Arctic Auroras and Dog Sledding

Amazing  photos of the Aurora Borealis inspired us to visit the Arctic of Norway. We took a ferry / small cruise ship through majestic fjords to the top end of Norway all the way to the border of Russia. Did you know that Russia and Norway rub shoulders in the Arctic, with Finland and Sweden between their arms? The trip was not quite as we imagined, but it was magical. Our two friends from California both got sick during the trip, which was sad, yet they maintained their lovely dispositions throughout. We all need friends like them!

AURORA FUN FACT

Cameras are much more sensitive to the Northern Lights than the human eye.

In the bright moonlight, we could see a faint mist (left) with our own eyes. The camera captured so much more on night mode. The Aurora moves constantly, thus blurring images with a slow shutter speed. And the ship was moving. And I was shaking with excitement and cold. The white dots are stars. We watched the lights dancing in the skies for about 1.5 hours.

Tim and I went husky sledding, something my SIL had said was the best thing she had done in her life. This was at the far north of Norway. It was wonderful.

HUSKY FUN FACTS

Huskies come in a variety of colors. They love to run, and they bark if not chosen to run. Our musher took us across a huge snow-covered frozen lake.  We were within 5 miles of the border with Russia.  No, we didn't venture into hostile territory. 

We were able to feed moss to some reindeer. The white one is young but not an albino. White reindder are called "gabbas." This variation occurs only 1:1000. Click on each image to see the full view.

REINDEER FUN FACTS

Rudolph is a female. Males shed antlers in the fall, and females after calving in the spring. 

HOTEL OF SNOW AND ICE We visited an exchanting hotel that was quite large with areas for socializing and beatiful ice sculptures thoughout. Although guests are given sleeping bags rated for -40C, I think we will pass on staying in an ice hotel. Click on each image to see the full view.

Norway is a stunning country with a fascinating post-WWII history. We visited a number of museums, including exhibits about the polar explorations. My family has a special connection to the most famous polar hero, Roald Amundsen, which I might write about here another time.

Click on each image below to see the full view.

Thanks to all of you who stay in touch. Keep us in mind if you want to come to Portugal or meet us somewhere in Europe.

Love from Tim and Penelope

On a mountain top above Bergen, second largest city in Norway. Notice the sunlight in the sky? We are below the Arctic Circle here. Above the Arctic, we never saw the sun at all.

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