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The summer days in Arctic Finland were certainly not without their pleasures. The hours passed swiftly by as we scanned the pristine lakes for birds, munched contentedly on reindeer stew, paddled in crystal clear waters and walked through pure forest to the Russian border, where a Golden Eagle swooped dramatically in front of our group.
They have a saying in Africa: ‘You come with rain, you are a lucky person’. After 31 hours of travelling from the North of Scotland to the depths of the Okavango Delta I had just sunk gratefully onto one of the camp chairs round the table in the open-sided mess tent, a glass of cool G&T in hand, happily slurping, when a sudden local storm whipped up in the clearing before us.
Back in December I suggested to my brother Ken that we take our annual 'winter break' on a cruise along the Norwegian coast. In recent years we have indulged in a little seasonal migration around February - to escape the English winter and pursue various interests. Noticing the temperatures in northern Norway in February, Ken did not seem terribly enthusiastic.
'My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird, -the achieve of; the mastery of the thing!'
(Quote taken from 'The Windhover' by Gerard Manley Hopkins)
Thermals. It was something of a last-minute notion, prompted by the weather forecast in the days before we were due to start our Naturetrek trip to the Levels. So, thermals bought and packed, we set off to Wells to meet our fellow travellers and our two guides, Charles and Ed.
