Roma

The next saga begins this morning as we jet off to the Italian capital. Bags are packed and ready.

Hopefully we should arrive by 11am just in time for Lunch somewhere.

Oh and I don’t know these people below –  just on the transit bus from the car park…

Bye bye Rovaniemi 

Awaiting at the gate to board the plane we are about to leave Finland and go back home. Hopefully an easy flight and quick.

The trip back to Rovaniemi.

Nice and tight in the back here whilst Steve sits in the front. 4 hours to our destination.

Northern Lights

The lights came out at around 1am (GMT +2) our time and even though only brief was a spectacular to behold. As they dance across the sky in shades of green and yellow there is something mysterious about it.

AsIi got up to go out I chucked my jeans on and a coat with just a base-layer underneath, hiking shoes with no insulation and as soon as I was on the lake the experience was brutal. At -14F (-26C) my jeans began to freeze as I stood there not moving, the tips of my fingers began to experience pins and needles, the eyelashes on my face froze  so that when you blink they stick ever so slightly to the top of your cheek. When you inhale deeply through your nose your nasal passage freezes at this temperature and breathing in deeply can lead to coughing.

Safe to say I went in after around 15 minutes, having seen it last year and having the incorrect clothes on.

As I wake up this morning, I have been up for about 2 hours and no one is up yet. Ive had my Weetabix and onto my second cup of coffee(which is extortionate out here, around 6-8 Euros for one bag of filter). We head off at 11 in to the freezing fog that has descended leaving a great experience behind us and onto another part of the Arctic Circle. We are also popping in, ever so briefly, to Sweden to see a man about a cheese slice.

Here are some of my favourite photos from here.

 

Meanwhile at the Ranch…

Arrival in Norge!

Much colder and snowier here, and more expensive! I wanted to try Norwegian beer as we haven’t before and this set me back 19 quid.

On to our campsite! 

Just a quick one…

I’ll update a much bigger post tomorrow however tonight we have trekked a few miles and driven to Russia. Found out that fish is ridiculously cheap compared to every other food and shops don’t open Sundays.

Oh and Thor broke his Crampons.

The Drive to Ivalo.

A long drive today and not much to do in filming or experience wise but we have got to the part of Finland I enjoy, barren and cold. 

We are in a camping resort with a few nationalities which is good and interesting for conversation. We lit a campfire at around 7 o’clock and people kept flooding towards us to talk! The first chap was from Taiwan travelling on his own and doing a world tour; after quitting his job as a lawyer. We then got Germans, Americans and Indians to name a few! All receiving a warm welcome and good conversation. 

Five hours later we hit the ‘restaurant’ and had terrible food when three of the chaps only received chips when they wanted sausage and chips. After the meal Anton firmly let the lady know she had messed up which then upset her…a little too harsh in my opinion but there we go! 
It’s getting colder and a full day in one space is going to be great for filming.

Currently however we are all deciding what’s best – the minus 12 air outside or Steve. Russel shows us his thoughts below.

Until tomorrow morning! 

Gatwick to Rovaniemi

And so the next adventure begins, from a small wagamama in the heart of the south terminal to the Arctic city of Rovaniemi. We sit, slightly tired, in anticipation of a our breakfast – which is surprisingly good – a special menu that not many wagamama’s do.

Our flight takes off at 5:50 – the first flight out of Gatwick, so there shouldn’t be any delays.

Camera’s are ready and batteries charged. It should be a tepid 10 degrees FARENHEIGHT when we get there, so i’ve

only taken a coat for the first part.

Our Last full day in Alta

We have been into Alta today and visited the Museum, which was small due to most of it being outside and covered in Snow and Ice.

Last night we visited the Igloo Hotel and had a jacuzzi and Sauna, good footage was obtained but sadly the cloud stopped usfrom seeing the Northern lights for a second day in a row.

We haven’t done much today but have captured a few aerial shots with the drone and tried to collect shots we have needed previously. A little bit of a slow day in preparation for our trip to Finland tomorrow.

Tonight we hunt for the Northern Lights for the last time in Alta.