Love Around the World 20: Tromsø

After a visit to Berlin, we hopped on a flight to Helsinki to start our Nordic adventure. After a time there, we rode an overnight ferry to Stockholm, and we learned that Swedish women are as beautiful as everyone else thinks. Gothenburg was next before we caught the train up to Oslo. We knew Norway was going to be incredibly expensive though I knew the scenery on offer was going to make it worthwhile.

Oslo was just your typical European capital city. After that was a day's adventure before arriving in Bergen. It rained. Constantly. Didn't stop us from having a lot of fun while we were there, an old-world charm that we certainly didn't get back home.

Proving how long travel can be in Norway due to the sheer length of the country, getting a train to Trondheim from Bergen would mean going back to Oslo. We agreed that going back on ourselves would be annoying so eventually agreed on catching a bus.

A whopping fourteen hours later, we were in Trondheim. Tired. Feeling a little sore from being sat down all day. But at least the view out the window had proven spectacular nearly the entire way. Trondheim was great fun as it was full of students who were living life to the fullest. My three friends found themselves company on our second night. While I did receive some interest as well, I simply didn't have any in return. I knew what I liked.

"So we're off to Bodø then Tromsø?" Mike asked over a coffee, all of us nursing heavy heads after joining in with the student revelry the night before.

"Yeah. Few nights in Tromsø. Given the time of year, we might be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights. It gets dark quite early."

"I thought it would be colder," James stated, "I mean, there's a definite nip in the air, but I thought we'd be freezing our arses off."

"From what I know, Tromsø is meant to be rather mild, even in the depths of winter," I explained, "I think we'll find Trondheim and Bodø colder than Tromsø. Probably rains more too. Given the exposure to the North Sea, I guess it explains why it rains more but isn't as cold. We're too early to see snow though."

Getting to Bodø from Trondheim involved a ten-hour journey that none of us wanted to end as the view out the window was breathtaking in its beauty. It was a lovely little city though we didn't intend on staying too long as we were all eager to get to Tromsø.

Our journey to Tromsø involved yet another long yet scenic bus trip, most of us were relieved that leaving the city would involve a trip by plane. We'd stayed in hostels during most of our trip but given we would be in Tromsø for quite a while, we decided to treat ourselves by getting two hotel rooms, Mike rooming with me, James and Tim sharing the other room.

Having arrived late in the day, we stuck to the hotel bar as we admitted to feeling a little tired. We'd been on the road for months and the constant travel can be a little much, even if it was an overall enjoyable experience. Our first stop the next morning was the tourist office to grab a map and figure out what we could do. While Tromsø has plenty to see, we knew there was plenty of offer regarding the whole Arctic experience, the city itself being three hundred and fifty kilometres inside the Arctic Circle.

The four of us enjoyed a good beer and one place we wanted to visit was Mack Brewery. It is often stated to be one of the northmost breweries in the world, and we were fortunate to arrive on a day when they were offering guided tours. After that, we stopped at the bar and enjoyed a couple of drinks, learning that drinking in northern Norway was not cheap at all.

"Definitely going to go dog sledding," Mike stated over dinner, "That'll be a blast."

"What about this glacier thing?" James asked.

"I think they're up in the Lyngen Alps," I replied, "We can look online as I'm sure we can find a guide."

"Could do some reindeer sledding too," Tim suggested, "Feel like Santa Claus."

I'd done my research on the city and was aware that there was meant to be a fantastic nightlife, particularly on a weekend. Having arrived on Thursday night, our first real night out was a Friday. We eventually settled in for the evening at Tromsø Jernbanestasjon (Tromsø Railway Station), rather amusing that no trains had ever made it to the city.

As we sat down and enjoyed a couple of cold beers, I couldn't help looking around and noticing something. Mike noticed as well, giving me a look and grinning. "Mark, I don't think there's a woman in here under thirty," he murmured, before he called over one of the waiters, dressed as a conductor, "What time does the music start?"

"Around 9pm," he replied.

"There's a place we can hit tomorrow night," I mentioned, "It's called Compagniet. A retro bar, but apparently full of women of the vintage I prefer."

We sipped at our beer, making sure we only drank the local Mack variety. Buying a round of four beers wasn't cheap so we were not knocking them back too quickly. As we chatted away, I was glancing around the place and there were plenty of gorgeous women. Norway had proven to be home to plenty of gorgeous women. Everyone spoke English though they appreciated our bad attempts in speaking Norwegian.

"Fuck it, I'm going to ask one of them to dance," I stated once the music was playing, and the small dancefloor was filling up.

"Go on, son!" Mike cheered.

One woman in particular had caught my eye and she'd returned my glance more than once, smiling shyly and even mouthing 'Hello'. Getting to my feet, she was busy talking to a couple of people at her table, falling silent as her blue eyes turned to look at me, that shy smile forming as I stopped next to her table.

"I'm Mark and I'm Australian. Would you care to dance with me?" I asked.

"I'm Hanna and I would love to dance with you."

Rising to her feet, she was taller than I thought, perhaps up to five-six and even taller with the heels she was wearing, her blouse a low v-cut that didn't quite expose any cleavage, her skirt to just above her knees, what looked like stockings on her legs. Her chestnut-coloured hair hung down past her shoulders, her blue eyes covered by lenses of some very fashionable glasses.

Taking her hand, I felt that spark straight away. Not an electric shock, just that feeling you get when making a connection with a woman. I'd felt it the first time I was with Catherine. And I'll admit that I'd felt it with Sally. The music played was the sort we could easily dance to. I didn't have two left feet, but I wasn't exactly a brilliant dancer, having enough moves to keep Hanna interested.

When a slow song started, she didn't hesitate in moulding her body against mine, her arms around the back of my neck as I placed my hands on her lower back. We'd barely spoken a word during the three previous songs, simply exchanging smiles and enjoying the company of each other.

"Why did you ask me to dance?" she wondered.

"I'll be honest. I thought you were the most beautiful woman in here."

That made her snort, both of us chuckling. "Please, I'm an old maid compared to some of the women in here."

"Hardly. You're gorgeous."

Meeting my eyes and no doubt seeing my sincerity, a warm smile formed as my hands caressed her back. "How old are you, Mark? I've got a feeling you're young."

"I turned twenty-four a couple of months back."

"I'm forty-five, Mark."

"I don't care. Still think you're gorgeous." Her eyes continued to look into mine before that smile broadened. "And I don't see a ring on our finger either," I added.

"I'm very much single," she stated, "I have a daughter. She left for Trondheim to study a few years ago and now lives in Oslo."

"And any ex-husband?"

"He buggered off to Sweden with his mistress."

"Sorry..."

"I'm not. He was a bastard, a dud in bed..." She paused and blushed, lowering her eyes. "Sorry, it still makes me so angry sometimes."

When I cuddled her closer to me, I felt her arms move down to close the embrace, her head against my shoulder as we continued to sway to the music. Feeling her sigh made me sigh as I continued to stroke her back. When the song finished, I asked if she wanted to get a drink and find a quiet table so we could get to know each other.

"I'd love that," she said, taking her hand and leading her to the bar. A woman after my own heart, she wanted a beer.

Managing to find a small table in the corner, she waved at her friends before turning her attention to me. We talked about the trip I'd been on, and where we'd been so far. She was happy to hear that I'd always planned Tromsø to be the final destination of our trip before we would return to London. Hanna told me about her daughter in great detail, obvious in her tone how proud of her she was. She did discuss her marriage briefly. They'd met in university, and married after she'd fallen pregnant, but she knew something was amiss for quite a while before her ex-husband just up and left.

"What's it like living here?" I had to wonder.

"I never want to leave," she replied, "I was born here, and I plan on dying here. I've left on holiday plenty of times. Travelled all around Norway. I've never been anywhere that has made me contemplate leaving home. If you mean what it's like culturally or socially, although it's a city, Tromsø does have a small-town feel to it. I can walk down the main street and greet a hundred people I'll know from school and work. I love the isolation as well. Being so far from anywhere else has its advantages and disadvantages." Sipping at her beer, she then asked, "What about you? Are you planning on remaining in London or will you do two years and go home?"

"No idea, to be honest. My mother was adamant I'd end up meeting someone over here and might never go home."

"Have you met anyone on your travels?"

"I've met a few beautiful women."

"And what do you look for in a woman, Mark?" she asked, enjoying the playful smile on her face.

Taking her hand in mine, she gently squeezed mine in return as I met her eyes. "Well, first appearances count. If there's no physical attraction, it's not going to work. I guess I should be honest about one thing, Hanna. I've never been intimate with a woman around my age. Every single woman I've been with over the years has been at least ten years older, sometimes double my age."

I wasn't expecting her face to light up. "Really?"

"Really. My first lover was my mother's best friend. She was twenty-one years older than me the day I lost my virginity to her. I was nineteen when I was involved with my fifty-two-year-old neighbour. I met a German woman a couple of months back who was the same age. She was spectacular." Squeezing her hand, I added, "You being forty-five isn't a big deal to me, Hanna. In fact, I'm glad you're that much older than me. The only disappointment is that I'm only here for a few nights."

"Would you like to keep me company while you're here?"

"I'd love to though can you handle a short-term fling?"

"Think I'm going to be unhappy that a young man might be warming my bed for a few nights? I've been celibate long enough."

"And your friends?"

That made her laugh. "They're only going to be jealous that the handsome young man came and approached me instead of them. They'll be happy for me as they've been by my side through the whole divorce and everything."

Returning to the dancefloor, I was stopped by Mike as my three friends were hoping to head somewhere else with clientele that would suit their desires a little more. Glancing around, there were not exactly many young women about. Assuring them I would be fine, Mike clapped my shoulder and told me to enjoy myself before I took Hanna by the hand and we resumed dancing.

We stayed out together until it was late, eventually finding myself introduced to her three gorgeous friends though my eyes were only for Hanna. At around midnight, she asked if I was ready to go. Leading me outside, Tromsø wasn't a large city though we still needed a taxi to get from the centre to the small house that Hanna called home. Escorting me inside, as soon as the door was shut, she stepped towards me and we shared one hell of a passionate first kiss, her tongue sliding into my mouth as I found myself moved backwards into the living room, ending up on the couch as Hanna straddled my lap.

"Wanted to do that since you held me in your arms on the dancefloor," she stated upon breaking the kiss, "I never thought someone as young as you..."

Moving my hands to the buttons of her blouse, she smiled when I helped it off over her shoulders to expose a rather nice red bra, leaning in to kiss her soft, white skin. No surprise that she was rather pale considering where she lived. Her fingers deftly worked on the buttons of my shirt, her eyes lighting up once my chest was exposed. Not had the chance to visit the gym all that often during my travel, but even though I'd been living it up, I'd managed to keep myself fit.

Leaning down to kiss me, it lingered on my lips before she whispered, "Mark... Can we just go snuggle in the bedroom?"

"Too fast?"

"A little bit. I do want to get naked though I might just give into temptation." She paused and lowered her eyes. "Sorry as I can feel your excitement."

"I think you'll be worth waiting for, Hanna."

Walking into her bedroom, she kissed me again as I helped unzip her skirt as my jeans hit the floor, sliding out of my shoes and socks as she sat on the edge of the bed to unroll her stockings. Her underwear was sexy but comfortable, sliding under the blankets together as we turned onto our sides to face each other. The next kiss was hot and steamy, her body pressing into mine, making her smile as she couldn't help feeling my erection.

Rolling onto her other side to spoon back against me, she ensured my hands were in hers against her chest as I felt her relax against me.

"Can't believe I have a twenty-four-year-old man in my bed," she whispered.

"I have a hot forty-five-year-old woman in my arms right now," I whispered back.

Waking up the next morning, it took me a few seconds to remember where I was, and when I realised that I was alone in bed, I quickly slid out and put on my shirt before walking into the hallway and calling out for Hanna. She appeared wearing a t-shirt with an apron over the top, walking towards me to greet me with a soft kiss, letting me know she was making breakfast.

Over breakfast, she asked about my plans while we were while I was in Tromsø. I told her about wanting to go dog-sledding, my friends wanted to go reindeer-sledding. We wanted to go on a glacier hike. And though the water was probably going to prove pretty bloody cold, I was hoping we could organise a kayak or rafting day.

"And your plans for tonight?"

"They've changed slightly as there is a beautiful woman that I met last night that I'd like to spend more time with."

"I wasn't planning on doing much so would you like to come to mine for dinner tonight?"

"I'd love to. Would you like to join us today?"

"No. You go off and enjoy time with your friends. If you can't find your way back here without help, just shoot me a text and I'll come and pick you up."

Meeting up with my friends, Mike immediately joked that my disappearance had helped him get a young woman back to the room and they were full of questions about Hanna. I never talked in great detail about my sex life, simply stating that I'd enjoyed a good night and that I'd been invited over for dinner. My friends all shared a glance. "I'm guessing we won't be seeing you for an evening while we're here?" James asked.

"Hell, if he falls in love with her," Tim suggested, "He'll move here."

After a fun-filled day with plenty of activities, I returned to the hotel to have a shower and change clothes before I made my way back to see Hanna, letting her know when I was on my way. Knocking on her front door, she opened it up and smiled at me. I'd dressed comfortably as we were not going out. She was wearing a tight t-shirt that highlighted her impressive chest and a pair of shorts that showed off her lovely legs. Her toenails were painted pink, which amused me.

Taking my hand and leading me inside, I could smell something delicious cooking, Hanna offered me a drink, pulling a pair of beers out of the fridge. Taking a seat across the counter as she finished up preparations, I helped carry a couple of the dishes across the small table near the kitchen, the table covered in a tablecloth, with some candles and a vase of flowers not getting in the way of the dishes.

"I hope you enjoy it," she stated, "One or two regional dishes. I don't think our diet is too different to English or Australian cuisine."

"Australia doesn't have cuisine unless you count meat pies and sausage rolls."

The food was excellent, and the beer she offered suited the dishes perfectly, but it was the company that was best of all. Hanna was delighted that I cleared my plate as conversation flowed easily between us. I always marvelled at the age gap between my lovers yet conversation rarely faltered. No, I wasn't mature for my age or anything.

Helping her clean up earned a kiss on the cheek, and a new bottle of beer in hand as we moved together into the living room, Hanna curling her legs and sitting as close to me as possible. We barely sipped at our drinks before she moved to straddle my lap, resuming the hot and heavy kiss from the previous night. I didn't hesitate in cupping one of her breasts as she would have felt my cock getting hard underneath her. When she pressed down on it and released a soft moan, we broke the kiss and I couldn't help smiling at her.

"I know you won't be here too long, but there's just something... It was your confidence in approaching me," she said softly, "For someone so much younger than me... And then when we were talking, you rarely looked anywhere except my eyes, and I know my cleavage was on display all night."

"Trust me, I wanted to look, but I wouldn't want to insult you."

"I wouldn't be insulted that you appreciated my body, Mark."

Resuming our make-out session, her t-shirt disappeared rather quickly, smiling at the rather lovely red bra she was wearing. Feeling my fingers move to the clasp at the back, I noticed her bite her bottom lip, wondering if she was nervous or unsure. "I haven't been naked with another man... And I guess I'm just wondering..."

"I want to see you naked, Hanna..."

"I did trim my pussy," she whispered, "It was a bit of a bush!"

"Smooth. Trimmed. Hairy. I love them all."

Removing her bra to reveal her breasts, her areola was darker than I thought it would be, but her nipples were almost achingly hard. She gasped as I didn't hesitate in taking one in my mouth, her right hand caressing the back of my head as I felt her grinding against the tent in my shorts.

Teasing one nipple then the other had her moaning softly and continuing to grind before I leaned back and my t-shirt ended up on top of hers on the floor. Surprising her by standing up, she wrapped her legs around my hips and directed me towards her bedroom, placing her gently down on the bed as I rather eagerly took off her shorts and her panties were taken along with them, exposing her pussy to me for the first time.

Closing her legs, looking a little shy, she kept them closed as she sat forward and helped off my shorts and underwear, my cock springing free, her eyes lighting up and a smile forming as she lifted her eyes towards mine.

"You're so hard," she whispered. Caressing her cheek made the smile broaden. "I just never thought... I'm so much older than you, Mark."

"You are absolutely stunning, Hanna." Taking her hand, I led her over to the mirror sitting atop the dresser. Standing behind her, I held her wrists as she started to blush. "What do you see, Hanna?"

"A woman a few kilos overweight and who has seen better days."