Tromsø, polar pioneers and cross-dressing in the Arctic

Today we had a good long stopover in Tromsø, the gateway to the Arctic.

We also unexpectedly received certificates of Arctic Circle crossing signed personally by the ship's captain.

Tromsø is the largest city in Northern Norway and amongst many things is home to the Tromsø Film Festival which all fellow wittitainment followers will know (hello to Jason).

Our first destination was across the Tromsø Bridge to visit the very distinctive Arctic Cathedral.

We then had a good long tour of the Polar Museum and learned much about Amundsen, Nansen, Wanny Woldstad and cross-dressing in the Arctic.

Roald Amundsen of course is rightly famous but he also had a ferociously competive friendship with the equally adventurous Fritjhof Nansen over many years.

Wanny Woldstad was a women from Tromsø who was the first female hunter to overwinter on Svalbard. She was also Tromsø's first female taxi driver.

The museum also had a temporary  exhibition on the maleness of much Arctic activity and uncovered considerable sexual and gender ambiguity and cross dressing amongst many of the early pioneers of long dark Arctic winters.

We finished the day with a good wander round the the very pleasant and lively centre of Tromsø and managed to pick up a few wee presents to bring back home.

Our next stop will be Honningsvåg at the very very top of mainland Norway before heading off somewhere along the line that separates the Barents Sea from the Norwegian Sea and off to Svalbard.