Santa-bound for a holiday visit to Finnish Lapland
Story by Carol Canter with Photos by Jack Heyman.
Dashing through the snow, meeting Santa with his reindeer, and awaiting the Northern Lights; all this and more created Christmas magic for our family. Since Santa Claus is kind enough to pay a visit to our home each Christmas Eve, we decided to return the favor and visit him at his Arctic Circle workshop in Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland.
Cruising Norway’s fjords aboard Hurtigruten’s ship Midnatsol
Story and Photos by Carol Canter.
With a 50th wedding anniversary to celebrate with family and friends and a life list of dream trips spilling over with Norwegian fjords, Roz and Irwin “B” of Santa Barbara, California chose a 12-night cruise aboard the Hurtigruten ship Midnatsol. So did a couple from Cologne Germany, who sailed with their four children and their families. The choice was the right one for them all, each a multi generational and well-traveled group that reveled in the adventure. The “B’s” had traveled in Norway before, visiting a friend Roz had made 50 years prior. The couple had long dreamed of returning for a fuller exploration of Norway’s fjords, the glacially carved inlets of water rated as “the world’s most celebrated and iconic travel destination” by National Geographic Traveler.
Norway by train: across mountains and through time
Story and Photos by Libor Pospisil.
Traveling through Norway by train, I boarded the coach at Oslo’s Sentralstasjon (Central Station) and made myself comfortable in a cushy seat. But shortly after we departed, I realized that I would not be able to simply relax because I could not to stop looking out the window. The train began to pass by large lakes, then hills, meadows, lakes again, mountain plateaus, and, ultimately, glaciers. Every new panorama beat the previous one, establishing a pattern that kept the passengers in suspense. In fact, one fellow visitor told me after the journey that despite her severe jet-lag, she was afraid to fall asleep because she might miss some of the great views.
Bergen: Gateway to Norway’s fjords
Story and Photos by Carol Canter.
Bergen was bathed in sunshine, turning our late afternoon arrival in Norway’s second city into a Kodak moment. Painted wooden facades of historic quayside buildings glowed red, gold and brown against the surrounding green mountains, while Bergen’s busy harbor sparkled, buzzing with activity. Outdoor cafes overflowed with people enjoying the warm summer late August day. Fishmongers at the market offered samples of succulent smoked salmon, while produce vendors displayed baskets of plump red raspberries bursting with sweetness. With its enviable natural setting, Bergen draws visitors to explore its seven mountains, fabulous fjords and a coastline dotted with thousands of islands.
Norway: Cruising, crab hunting and fine cuisine.
Story by Monique Burns.
In Norway, I signed on for Hurtigruten’s six-day coastal cruise in late summer when the Midnight Sun stays high in the sky through much of the night. After a couple of days in Oslo, treating myself to Edvard Munch’s work at the National Gallery and the Munch Museum, and innovative New Nordic cuisine at waterfront Louise Restaurant & Bar and at Ekebergrestauranten high in the hills above the Oslofjord, I made the two-hour SAS flight north to Kirkenes, six miles from the Russian border.
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