Tromso

Beautiful clear start to the morning.  With the clocks going back we’re more likely to be getting up with the sun and the sunrise was glorious.  I spent time on the deck loving the scenery and sunshine.  Marty and Anu went on a visit to the Bridge and learned a lot about the ship.  It’s only a year old and they won the contract from the much more established Hutergruner (will check spelling later) ferries. The government pay them to transport Norwegians free from port to port and the cruise business is really added on to that.  This explains why so many small costal communities are thriving and viable. 

We pulled into Finnsnes and I went for a short walk - my main discovery was the town library that was bright and warm and smelled of new books.  

We spent time on the deck before lunch, loving the silence as the ship glided through the fjord and we were rewarded by seeing minke whales breaching in a little bay that we passed.  We also saw a lot of sea eagles wheeling above.  

We docked at Tromso at 2.15 and raced up to the cable car which was shut because of rising winds so we walked back past the Arctic cathedral and across the bridge which gave us brilliant views of the town.  We wandered the streets in the darkness before going for a cocktail in a lovely little book lined bar.  Another town with a lovely library building.  

Dinner was a King Crab special.  Another fascinating fact;  King Crabs, which I think originated in the Southern Hemisphere were introduced into the Barents Sea by the Russians looking for cheap protein.  They now number 45 million and so catching and eating them is a national duty.