"Sky at Night"
Really I should keep this post title for when we see the sky at night. It is our sixth morning and it's raining snow - a bit like sleet but snowier. We're at sea and there's a grey light, grey sky and grey sea.
I can't get over how neat and tidy is Norway. It's as if a conscientious and tidy giant had put all his toys neatly away. As we glide through the islands we pass neat homes brightly lit that sit so comfortably in the snow backed by woods or rocky outcrops smudged white. I suppose it's because I live in a noisy, crowded metropolis where much seems to be teetering on the edge of chaos that Norway offers such a contrast.
Yesterday afternoon we stopped at Tromso for our visit to the Planetarium. The town didn't disappoint: neat, well designed with brilliant transport. At the Planetarium we were shown the northern skies as seen by the Vikings and the constellations they named. The narrator had such a soporific voice and the chairs so comfortable, that with the dark sky overheard it was difficult to keep awake. Once or twice I found myself drifting off to be brought back to full consciousness by a chorus of snores.
The treat was a display of the Northern Lights photographed and filmed from many destinations. It was extremely impressive, with light displays stretching across the viewing room's dome. A visit to the play centre a couple of floors below allowed us to rediscover our younger selves messing with fun scientific games and toys.
Each evening at dinner we are sat at the same table, but yesterday people were moved around and our professional astronomer and his wife joined us. I discovered that he and I knew the same astronomer at University College London (UCL). In 1966 I was interviewed by a Dr McNally for a place on their degree course in Astronomy. Dr McNally was a good friend of our tour astronomer who had also studied at UCL, at King's (my college) and did his Ph D at Imperial College London.
Late last night I was on deck when I bumped into Steve and Donna, a couple I met on the first day while queuing to board the boat at Bergen. It turns out that Donna has a PhD from Imperial and it is possible that one of her research supervisors was our tour astronomer!
Today I go on a snowmobile trip in the Arctic. I did that three years ago in Svalbard - now I remember how scared I was then. Wish me luck.
I can't get over how neat and tidy is Norway. It's as if a conscientious and tidy giant had put all his toys neatly away. As we glide through the islands we pass neat homes brightly lit that sit so comfortably in the snow backed by woods or rocky outcrops smudged white. I suppose it's because I live in a noisy, crowded metropolis where much seems to be teetering on the edge of chaos that Norway offers such a contrast.
Yesterday afternoon we stopped at Tromso for our visit to the Planetarium. The town didn't disappoint: neat, well designed with brilliant transport. At the Planetarium we were shown the northern skies as seen by the Vikings and the constellations they named. The narrator had such a soporific voice and the chairs so comfortable, that with the dark sky overheard it was difficult to keep awake. Once or twice I found myself drifting off to be brought back to full consciousness by a chorus of snores.
The treat was a display of the Northern Lights photographed and filmed from many destinations. It was extremely impressive, with light displays stretching across the viewing room's dome. A visit to the play centre a couple of floors below allowed us to rediscover our younger selves messing with fun scientific games and toys.
Each evening at dinner we are sat at the same table, but yesterday people were moved around and our professional astronomer and his wife joined us. I discovered that he and I knew the same astronomer at University College London (UCL). In 1966 I was interviewed by a Dr McNally for a place on their degree course in Astronomy. Dr McNally was a good friend of our tour astronomer who had also studied at UCL, at King's (my college) and did his Ph D at Imperial College London.
Late last night I was on deck when I bumped into Steve and Donna, a couple I met on the first day while queuing to board the boat at Bergen. It turns out that Donna has a PhD from Imperial and it is possible that one of her research supervisors was our tour astronomer!
Today I go on a snowmobile trip in the Arctic. I did that three years ago in Svalbard - now I remember how scared I was then. Wish me luck.
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