In January 2015 we travelled to Swedish and Finnish Lapland and into the far north of Norway. Our aim was to spend a month driving inside the Arctic Circle in the “long night” of winter. We also wanted to see the Aurora Borealis. And knowing that auroras were very dependent on weather conditions, we wanted to ensure we had enough time to be able to see them. We chose places with special microclimates that would increase our chances of Aurora action. Microclimates are not all they are cracked up to be.
At times we wondered what the hell we were doing driving through Scandinavia in the near dark … in the gloaming of high latitudes in winter … in deep snow … and at temperatures of minus 30 degrees.
Lapland cold damn cold
But it wasn’t all about what we could see … it was what we could feel .. it was for the experience. Then there is the cold we need to mention the cold. There is no greater illusion than a sunshiny minus 25 degree day. It is beautiful, fun, an absolute joy, and then it is cold, damn cold. Hang on a minute it’s bloody freezing.
And so began our month long journey through the Arctic Circle and Lapland … chasing auroras, chasing the cold, chasing the snow, chasing the reindeer, chasing whales, chasing new experiences … this just might have been the funnest trip ever!
Please click on a photo to enlarge the scrolling gallery.
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- uppsala grandeur
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- uppsala
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- central stockholm
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- lakeside
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- sparkling cold -25c
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- early morning blue
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- morning pink
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- where’s my picnic
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- follow that star
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- norway has mountains
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- a favourite
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- end of the world
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- must be norway
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- trio of whales
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- got you
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- best night
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- best
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- sun going up
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- sun going down
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- finnish snowroad
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- thats a cabin in the snow
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- should have
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- a walk in the cold
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- and that’s a hut
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- looking towards russia
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- our amethyst mine
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- walking in the moonlight
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- coffee and a bic
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- roadside
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- follow the rainbow
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- sammi warmth
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- viking mounds
