I love taking the train to the airport for that is when I know my holiday has begun. My first time flying Virgin was quite pleasant and the inflight entertainment helped pass the time. The funny thing is that we landed in L.A. a few hours earlier than we actually left Brisbane, even after 14 long hours in the sky. It is rather nice to gain an extra day in one's life. Americans are very security conscious and the requirements of electronic fingerprinting and fac...

Yes folks, my feet are itchy, my bags are packed and I am ready for another adventure. This time I am off in a different direction. Countdown is down to a couple of days and then I will be winging it to Seattle ready to join a cruise to Alaska, another cruise through the Panama Canal and then some stop off time in New York and Las Vagas before heading home. So looking forward to this five week journey with my husband and our good friends, Frank and Helen.

The January Moon The January moon made a hell of a show Over Helsinki all covered in snow Between the buildings, the midnight glow, Then early morning way down low Tangled itself in power lines – oh no! Played with the street lights all a-glow, Then dropped out of sight – it had to go. But the moon over Helsinki made a hell of a show.

Homeward Bound ... Today I head home from the journey of a lifetime, a richer (in experience, definitely not purse), wiser person, hardly able to believe I am lucky enough to have completed such an amazing trip. From those first few tentative steps off the plane in Beijing, across many, many kilometres of Mongolian deserts and Russian tundras, through places so cold your toes and nose felt they may drop off, with people so lovely that their friendship warmed you...

Rovaniemi is a lovely city situated close to the Arctic Circle where the Kemijoki and the Ounasjoki Rivers meet. Our hotel was on the banks of one of these rivers and central to the city area, so we were in walking distance of most things we wanted to see. The city plan is set out in he shape of reindeer antlers, the streets are decorated with Christmas lights in the shape of antlers and the gift shops are full of souvenirs made of reindeer antlers. Guess which a...