Another B@$*@** day in Paradise

 

So back on Facebook, maybe a new lease of life for the blog.  Been interesting following peoples reactions to the posts Chrissi (or indeed anyone) puts up on Facebook. Predictable comments often although pictures only show the view in one 'safe' dimension, the sanitised pic, the blog provides the other dimensions! 

Most of them are still pretty good it must be said, but a question or thoughtful comment can go a longer way than an assumption.  The dental woes have probably capped (hmmm .. pun?) the enjoyment factor on the last few days at about 80%, as the pain creeps in at some inopportune times. Nothing can be fixed out here unfortunately, checked that this morning.  Will need to sort on Friday when we get home. Not sure what this means for the marathon on Sunday, clearly you don't run with your teeth but running when run down, not a great idea.

After a handpicked breakfast, but leisurely and with time to people watch, it was out for the main 'expedition' of the day. On a friends recommendation (cheers Lyndell) we walked over to the mainland (not sure we realised we were on an island in the fjord until today) via that very exciting bridge and then up to the cable car station.

Was a great ride up to the top of the nearby Storsteinen mountain, where a snow plateau offered further peaks in the distance. Followed one well trodden trail for a little while, and for a short moment we were in a wilderness that conjured memories of Hoth, the Ice Planet from the Empire Strikes Back.  We rounded upon a ski school and a few skiers.  I think the word Ski originated in Norway from the old norse word 'skith' and so was great to see a few plying their trade, winging their way down the mountain with ease.

From our new vantage point we were able to look right across Tromso, the fjords, the fir trees, the football stadiums. The airport also drew the eye.  Thinking some of the cable car rides we have done in recent years, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, (technically railway!), Austrian Alps, Table Mountain, Victoria Docks ? they don't half lead to those panoramic memories.  

We also took some moments to relax and soak in the views in the hilltop cafe, lovely not to rush about on this trip but still feel that we are constantly taking new stuff in hour by hour.  The trip down in under 2 mins followed by a 30 minute or so return walk to the hotel provided new and old talking points.

The hotel gym (or nearby gym they have use of) has not been accessible throughout this stay which was a disappointment on one hand, but it did mean that I needed to get outdoors to run my 4 mile easy, which also turned out to be one way of providing some respite from tooth pain.  Not the most picturesque of runs apart from the snowy mountains always on the horizon both ways and a reminder as to our latitude.

Wanted to give Tromso the send off it deserved so dosed up and went out for a meal. Found a restaurant with an array of far east on the menu, disappointed the Ethiopean is not open until tomorrow, but we are all about the multinational cuisine in Norway. Real tasty Tom Yum soup for starter, with plenty of fresh fish; main course a slightly more mundane crispy beef, but washed down with some of the local ale, Mack.

The night was still young, last chance for northern lights although to be honest we haven't really been chasing them, you can't really!  We'd noted in Lonely Planet another Bastard named bar here, not at all like the one we found in Iceland. Well this one was more of a musos hangout, with cheap beer, cocktails and a buzzing student crowd. One of those cracking nights you don't expect with people jamming together on all sorts of instruments and just a good vibe in the Tromso air.

Who needs northern lights? No sign of them as we stumbled back from the bar.  They apparently called this place the Paris of the North back in the 19th Century, lets call Paris the Tromso of the South. Loving the Scandinavian culture, rocks and rolls all round.