Monday 22nd December 2025

Nuremberg

After a takeaway breakfast we headed for the bus station to do another Hop On Hop Off circle of town.

Started with a journey around the walled old city with its huge towers and a dry moat.

The Old City still remains to be the Red Light District , despite a proliferation of Sex Shops with some interesting items for sale. Thankfully Jane’s new fur covered handcuffs should stop the scratch marks.

Pretty smart marketing by the local energy company, calling themselves NRG.

Our first stop on a day which probably focussed a little bit on the sad side of Nuremburg history was a visit to the Courts where War Trials were conducted.

Court 600 is now a place of reflection, a long way from the dark days when 20 Nasi’s went before the courts, with 11 sentenced to death, but 2 choosing to suicide before the event.

There is a remarkable museum with much stuff that is best just read, remembered and not photographed. Suffice to say the anti semetism that emanated from the Nazi Party beliefs had a catastrophic impact over time with some 5.5 million killed.

When will we ever learn.

Walked to the next point, the enormous cemetery which is still beautifully manicured  before jumping on the bus for some roving reporting on the castles history, including the obligatory myth about an escaping miscreant who hurdled the moat leaving hoofprint which are still visible today.

Headed up through the restored mansion precinct and the much purposed student lodgings which went from a Lepers Hospital to a wine storage site to today’s use. Sounds like the owner threw his arms in the air getting a reasonable tenant.

Back down passing the market whose entries are now protected by ram barriers in response to the Munich market issue.

An Asian couple found the market an interesting spot to take wedding photos, gluhwein in hand.

The kids jumped off and we headed to the Nazi Headquarters which in its heyday was a suburb in its own right.

The main area was under renovation but the small comprehensive display highlighted what a sinister and influential political party the Nazi’s were.

Whilst known for the wanton slaughter of Jews they handed out similar treatment to dissidents and prisoners of war. 

Sadly choosing Nuremburg as its HQ has tainted the image of the town.

The fact they facilitated the War Trials which were a precursor to the International Court in The Hague which deals with atrocities of war goes a bit of the way.

Thankfully its current standing as the best Xmas Market in Europe helps give the city of 500,000 a much more pleasant reputation . To be honest the people have been tremendously welcoming.

After a prolonged wait for the bus we headed back to town to do more laps of the various markets, have a couple of room drinks, before heading to a 20 seat restaurant/bar for dinner.

As the client base changed during  the night we realised we had probably selected an LBGTQ venue.

A late night gluhwein and return to restaurant to pick up forgotten hats and gloves had us having a comparatively late night , hitting the sack at 900.

Sunday 21st December 2025

Berlin to Nuremburg

Up early and bundled into a cab by 730 to ensure we got to the main station on time to catch our train to Nuremberg.

We were catching up with Sophie, Jake snd Sully for the lead up and then final celebration of Xmas in Munich , which might not be white looking at the forecast.

Seems Jane and I used up our snow allocation in Scandinavia.

It was a seamless process to get onto the train and spend a 3 hour trip mostly surrounded by fog. When it wasn’t foggy the German countryside showed up in all its green glory.

Off the train and greeted by the Adeladians and it was off to drop the bags and start the journey in Nuremburg

Like every place visited the Xmas rush is on with streets swarming with visitors and locals. No more evident than right outside our hotel which abuts the market precinct.

Our first unusual event of the day was a parade of hundreds of people dressed in traditional uniforms, carrying banners and all wearing hats off different colours and of course carrying mugs of gluhwein.

We found out that it’s an annual event where members of various university sorority and fraternity groups march on the 4 Sundays before Xmas. Loved one of the guys in uniform including a sword and scabbard used the latter as a cup holder.

They certainly turned a few heads as did the weird statue whose essence couldn’t be captured with a single photo. Shame I haven’t worked out how to add a video.

For those that loved smoked salmon our next port of call was the cats pyjamas.

We popped back to the hotel to do a mini train trip around down which showed us the highlights and gave us an idea where to jump off the bus tomorrow.

This place has an amazing history, not all of it glamorous.

We had dinner in a packed restaurant with pork knuckle everybod’s fare.

A late night wander through the market with a hluhwein to finish of our day.

Saturday 20th December 2025

Berlin

Looking to make the most of our short stay in Berlin so  it was up early and a street cafe pastry and coffee breakfast. 

It was a bit of a sombre short walk at 800 in the morning with the impacts of drug, alcohol and mental illness all seeming  to manifest into homelessness. 

In a stretch of 300 metres we passed at least 6 poor souls, ironically outside a great glossy building that was one of the first reconstructed after the war, wandering about aimlessly with life in a backpack or a collection of shopping bags.

It seems that all that glitters is not gold with the complex repurposed in 2024 after the shopping centre went broke, along with Oscar Wilde business.

Worked out best way to see Berlin was the Hop On Hop Off bus and jumping off at the sites we had already marked as must do’s.

Drove down past the Jewish Memorial with its 2711 stones of rememberance  and then around to the old Soviet side of Brandenburg gate, both we would return to later in the day.

First drop off was Reichstad the Parliament building which is a great mix of the new and old. Like many points of interest a ticket is required, even though this one was free. A 20 minute wait secured us a 300pm entry permit.

A quick walk around the outside of the building with its 4 stone corners the only remnants after the war and a huge glass dome atop.

Back on foot we headed for the next pick up point to rejoin the bus. Interesting to see the number of Italian restaurants as you wander the streets.

On the bus we passed the area settled by the Hugonnets who established the first market gardens in the Moabit area. Another feature , if you could call it that, was the Moabit Gaol

 Visitor Centre which once held some of the worst 3rd Reich offenders after the war. Thankfully it’s now a place of reflection.

Just on animals, around the corner was the Zoo , which if blurb is correct,  has the biggest number of species cared for in the world. 

Went past the Presidents residence , the Schloss Bellevue  Palace, which is situated adjacent to the rambling 3 square  kilometre Tiergarten Park – a remarkable forested park in its natural state which was redeveloped after being razed  in WW2 along with 70% of Berlin. 
it was just down the road from the gold topped avictory Column

Its no surprise to see  the Soviet side is all vanilla unit blocks and the west an aggregation of modern and restored buildings.

Interestingly during the war 40% of population fled despite significant investment in shelters.

Back in the modern side we passed the  Hotel Berlin  the first built after the war, and then another Embassy Row.

Staffemburg the guy who unsuccessfully tried to assassinate Hitler has a street named after him and a building, ironically the Ministry of Defence.

Next STOP was the intersection that was the crossroads for the divide between Soviets and the rest- it used to be controlled by an amazing lollipop light which is still there.

Then came the first glimpse of the remnants of The Wall built in 1961 to prevent people escaping from East to West. It was actually two walls about 8 inches thick divided by a death zone of 30 metres and it covered 155 kilometres. There is only about 1500 metres left. 

About 200 metres is standing outside the Museum of Terror and covered in information about that Cold War era. The other section is 1300 metres covered in murals including the famous Kiss between Brezhnev and Honecker celebrating the anniversary of German democracy.

The remainder of the wall is represented by a trail of stones along tne original path. If you didn’t want to walk it you could twje a balloon ride and get a birds eye view by balloon or borrow a Russian made Trabant (a fibreglass car produced by the Russia’s during coldest which was good at turning to the left).

Another  interesting point was it was demolished in 89 on 9th November a date now familiar with other historical events.

A visit to Berlin would be incomplete without going to Checkpoint Charlie where the great divide gave protected access across from East to West. 

It’s a pretty innocuous structure flanked

with pictures of a Soviet and US soldier on each side. It was site of the famous 63 tank standoff between US and Soviet’s. They called it a tank confrontation, pictures suggest US bought a tank and unsurprisingly the Soviets had a vehicles similar to a VW.

It was probably the most popular spot we visited.

Back on the bus passing the highest structure in town the TV spire, gold  topped Victory Column and a raft of Xmas Markets. The town is crisscrossed by pipes of different hues which are simply above the ground water pipes.

Headed back to the Reichstad passing a protest outside Brandenburg Gate. Lots of different causes were represented by about 60 participants who were slightly outnumbered by the 100 police.

Off the bus, security checked and we were off to visit the amazing dome above the parliament building.

What a structure –  with a double helix stairway taking people up and down the inside. It sits directly over the house with purple seats of parliamentarians clearly visible. 

It’s a tribute to clever  design concepts to maximise the use of natural elements. A huge monolith of mirrors provides light, a moveable shade reduces the impact of heat, a hole in the top allows the escape of hot air( much needed sitting above a bunch of politicians) and solar panels provide energy. 

it had another monumental moment when artist Christopher wrapped it in plastic.

On top of all of this it provides a great panorama of the city whose architecture is definitely a reflection of its turbulent history.

Back down we visited the Jewish Memorial which was an eerie experience with the strategically placed lighting. Another walk through the Brandenburg Gate and a wander along the Un Der Linden which was heaving with a weekend crowd.

Managed our daily dose of gluhwein before heading off to the Nivea shop to make ourselves beautiful. Of course there was another Xmas decoration expedition- as the advert says ‘ we are going to need a bigger tree’. 

Worked our way along river and over the bridge, with its community of homeless settling in for the night, before heading to dinner.

Managed to get one of the last seats next to a nice German couple who were celebrating a birthday. 

Decided to go for a smaller dinner by having a shared sausage plate. Wrong – doubt whether butcher would have much stock left after the offering put before us.

Beer was another experience,  with prices set by an internal ‘drinks stockmarket’. There was no drinks menu – prices were driven by supply and demand. We adopted the simple ‘ most for least’ principle and enjoyed a couple of nice Pilsner’s.

No thought of dessert so that was it for Berlin before tomorrow’s train ride to Nuremberg.

Friday  19th December 2025

Oslo to Berlin

Bit of a restless night after some Reindeer Revenge, aka Bali Belly, but all ok the rest of the day.

Modicum of breakfast which included a ginger shot to calm the tummy, most hotels serve them at breakfast in Norway.

Then did a Gary Lyon and managed to tweak my hamstring or glute muscle lifting the suitcase off the floor which led to a day of hobbling.

Handled the station run smoothly and we were off on the Airport  Express with a raft of other travellers heading who knows where. 

Being the Friday before Xmas the airport was packed and we joined the queues at the self checkin. We mastered the process but the conveyor belt didn’t and it was a 10 minute wait before bags disappeared, hopefully headed for Berlin.

Up in departures we were greeted by an amazing Delorian type car and for  a mix of culture an original Munch painting – his most famous 20’s painting was The Scream.

Soon on the SAS flight accompanied by the usual gang of people who empty their wardrobe and think it will fit into carry on luggage.

Aisle seat, so not sure what sort of territory we crossed but ended up in a chilly Berlin 90 minutes later.

Baggage handlers made my bag quite easy to distinguish pulling off one of the straps, so after a little running repairs we traipsed through one terminal to another then underground to find train platform.

After a ticket machine dilemma and encountering a guard giving a family the rounds of the table for having a pram in the wrong carriage- a real welcome to Germany- it was all ahead Berlin.

The main station replicated most in the world, crowds, chaos and homeless. Not sure what the 20 police cars out the front were doing, but it did put one on edge.

We manouvered our way through ever darkening light along streets filled mainly with modern buildings. It was architect freelance school here. Interestingly Embassies were dotted along this part of town, including US which was all about security and not aesthetics. There was a meter display recording something in the billions – something, perhaps refugee intake given the multicultural make up of the people we have already passed.

Found our riverside hotel and unsurprisingly it was quirky. Room was all German efficiency which included bathroom door also opening inwards to create a toilet cubicle.

Unpacked and slaked thirst with an Aperol while doing some map orientation then headed off the dinner at recommended local restaurant. On the way passed a bunch of kids training for curling- youthful enthusiasm had them hurling the stone more.like ten pin bowling much to the chagrin of coach.

As usual the meal servings were ridiculously big with 4 pieces of snitzel the norm. Didn’t leave much room for the accompanying pint of pilsner.

An after dinner walk probably took us to the dark side of town along the river with plenty of homeless and dodgy buildings.

Managed to reach the un der linden – the huge avenue leading up to the Brandenburg Gate.

The whole area was again glitzed up for Xmas and the illuminated gate showed itself all its glory. The small market was doing a roaring trade in gluhwein and takeaway food with the big Friday night crowd.

Wound our way back along the river and passed the Berliner Ensemble with a crowd gathered outside and some early arrivals sipping champagne on the balcony below a stunning mural.

Back to the hotel with all its artwork and oddities before calling it a night.

Thursday 18th December 2025

Oslo

Afforded ourself a little sleep in with today’s itinerary driven solely by us, no packing up, no bags out etc 

It was a snow free, yet chilly day, with a light mizzle that greeted us after breakfast. ‘Feels like’ temperature was -2, so we were rugged up for our 45 minute walk out to the Vigeland which is the worlds largest Sculpture Park by one artist.

It was a chance to walk off the ‘bus bum’ accumulated after 9 days in a coach. It was a surprisingly hilly walk as we wandered through suburbs surrounded by beautiful parklands that housed the home ground of local ice hockey and football teams. The most infrequently used area, at this time of the year, the swimming pool, with 3 level diving tower, was also in the precinct.

Time passed quickly and we arrived at the ornately sculptured bridge that led to the sculpture park which extended in front of us as far as the eye could see.

Whilst they have fossil parks in the world this was a tossil park. If you were offended by men’s dangly bits and nudity generally this park was not for you. We did notice a tour group of Asians giggle and quickly pass through.

The artist deliberately  had all granite sculptures nude so they did not age and reflect  a particular era.

The major exhibit depicted life from womb to tomb and all forms of sexuality. The craftsmanship was absolutely amazing.

Jane managed to embed herself in the Secret Women’s  Business group while I realised I didn’t measure up to be a model.

After an hour we took a more circuitous route home walking through Embassy Row where all the fancy houses and flash cars dominate the scenery. There were several police huts and cars scattered through the area. The most ironic neighbours were Russia and Ukraine. It was interesting the majority of houses facing the Russian Embassy had Ukrainian flags displayed either in windows or on external flag poles. 

Seems the majority of Scandinavia is very supportive of Ukraine and rightfully so.

Stopped outside a kids school and watched the kids enjoying school- most clad in Santa hats.  There were also plenty at childcare if the traffic jam outside was any indication.

It was then down along the harbour where huge ferries seemed to swallow semi trailers as they drove into the hold. 

Behind them were the cruise ships ready to take the passengers on an Arctic  adventure. We actually met an Aussie couple outside our hotel destined for a cruise who picked our brains on what to expect- we had to keep the mystery of the Northern  Lights exactly that – a mystery.

Made our way back home passing the Palace with its three diligent guards doing precise military drills out front.

Back at the hotel we were pleasantly surprised with free Glogg in the foyer.

When upstairs it was a decision between the laundromat or Oslo Trots – clean clothes won the coin toss.

Dr Google set the trail and we headed off on some more hill walking up through the University precinct and then through some quaint suburbs with beautiful wooden houses. One had the best Naitivity scene embedded in the facade of the house.

We soon crossed the river after fighting off a group of marauding ducks anxious for a feed. Either lack of feeding or in a show of male virility two put on a great wrestling match.

Soon reached the laundry which in true Nordic fashion was completely automated and charged at their rates.

Found a local parkside cafe situated inside an old cinema and enjoyed our 2 beers and a sandwich for $A75,  the only thing missing was popcorn and Choctops. 
The bridge over the stream had the obligatory European love locks attached to the sides.

‘Oslo consistently ranks as one of the most expensive cities in Europe. The reality is that Oslo’s high prices reflect its strong economy, high wages, and excellent quality of life’  – a direct quote from Dr Google who seems to forget the high tax regime.

Ventured back and collected clothes before a lovely walk through a suburb evolving from industry to residential, but not without the scourge of graffiti. Despite the graffiti this place is spotlessly clean.

Back in the city centre afternoon traffic was at a standstill despite the locals  glowing praise of the tunnel systems that cross the city.

No rest for us, after dropping off clothes and a little more Glogg we headed to the Xmas Markets and another lap. Crowds were much bigger than yesterday and more people using the attractions, including the ice skating rink and some steep metal slide which would struggle to meet safety standards, but did attract a lot of yelping teenagers.

Lived up to our promise from yesterday and got a Juicy Moosey Burger, albeit under the stare of Bullwinkle whose picture was on the back wall. Dessert was in the form of a waffle and it was an alcohol free visit.

The ‘have more kids’ incentive over here is certainly working with many a 2 and 3 kid family enjoying the market and in the streets generally.

Headed down for a quick peep at the harbour and City Hall and National Theatre before the evening chill and mizzle had us back home  across the Palace Park for our last sleep in Scandinavia.

Wednesday 17th December 2025

Tromso to Oslo

Today was our last day in the Arctic Circle and with a bit of a sad heart we packed up and prepared for our trip to Oslo.

Managed to avoid WW3 which was happening at the Reception Desk, right in middle of Breakfast Room, between 2 insistent young CRA’s who couldn’t accept there was no room to extend their stay in the hotel that evening. The abrupt ‘well what are you going to do about it’ barked at the staff member, received the politest of  replies ‘more importantly what are you going to to do about it’. That soon had them on their heels tails between the legs.

We enjoyed breakfast and the 5 minute bus ride soon had us at the airport.

Everything other than security is self check in over here and the worst fate is getting stuck behind IT illiterate people at the checking in and luggage drop area. 

We managed it and after their umpteenth try and a bit of guidance they finally worked it all out, some 10 minutes later. 

Jane automatically puts her hand up at Security and meekly succumbed  to the handsome young guard asking permission for a full body pat down.

As expected no contraband and a smile was all he found.

Jumped on a full SAS plane and grabbed my window seat which gave a Birds Eye view of the wings being hosed down to remove ice – every plane get the treatment here after the late 90’s ditching when ice formed on a plane’s wings. Thankfully it landed without injuries and started a process that lifts one’s confidence, especially when you see how much washes off.

The two hours passed quickly as we flew over snow covered mountains, then frozen lakes and rivers , before 20 minutes out from Oslo the snow disappeared and the lush green fields forming part of the 3% of farmed land in Norway started to appear.

Navigated the airport quicker than the poor driver navigated the Oslo traffic on the 40 minute  journey to our schmick hotel right near the Palace and Xmas Market.

We passed the Alfred Nobel Museum (famous for developing TNT) and the building where Prizes were awarded last week. Surprisingly, we didn’t see Donald Trump moping around out the front with a ‘What About Me’ sign.

Seems the weird decor theme is being embraced in lots of Scandinavian hotels with colourful walls and abstract paintings in foyers and rooms and this one was no different.

With little daylight left we walked town admiring the beautiful old and new buildings , before getting our bearings right for Fridays train trip to the airport.

Then it was off to the grandest Xmas  Market so far, with its glittering entrance, raft of amusement rides and stalls galore. For the punter there was a huge chocolate wheel where with one lucky spin of the wheel you could win a 2kg pack of a chocolate of your liking. Just as we arrived a fellow marched off with a giant Toblerone box under his arm. At $7 a spin and 80 numbers not sure it was a good bet.

If you had a sweet tooth there were lollies galore and a 100 different flavoured toffee apples  My confectioner Dad would have been in his element.

There were food stores aplenty with traditional hot dogs, cheese ball pasta, doughnuts, corn dogs – you  name it . I must say the most appealing was the Juicy Moosey Burger – we will be back for one of them tomorrow.

Headed back to hotel to dress for our farewell dinner which was held in a restaurant that shared the building with a library. Seemed more diners than readers with lots being turned away for tables whilst we were there.

The decorations both freestanding and incorporated into building facades are beautiful and create a real spirit of Cmad.

Dinner was the best meal on tour and we enjoyed a couple of Italian wines to boot.

The house next door was pretty unique being decorated as an Advent Calendar.

Back on the bus for a 3 minute ride home and said our goodbyes to all those with onwards journeys first thing in the morning. Then off upstairs for a farewell drink in the packed rooftop bar with the Pussycat Dolls ( Nancy and Elina) – our bus mates from the US.

There endeth our Chasing The Northern Lights tour. Next stop Berlin, Nuremberg, Munich and Heidelberg.

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.