Gobble Up Turkey

Tuesday 17th December 2025

Around Tromso

Looks like the late night finishes are a cure  for the sleep deprivation, as it was the alarm clock that woke us around 715.

Breakfast in the foyer restaurant was a hoot trying to find a suitable seat in a crazily furnished area of the Moxy Hotel – a joint for hipsters . Food selection was as comprehensive as usual, but we showed a bit of restraint given we had a dinner tour this evening.

No rest for the wicked and we were off for a visit to the marine centre. It was a very interesting time seeing a raft of animals, as well as hearing some concerning stories about the impact global warming is having on the Arctic region both on land and in the sea.

Got to see the training and feeding of the 6 or so seals being cared for. They were great performers and some of their entries into the pool were a bit like me flopping into the local pool.

Some of those against the side of glass walled pool were very entertaining as they interacted with people on the outside of the glass pool.

The Arctic lifestyle must be tough in the extreme seasons with either limited sun or unlimited sun. This short time we spent here has played havoc with the body clock, but has encouraged us to maximise the limited sunlight that is available.

We enjoyed a couple of hours wandering the township with its marvellous mix of the old and new architecture. Visited the small Xmas  market to enjoy a non alcoholic Glogg and a Kransky burger. Jane could not resist the cheese ball pasta.

She also couldn’t resist another visit to the trinket shops in search of just one more Xmas  decoration. We even got a ‘ride’in Santa’s Crystal sleigh.

The market was adjacent to the harbour and sat below the chairlift which was our next destination.

With 24 other brave souls we boarded the car and headed 400 odd metres to the top of the snow covered mountain. I always wonder why the operator controls the car remotely – maybe he knows the risk or effectiveness of preventative maintenance programme.

The top station was undergoing significant renovations and I am not sure what WHS conditions were in place. There was a bloke hanging off the end of a tractor arm securing a load of rubbish with no safety gear at all and a 400 metre drop below.

The top of the mountain was like the queue to reach the top of Mt Everest. In the darkness it looked like an ants nest as people spread across the hill trying to capture the ultimate shot. It seems Asia had discovered the Arctic with more than 80% making up the crowd.

Grabbed some great photos before joining the queue of 100 to head back down. It was ironic that a bunch of pushy young Japanese kids pushed in front of us and one got a bad nose bleed-who did they ask for help- the 2 old people they pushed in front off.

Stemmed the bleed and they were off without as much as a thanks.

Down on terra firma we headed for the beautifully designed Ice Cathedral. Interestingly the outside was the feature with its beautiful stained glass window. In keeping with Lutheran design it was vanilla inside aside from the organ.

After a brief stop at the hotel we were again on the bus to visit the Sami Reindeer Ranch for a feeding session and cultural show.

A little briefing session whilst sipping  hot chocolate was followed by the reindeer feeding. Armed with buckets of pellets we stood in the middle of the pen and were besieged by some of the hungry horned animals. It was a real experience as these animals nudged, kicked and poked you as a reminder it was their time to be fed. Some of the male ones even put on a head butting show.

Buckets empty we headed for the dining room for some more fish and reindeer for dinner, but not before another brief catching of the Northern Lights.

Post dinner we adjourned to a nearby tepee looking structure which is typical of the Sami people, but a bit grander in size than the normal one and not transferable,

Seems the Sami people have all of the same gripes of indigenous cultures around the world about losing their culture and identity. They are a bit luckier with their own parliament having a chance to input into policy affecting them. That’ll said they are still happy to use all the things that are not traditional to maintain their lifestyle.

Being the only Nordic people allowed to own and manage reindeer most of the talk surrounded their evolution and current day uses. 

As a reindeer you want to be born a female and capable of reproducing as the boys are only good for shooting and a word which rhymes with it.

A bit of traditional yoiking which is a means of making musical noises to praise someone or something. Interesting the Sami had an entrant in late 90’s Eurovision Competition and the appeal of the yoik was reflected in them running last.

Back in the bus and another close to midnight finish.

Monday 15th December 2025

Alta to Tromso.

Up reasonably early, after all but packing up last night, so we can meet the daily tour rituals:

Breakfast

Bags Out

Check Out

On The Bus

Seat rotation 

It’s all a bit foreign for those used to 2 person self guided walking trips where everything is self organised. There are lots on this trip who think the Tour Guide is a Nanny and I can but only admire her patience.

Managed all that perfectly and started our day of ‘follow the fjord’ sitting at the back of the bus. In such a big coach and a smaller group like ours at the back is good , as you can play seat lotto as the views change on either side of the bus.

There were plenty of amazing sights as we wound our way around the fjords which were often dwarfed by huge snow covered mountains.

Small timber cottages JK hugged the waterside of the road whilst bigger clumps of brightly coloured houses sat below the mountains. 

Again the only sign of industry was the fish  related ones, with salmon and oyster farms. Even a few little boats plied their trade on the fjord. When the wind picked up little shore breakers started to appear.

On the cliffs close to the road little stalictite like formations hugged the walls where the ice had melted and refrozen.

By 1230 the sightseeing had finished with darkness descending and the snow driven by a buffeting wind made it difficult to see particularly for the poor driver. His skillset to get us around safely has been highly commendable.

The flashing lights in the distance were not the Norther Lights, just the parade of snow ploughs that at some stages had us travelling in convoys as they forged the way ahead.

With not much to see it was over to the Tour Director to fill our head with facts about the egalitarian lifestyle of the Scandinavian countries.

Most are relatively well off with high standards of living and social security benefits fuelled by the high tax regime – almost 50%. Norway is actually 3rd most expensive country in the world for food behind Switzerland and Iceland.

Government support is a womb to tomb arrangement with

• Baby subsidies
• Maternal Leave 420 fully paid days over an 8 year period 
• Paternal Leave 3 months that must be taken in first 12 months
• You can pass your leave onto a parent or grandparent.
• Free childcare for most
• $400 per month  if you fail the means test, else free or a small food contribution.
• Free education at all levels
• Free medical
• Pension at 67 even if you’ve never worked
• Free aged care

The best is they will pay for your funeral and supply paid mourners if you cannot afford it.

It’s a haven for refugees who are entitled to the same benefits, without contributing a single Krone.

The best rort  for Syrian refugees was the family reunion entitlement where anyone under 16 (a child) could bring the entire family over. Apparently a lot of 25 year olds from Afghanistan from the Syrian War were sitting in school rooms with local 16 year olds. 

I am not going to tell my local Labour Party member about this.

After about 4 hours we ended up at a small village of Nordkjosbotn where we enjoyed an hours break to stretch the legs and ‘chill’ out, our Tour Director leading the way.

Back on the bus threading our way through more mountains in the pitch black before the lights of Tromso shone across the water.

Over the bridge for a bus orientation through a very buzzy town all lit up for Xmas, including a Market.

The town has a great mix of old and new, with old wooden buildings dating back to 1780’s and modern unit blocks with glazed balconies, often triple glazed to keep out the heat in summer and cold other times.

Again no drapes or blinds on windows, so the nude dash from bathroom to bedroom might turn into a peep show for the neighbours.

It was then back over to the other side of town into our trendy hotel – so trendy the Reception Desk is on the top floor. No bellboy’s here as it’s too hard to get staff so it was a Do It Yourself luggage drop and self tipping.

Interesting fact of the day was that 50% of Denmark GDP comes from Ozempic related businesses and town where it’s manufactured has doubled in size. Guessing after all the local field trials there are no diabetics or fat people.

Spent a couple of quiet hours doing the chores and stretching out the aches of a 7 hour bus ride before kitting up and heading off for another Northern Lights excursion, but this time on water.

Slipped and slid along the streets covered in black ice as we headed off the bus and onto the luxury cruiser. 

Knocked off the free champagne and then a couple of non happy hour drinks ( the only 2 out of 22 that had a pay for drink) and supped on the seafood based dinner -yum for some.

Enjoyed a modicum of success finding the Northern light. Only one we sighted was a mildly tinted cloud with a ghost like appearance. Not too many of the group were worried after 4 consecutive sighting nights. The brightest lights were those illuminating the ski fields on the mainland and twin ski jump on the island.

The actual highlight of the tour was the safety demonstration where a crew member tried valiantly to don a two piece safety outfit that  highlighted the fact that a one side fits all solution might not work.

Firstly she fitted a bright orange poncho with an array of safety straps and zippers that had her looking like Sammy the Seal. No respite for her when donning the actual life jacket. People with short arms might have struggled reaching and securing the beaver tail ( their terminology not mine) which went between the legs and secured around the waist.

I have a sneaking suspicion that most people would perish before suiting up.

Three hours of cruising had as back at wharf around 10 to negotiate an even slipperier walk back to the bus over the black ice.

A second late night for us, but no big bus rides tomorrow, just some sea world visit, chairlift ride ( wind dependent) and an evening visit to an indigenous settlement for dinner and entertainment. Looking out if bus in the way over there will be plenty to see in town.

Sunday 14th December 2025

Alta

Despite the post midnight bedtime the mix of body clock and wind howling on the hotel window had us awake at 600.

When checking emails we got the terrible news about the Bondi incident- it seems that we have finally lost that ‘ it’s safe in Australia’ reputation. 

Tried not to let it play too much on our mind but a bit hard when there are other Aussies here with us wanting to discuss. It was quite chilling on the same day in Berlin 5 were arrested for plotting to ram a car into a Xmas Market in downtown Berlin where we are headed. Makes you really want to live life to the fullest when but for the grace  of God  you could be an innocent victim.

Weather is pretty miserable with snow, strong winds and minus temperatures. 

Nonetheless after breakfast, with no activities planned, we walked down towards the modern new Northern Ligjts themed Cathedral. Then it was over to a supermarket before heading to a plaza park. Several little little kids were enjoying the slippery dip and ice skating rink, despite the snow and wind, giggling and getting about with little ruddy cheeks.. One little fellow and I had a fun game in the snow which lifted the spirits a bit. 

Interesting recreation equipment – a fully fledged fire pit, with chopped wood was in the park.

Narrowly missed an impromptu snowballfight  when a couple of crows dislodged packed snow off a hotel roof which bounced at my feet.

The wind was simply howling and we headed back to the hotel,with faces stinging from the snow flurries, to get prepared for our visit to the Alaskan Husky ranch to meet the dogs and enjoy a sleigh ride.

It was time to upgrade to the new ski jacket for the prolonged outing in -16.

When we got on the bus the driver advised the two roads we travelled yesterday were closed today – seems with weather up here it’s all in the timing.

We ended up at the ranch -Tradti Trinl- with its 70 Alaskan Huskies. Unlike the Siberian version they are not pure bred and that’s deliberate as they are less prone to injury and illness.

The howls of excitement were more from the dogs than the tourists when they saw us arrive.

We delayed their enjoyment slightly by having lunch and listening to a very informative briefing from the owner who is an accomplished dog sled racer. Her husband is a renowned chef and their daughter shares the dog sled passion with her Mum.

They both competed in and won the Finnmark long distance races ranging from 600 to 1200 kilometres.

Their greatest achievement was competing in an finishing the famous Alaskan sled race over 1600 called the Idaron. The daughter Hanna Lyrek is starting to prepare for next years event training her 16 dogs for the assignment.

Next it was off to the dog yard where the noise was deafening and the desire to be patted undeniable.Despite being a ragtag looking group they surely knew how to run. 

We were loaded into two people sleds and taken on a 30 minute ride with us fortunate enough to have Hannah as our driver. She was remarkably informative about the ins and outs of the Idaron and incredibly humble.

Our ride and patting session over it was back to hotel for a quick break then some shopping and search for a dinner spot. It turned out to be an American pizza place where half a pizza and a couple of beers filled our tummy and plucked $80 from the cash card.

No respite in the weather as we trudged back in the snow to pack up for an early departure to Trimso – weather permitting.

Saturday 13th December 2025

Honningsvag to Alta

No need for early rising today as we had a late kickoff, but that didn’t stop our body clock waking us up at 600.

Packed up after deciding how many layers of clothes needed to be worn on a day predicted to be well into the minus and wind gusts up to 50kmph – a lovely Arctic Circle Day.

Took a last look out the window and snapped a shot of our view to savour.

Did a quick final lap of Honningsvag after breakfast watching life go by with locals on sleds going to market, others shovelling snow and others trying to reveal their cars.

Jane continues to battle with the tour ailment and not being able to get over the counter medication that works. Even a pleading with the Chemist didn’t help things.

Today was like reading a Demis Roussous Diet Guide with pit stops for soup, a Lights Safari with soup and soupy stuff for breakfast. The positive was Saturday is candy day in Norway so we were on a balanced diet, if not on a sugar high for most of it.

We waved goodbye to beautiful Honningsvag, after visiting a quaint church and its snow covered cemetery which at the end of WW2 were the only remnants of town after the Nazi’s left their exit present.

Groups of kids and parents were tobogganing on the slope nearby in the semi darkness.

We retraced part of yesterdays journey on our way to Alta about 6 hours away, including soup drops.

Being on the ‘mountain side’ of the coach our view was of unspoilt snow covered mountains and white deserts. The sightseeing side of the bus was enjoying views out over the ocean with its salmon farms and fish drying racks.

The poor old bus driver was getting the back end view of the snow plough clearing away last nights dump.

No farming out here with only 3% of Norway land used for agriculture. Might explain the high cost of fruit and vegetables. Good news for the Irish – the weather is ok for growing potatoes.

On the long drive we got a bit of cultural and political background about Norway.

Finland nearly all nuclear and Norway hydro power.

For a country rich in oil resources the younger generation want all oil production to stop, despite revenues being preserved for betterment of their life in the future.

The Gulf Stream is weakening and rather than warming northern oceans and seas its effect is lessening means it could lead to global cooling up there.- oh the scientific views on Climate Change.

Big problems with migrant unemployment currently, after nassive intakes. Up to 40%- most don’t speak English and Norwegian is difficult to learn so it’s an impediment to employment.

No more petrol riven cars being sold.

There endeth the update on non tour events so back to the journey, where we stopped for our soup de jour and a bit of shopping in an outlet that sold everything from snow globes to stuffed polar bears.

It was back in bus on a climb through areas you could barely see as icy winds caused snow flurries limiting drivers vision to around 40 metres. With the bus getting buffeted it was a pretty nervous 90 minutes or so.  The snow ploughs were plentiful.

Bad conditions stopped us seeing the boar, bear and moose population that supposedly inhabits the area ( or was that just a story to take our minds off the conditions- one will never know)

Not much noise on the bus and quite a few steely looks.

Finally the snowy effect lessened as we got down next to the sea and we could look across to the town of Alta, about 20 kilometres away. 

Small villages turned into bigger ones and then into suburbia, but there was a pretty common theme  – everyone loved decorating houses for Xmas. It’s not a place to sell curtains or blinds, as everyone is happy to let you peer inside through uncovered windows.

Alta at 15000 is a large tourist town with a rich history in slate mining, but carries the dark history of being one of Germany’s main sea bases where the notorious destroyer  Tirpitz ( sister ship to Bismarck) was based.

Before we got to the hotel we visited the Sorrisniva resort to view the Ice Hotel being constructed and due for opening next week.

Arrived in carpark and sidled up to what looked like a giant igloo about 10 metres high and 80 metres long.

We were ushered inside for a briefing on the construction of hotel number 27 on the site. It’s built in concert with a raft of ice sculptors. 

Full of knowledge we toured the partly completed building with its 24 rooms, chapel, gallery and bar. 

It was an amazing experience to see some finished sculptures and also watch the artisans at work.

From what we understand a stay involves laying in a sleeping bag on a raised plinth with no facilities in the room at $700 a night, plus bring your own bottle to pee in.

After being immersed in all that art we were marshalled outside to sit around a bonfire -more like a small campfire- sitting on reindeer skins sipping vodka from what else but an ice glass. Good vodka, good experience and no washing up.

Back in the bus and lucky me is sitting next to the bus tour lady who suffers motion sickness. Not sure what song she was singing into a paper bag, but it didn’t sound or smell great. 

All that said she is an ex Kuwi racehorse trainer and we have had lots of good chin wags about racing.

 Got to our hotel , helped her off into the foyer , played the room key lotto game and quickly unpacked and rugged up for the evenings Northern Lights chase.

The bus took us up over the Alta River which is legendary for its salmon – up to 30kg. It’s a haven for guided fishing tours at just A$1300 a day.

Up past the ice hotel and into the slate mountains of Paeskatun where we ended up at the Light Chaser HQ. A couple of experts talked us through myth, legend and a bit of science about the lights before we were fed a tasty curry soup, dessert and some hot drinks all topped off with some cinnamon cake.

Revved up we stood in blustery conditions at the first vantage point, this time unrewarded. It was a chase so we were soon on the bus chasing lights about 50 minutes away. Suffered our second and third strikes, but undeterred we sought another spot a bit more protected from wind,  but equally affected by the minus 10 temperature. 

The Indians were getting wrestless with the wait after 3 days of simply arriving and seeing the lights and were hatching plans for a mutiny and return to warmth of the hotel. Thankfully a few brave souls who had travelled nearly 20,000 Kms to see the lights convinced the guide to persevere. 

Perseverance was rewarded with another light showing, giving us a 4 peat. The coup de grace was snapping one just as a shooting star passed by . It’s the 6th photo below- guess that is all the luck used up.

Mainly bright green they were still stunning.

Frozen fingers, numb faces and broad smiles loaded back on the bus after 20 minutes to head back home to the warmth of the hotel, sated again in the Arctic Circle.

It was on the stroke of midnight when we got home and 5 hours of fun that will be recollected many times in the future.

Friday 12th December 2025

Around Honninsvag and North Cape

Finally found a bit of relief from the tour cold and enjoyed a sleep of the dead until 530- cough free.

Cold was the operative word with graders up early piling up the snow from overnight- ideal Snow Angel depth – if one of us can summon up the courage.

Dressed only to find my new merino shirt,which Jane packed,had me looking like the Purple Wiggle. Thank God for layering.

Another nice breakfast taken quickly to give us time to make most of the slight brightness in the sky.

Continue to be mesmerised by the huge snow covered mountain, with its avalanche / rockfall barriers, that towers over town.

Last night’s  cruise ship had been joined overnight by another bigger vessel and a dribble of passengers from both ships were traipsing the streets looking for photo opportunities.

The fishing fleet, pleasure boats and jet boats sat idle, many covered in snow after last nights heavy fall. Several cars parked in the street suffered a similar fate.The ski enthusiast would be licking their lips with the cover of powdery snow.

We wandered streets taking in the scenery and the array of colourful houses built dockside. Like most towns over here there was the obligatory fill of statues.

After a couple of hours it was back to join the crew for a ‘ crab experience’ optional tour. But not before a little bit of Jamaican bobsleigh training.

A quick trip through the tunnel and down a snowy road to the harbourside Sami styled  tepee where the eating part of the tour took place. A huge platter of King Crab bits and pieces was presented and eaten with much enjoyment.

Outside we were given a comprehensive briefing on the crab fishing industry. It was interesting that these fish can be caught in only 10 metres of water..

Even had a hands on experience with a 4kg one who was sadly destined for the table at the sitting following ours. He would be one of many to be dissected to provide the 1000 pieces to be devoured by tours today.

With dwindling stocks and an increasing fleet size the quota is being reduced by 40% next year which will annoy the revenous Asian market or this luvrstive tourist spot . Guess there will be enough fishing to provide footage for the TV show The Deadliest Catch.

Took a few parting shots of the stunning surroundings before  returning to the hotel for a warm up and then more shopping and wandering around before ending up in a brewery drinking a plate of Norwegian beers.

Prior to dinner watched the only English speaking TV show- a voiced over episode of Bluey – it just ain’t the same.

A nice buffet dinner was followed by 50 minute trip to the North Cape the most Northern spot up here. Honninsvag is the most northern city and Skarsvag the most northern fishing village. Seems everyone was looking for a subtle nuance to be closest to the North Pole.

What an adventure it was getting there on a snaking snow covered road with precipitous drops on each side. For once I was happy not to be in the front seat and also the absolute darkness.

Got all the myths about Trolls and Cliffhanger on the way up to keep us amused and possibly take our mind off the narrow road.

Arrived at Nort Capp and went into the Visitor Centre with its cinema , cafe, gift shop, chapel, museum , bird collection, and an enormous rock cave. In between visiting all of these places, including a session on the champagne and caviar, we spent most of the time at the top of Europe in search of the Northern Lights – could we get the trifecta of three nights in a row.

Didn’t have to search much they were there in all their glory right across the sky in different colours and formations. It was a real snapathon and an air full of WOW’s.

A montage is at the bottom of the blog.

It was certainly something to behold and was complemented by spotting a shooting star, one of the zillions that shine brightly in the night sky up here.

Two hours went by pretty quickly and  we were soon snuggled back into our new spacious bus wending our way down the hill. The headlights of the bus and the snow markers made you feel like it was a slalom competition as we picked our way down. If you can imagine Bulli Pass, Mount Victoria and Macquarie Pass all united and with snow it was a bit like that.

That ended another spectacular day. Tomorrow we head to Alta which is the Red Zone for Northern alights. It will need to be at its best to top today.

Thursday 11th December 2025

Ivalo to Honningsvag

Woke up to another coolish morning with the thermometer at -8. Enjoyed the view of the morning sky- pitch black- through the glass ceiling then packed up and headed for a walk around the compound through at least 6 inches of soft powdery snow in most places off the graded road.

Warmed up next to the log fire before enjoying breakfast and then heading to the bus for our 400km trip northward to the highest point in Continental Europe – a town called Homningsvag.

Its harbour to the local king crab fleet and we are hoping for a good catch as we are touring the fishing precinct on Friday and tasting the fare.

We won the barrel draw for front seat in the bus which provided a great view, but also scary moments when snow had visibility down to 30 metres on two lane roads where driving down the middle was order of the day.

Our guide has been outstanding with great commentary, a broad brush account of history/culture/politics and herding the cats beautifully to keep the show on timetable.

With Finland having a long border with Russia, they are vigilant in protecting their border. Little things like having the worlds highest percentage of its population war ready to building giant freeways wide enough to land military planes bears witness to their proactivity. 

Back on the road, often in convoy behind road snow ploughs or passing them on rolling  roads, flanked by kilometre after kilometre of frozen over rivers and lakes.

We crossed the border into Norway and the change in landscape was immediate with rolling hills turning into higher and craggier snow covered mountains.

Got some great historical background on the local indigenous people- the Sami – who are basically the Keepers of the Reindeer’. They have their own Government, but can only make recommendations to Parliament and not enact laws. 

There are 200,000 in Norway and they have a pretty impressivenew Parliament House  which we visited in -28 temperatures- it was a whistle stop visit  to jump out and take photographs in Karasjok.

Stopped for a lunch break at Lakselv under the glow of a hazy moon, with no sun rising today – starting to feel like we are morphing into owl or bats with the dark existence. 

A bit of sloshing through deep snow to visit the chemist to get some relief for the tour cough and $A48 lighter in the pocket we got 2 things that will hopefully help. You certainly pay a high price for overstaying your parking when it’s snowing if the cars in parking lot were any indicstion

It was back in the bus again for the last 2.5 hours   snaking along the Atlantic, then Norwegian Sea  which eventually joins up with North Sea. The next stop North is the North Pole. Fishing (crab and salmon farms) and oil production, along with a bit of tourism, are the prime industries.

Lots of small clumps of houses dot the roadside, most adorned in Xmas decorations. The number of snow ploughs and strengthening snow falls didnt augur well for seeing the Northern Lights.

Norway is big on tunnels with 2 on the trip covering about 23 kilometres, including the one just before the island of Honninsvag. It runs under water at a depth of 220 metres.

The long day came to an end in the dark when we drove into the mountain ringed town, which was ablaze with lights giving it a fairy tale  look.

Shivered our way across the car park into the hotel and up to our harbour view room with a unique feature for us – a 2 person sauna in the room. We were the only ones out of 14  to be that lucky.

A little sleep deprived we grabbed an hour’s kip before another tasty dinner which was interrupted by the bus driver announcing the lights were starting to appear.

It was a charge of the Light Brigade as people ran to rug up and take endless snaps of an array of ever increasing light shows. Was definitely a tick for another bucket list item.

With cameras and minds full of amazing pictures we headed off cold and damp to finish the day with a warm sauna.

What an end to our second full day of the tour.

Wednesday 10th December 2025

Helsinki to Ivalo

Today was full of nervous expectation as we headed for the town ofIvalo –  well above the Arctic Circle.

Sleep was often interrupted by all of the people in What’s App group pinging Tour Director asking questions about tomorrow that had already been answered last night – seems listening was only an option.

We were now in tour mode with times for every activity, eating and travelling in packs and working out the likely allies. 

Tour party was a mix of people from US, Canada, NZ, Singapore , South Africa and a good smattering of Aussies.

Fed and watered we were off to a very modern Helsinki airport. No passport checks but plenty of security with Jane again setting off the metal detector with the new knee. I was subject to a full body frisk – note to fellow future travellers don’t wear boxer shorts as both the frisker and friskee can be in for a surprise – what you might call a ‘touching experience ‘.

Plenty of shops in the terminal including the very popular Moomie store and strangely a second hand clothes store.

Toilets are another trap for young players with bidet hose rather than paper being the preference. Seems the inexperienced can clean themselves and also flood the cubicle.

Got to our gate to be informed that flight was overbooked and luggage space in overhead lockers was minimal. Call for volunteers got a couple of takers  and those with excessive baggage had it involuntary checked into the hold.

Packed plane took just under 2 hours before landing in a winter wonderland- the only bit with no snow was the runway. At 1230 it was almost pitch black and a welcoming -3 temperature. The fact there was no sunrise or sunset probably contributes to that.

Soon marching across the snow to board the bus and head to our accommodation Aurora Village in Ivalo.

The town has 3000 people and was completely destroyed by Germans after WW2.

The accommodation was essentially cabins with glass roofs, all sprinkled through the forested compound , with penned reindeers as neighbours.

Got quickly acclimatised before heading off to our first optional  tour – a 2 hour snow scooter journey. Dressed in survival suits and looking like a Darth Vader convention we headed to the starting grid.

Jane won the Rock Paper Scissors draw and had first drive  initially snaking through the forest and its snow covered trees before heading out onto a frozen river. Hopefully the metre of ice was enough to support the cavalcade of scooters.

At the turnaround point we swapped drivers and i found out just how well Jane had done. I managed to miss running into the one in front when I forgot it was a handbrake not a foot brake.

I was happy to get back unscathed and avoid the $1200 repairing fee we signed up for in the Waiver document.

Must say it is the best fun you can have with your clothes on.

Off the scooter and navigated the undressing process to head back into the hut to warm up and get prepared for the next activity feeding the herd of reindeers. Pretty ironic feeding them, including one unicorn type , then having some as the entree for the dinner.

Dinner was late so we could possibly stay up and catch our first glimpse of the Northern Lights. No luck so we headed for home passing some interesting wildlife displays

Before laying in bed peering out the glass ceiling tryimg to spot them. It’s amazing that you don’t see them clearly but when you take a night slow exposure photo they show up pretty clearly.

The ding of the What’s Apo signalled something was happening with a lmultiple of sightings on the other side of the village. We had to be satisfied with the photos from bed at this stage.

The tour cold had infected us both and being unable to buy cold and flu tablets without prescriptions in Finland we coughed our way through the night.

It was definitely a day to remember.

Tuesday 9th December 2025

Around Helsinki

No use reporting on the sleep, it’s too depressing, as is the lurgi we have contracted from all those sniffers on buses , in market crowds and everywhere that tissues and hankies are non existent.

Buffet breakfast was huge , but reasonable restraint exercised and there was also none of Santa’s sleigh pullers to devour.

Decided to see the City via the Hop On Hop Off bus so headed for Stop 1 where tickets were available.

Got there after a 30 minute walk to join another bemused Australian family who had pre- purchased their ticket yesterday. As luck would have it the buses don’t run this week from Tuesday to Friday. Whilst we were disappointed the family realised they had bought a €105 ticket that was for yesterday and they were devestated.

We decided to walk the majority of the bus route with particular emphasis on getting to the site of 1952 Olympics.

The Finnish were a bit prepared having been allocated the 1940 Games only for WW2 to intervene. In 56 they were the smallest country ever to host the Games.

Under almost blue skies we headed off past a deserted market sitting below the Cathedral which looked even more grand in daylight hours.

We were not the only ones hoofing it today, it seemed that on every corner there were groups of  20-25 kids in brightly coloured vests from dacate centres doing tours. Poor old teachers were struggling herding the cats.

We grabbed a couple of late minute cold climate goodies before heading up past the modern Boat Museum and a weirdly shaped wooden chapel.

On the way to Olympic stadium we decided to detour to the Tennis centre- oops Tennis was the name of the building.

Already the difference between Finland and the Baltic cities is becoming evident with modern buildings and street statues all over the place. Very few of the unit buildings have that post war look about them, probably because the Finnish batted for both sides in WW2 and suffered very little collateral damage.

Had a mid walk coffee in a cafe run by a multi-lingual Chinese girl from Vietnam- can’t say it’s not cosmopolitan over here. That all aside had the yummuest sweet delights to go with the coffee.

Down through some riverside parklands and we came upon the Regatta site. Still lots of active rowers here given the number of boat sheds. Remarkably the original grandstand still remains, it made the old Leichhardt Oval grandstand look like Accor Stadium. 

Up through the adjacent parkland and came across another modern statue in honour of famous violinist Sibelius. A lovely young Red Setter wasn’t showing it the respect it deserved, if you know what I mean.

The statue was in spitting distance of the old Olympic Village which was 15 apartment blocks, built to complement a separate tent village housing 2500 other athletes. The buildings still have flagpoles and are now social housing estates.

After a brief visit to the tram Museum we found the Stadium with its imposing tower climbing about 75 metres into the sky. It has the bowl for the flame atop. The flame was originally lit by Parvo Nurmi and they somehow transported it to the top for life of games. Pretty ironic that the flame would be passed onto Aust for 56 Olympics.

The nearby Museum,adjacent to National football stadium, was a fantastic journey through time.

Interestingly the first display was a Lotto Drawing machine with its brightly coloured and numbered table tennis balls. Between 1971 and 2022 Lotto funds were the primary source of sports funding until the Government got a pang of conscience raising money from gambling,with funds now going into Consolidated Revenue.

It showcased a raft of Finnish athletes including Lassie Viren the distance runner , Nurmi and footballer Litmanen who made a name for himself with Liverpool FC.

Then there was Markkanen the first Finnish basketballer to play in the NBL AllStars game

Australian medal winners namely Strickland, Jackson and Mockeridge also featured. There was also recognition of the highly skilled Winter Olympics competitors.

Interestingly, Finland which is relatively flat has hosted World Cup Alpine Sking World Cup events for the last 60 years, primarily due to lots of Finnish ingenuity.

It would have been great to see the Swimming Centre, which from films looked about the size of North Sydney pool. Swimming was only an evolving sport then and interestingly 10 male swimmers broke the 400 metre freestyle world record at the Games. 

A bundle of kids were living out their dreams in the interactive room , including some getting to try wheelchair basketball.

The darkening skies had us treading the 2-3 kilometres back to our hotel passing Parliament lhouse and the Univetsity of the Arts. Again the contrast between past and modern art was evident in the statues/sculptures.

Another noticeable difference here as against Baltic countries is the number of young women smoking and a lesser focus on alcohol which is very expensive.

Back at hotel we met the other 24 tour members and the Tour Director who whet our appetite on what to expect over the next 10 days, including lots of snow and -15 temperatures.

Headed out for a warming Nepalese dinner and then home for our last sleep before tomorrows flight above the Arctic Circle to Ivalo.

8th December 2025

Tallinn to Helsinki

Usual sleep pattern l, only made bearable by fact that midnight dashes to bathroom were across a tile with underfloor tiling.

A Supermaket bought breakfast, quick repack and we were soon in our Uber headed for Terminsl D to start our sojourn to Helsinki and say goodbye to another magical city.

A very modern terminal not that different to an airline terminal greeted us and we went through checkin quickly and were soon sipping coffee in the waiting lounge.

Struck a group of Aussies who just arrived back from Northetn Lights cruise where they saw the lights. Hope the luck rubs off.

They made us shiver just hearing stories of minus 30 degrees on some days at places we visit over the next 10 days.

Soon onboard in a well appointed lounge in a ship which turned out to be a floating Duty Free shopping centre. One area about 150 square metres was about fashion and personal items whilst the deck below had a similar area allocated silly to alcohol. Surprisingly there was a pokies salon on board.

A smooth trip of just 2 hours had us passing a craggy group of little island before disembarking in the huge harbour area.

Next was a 2 km walk to town with suitcases in hand, passing a weird welcoming statue.

Thankfully walk was on paths with a little bit of grit rather than cobblestones.

Arrived at Art Nouveau hotel, which was previously a dormitory for male technology students, to be warmly greeted by the staff and given early access into our room.

Dropped the bags and headed down to the former market on the harbourside which had been converted into a cafe/restaurant precinct with a real multicultural offering.

Grabbed a sandwich and beer at an eye watering cost which set the scene for rest of day and likely the next two weeks in Scandinavia.

No rest for the wicked and we headed into Central Helsinki, which is a vibrant, modern and seemingly sophisticated place.

A bit of shopping in an upmarket DJ’s, search for a pharmacy, where drug prices matched the lunch, then down to the market passing some very clever Xmas decorations on the way.

The market was in a square overlooked by some very impressive buildings. It was a little different to the others in Tallinn and Riga with more emphasis on goods. That said there was plenty of stalls selling food and various warming alcohol infused drinks.

Surprisingly the centrepiece was not a tree but a huge statue.

The biggest queue was at the hut selling the Korean equivalent  of a Pluto Pup / Dagwood Dog  or a Dippy Dog if you hailed from Adelaide. Only difference it was reindeer not a Frankfurt dipped and fried. 

Gave it a miss and continued to deplete the stock of reindeer by having a toastie with a dash of Prancer, Brie and cherry jelly on a sourdough piece of bread bigger than an open hand. Supplemented it with a mulled wine and sat in a wooden cabana with a few young Finns.

The day was flying by and at 600 we began a crooked walk back to our hotel.

Managed the amazing feat of staying awake until 900pm. 

Tomorrow will be a bit of sightseeing then meeting the tour group.

December 7th 2025

 Tallinn by Foot

Well so much for the restful sleep, up at 2 hourly intervals from midnight. Maybe it is the glogg ( gluhwein alternative here) .

Another chilly day with wind chill factor taking temps down to 0. Making it a little less pleasant was the wintry mix, a meteorological term for rain, ice and snow.

Headed to town in relative darkness at around 830 through a town square almost devoid of people, only thing we passed was the Chimney Sweep statue which we rubbed for good luck on the way to Reval Cafe for breakfast.

Fuelled up we started our foot tour of town, passing a raft of cafes and restaurants and one bar which might have some appeal to Slim Dusty if he is still writing songs. 

Some beautiful old buildings with different architecture and in pristine condition.

The famed St Olav church with its huge spire stands out amongst the rest of the town. History has it that the spire has been rebuilt five times after fires and lightning strikes through history. They have installed a lightning rod in recent times to lessen the risk.

Back towards the Town Hall,adorned with two angry looking dragons, and we were in the almost deserted Xmas Market. On the way we passed a human sized reindeer decoration which Jane eyed off and I snuck past after eating one of its kin for dinner last night.

Took the winding path up into the old Town and wandered through the old castle and walked the ramparts. The ramparts gave a beautiful panorama over the city as well as providing a ‘day at the races’ atmosphere with its decorations. Inside the castle was a great display paying homage to the coffee culture which existed from the 60’s right through until today. It included some quirky artwork.

More step scaling up to see the resplendent Danish King’s palace, before wandering the backstreets taking in the history and then snatching the chance to warm up in a quaint cafe which was packed to the rafters. Ironically there was a Ben Stokes doppleganger there who responded with good humour to news the Poms had suffered another crushing loss in the cricket.

This ESim we bought has been great for a raft of things- keeping up with cricket and golf scores particularly.

Spent a couple of interesting hours with a guide or more a street performer getting a great sense of history through the ages later in the afternoon.

One interesting myth was when drinking water was first found it was so putrid they threw cats into the well to improve the taste. Apparently that didn’t work so they decided to add a few things to it and produce beer. Maybe that’s where the saying ‘that tastes like cats piss’ emanated.  
Our old mates the Blackheads, the unmarried traders group, also made the presence felt with both the women and buildings.

We came across an interesting way to grow vegetables in a narrow lane leading down to Xmas Market. It was right next to the oldest clock in Tallinn which still works – well at least twice a day.

The modern day history was no better demonstrated at our finishing point, by the huge number of banners outside the police guarded Russian embassy . The Estonians share exactly the same negative view of the Russians as the Latvians.

Decided a mid afternoon Linner (lunch and dinner) would be a great opportunity to get out of the now bitter cold and try a few more local delicacies in a Medieval themed restaurant.

Got to say the mixed tasting plate which included red deer, bear and some exotic pate was an interesting experience.

Warmed and fed we still had some walking to do to see the KGB Gaol Museum. It was an underground arrangement of cells, confinement rooms and torture mechanisms where local dissenters were meted out Communist justice. 

Some of the prisoner recollections were chilling.

It was gobsmacking to read one snippet that both the Russians and Nazi’s were critical of each others cruelty against prisoners. Think they needed to have a good look in the mirror before making that statement.

Dark was soon upon us and we ended up in the market for a a farewell Glogg ( only 15% alcohol) and some tradition Estonian profiteroles before splashing our way through the streets, passing a 50 metre long line of people heading into the church where we heard the choir the evening before.

As has been the case since arriving over here it was another early night. Tomorrow it’s on the ferry to Helsinki.

One thing I failed to mention was the vehicle below which was either a decrepit farm truck or Russian missile launcher.