Mountain Hike in Tromsø 山间徒步
July 4, 2026
Today's weather was overcast with occasional drizzle. Since we had already visited Tromsø three years ago, and I had thoroughly enjoyed the Midnight Sun hike on that trip, I decided to sign up for the mountain hike again. Peimin chose to stay on the ship.
Our hike was led by one of the expedition team members, accompanied by seven fellow passengers. After a 30-minute taxi ride to the trailhead, the nine of us set off on a 5-kilometer hike that took about an hour and a half. Despite the damp weather, the scenery was peaceful and beautiful.
At the summit, our guide treated us to hot drinks and cookies while introducing us to some of the local Arctic plants, including cotton grass and cloudberries. I even had the chance to taste a fresh cloudberry for the first time. Parts of the trail were muddy and slippery, and although we got slightly wet from the drizzle, the hike was thoroughly enjoyable.
That evening, we dined at Rost, the ship's fine dining restaurant. The five-course tasting menu was inspired by ingredients sourced from the ship's previous port of call, with the menu announced one day in advance. The courses included raw shrimp with roasted prawn mayonnaise and seaweed royale; butter-fried scallops with cauliflower and XO consommé; hake with parsley root, fermented gooseberries, and Rossini caviar; fried Brie with fermented apple and honey gel; and a dessert featuring cinnamon bun, vanilla cream, cinnamon bun ice cream, and cardamom crumble.
Every seafood course highlighted the remarkable freshness of the local shrimp, scallops, and fish. The only drawback was the additional charge for dining at Rost, but the exceptional quality of the food and the overall experience made it well worth the extra cost.
Last night, we attended a lecture on Fridtjof Nansen's North Pole expedition. Although Nansen never reached the North Pole, he set a new "farthest north" record at the time. His expedition ship, Fram, is now preserved and on display at the Fram Museum in Oslo.
What resonated with me most from the lecture was a lesson inspired by Nansen’s expeditions: “There is no shame in turning around.” It is a core principle of Norwegian outdoor culture, reminding hikers that making the safe decision is never a failure.
Another point he shared was that Norwegians often refer to an expedition simply as a "little tour." Rather than focusing solely on reaching the destination or boasting about the achievement, they place greater value on the journey itself and on enjoying nature along the way. I found that perspective both refreshing and inspiring.
After we boarded the ship in Bergen, we noticed an empty fish tank at the Árran restaurant, along with a sign advertising live king crab for an additional charge. The restaurant manager told us that the tank would be stocked with king crabs when we reached Tromsø.
Today, just as promised, the tank was full of live king crabs, each tagged with its own QR code. We spotted a particularly large one and scanned its code, which showed that it weighed 3.1 kg, along with information about where it had been caught. We couldn’t wait to indulge in this Arctic delicacy.
2026年7月4日
今天的天气阴沉，不时飘着毛毛细雨。由于我们三年前已经来过特罗姆瑟（Tromso)，那次的北极游我们是从特罗姆瑟上的船，而我一直对那次午夜太阳徒步念念不忘，所以这次我又报名参加了船上组织的山间徒步活动，佩民则留在船上休息。
这次徒步由船上的一位岸游团队的工作人员带领，8位乘客参加。出租车载着我们经过约30分钟的车程来到登山口，随后一起开始徒步。全程约5公里，耗时约一个半小时。虽然天气不佳，但沿途景色依然宁静优美，令人心旷神怡。
到达山顶后，领队为大家准备了热饮和饼干，还向我们介绍了几种当地的高山植物，包括棉草（Cotton Grass）和云莓（Cloudberry）。我还第一次品尝了新鲜的云莓，味道十分特别。由于连续下着毛毛雨，部分路段泥泞湿滑，我们的衣服也被淋得有些湿，不过丝毫没有影响这次徒步的乐趣。
晚上，我们来到船上的高级餐厅 Rost 享用晚餐，庆祝美国的国庆节（July 4th)。前几天预订时并不知道今晚的菜单。这家餐厅提供五道品鉴式菜单，所有菜肴都以邮轮的上一站停靠港口所采购的新鲜食材为基础，因此菜单当天早上才公布。
当晚的菜单包括：生虾配烤虾蛋黄酱和海藻皇家冻、黄油煎扇贝配花椰菜和XO清汤、无须鳕配欧防风根、发酵醋栗和Rossini鱼子酱、香煎布里奶酪配发酵苹果和蜂蜜凝胶，以及肉桂卷、香草奶油、肉桂卷冰淇淋和豆蔻酥粒组成的甜点。
每一道海鲜都做的非常精致，充分展现了当地食材的新鲜与鲜甜，尤其是生虾、扇贝和无须鳕，令人印象深刻。唯一的小缺点是这家餐厅需要额外付费，不过无论是食材品质、烹饪水准还是整体用餐体验，都让我觉得物有所值。
昨晚，我们参加了一场关于挪威探险家弗里乔夫·南森（Fridtjof Nansen）北极探险的讲座。虽然南森最终没有到达北极点，但他创造了当时人类到达最北纬度的新纪录。他当年乘坐的探险船“弗拉姆号”（Fram）如今保存在奥斯陆（Oslo)的弗拉姆博物馆（Fram Museum），成为挪威极地探险历史的重要象征。
这场讲座中，最让我印象深刻的是一个南森探险精神的理念：“掉头返回并不可耻。” 这是挪威户外文化的重要原则之一，提醒每一位登山者和探险者：在大自然面前，选择安全、适时折返，绝不是失败，而是一种智慧。
讲者还分享了一个很有意思的文化观念：挪威人常常把一次探险称作一次“小旅行”（little tour）。他们并不把重点放在是否到达终点，或完成了多么了不起的壮举，而是更珍惜探索的过程，享受置身大自然的体验。我觉得这种生活态度既令人耳目一新，也给了我许多启发。