25.9.2024: Mefjordvær - Tromsø/Fjellheisen - Rakknesklubben - Tromsø.
Susanne´s whish was to no more stay in remote areas, so we book accomodation in Tromsø for the next 5 days. We drive from Mefjordvær to Botnhamn, with the ferry to Brensholmen on the island of Kvaløya and to Tromsø after a short detour to Sommarøya.
Early in the morning the blue hour, the view over the fjord from our house.
Sunrise over the Medfjord.
The main building of the Hotel.
Fascinating autumnal colours en route on the island of Senja between Medfjordbotn and Galnslåttta.
The lake with the difficult name Medfjorbotnvatnan.
The ferry por at Botnhamn. Despite our short photo stop we caught the ferry at 9:45 well - the next one would go at 2 p.m..
View back to Botnhamn.
Opening view to distant mountains on the mainland southwest of Tromsø, maby Bentsjordtinden (1.169 m) and Klemmartinden (1.047 m).
In ffrom of us the island of Kvaløya, ...
... which we are approaching now.
The rear view is the island of Senja.
Arrived on the island of Kvaløya, we first branch off to the left twice to head for Sommarøy
Bog landscape on Kvaløya.
Bog landscape on Kvaløya.
A glimpse to higher mountains on Kvaløya.
View to the island of Senja
Crossing two bridges we reach the offshore placed island of Sommarøya with the small village of Sommarøy.
A few beautiful sand beaches here.
Sommarøya
Back at the end of the bridge, three houses here have the hamlet name of Rørvikneset.
View back to the bridge, with Senja in the background.
View over the cove (the sound) named Sandvika.
Another glimpse to high mountains.
Short Photo stop at the Nordfjorden.
We now cross a high valley on Kvaløya, on the map designated as Kattfjordeidet with the lake named Kattfjordvatnet.
Panoramic view of Kattfjordeidet/Kattfjordvatnet.
Back at sea level, near Sjurneset.
Lots of snow on the mountains after yesterday´s rain.
This peak is the Store Blåmannen (1.044 m)
From Nordbotn we get the first view to parts of the city of Tromsø with the Tromsdalstinden (1.238 m) in behind.
We have crossed Tromsø on two bridges and through long tunnels beneath the houses and directly headed for the Fjellheisen - cablecar. Tromsdalstinden is close to the summit station.
View from Fjellheisen to the north, over Tromsø to the island of Ringvassøya.
Tromsø with the bridge over the Tromsøysundet.
Tromsø
Panoramic view to Tromsø, built on the island of Tromsøya. Click here or into the picture for a larger display.
The southern parts of Tromsø with the mountains of the island of Kvaløya on the horizon.
Tromsø and the bridge over the Tromsøy sound, 1 km long and finished in 1960. In the background also visible is the bridghe over the Sandness sound, completed in 1974 and 1,2 km long; we crossed both bridges on our way just before, and the city on Tromsøya we crossed below in a tunnel.
The big brown-red building to the left (middle of the picture) is our hotel Scandic grand, where now we are accomodated for 5 nights.
Mountains in the north of Kvaløya ...
... and in the south (with the southernmost parts of Tromsøya in the forground, where Tromsø was built).
View o southwest ...
... and to the west, to the city and the island of Kvaløya in behind. The central city on the island of Tromsøya has about 40.000 inhabitants, adding up with the districts around on the mainland and on Kvaløya it sums up to more than 70.000.
A Hurtigruten shiop isapproaching, the Vesterålen.
Tromsø and the Vesterålen arriving.
The Vesterålen.
When the boat with a lenght of 120 m is landing, the difference in size compared to the huge cruiser can be seen.
Mountains on Kvaløya.
Tromsdalstinden.
Going down.
Arrived at the valley station we face a long queue of more than 100 m length from the car park to the Fjellheisen cablecar. Two huge crusaders have landed in Tromsø, several thousands of tourists are brought in buses and are congesting the city today.
Also the pedestrian area in the centre of the city is congested by masses of people, here the cathedral, built from wood like most (older) churches here in Norway.
View from the harbour to the Hurtigruten ship and to Storsteinen/Fjellheisen.
Afterglow from the window of our hotel room in the uppermost floor.
The sky is reasonably clear, and northern lights are predicted, we start out once more in the dusk, over the bridge to Kvaløya and this time along the eastern coast and beyond the branching to the undersea tunnel leading to the island of Ringvassøya, to an area on the coast of the Kvalsundet depicted as "Rakknesklubben" on the Norgeskart. Here it is perfectly dark apart from a few lights on the opposite side of the sound on Ringvassøya.
First northern lights even in the dusk.
The view to the south shows a thin high cloud enlightened yellow by the lights of Tromsø, northern lights are green and red.
View the east, here the enlightened cloud to the right.
View the east, here the enlightened cloud to the right.
The lights getting more, but the thin high clouds prevent perfect visibility, the light look a bit blurry.
But they are light eneough as to be seen even with the residual light of the dusk.
Far west,where are no clouds, they are much more intense.
All the time, the moon is seen to the northwest.
Northern lights like a corona around the moon.
Always changing position and shape.
All in all, the spectacle is a bit "foam braked" due to the thin cloud layer.