Tag Archives: Tromsø

Football and big mountain combo

Sunday 21st June 2026, 4.05pm (day 5,414)

Fløya landscape, 21/6/26

Seems like an adequate combination of two of my more favoured recreational pursuits. In the background, Tromsdalstinden, the summit of which stands at 4,055 feet (1,236m) above sea level and which I hauled myself up on 30/9/2017 — in weather that was a damn sight warmer than today’s ‘Midsummer’s Day’ incidentally, as the snow evidences. As seen from the ground of IF Fløya, the green-clad players of whom are defending here, but they needn’t have worried: they were already 2-0 up at this point just after half-time and went on to win 4-0.

Incidentally, I make this the 100th Norway shot to feature on this blog.

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The start of the half-marathon

Saturday 20th June 2026, 9.00pm (day 5,413)

Runners and Hurtigruten, 20/6/26

The third ‘midnight sun’ reference in a row, as these people have just set out on Tromsø’s Midnight Sun Half-Marathon. It’s popular, as you can infer from the visible number: apparently there were participants from one hundred different countries this evening. In the background, one of the boats that plies the Hurtigruten ferry route all the way up and down Norway. Somewhere further in the background, Clare, who reappeared at the finish line about three hours later. (Yr. humble blogger does not run, and has not done since his knee became too fragile in about 2008. In all honesty he feels better for just documenting such events these days.)

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Sorting out the numbers

Friday 19th June 2026, 12.05pm (day 5,412)

Marathon number 19/6/26

C is here to run in the Midnight Sun half-marathon, talking place Saturday night, and was obliged to pick up her number today. Along with ten thousand other people, it seems. Well done to the people sorting through all those bits of paper with RFD tags stuck on them.

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The sun refuses to set

Thursday 18th June 2026, 11.55pm (day 5,411)

Midnight sun, 18/6/26

I was in Tromsø at this time of the year in 2017, so well north of the Arctic Circle this close to the summer solstice. But it was cloudy for that entire trip — as you can see from the linked picture — so I never saw the actual shining Midnight Sun (capital M, capital S) back then. But tonight — here you are. It’s still getting low, but it is, defiantly, not setting. We have several days of perpetual daylight to come.

Of course it could be a much better picture but then again, surely that is true of all shots where one points a basically inadequate camera at a big ball of flaming helium, however far away it is. Comfortably the latest picture in any given day to appear of all the 5,411 so far, and it may well retain that record until the day I die. ‘Cos when I am normally up at this time? Not often.

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Ikke i Tromsø

Thursday 3rd June 2021, 7.50am (day 3,570)

Virtual conference, 3/6/21

95 of the shots on this blog have been taken in Norway, making it the third most-depicted country after England and Australia, but there have been none since I took off from Tromsø airport on the morning of 26th April 2018. I was supposed to be there now, probably I would have journeyed over yesterday, stayed until the weekend, enjoyed the 24-hour sunlight, and the company of friends and colleagues. I could have stood once more where these singers are, namely the balcony at the top of the cable car, on Storsteinen. But we are all prevented from doing these things, and life is diminished as a result. I appeared at the ‘virtual conference’ because I didn’t want to let down people that I respect and like — but I’m not going to be attending any more of them.

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Farvel til Tromsø

Thursday 26th April 2018, 8.45am (day 2,436)

Tromsø after take-off, 26/4/18

Always get a window seat… Last possible view of Tromsø after take-off, as a second or two later we were enfolded in the cloud stealing in from bottom right. Farvel indeed… until next time.

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69ºN

Wednesday 25th April 2018, 6.00pm (day 2,435)

Tromsø harbour, 25/4/18

At 69ºN, the world’s northernmost city provides boats, sea, birds, snow…. all that jazz. My last day in Tromsø. Hopefully, not the last of all, though as of yet I do not know when I will be back…

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Drone in my face

Tuesday 24th April 2018, 5.40pm (day 2,434)

Drone, 24/4/18

One reason I have come back to Tromsø is to make an educational video, and the filming for that took all day. It ended with this alien apparatus hovering a couple of feet from my face, as Mark and Per-Frank look on. I think their intentions were benign. These are weird things, but effective — I’ve seen the rushes…

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Fire escape, UiT

Monday 23rd April 2018, 1.30pm (day 2,433)

UiT fire exit, 23/4/18

Busy day’s work at the University of Tromsø (the world’s northernmost university). Views snatched out of windows were my best option photographically, on what was a bright sunny day — as it always seems to be here when I visit. I am developing a reputation as a sun god among the locals. I like the shapes on this one.

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On Storsteinen (The Big Rock)

Wednesday 7th March 2018, 11.55am (day 2,386)

Storsteinen summit, 7/3/18

Storsteinen is the name of a 421-meter (1381 feet) summit not far outside Tromsø city centre and reachable by the Fjellheisen cable car. As far as my primitive Norwegian can establish, its name just means The Big Rock. Certainly a fine place for an excursion to pass the time on my last full day here on this particular trip — though I’m due back in about seven weeks.

Even including the picture taken on the summit of Kilimanjaro, and the ones in Moscow in January 2017, I nominate this the coldest of all the 2,386 pictures thus far. According to information on the Fjellheisen web site, it was -13ºC up there today. And I can assure you all that it felt like it.

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