click to the pics

The first trip this year took us to Norway. Aurora borealis or northern lights, name of the phenomenon caused by solar winds that can be seen in clear winter nights north of the arctic circle.
That is, what we wanted to experience.
Well, Jade and the Land Rover had to stay home therefore Manuel joined us for this tour.
We all wanted to learn how to capture these lights with our cameras so we decided to book this trip at Dionys Moser‘s photo travel agency – almost all inclusive…
Flight over Copenhagen and Oslo to Tromsø, and a hotel in the city center.

Day 1:
No time to unpack. Well equipped with three 4WD VW-vans, our guides took us out of town for chasing northern lights.
No luck this evening. All we could see was heavy snowfall….

Day 2:
Photo shooting with the reindeers and on the waterside at Skulsfjord.
And in the evening:
2 layers of woolen underwear, a big can with hot soup, spare batteries for the camera and don‘t forget the headlights……It was time to get out of town again, yr.no (weather forecast) announced partly clear sky.
We all (24 participants) were fully motivated to spend the night out in the cold!
I can tell you right away, we missed the „ultimate corona“ – but what we were able to experience this night was just wonderful:
Kattfjordvatnet, the mountains in the light of a barely full moon, passing clouds – driven by stormy winds. And then, there was this feeling of „energy was in the air“.
In fact what only the well trained human eye might be able to realize, can already be seen by the lens of our cameras: Aurora Borealis.
Just a soft glimmering green light that transforms to a stripe before it fades away again, covered from the fast moving clouds.
All that stays behind is the scattered light from the city on one side and the edge of the mountains illuminated by the moonlight on the other side.
And silence – till – moving headlamps! They indicate that it‘s time to go back.
It was a great night!

The following days and nights we were forsaken from the weather. But there are nice things to do in Tromsø: Visiting the Mack brewery with its historic „Ølhallen“ for example.
In Skulsfjord we had another short intermezzo with the northern light and that‘s it!

Conclusion:
On the other side of the arctic circle, landscape and nature is beautiful through the whole year.
On the other side of the arctic circle, people are cool and easy.
Northern lights: next time with the Land Rover, and there will be a next time for sure.
Travel in a groups: we keep our „free spirit“…..
Anyway, many thanks to:
Dominik Orth
and his team. They couldn‘t choose the weather but they made the best out of it!