Alta day 3 – city of the Northern Lights

Day three of my Alta holiday started promisingly enough with breaks in the cloud, raising hopes that I may see the aurora, but little did I know what was in store for me later that evening.

For breakfast, I had my usual muesli, this time with a very tasty melon yoghurt. I followed this with a selection of cheeses and meats, all of which were very enjoyable.

After breakfast, I ventured out into the cold and had a stroll around the shops and I paid another visit to Santa’s Grotto. I took more photographs and video of the town before catching a local bus down to the harbour and airport part of town. The bus took me over the Alta River and into the small villages on the outskirts of Alta, before bringing me back into town.

The ‘blue light’ photographed from a bus near Alta River.

I was able to see the so called ‘blue light’ above the mountains as the bus made its journey along the fjord edge.

For dinner, I had a king crab salad and a dessert of vanilla pancake, stuffed with blackcurrants. Another excellent meal, which I have come to expect from the Rica.

At 19:00 the Northern Lights guide from GLØD adventures, arrived and I discovered that there was only one other person on the tour, a German guy called Marcel. After a short introduction, we set off into the cold night.

The Northern Lights as seen from the fjord in Alta.

First off we went to the fjord edge where we were able to take several good shots of the aurora before we headed up the hills to get a view from the mountain top. This was to be an inspired move as we were treated to a stunning display which took us all by surprise. The guide said that this was the best display he had seen for several weeks.

A magnificent auroral display seen in the mountains above Alta.

We tried another location which proved to be a disappointment, but I was able to photograph the Moon and stars.

By 23:00, we were starting to feel the cold, so we called it a night and I adjourned to the bar for a couple of beers, before going to bed shortly after midnight. It had been a long day, but thoroughly enjoyable.

Alta day 4 – me and my mate Santa | Alta webcam | Alta It Is