Today we went up the cable car (Fjellheisen) to Fjellstua which towers above Tromsø and there we made yet another unsuccessful hike attempt. This time round we read about ‘an easy 1-2 hour round hike’ starting from upper station of the cable and leading to Fløya at the peak of the hill. When we got to the top station we were encouraged by some other people getting on their crampons and head torches. Perhaps this would be a well-trod path that we’d be able to find and follow. To start with there were indeed some paths leading upwards made in snow, but those soon disappeared and it was hard to see where the next wooden peg signifying the path was – it was windy and snowing and winder days in Tromsø are not exactly bright to begin with. The snow was also rather deep so after taking some photos of Tromsø below us, we decided to turn back.

We opted for hot drinks in the café in the top station. I had gløgg and David (because he was driving) settled for coffee. Gløgg is a Norwegian variation of mulled wine. It’s sweeter than the British version and it’s served with raisins and chopped almonds. It was amazing! We sat in the café enjoying our drinks and reading. David’s currently reading Steal You Away by Niccolò Ammaniti and I’m reading Making History by Stephen Fry.

When we eventually took the cable car down, we headed to the Ice Cathedral (Ishavskatedralen). The Cathedral is very impressive. Arctic icy nature inspired the Cathedral’s architects. The Cathedral resembles a sharp icicle sticking up from the ground. It’s mainly white, except for the beautiful colourful stained glass window that covers an entire side of the Cathedral. Inside of the Cathedral is equally unassuming as the outside. All the walls are white and I did feel as if I was inside a building made of ice, yet one that was welcoming, warm and cosy – a somewhat strange combination. We stayed inside, sitting for a while. David liked the slightly unusual organs at the back of the Cathedral.

The colourful stained glass as seen from outside.

The funky organs.

The interior of the Cathedral.

In the evening we returned to the Eide Handel store and had dinner in its restaurant. We managed to arrive just in time before the food got put away. We had a special Christmas meal – it was yummy.