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Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Garden at latitude 69

@brittarnhild

Can you imagine a botanical garden at latitude 69? Well, you find one in Tromsø, the Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden. And in many ways my favourite botanical garden.

I have been there once before, three years ago, in May 2015, and when I had a few hours between the end of a conference and my plane leaving to fly back to Trondheim, I knew where to go.

To the arctic garden of course :-)
I called for a taxi, three other people heard where I was heading and came with me, and off we went, with our suitcases and everything.

Luckily I met a young Swedish man when we arrived. He was working in the garden, and locked our suitcases into a room. Last time I was here was also a visit between a meeting and a flight back home, I met no young Swedish man and had to drag my carry on suitcase all through the garden.

 The primulas are the highlights in the garden just now. There were hundreds of them, and they were just amazing.

I had already read on facebook, and were met by a poster when we arrived, that there would be a special guided primula walk at 7pm, just when I had to be at the airport, to catch the 9.45 plane. What a pity.

Well, you can never get everything. The art of living is to be content with what you have.

But no midnight sun.......probably

@brittarnhild

I am up in Tromsø for a couple of days, on a church conference with the Sami people. Tromsø is far north of the arctic circle, and therefore has midnight sun at this time of the year. But not tonight. It is icy cold, it rains,  actually some of the rain which falls come like snow, the clouds are low and there will probably be no sun to see at midnight.

And if the sun should happen to be out during the night, my hotel is situated so that it can´t be seen from here. I would have to climb å mountain. And as I had to be up at just after 4am this morning, to catch the plane.......well, when midnight comes, I will be fast asleep.

I did go for a walk after dinner though, and met this charming two wigeons, a male and a female.......

.......and when I came back to the hotel, I did something I have been planning to do for some time. I started a new blog :-) :-) :-) This time with a nature/creation theme,

Britt Arnhilds naturdagbok / Britt Arnhild´s Nature Journal

Making summer plans

@brittarnhild

I turned 60 in April. When I turned 50 I gave myself a special gift, three weeks in India. This year I am giving myself another special gift, three weeks in Italy. My husband will be with me all three weeks, and I will also bring  the kids, kids in law and grandson during one of these weeks.

All tickets are booked. Now we enjoy reading maps and guidebooks. And dreaming.