Item 78: Tromso - chasing Northen Lights

Location: Tromso, Norway

March may be the optimum time to see the NORTHERN LIGHTS, the Auroa Borealis, the dancing lady of the night, but I went to chase them in December 2010.

I booked flights to Tromso, which was researched as an ideal destination to begin my Arctic adventure. With day light hours between 11-2, it was amazing that the people were, as my postcard home read 'really really nice', to the point where my travel companion suggested that I go and date a Norwegian. Ever so friendly and helpful, our ad-hoc adventures were driven by the one purpose - to see the lights.

The first night we joined a tour which started from the town's cathedral at 6pm where we hopped in a van, rugged up in the snow suits and travelled to the islands as our guide radio-ed in to see if his accompliaces could see the lights from their positions. We stopped at a spot with low cloud cover, lit a fire and huddled around with 'special' viking drinks - blackcurrent flavoured as we gazed above. At midnight, with conversation amongst the group waning, we got back into the van where we were dropped off at our B&B which the guide described as the cheapest hotel in town with the best view.

In the dusk of day on our second day, we visited the Polaria and watched the documentaries of the Artic landscapes and wild life. But with our time shortening and no sights of the lights, we decided to make the most of being quaint and friendly town and we booked places for a one hour dog sledding tour with Lyngsford Adventure. Again, rugging up in the hired snowsuits were were taken inside the Sami tipi and served reindeer stew around an open fire.

After dinner, stepping out of the tent we looked up and there she was, Miss Auroa.... but not as we had seen in pictures. She was white and didn't feel like dancing, almost camouflaged as midnight clouds. But, convincingly the tour guide told us she was out, as we hopped into our sleds and the happy dogs took us on a tour of the open plains under the night sky.

It may not have been the lights that we'd seen in photos before our trip, but the town of Tromso was so welcoming and peaceful that I'm planning the next adventure to chase the lights.

Item 78: Tromso? CHECK!