Of course we are but a handful of days from the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, otherwise known as where most of humanity lives - Asia, Europe, and North and Central America, plus the northern parts of South America and Africa.
Tromso is substantial, no tiny village. It features two vehicular bridges over the fjord, we sailed under the taller of the two. A number of the pax are attending a midnight concert at the cathedral, we are not.
Spectacular scenery today, not unlike the part of Antarctica we saw. Dark mountains in the sea with substantial snow on their sides. More green here of course, none to speak of in Antarctica. Gray skies we had all day seem to fit this environment perfectly. The overall feeling is wildness, bleak and harsh.
Our route today was largely in protected waters, not unlike the so-called Inside Passage to Alaska. Spent most of the day sitting in the forward viewing lounge that looks out over the bow. Very comfy chairs and the wifi sorta works there. It doesn't reach our cabin. To get it to work requires many failed attempts and much patience, which many lack. It helps to try when many are ashore.
Later ... The M.S. Nordnorge is like a train, running through the night as well as the day. I am certain there are stops on its route where the standard time to catch the daily ship is three a.m.
There is some greenery on these hillsides but it doesn't get big enough to be called forest, more like arctic chapparel. If you saw the film Starshine where Robert Di Niro played a gay pirate, this terrain here looks like the countryside in that film. a mystical place called Stormhold, both adjacent to and fenced off from Britain.
