Walking around Harstad

In the last week since our trip to Gammelhamn we have explored our local area on foot. When we first decided that Harstad likely ought to be our winter stopping point due to ease of access for flights and a temperate climate, we thought that it likely was the least 'in nature' location of all the winter possibilities. There were no great walks right from the 'door'. How wrong we were! 

Not only is there the 'Folk Park' there are also the walks leading to the town centre.  There is the walk directly across the hill that saves us following the road in a dogleg to town, but also a veritable maze of other paths including those that lead to the communication tower on the hill. This is lit for the Christmas period making it look like a giant Christmas decoration. Catch it at the right time of day and you can watch the lights dancing, flashing between blues, greens, reds and more, quite northern lights like! 

Yesterday too we found great walking and scenery heading west. Walking armed (or footed!) with our Brodder, over the freshly fallen snow in the half light had a Christmassy magic about it. We only found the walk by chance having been drawn to a beautifully decorated area high on a hill, with two bright trees and a star clung to the edge of a very precipitous ledge, looking over the village below. We had walked along the same road we had explored back in the summer that lead away from the town when we spotted the decorations. Finding a path past a youngster enjoying tobogganing down a steep field we walked steeply up into the trees and into a real winter wonderland of trees hung heavy with snow and totally untouched snow covered expanses that took the breath away... took the breath away through sheer beauty and by steep climbing in deep snow! Hard going when shoes disappear into foot deep holes on each step! Eventually reaching high above the road, with sweeping views across the bay towards Grytøya, we arrived at the wonderful decorations. Possibly an amazing private or an equally wonderful community effort we stood quietly taking in the view lit by the blue evening light and the colourful Christmas lights, but at -9C we didn't stop for too long!

Wanting to take a new way back but with only one torch we set off quickly towards the very distinctive 'homing beacon' of the communication tower in the distance we knew to be the right direction for heading back to base. After a lovely walk we saw house lights in the distance and shortly, crossing a home made style over a fence we made our way into the housing area high above the boat. A great new walk to be added to the growing list! So cold was the day that the sea was actually steaming with a 16 deg temperature between air and sea, the waters around the boat however froze over leaving Quickstep surrounded by ice