A Norwegian Holiday (Part 28)

In Pursuit of the Midnight Sun

Going back by bus to Tromso town from Telegrafbukta, we alighted near our hotel and walked a short distance to a point near the waterfront. Here, in a small park, the Roald Amundsen Park, stood a full length statue of the legendary Norwegian Polar explorer, Roald Amundsen.

Amundsen had, like many others, set out on his famous polar expeditions from Tromso. And, tragically, it was in 1928 while he had set out on a flight from Tromso in search of his friend, the Polar explorer Umberto Nobile who had gone missing in the Arctic, that he died when his aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff in the Barents Sea off Tromso.

Roald Amundsen Park

Amundsen’s statue

Roald Amundsen, like many other famous explorers, set out on his famous polar expeditions from Tromso

We spent some time clicking pictures, resting in the park and strolling up to the picturesque waterfront nearby. At that late hour, the place was deserted.

We went back, once again, to our favourite Chinese restaurant, Tang’s, and had a hearty dinner and returned to our hotel. After packing our bags, we pulled the thick window curtains to shut out the bright light outside and tried to get some sleep. The next day, early in the ‘morning’, we were scheduled to fly out of Tromso, back to Oslo.

Inside Tang’s restaurant

However, late at ‘night’, a little while after we had retired to bed, while lying tossing and turning in bed, all of a sudden I got an irresistible urge to see the Midnight Sun shining clearly in the sky without it being hidden behind clouds! :) And, I impulsively decided to venture out by myself once again. Disregarding opposition from a bewildered Sandhya and Karthika, I went out alone on to the streets of Tromso. It was approaching midnight by then.

There were very few people on the streets near our hotel. I walked past the Tromso Protestant Cathedral, the precincts of which were completely deserted at that late hour, and moved towards one of the main streets of Tromso. I had no clear idea where exactly I was headed.

Tromso Protestant Cathedral (Picture taken almost at midnight)

I walked towards the west along one of Tromso’s main streets in the city centre, the bright glow in the western sky serving as my sole guide. Surprisingly, there were a few other people as well walking around at that late hour there.

The Cathedral of Our Lady, Tromso, is the northernmost Catholic cathedral in the world.

One of Tromso’s main streets, almost at midnight

I continued walking ahead chasing the sun and I approached another small cathedral. This was the Cathedral of Our Lady, Tromso, the northernmost Catholic (as well as Christian) cathedral in the world. Built in 1861 in the Neogothic style, it is made of wood and is as old as the city’s Protestant cathedral.

Cathedral of Our Lady, a Catholic Church in Tromso. It is the world’s northernmost Catholic (and Christian) cathedral

I kept walking ahead optimistically along Tromso’s totally deserted streets, going up and down over the city’s hilly terrain in pursuit of the Midnight Sun

Going past this little cathedral, I moved ahead to increasingly deserted localities of Tromso. Although the bright glow of the sun could be seen lighting up the western sky at midnight, from no spot where I reached could I get a clear, unhindered view of the sun which seemed to be somewhat low in the horizon and, hence, hidden behind buildings. However, hoping that I would be able to catch a clear glimpse if I got over the next hill and reached a vantage point, I kept walking ahead optimistically along the totally deserted streets, going up and down over the city’s hilly terrain. It was past midnight by then. The streets were completely deserted and silent.

A deserted Tromso street at midnight

The brightly lit western sky at midnight in Tromso

My pursuit of the Midnight Sun turned into a classic wild goose chase!

My optimistic perseverance yielded no result and, slowly, I began to become desperate. My pursuit of the Midnight Sun turned into a classic wild goose chase and I, like one possessed, kept wandering frantically across many streets, quickening my pace. Finally, I reached Tromso Bridge and I began walking across this long bridge. However, better sense soon prevailed and I called off the futile chase before I had completely crossed that sea bridge which was totally deserted at that midnight hour.

Time was ticking past and we had to leave at 4 a.m. that ‘morning’ for the airport. I slowly began to feel a bit panicky, but managed to find my way back to the hotel walking along the completely deserted streets at that odd hour in that unfamiliar place.

Tromso at midnight

I reached our hotel close to 1 a.m., successfully managed to open the hotel’s main door and get inside by operating the electronic lock of the unmanned entrance to the hotel (after a couple of very unnerving hiccups!) and, rather sheepishly, crept quietly into my bed, with barely 3 hours left to leave for the airport early the next ‘morning’. And, despite the ill-advised misadventure and the consequent adrenaline rush which I had that ‘midnight’, surprisingly, I managed to catch a few precious winks of much-needed sleep.

(To be continued in Part 29)