Goodbye Svalbard, hello Tromsø, goodbye Tromsø, hello Levanger

Our final morning in Svalbard was magnificent! There wasn't a breath of wind and the water in the fjord was like a mirror. We didn't do much except pack our bag, chat to Tonje and play with Elise. At noon we took our bag to the airport and handed it in before returning to the apartment for an hour before going back to the airport to leave.



We had one last view of Longyearbyen through the air plane window:

Then is was all systems go and we took off for Tromsø. The pilot was a regular travel guide and we flew low and slow over the Russian part of Svalbard. I could not choose which photos to show so here are a whole lot.











Despite a pumping wind we had a smooth landing in Tromsø after flying low passed Tromsø Island.

I was a little nervous about re-entering Norway after the visa fiasco but there were no problems. I am so happy to have two Norway stamps in my passport! We caught a taxi to our hotel, the Rica Grand Nordic. To get to the hotel from the airport we went through a long tunnel that amazingly has a roundabout in it! We sorted out our things and then Charles' younger son, Magnus, picked us up and took us for a tour of the greater city area. Our first stop was at the Arctic Cathedral. This is a parish church and not really a cathedral but it has adopted the name over the years. It is a beautiful design in concrete with a large stained glass window behind the alter and a lovely pipe organ. It is so striking and can be seen from all over the city.





From their Magnus took us to the university and then through the tunnel across the fjord to the island again and we went for dinner at a restaurant called Steakers which, quite predictably, specialises in steak. The food was really good and it was a pleasant time together. 

The next morning Charles and I got going early and we walked around the city, then crossed over to the other side via the bridge. The morning was lovely, the sun was out and the wind only noticeable when we were on the bridge. Below are a few photos from our walk about. By the way the first photo is of the real Tromsø cathedral!









Eventually we had to return to the hotel and pack our things again for the flight to Trondheim. The flight made a brief stop at a town called Bodø and once again we had a tour guide pilot who kept on telling everyone where we were.






It was incredible to watch the landscape change as we flew south with green becoming the dominant colour. The approach into Bodø was bumpy because of a strong wind blowing but we had a perfect landing. The stop was not long maybe 20 minutes and we were ready to go again. As soon as we were in the air again the clouds started to build and soon there was nothing to see. We landed in the rain at Trondheim and caught the bus to the long-term parking and collected the car. What a slick system! The drive back to Levanger was uneventful and both of us were happy to be home. It was a truly wonderful trip and I know I am so blessed to have been given the opportunity to see all these wonderful places!

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