in incredibly thick and cumbersome waterproof clothes and boots and taken to meet the dogs. Various huskies of all shapes and sizes were howling and baying, eager to begin work. These dogs were extremely friendly and for attention, some were even standing on top of their kennels.

The sleds were driven by a team of experts with two people to a sled drawn by six dogs. The lead dog is always a female because they are lighter and considered more reliable than their male counterparts. The sledding experience was magical. Imagine…it is dark with only the moon for light, a gentle snow falling, the whole countryside deep in fresh snow and the trees in the forest covered in a dusting. The only sound is the whoosh of the sled and the driver giving instructions to the dogs. A truly wonderful experience.

A trip to Tromso in the depth of winter may not be your first thought for a holiday but, as an adventure, it is well worth the effort.

Tromso, "Paris of the North"

Polar bear sighting

Meeting the dogs

Waiting to be noticed