Morning, morning, morning ... having done some research in the early hours (through lack of sleep), we're working on today's to-do list. Essentially, we're awaiting the outcome of whether the local Tromso Outdoor shop has a tripod for hire so that we can (a) practice camera settings to avoid any unnecessary fumbling in freezing temperatures and (b) consider the advice of Northern Lights hunter Kjetil Skogli and professional guide from Joanna Lumley's BBC1 "The La...

Happy New Year and what a magical fireworks display we witnessed last night, quite unlike any other. If truth be told, the show began around 2pm, continuing non stop, both sides of the waterways, until the early hours. No grand classical overtures blasting out from supersize subwoofers. Not one sign of a crowd control barrier, positioned every which way along the harbour, restricting your movements. Not even a glimmer of a countdown clock, followed by a badly pre...

OMG... I'm sure if I'd seen these gnomes hanging around between Christmas And New Year's Eve (as a child), I'd never have slept a wink ... and not out of excitement but fear ... what scary b******!!!! This one was propped up in an estate agent's window which begs the question ... WHY???!!!!

Folklore of the Norwegian gingerbread house is widespread, especially among young families; the house is ready for gnomes to move in by ’Little Christmas Eve’ (23rd December) and move out again by New Years Eve, when the house is taken apart. Traditionally a one-room house, light bulb inside and elaborately decorated with sweets and spices (i.e. ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and pepper), it's not necessarily referred to as gingerbread but 'pepperkakehus'...

OK so it's 20:15 precisely so we're calling to wish you a final Godt Nyttår before we're too cooked to type it correctly. What a blast in Tromso, if you can make it in a future year, do so ... it's so unbelievably magical, fireworks already going off everywhere. Big kisses all around. T & J xxx