Weekend In Tromsø

I spent this past weekend visiting Tromsø. Tromsø is in very northern Norway. I have included the plot of Norway to help put things in context. I have been living in Bergen, which is at a latitude of 60° 23’ N. To put that into a U.S.-centric understanding: Denver and Philadelphia are at 40° N, Minneapolis is at 45° N, and the U.S.-Canada border from Minnesota to the state of Washington is 49°N. The previous furthest north point that I had been in Norway was Trondheim. Trondheim is at 63° 25’ N. Tromsø is located at 69° 39’ N.

I went to visit Tromsø partially because I was interested in going to the northern reaches of Norway, and the primary reason was to visit more Fulbright friends. There are three Fulbright recipients that have been in Tromsø since August, including two student researchers, Elizabeth and Elise, and one scholar, Lynneth. I got along well with all of them during the Winter Seminar and Ski Weekend in mid-February, and that was enough reason for me to make the trip.

I arrived into Tromsø mid-afternoon on Thursday. My first day and a half was filled with visits. Lynneth is in Tromsø with her husband, Adam, and their two kids, Lily (~4 yrs) and Robert (~1-1/2 yrs). The four of them had me, Elizabeth, and Elise over for dinner on Thursday night. It was great dinner and a wonderful time being able to hang out and exchange stories with all of them. We had a range of conversations about general things in life as well as reflections and thoughts as our time in Norway draws to a close. The time hanging out with all of them in itself made the trip worth it.

My visits on Friday started with meeting with an atmospheric science professor at the University of Tromsø. That was followed with a visit with a journal editor at the Norwegian Polar Institute. Tromsø has undergone dramatic expansion and increased significance over the last 50+ years as the Norwegian government has placed an emphasis in developing the northern city. The University of Tromsø opened in 1972 and the Norwegian Polar Institute moved from Oslo to Tromsø in 1998. After those two visits, I met up with one of the Fulbright recipients to see the work that they are doing at the Norwegian Polar Institute. That was followed by dinner and a short hike/walk. In my first day and a half in Tromsø I spent 15 hours visiting with people, which is the way I like to travel. The rest of the weekend was spent with more time hanging out with the Fulbright recipients, attending a silent film festival with live music, visiting the polar museum, and enjoying Tromsø. The weather was cool (low-30s°F) and frequently snowing during my visit. The previous weekend was a warm spring weekend with sunny days and temperatures around 50°F. I did appreciate being able to experience Tromsø in its native snow cover.

I am down to less than two weeks remaining with my official Fulbright visit. I am doing what I can to provide a mixture of completing as much research as possible, absorbing my time in Bergen, and fitting in more activities before leaving.