“God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.”
J.M. Barrie
Click the photo to fill the screen
Ørnfløya summit, about an hour away from Tromso, Norway
Feels like the news cycle fuels any exhaustion we bare.
Whether you’re tracking variant BA.5’s progress towards world domination, the pending hunger crisis as a result of the war in Ukraine, or inflation eating away at plans for the future. This photo is my remedy, as it holds within it the memory of beautiful walks I can revisit. Whether it’s finding my rental, revisiting where I was attacked by nesting Arctic Terns, or finding the beach I took a dip into the Arctic Ocean for the first time. All these adventures can be relived whenever I stare into this panorama.
The view is from atop Ørnfløya, a hill that overlooks Sommarøy, an island chain about 50 kilometers from Tromso, Norway, a city once nicknamed “Paris of the North” in the 19th century. The trailhead of the hike is less than 10 kilometers from any point on the island. A short hour up from the trailhead brings you to the summit. From the summit, off to the right is a pyramid-shaped island, Tussoya, supposedly an inspiration for Tromso’s Arctic Cathedral. Directly ahead is another hill, Hillesoya, with the most brutal hike I’ve ever seen on AllTrails labeled as “easy.”
Looking down onto Sommarøy, the entire view holds maybe 1,000 people. The town has only 400 residents. The town is famous for a publicity stunt that news of abandoning time zones, the viral news brought exposure to this hidden gem and supported Norway’s goal for greater tourism in the area. Even with this goal in mind, with only a handful of recreational vehicle parks and one hotel, the island is sparsely inhabited.
As a photographer, visiting the island in the summer is a dream set-up. You’ll often hear terms like a golden hour or blue hour when it comes to finding the best time to take photos. Being 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, in June the sun never sets, but also never peaks. It hovers around the horizon, at a constant low angle, mimicking the golden and blue hours all day..
The island appears tropical, even though it’s near the same latitude as Utqiagvik, (formerly known as “Barrow”) Alaska’s northernmost city. The coral reef white sandy beaches and deep greens filling every space of land is deceiving, yet a great place to try out Wim Hof’s method of ice baths to boost your immune system with the arctic ocean and your hotel room close by. With few crowds and miles of coastlines to explore, every step outdoors is an immersion into the island’s beauty. Supposedly, spending time in nature induces calm while suppressing feelings of stress. Easy to see why each day on the island relaxed me deeper and deeper.
I chose to print this photo and keep it near me, as I’m no longer in Sommarøy. The tangible details of a fine art print take me back to the Arctic paradise. Each trail, walk, and moment can be relived as if visiting a real-world memory map. If you need an escape and have the means to travel, head to this quiet and remote island. If not, I hope you can enjoy the photo and imagine yourself there one day too.
