Snowflakes twirl dizzyingly in the sky and melt on my eyelashes. Snow creaks under my boots as I walk through town, but otherwise sound is muffled. I am in the Norwegian city Tromsø, which lies 300 km north of the Arctic Circle. I have never been this far north in the winter before and I love it! The snow, the cold, and the clean, fresh, and dry air bring me back to my childhood and youth in Canada, where snow and cold were guaranteed winter phenomena.
The days this far north in February do see the sun, but it never gets very far up on the horizon before finding its way to bed again. The ever-changing hues in the sky during the day vary from monotonous, blinding white to dramatic dark blue clouds on a threatening gunmetal grey background to sleepy, pale grey. The following three pictures were taken on the same day between 12:30 and 1:30 pm:
Although the nights are sunless, the snow and moon cast a surreal light on the nocturnal winter landscape.
