"Paris of the North"
Tromsø, established as a city in 1794, has a rich history that includes its role as a cultural hub in Northern Norway, earning the nickname “Paris of the North” in the 19th century. Located within the Arctic Circle, it attracts tourists all year round.
For our outing out in town, our small group of 18 was included with a full busload of tourists, along with countless number of other buses. So everywhere we went was crowded.
The big attraction was the tram ride (plus 75 steps!!!) to see a beautiful view of the city at sunset.
We also make a quick stop at the Arctic Cathedral with its glass mosaic windows inspired by nature to let in as much light as possible.
Astronomy Above the Arctic Circle
Our instructor for our cruise is Jeanine Holowatuik. She is an avid aurora chaser, astrophotographer, and astronomy lover. She is giving us a series of lectures on the Sagas and Science of Auroras. Today’s lecture was the third in the series and it was nice to be able to attend in person. While we were quarantined, Jeanine provided copies of slides and her notes. If you are interested in learning more about her work,
First Aurora
As we were making our last stop before returning to the MS Nordkapp, Jeanine sent out a message that the lights may appear. Sure enough, around 6:30pm the short light show began. Since we had just returned from a long outing I had to leave for a bit to take care of some things. Of course, by the time I returned, the show was over for now. We will be in the arctic circle for a few more days, so I am hopeful that it will appear again. Fingers crossed. The first picture is a photo I shot early on with my iPhone and the second is one of Jeanine’s photo with her camera equipment.
