Social Programme
Ice Breaker
An icebreaker reception will be held Sunday evening from 17:00 to 20:00 at the Polar Environment Centre, home to the Norwegian Polar Institute and other research institutions. Snacks and drinks will be served while participants have an opportunity to catch up with old colleagues and meet new ones. Participants will also receive tickets to Polaria, the polar-themed museum next door to the Polar Environment Centre; these can be used on Sunday, or anytime during their stay.
The Polar Environment Centre and Polaria
Public Talk
Tuesday evening a public lecture will be held at Driv (www.driv.no), a popular bar in the city centre that is run by the student association. The talk will be aimed at the general public in Tromsø, so we will attempt to arrange it to be given in Norwegian. Symposium participants who do not understand Norwegian are, nevertheless, welcome and encouraged to attend for socialising with other participants and with the local attendees afterwards.
Driv, the site of the public talk, is the yellow building
Mid-Week Excursion
Wednesday afternoon and evening there will be organised excursions to allow participants to enjoy Tromsø's scenic surroundings. These excursions are included in the symposium registration fee. There are three options to choose from. Some have limited capacity and will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis, with the choice to be made at the time of registration. The excursions will leave Tromsø between 15:00 and 16:00, and return between 21:00 and 24:00, depending on the excursion.
Local hiking trip
Professional guides will take groups of 10 to 12 people on hiking trips in the region. This option provides an active way to escape the city and enjoy the local scenery in peace and quiet. As a starting point, the guides will be requested to lead a moderate hike that will provide for some exertion while minimising the number of people who aren't comfortable taking part. If there are enough groups, and some people wish for a more or less strenuous hike, this may be possible to arrange. Participants wishing to take part in the hike, or other outdoor activity while in Tromsø, should bring proper clothing, including boots, some warmer layers, and rain gear. The exact destination and description of the hikes, whether they are in the mountains, along the beaches, or somewhere in between, will depend on the weather in the spring and how much snow is still on the ground at different elevations.
Fishing trip
The M/S Caroline Mathilde will be chartered for a fishing trip in the waters nearby. In addition to the opportunity to catch a fresh meal, there will be plenty of opportunity to enjoy the views—Norwegian waters are generally surrounded by Norwegian mountains. Cod and pollack are common catches in the area, but in early June it may also be possible to catch the less common seawolf (Atlantic wolffish). Fishing equipment and advice is provided, and lucky participants can take their fish with them or prepare it on board. The boat is also licensed to sell beer and wine.
Sightseeing with the Hurtigruten
This option provides a great variety of sightseeing both on land and sea. It begins with a bus ride from Tromsø to Skjervøy, a village of about 2300 people situated 90 km northeast of Tromsø. The bus ride lasts about 3.5 hours and takes you across the Lyngen Peninsula, home of many of the regions highest mountains. Two ferries along the route break up the bus ride and provide excellent photo opportunities. Once in Skjervøy you board one of the Hurtigruten ships, which run regular routes along the Norwegian coast between Bergen and Kirkenes. You then enjoy a four-hour cruise back to Tromsø, where you tie up in the city centre under the midnight sun (the ship arrives back in Tromsø at 23:45). The route of the tour is shown here (zoom out a bit; it's the big loop going to the east).
Symposium Dinner
The symposium dinner will be held on Thursday evening in Sommarøy, a beautiful village on an island about 1 hour from Tromsø. The drive there and back, by two different routes, provides a great view of northern Norwegian scenery; the dinner is at a restaurant by the beach and will be a barbecue focused on local foods.
A view from Sommarøy, the location of the symposium dinner
Additional Travel Suggestions
Hurtigruten and plane to Oslo
Participants may choose to combine this meeting with the IPY meeting in Oslo the following week (www.ipy-osc.no), and to travel south on the coastal steamer (www.hurtigruten.com/norway). This coastal route is widely known as a breathtaking way to take in Norway's beautiful coastal scenery. Under the current schedule, ships leave daily from Tromsø, heading south, at 01:30. They reach Bodø 24 hours later (01:30 the next night) and Trondheim 53 hours later (at 06:30 on Monday, with a Friday night/Saturday morning departure from Tromsø). Regular flights are then available to Oslo from either Bodø or Trondheim. As of August, 2009, the price of the trip from Tromsø to Trondheim, with a single cabin, is about €720.
One of the Hurtigruten ships between Tromsø and Skjervøy