The lure of trying a Scandinavian open sandwich, before we leave, is too much, so at one of the airports on the way back, I’m afraid I succumbed. Essentially the Smørbrød is a piece of buttered bread (which I left, being gluten intolerant), topped with steak, shrimps, smoked salmon, hard boiled eggs, bacon, herring, fish fillets, liver pâté or small meatballs, complemented by herbs, parsley, salad, sliced cucumber, tomato wedges and/or pickled beetroot. Fac...

"WOW" is all I have the energy to say right now, chilling on a fur covered bed in the lounge of Stavanger Airport! Two strikes off my dwindling bucket list, and I'm quickly running out of things to do. Seriously, I've been lucky enough to have been on so many wonderful travel adventures, from barren plains of the Serengeti (sleeping among wandering lions whose breath rasps at the foot of your tent), through feisty white water rapids at the source of the Nile, sen...

Whilst not quite the comedy Marshmallow men of a few days ago, we're all togged up and ready to go. In all honesty, I think I overdid it a little .... So much so that I had to lose several layers by the time we'd crossed the road to the Ishavshotel, the other side. Here I am now though: woolly tights, ski socks, two long sleeve base layers, t-shirt, Haglofs (down ... Hmmm toastie warm) mid-layer barrier vest, salopettes, waterproof jacket, insulated gloves and wo...

Thought we'd give it the whole nine yards of the "Arctic Explorer" meal deal tonight, complete with hip flasks/mini bottles of brandy, flask of hot water, dried packet food (lamb casserole for J and vegetable soup for me) ... and even dried reindeer meat snacks pepperami-style (yuk!!!) for J. Whilst we're setting off at 2000 hours, we may not be back til 2am, for the expected amount of aurora chasing we'll be doing around the Arctic Circle. NB. Mum, we may need t...

Well what do you know? Good old Terence Conran's first Habitat shop eventually made it all the way from London's sixties Fulham Road store in Chelsea to the Arctic Circle, who'd have thought it possible back then huh?!