Norway: On Top Of The World in Tromsø

Day 8: Sortland - Tromsø

We had to leave the Sjohus Senteret in Sortland very early in the morning because our bus to Harstad leaves at 6:45 a.m. We had pre-booked the taxi already but were now standing there in front of our cabin and waiting, but no cab came. We didn't have the number of the cab (we had just talked to him upon our arrival in Sortland), and the central bus station was very far away, especially with heavy luggage. To be on the safe side, we got up early enough. It was just 6 a.m., and so, when it dawned on us that the taxi's not coming, we rushed to the road with our luggage. We walked through the blue Sortland in the middle of nowhere and managed to be in time at least at the bridge, where you can stop the bus before it crosses the fjord. Then a bus came, and it had a different number than what we had read from our internet research, but we stopped it anyway, and it turned out to be the right one. We were so happy because if we didn't get the bus, we would also have missed the ferry from Harstad leaving at 10:15 a.m. to Tromsø, which was our primary destination.

The bus was basically empty, and we had a short stop in Lødingen. When we arrived in Harstad, it wasn't far to the ferry pier. We even walked past it because there seem to be two piers. I asked one guy going the other way, and it happened to be an Englishman who lives there in Harstad. There was enough time for a little coffee at a very cosy and stylish waiting area. There, one could already see that Harstad is rich, thanks to the oil they found. Everything was new and shiny - just like the ferry which turned out to be equally lovely. The pleasant ferry ride leads for about two and a half hours through magnificent Fjords along the islands and mountains with a short stop in Finnsnes.  

Finally, we've reached Tromsø in the early afternoon, our final destination. Tromsø is the biggest city in northern Norway, and we chose it as part of our tour, not only because it looked great on pictures and it has the ferry connection to Harstad, but also has an airport with flights to Oslo. It is far above the polar circle, and the central city is basically an island in the middle of mountains. You can also continue from there up to the North Cape, but unfortunately, we didn't have time for that.

We booked a room in the AMI Hotel, which at around 80 Euro was a relatively cheap one for Norway. On paper, it didn't look that far away from the ferry pier. What we didn't see was that it's located on a hill. The location still was excellent, and the city centre is just a short walk away from it. The hotel itself was pleasant enough, and we got a spacious room good enough for a group of 4 (with four beds), a refrigerator, flat-screen-TV and a beautiful view. The bathroom and the toilet had to be shared with the other guests on the floor though.

The first attraction we wanted to see - and Tromsø has many - was the Polar Museum. There you can see some of Tromsø´s history as the gateway to the arctic for expeditions and hunting traditions.

After that, we crossed the massive bridge to the mainland, where the architecturally unique Arctic Cathedral is located. You can also take a bus, but walking was good after sitting all day on the bus and ferry. From there we continued to the cable car and went up to the mountain Storsteinen. There was a great view of the city, but it suddenly became foggy as soon as we arrived on top of the mountain. That actually made it even more atmospheric, a different charm. But it also slowly cleared away after around 20 minutes. We went down with the cable card afterwards. One can actually walk down, but we didn't want to because it's getting late and we're afraid to lose our way. After that, we took another look at the beautiful Ishavskatedralen, the Arctic Cathedral, before we grabbed something to eat and went back to the hotel.

Norway: Whale Watching in Andenes

Day 7: Sortland - Andenes

We left in the morning with the bus to Andenes, which is a two-hour ride away from Sortland. As we knew a bit the direction, we assumed, the bus coming from the Sortland bus station would have to cross the massive bridge. So we didn´t walk the whole way to the central bus station but waited at a little bus stop at the bridge. Fortunately, that worked, and the bus stopped for us - we had seen already that the buses stop nearly everywhere, where you ask them to stop, it doesn't even have to be a bus stop. If you're inside the bus, you just have to talk to the bus driver and outside you only have to wave - very flexible and convenient.

In Andenes, we arrived just in time to sign in for the "Whale Safari". Unfortunately, when we wanted to buy the tickets (we didn't reserve), they were sold out. I was really depressed since it's probably the only chance I would have (and my friend too) and probably would stay that way. Considering what to do instead, we went to sit at the corner, and then the employee from the ticket desk came to us and asked if we still wanted to go? Of course, we wanted to go, since that the main reason for the trip to Andenes! Some people with reserved tickets didn't show up. It's costly but how often do you go to Norway and having the opportunity to do a whale safari?

The tour immediately started when we entered the boat. You could comfortably sit inside when the ship ventured out to the sea. The boat trip alone was an experience, as it wavered in the sea and you needed to hold on to something when standing up. Luckily I didn't need the barf bag. Before the boat trip, we were given an anti-dizziness tablet, which we needed. Thankfully we didn't have to go far out in the open sea. Soon enough, we reached the "whale-zone", and they told everybody that the deck is open now. Up there they have some platform where the people could stand in rows and hold on to a rail in each row - that was very appreciated, as the waves were crazily tossing the boat and would throw us overboard if we don't hold on tight to the railings. It didn't take long before the first whale appeared and some others followed - you can't see too much of them, but it was quite spectacular.

After a while, we returned happily to Andenes, and it was a huge relief to be on solid ground again after the bumpy boat ride. We continued to the fascinating Whale Centre, which is included in the tour. They have skeletons and also a lot of information. You could see there in the illustration that the ocean went down sharply and deep at Andenes and tied with the many nutrients flowing there that attract the whales in this specific area. 

After wecentral at the Whale Centre we took a look at Andenes, which has some raw charm - it feels isolated in the landscape, the wind blows, and it has cliffs and the ocean. They also have a beautiful lighthouse and some museums, including a Polar Museum and a Northern Light Centre. We could have easily stayed there for a night or two because not far away from there is the place called Bleik where it has a vast sandy beach. It's the jump-off point for puffin safaris and a ferry connection to Gryllefjord on the island Senja, which is supposed to be rewarding too.

Unfortunately, we had to leave in the afternoon and take the bus back to Sortland. When we arrived at the main bus station back in Sortland, we took a look around there and it seemed a bit deserted, even if it's a relatively big city in the region and there wasn't much to see, so we went grocery shopping. It's said to be the "Blue Town", and some houses are painted blue, but the label was a bit exaggerated. "Blue Town" still matches though, because in the evening everything seemed to be blue - the water, the sky and the whole ambience seem to be "blue".