We stayed two days in Tromso inside the Arctic Circle, reaching there by sailing through majestic fjords where trees cling surreptitiously to white capped mountains. Houses where houses should not be, a mountain with a hole in it due to a troll shooting an arrow at someone. We passed the Seven Sisters with impressively long names. We also passed an Arctic Globe, a wire shape presumably marking the Arctic Circle. We did all receive certificates as a result!

On the evening of the 13th at 10pm an announcement was made that the Northern Lights had been sighted off the starboard bow. I wrapped myself up, and rushed to the Lido Deck. Nothing. And then I saw a faint wisp to the right . . . colourless vague just it shouldn't be there. Tick. Done. Not as impressive as when captured on camera, but auroras must vary in strength too.

Not content with gingerly walking around Tromso on foot (piles of snow and icy paths) and getting postcards to send off we also went reindeer sledging, getting there by a tunnel with subterranean roundabout. Disconcerting the way the snow kept giving way underfoot, the ice was slippery but manageable. The sledging was at a reconstruction of a Sami camp - the Sami people have more comforts but are concerned about preserving their culture (which has been oppressed), and also the Sami don't want to end up as tourist attractions. We sat on sledges which were pulled jerkily by the reindeer as we admired the beautiful setting of a lake surrounded by pristine mountains.

We then all piled into a Sami tent (think tall wigwam fire in middle for heating stew tea coffee) with vent at top. The smoke from the larvvo tent hung around our clothes for days! We had reindeer stew with bread, then a talk about Sami culture. They showed belts with round buttons for unmarried, square for married. They talked about marriage feasts for 3000, the procession of reindeer for a proposal, children given knives which are multi-purpose including branding reindeer. We also a demonstration of yoiking, which I don't fully understand but is a song not necessarily with words which can represent? symbolise? incarnate? a person or place?

In the evening four coachloads ordered by descending deck order (a kind of class system) went to the Arctic Cathedral (actually a parish Church but beautiful - an impressive stained glass window I was the wrong side of) for a concert by three Norwegians (soprano female sax keyboardist), who started confusingly performing behind us. The acoustic were very good and they didn't need mikes. The pieces included a Grieg setting of something by Hans Christian Anderson, and an encore of Amazing Grace. The wind bit hard as we waited for our coach afterwards, back too late for the evening show, so had to console ourselves with hot chocolates in the Library.