Today was our last day on the cruise. We had to leave by 9:30am, so we woke up early to pack and grab our final breakfast on board. After eating, we took a few photos on the observation deck, saying goodbye to the boat that carried us all the way from Tromso to Trondheim while we spent most of the time… horizontal. Once we stepped back onto solid ground after 36 straight hours on the ship, Antoine felt a bit woozy, the classic sea legs kicking in.
We had husky sledding booked for today. It was supposed to be on a snowy track, but I was getting worried as soon as we saw Trondheim’s weather. It was 4 degrees, no snow anywhere, and I could see grass all around. Lovely for walking around, not so lovely for dog sledding. I kept hoping we’d find snow as we went further inland.
To get to the husky camp, we had to take a train to the airport, pick up our car, and then drive an hour east. The train ride was really pleasant, with a peaceful sea view on our left. At one point, we passed a stop called “Hell”. Quite a name. We dodged Hell and continued toward our husky heaven.
After picking up the car, Antoine drove while I attempted to stay awake and keep him company…but I failed almost immediately. When I woke up near the camp, I saw patches of snow outside the window and felt instantly relieved. Thank goodness, no grass sledding today.
When we arrived, the huskies were waking up from their naps to greet us. There were 57 dogs, each with their own little house, poking their faces out to see who had arrived. We turned out to be the only guests for the afternoon, so we got a private tour. We started by putting harnesses on the dogs, which was easier said than done. As soon as we approached, they got wildly excited, barking, jumping, and basically yelling “PICK ME!!!” The more excited they were, the harder it was to put the harness on. They were unbelievably strong, I could barely hold onto them. Clearly, they were very ready to run.
After hooking five of them to our sled, we took off. The dogs sprinted with full enthusiasm, and we actually had to brake often so they wouldn’t go too fast. Antoine drove most of the way, keeping us steady and helping push on the uphill bits. I tried driving for a bit, but our dogs were so strong that I started losing control almost immediately. Not wanting to face-plant into a snowbank, I returned to my rightful place as passenger princess. Still, it was incredibly fun, especially since Antoine was braver about the speed. The path was beautiful too, with precious snow and a soft sunset in the background.
After about an hour of sledding, we fed the dogs their well-earned dinner. Then it was our turn to eat, so we headed back to Trondheim. After so many days of Norwegian food, we needed something different. I was especially craving for Asian food. So we had Japanese food for lunch and Nepali food for dinner. Great decisions all around, though Antoine was deeply disappointed that they had run out of cheese momos. Exhausted from the long day, we passed out as soon as we got to the hotel.