Accio! Lumos! and Ascensio! Our imaginary wands raised and lit, we ascended into the bluster of Cyclone Oma, teetered slightly and then winged our way down to Melbourne for the gala opening of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. This was to be a very special weekend. Our wonderful daughter, she of the techno-savvy fame … More Harry Potter and the Loved Child
Cumquat Marmalade at Tét – Chúc Mùng Năm Mới Yesterday I made my first 2019 batch of cumquat marmalade. Our cumquat tree is the one citrus tree in our garden which does really well. It must get the perfect combination of light and moisture and every February it becomes laden with fruit. Thus begins the annual … More Cumquat Marmalade at Tét – Chúc Mùng Năm Mới
Our last chance to experience the Aurora Borealis was in Sinettä and Rovaniemi. In Sinettä just a few kilometres from the Arctic Circle, we had the wonderful experience of sleeping under the stars. Well, potentially under the stars. As we lay in our glass igloo and inspected our Aurora app, the forecast suggested a good … More Glass igloos, bread making and berry picking in Sinettä
Reindeer can be seen wild running by the side of the frozen forest in Finland. So it is not surprising that the Santa legend with his sleigh pulled by reindeer originated in Lapland. Joulupukki (Santa in Finnish) has a long history of wearing red robes, using a walking stick and driving a sleigh pulled by … More Reindeer in Rovaniemi
The Finnmarken cruise ship was waiting to whisk us into the fjords at 5pm. Briefing by Magnus and Petter our ship expedition leaders included the recommendation to purchase spikes, in case we slip over on the ice. With great difficulty, we stretched these rubber contraptions onto our boots and I tried them out in Urke, … More Sailing on Hurtigruten to Ålesund, Urke and Trondheim
We slithered off the Hurtigruten ship onto the icy road where our bus was waiting. The Finnish people told us they hated the warm weather – zero degrees – because the snow melts and converts to ice, making the roads treacherous. Apparently early November should supply lots of snow and much colder temperatures. We donned … More Ice, snow, huskies and Santa in Lapland
We arrived in Tromso at 2.30pm and it was twilight and wet. The light however was magical. Our friends had recommended we visit the Arctic cathedral and take the cable car, however as it was dark, we elected to wander the streets of the city with our own guide, Nele and visited the Polaris aquarium … More North Cape and Northern Light
On our 4th day, we crossed the Arctic Circle at 7:19:31 am, at daybreak. This time is important because it is 20 seconds later than the time I had guessed we would cross the Circle. For someone who rarely wins anything or gets mathematical questions correct, this was my day to win the crossing prize. … More Crossing the Arctic Circle and meeting the Vikings at Lofotr
Our return to Bergen was greeted with the first really cold and fine day for some time. Clutching our Bergen card, we set off on public transport to find the Hordamuseet, a traditional folk museum out in the suburbs. The helpful woman at the tourist information recommended this museum as a way to understand life … More Hordamuseet to Greig’s Troldhaugen, Bergen
Our stay in Germany continued on to the little village of Mittel-Loxten outside Versmold, pronounced Fairsmold. As the weather changed from rainy drizzle to sharp winds, the temperature dropped. We were welcomed on a cold Friday afternoon with kaffee und kuchen on the family heirloom china and a family reunion began. Versmold is a small … More Family time in Versmold
