A Norwegian Holiday (Part 29)

Flying out of Tromso & Back to Oslo

Getting up at 4 in the morning, we got ready quickly to leave for the airport. Bleary-eyed, we got into our cab which arrived by 4.30 a.m.. It was bright and sunny at that time. Driving through the empty streets of the town at that early hour, we reached Tromso airport well before 5 a.m.. After finishing check in formalities, we reached our departure gate and waited for our flight to Oslo.

I spent time watching the planes and aircraft movements at the airport. At an adjoining gate was docked an SAS Airbus 319. This aircraft, a variant of the popular Airbus A 320, has a wingspan greater than the length of its fuselage (The Airbus A-380, the Super Jumbo, is another aircraft that has a wingspan greater than its length).

Before long, our plane arrived and docked at the aerobridge. It was a Norwegian Airlines Boeing 737–800.

Tromso airport’s departure area

An Airbus A 319. It is a shortened fuselage variant of the popular Airbus A 320. This aircraft has a wingspan greater than the length of its fuselage

Our flight departed on schedule at 6.30 a.m. and took off smoothly. Tromso airport is located on the western side of Tromsoya, the island where the city centre is situated. The runway runs along the sea coast, parallel to it. Surrounding the airport, at a distance across the sea, are snow-capped mountains. A long road bridge, the Sandnessund Bridge, connecting Tromsoya island to another large island to the west, Kvaloya, could be seen while taking off from Tromso.

Waiting for our take off from Tromso

Taking off from Tromso airport. Sandnessund Bridge connecting Tromso and an adjacent island, Kvaloya, can be seen

The landscape was draped in emerald green; and the sea, which extended deep inside as fjords cleaving the land, was a stunning sapphire blue.

It was a sunny day with a clear, azure blue sky. The sight after take off was spectacular. The mountains, fjords and islands around Tromso could be clearly seen. Many of the mountains were snow-capped even though it was ‘peak summer’. The landscape was draped in emerald green; and the sea, which extended deep inside as fjords cleaving the land, was a stunning sapphire blue. One of the mountain lakes which I could see had a beautiful heart shape! Further ahead during the flight, verdant conifer forests and placid lakes could be seen. At places, thanks to the cloud cover, only the snow-covered peaks of some of the mountains were visible, jutting above the clouds.

A heart-shaped mountain lake

Verdant forests and lakes

Mountain peaks seen projecting above the thick clouds

[embed]Video of our take off from Tromso airport

The flight to Oslo from Tromso was short and took just one and a half hours. Oslo looked absolutely green and beautiful from the sky. We touched down smoothly at Oslo’s Gardermoen airport on schedule. Disembarking, we collected our bags and had a light breakfast at an airport restaurant.

Landing in Oslo

Oslo’s Gardermoen Airport

[embed]Video showing our aircraft landing in Oslo’s Gardermoen airport

Our daughter, Karthika, had to catch a flight back to Amsterdam soon afterwards. However, our flight was only later in the evening. Hence, we decided to do some sight-seeing in Oslo city during the day.

After seeing off Karthika, we went to leave our bags in the airport locker. Then, we headed to the metro station inside the airport terminal to catch a fast train to the city and make the best use of our available time in Oslo.

(To be continued in Part 30)