Tromsø day 3 – the Midnight Sun

Today was the day I had set out to see the Midnight Sun. The weather forecast was good, and the rain clouds were likely to disperse around midday. I wasn’t disappointed.

After breakfast from the cold buffet, I took the bus to the Botanic Gardens. These were quite impressive and included hardy plants from all over the World. There were separate sections dedicated to different areas and I had a pleasant two hours there.

When I returned to the city, I freshened up and headed out for a meal at the Fiskekompani restaurant next door to my hotel. Although very expensive, around £75 for three courses, the meal and the service were superb. I settled for scallops on a bed of cauliflower, halibut with oxtail ragu and baked rhubarb and ice cream. Every course was excellent.

Midnight Sun from the Cable Car in Tromsø. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the evening, I caught another bus, this time to the cable car which takes you to the top of a mountain overlooking Tromsø. The view from the top was stunning and I had a couple of beers in the cafe at the top and sat outside waiting for midnight.

I had a short stroll on the mountain, where there was still patches of snow, and took many photos. The sky was crystal clear and I watched the Sun skim the mountain tops before starting to rise again. One of my long term ambitions achieved and something I’ll never forget.

I caught the 00:30 cable car back down the mountain and walked the couple of miles back to the hotel, taking in the eerie sunlight along the way. A great day.

Day 4 – fjords and mountains