Next Stop--Finnmark!

"Our next stop....Finnmark!” Finnmark? You must have meant Finland! No, our destination, really, is Finnmark. Something is different about that territory. Apparently, time stops up there! Last winter, the sun went down and didn’t come up again for two months! The end of November until the end of January was nothing but dark. “Murky”, actually for the entire time!. The residents up there call it Morketiden”, or ‘Murky time’.

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“Every year, the city of Tromsø slows down, the people are tired, and pep pills and tranquilizer sales rise sharply, according to a psychologist. It happens every year 215 miles above the Arctic Circle. It’s all caused by the tilt of the earth. Now, something else is going on! The sun is not going down at all, and they don’t expect it to set until the end of July! For us North Americans, 24 hours is expected to be one day. 1,824 hours in one stretch of sun might become” a little much!”.

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Finnmark is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west,Finland (Lapland) to the south and Russia to the east, located at the Northernmost part of continental Europe, where Norway swings eastward. Finnmark has always been an area where east meets west, in culture as well as in nature and geography. Finnmark is on the same latitude as Siberia, Greenland and Alaska, but due to the Gulf Stream, the harbors along the coast don't freeze over, and this area enjoys relatively mild winters.

Tourists routinely come to this northernmost part of Norway in the wintertime to view the Northern Lights. Northern Norway is often described as the land of the northern lights during the time of “The Polar Night”.

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As the earth swings through it’s orbit, it creates the opposite effect in these northern areas known as “The Midnight Sun” The most popular Scandinavian location for travelers to experience the natural phenomenon of the Midnight Sun is in far northern Norway at the North Cape (Nordkapp). Seventy six days (from May 14 - July 30) of actual midnight sunlight with an additional few days with partial sun before and after, will be the tourist attraction.

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The North Cape is a 1,000 ft high cliff which is generally referred to as the northernmost point of Europe. A quarter of a million tourists visit the North Cape each summer, making it one of Norway's top travel destinations. Newly arrivals find it a bit difficult to tell time and get their allotment of sleep. In Norway and Greenland, locals often adjust to these changes naturally and require less sleep. For those who have problems sleeping due to the constant daylight during Midnight Sun, tourists darken their rooms by covering the windows. --------- Apparently, Scandinavians understand and do their best to help create “darkness” for sleepers. Golfers love it.They can play golf all night long. An excellent way to experience the arctic nature is to hike in the midnight sun. The light gives the mountains a magical look at night-time. As for the people who “just can’t find enough time to finish everything”, this may be for you. Finnmark is Sami Country. You may be able to find a few hours..during your day... to do some exploring. Enjoy your trip up north. Tell us about it.

Have a good day!

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