Far North

A few days ago I mentioned my cousin Hans Peter.  He was born and raised in Switzerland, but he and his family currently live in Norway where he teaches at the University of Bergen.  During the Christmas holiday he and the family took a trip two hours north by plane to the city of Tromso.  With a population of over 75,000 people, Tromso is the largest Norwegian city north of the Arctic Circle, and the third largest city in the world in the Arctic.  Because of its location along the Atlantic coast its climate is milder than one would expect at such a northerly latitude.  The December temperatures generally range between 31 and 23F.

Here are some pictures that Hans Peter sent me from their trip...

Here is Hans Peter in the apartment that they rented.

The city has a historic center of wooden buildings dating from the late 18th century to the early 20th century.  The most notable structure is the Cathedral of Tromso which was built in 1861.  

It is the headquarters for the Church of Norway, a branch of Lutheranism, in the city.  It is the northernmost Protestant cathedral in the world, and the only cathedral in Norway that is built of wood.

Contrasting with the old town is the modern architecture of the city.  The most photographed building is the Arctic Cathedral which is actually a Lutheran parish church.  The structure was completed in 1965.

Due to its Arctic location, the sun never rises above the horizon from late November until mid-January.  There are, however, several hours of twilight.  

Han's Peter's wife, Larissa, on a boat excursion that they took along the coast.

 A highlight of their trip was the chance to see the aurora borealis, the Northern Lights.

If I should visit Norway again, I think I would enjoy going to Tromso.  However, I would probably go in the summer.  I would miss out on the Northern Lights, but I would get to see the Midnight Sun.