Having done the Antarctic, it was not too long before the idea struck that to be balanced - both physically and metaphorically - one had to do the Arctic! Which we did! The comfortable way....on a de luxe cruise leaving from Tilbury Docks on the Prinsendam which good ship took us some 5000 miles: first to Scrabster and Lerwick in the far reaches of Northern Scotland and on to Torshavn - the Faroe Islands then to Iceland calling at Djupivogur and Reykjavik then crossing into the Arctic Circle on to Ny Alesund with only 12 permanent residents who proudly claim theirs to be the "world's northernmost settlement" at 78deg55min North 11deg56min East! Some scenic cruising of the Magdelena Fjord and we were on to Alesund and Bergen on the coast of Norway and Amsterdam where we disembarked. A total of three glorious weeks to literally chill out and enjoy the scenery as it was 'brought' to our balcony, with tours on land as and when we felt like....all too soon at an end! The weather was not always ideal, that far up north and it was grey and wet when we visited Iceland...nor did we see any polar bears in Spitsbergen as sadly, there had been a fatal attack on one member of a student party and serious injuries to four others the morning we were there which meant that all polar bear search tours were called off for the day....but hey, as my shutterbug son tells me " you win some, you lose some....and the rain and grey does add a different face to the scenery!!" and there is one reason yet to re-visit...polar bears!
We missed the Northern Lights as it was not the season...but the promise is that we would be seeking the Northern Lights as soon we can...!