Relaxing in the Sunshine

Now that the Southern Hemisphere’s Winter sets in, our thoughts start to drift off to the Scandinavian Summers. Long mild summer nights, glorious produce and hot days are things to expect when you travel to Scandinavia in summer.  Strawberry picking, shelling prawns and drinking pale ale on boats of all types are experiences not to be forgotten.

One thing that I think is an important ingredient in making Norway and other Scandinavian regions fantastic over summer is that this peak tourist seasons is generally quiet and relaxing compared to their Southern European counterparts. Lots of Scandinavians travel over their winter period and then rest and enjoy their own country during summer. They head off to the mountains and the sea, usually to their own huts. This makes hotels, campgrounds and other tourist destinations relatively calm and available during the European summer.

Please enjoy our seasonal favourites as the winter sets in. Check out our Norway tours.

Greg Feck has spent his time since the first Nordic Real Food Tour creating an inspirational menu that interpreted dishes he enjoyed on tour. His team of 4 chefs served us 9 courses, all which made the room buzz. Accompanying wines helped seal the success of the evening. A special thank you  to our previous guests from the 2011 tour who shared with us some fun stories about eating seagull, puffins and whale.

The menu last night was based on Greg’s interpretation of the fine restaurant dishes that the group enjoyed.

Mussel Salad from the Restaurant Havis, Helsinki, Finland

Pickled Herring on crisp bread, potato & Creme fraiche from the Bestebakken, Hafslo, Norway

Salmon, cavier and borage from Vianvang, Brimiland, Norway

Wild mushroom “Foragers soup” from Lysebu Hotel, Oslo, Norway

Puffed Rice, dried “fermented” lamb, praline, seaweed & fish skin from Hotel Foroyar, Faroe Islands

Beef Tartare, sorrel, juniper & tarragon from Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark

Venison “Whale”, rhubarb jam, soy & lime from Hotel Budir, Wild Iceland

Entrecote, oxtail gravy, salsify, asparagus & tomato from Grythyttans, Sweden

White Chocolate & chervil jelly from Geranium, Copenhagen, Denmark

My personal favourite was the last dish, which looked very much like green jelly with cucumbers on top but turned out to be absolutely beautiful!

Thanks Kim and Greg and team for a fabulous night.

Well, Scandinavia has some equally wonderful food halls to experience. Stockholm has the wonderful Östermalms and Hötorgshallen food halls, Helsinki boasts the Kauppahalli food market, and Copenhagen now has the new gleaming Torvehallerne food hall. Oslo has a new food hall opening in October 2012, the Mathallen.

Be sure to take the time to check out these food halls if you are wandering around these towns.

Our region, Scandinavia, has faired extremely well again in the annual World’s Top 50 Restaurant awards. Be sure to talk to us about helping you make bookings for these restaurants during your trip. And… we can whisper a few more up and coming ones to try.

Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark                             1

Frantzen/Lindeberg, Stockholm, Sweden             20

Faviken, Jarpen, Sweden                                    34

Mathias Dahlgren, Stockholm, Sweden                41

Geranium, Copenhagen, Denmark (new entry)      49

Chez Dominique, Helsinki, Finland                      56

Restaurant Relae, Copenhagen, Denmark            75

Of course, you could always just come along our Nordic Real Food Tour in August.

Why not combine your Aurora Borealis journey with a world class festival in the far reaches of Norway. World-class opera, jazz, chamber music, audiovisual art, symphonic concerts, choir, dance and much more. This intimate festival in the region of the Northern lights is truly a magical experience.

The dates for 2013 are between 25^th of January and 4^th of February, meaning that it is right when the sun appears after two months of absence  in Tromsø.

As for the festival programme, it still is under construction but it is likely that one performance will be showcasing  the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra and probably the Norwegian tuba soloist Øystein Baadsvik, known as the best on this instrument in the world. The orchestra will be lead by famous trombonist and chief conductor Christian Lindberg.

It is also likely that  Bolero Berlin, an interesting group of musicians mainly based on musicians from the Berliner Philharmony with additions of some jazz musicians will be performing.

The format of the festival is that there is at least one “major” concert each day, supplied by lunch concerts, early afternoon concerts and most days also a late night concert – often with jazz or cross-over music.

During the first weekend, hopefully the Hurtigruten ship will arrive to act as the festival ship, meaning that there will be late night concerts on board as the ship will be staying in our harbour over the weekend.

We will also plan the “Northern Lights Cruise” as we have done the last ten years. This means that the actual ship will start in Bergen four days before the festival starts and that there will be concerts on board all the way from Bergen to Tromsø.

More international and local acts will be published soon.

The photographer Ole C. Salomonsen from Tromsø, famous for his Northern Lights photographs/videos, will feature at the festival. Many other excellent photographers in Tromsø that are specializing in the difficult task of capturing the Aurora will be at the festival.

Please enjoy our guest entry by our new Swedish travel expert: Esbjörn Torstensson.

As with most expats, I am very passionate about my mother country.  There is a trap you can fall in to of seeing everything with rose tinted glasses, but I think I have avoided this by falling equally in love with the city & country that I currently live in, Melbourne Australia.

It has always seemed unusual to me that there is not more tourism to my home country, and region.  It must sound strange to a non Swede, but some of my fondest memories are of the sandy beaches of the south, and long summer nights that you experience during our summers.  Naturally, what to a child felt like endless days playing in the snow, walking up the hill to go tobogganing is also fond memories.  To me personally, I will always remember looking out through my bedroom window and seeing the falling snow lit up by the distant street lights.

In recent times, Sweden get a lot of attention due to some of the popular novels that have enjoyed worldwide success, such as the Stieg Larsson and Henning Mankell books, and consequent movies and tv shows.  The unfortunate thing is that the dark themes and sometimes dreary grey environments that are very suitable to crime fiction are some times described in the media as typically Swedish and something that the introvert Swedes endure whilst staying indoors with their many dark secrets…Now, I do feel the need to get this off my chest – this is far from the truth!  Whilst Sweden do have crime and Autumns are not always uplifting, that is the case in most parts of the world with seasonal weather. What I will say is that Swedes are very liberal, and issues like child abuse, corruption & other crimes have always been openly discussed in our media and amongst our people.  We are almost French like in our compulsion to argue and discuss everything that is wrong with the world, so not much stays hidden for long.  Also, the darker times of the year often results in great creativity which is part of the reason we have so many great authors, and are often quoted as the 3rd most music producing country in the world, behind the UK and the USA.

The point is, Swedes can be perceived as a tad reserved, but as an English speaker, you are likely to be overwhelmed by the locals willingness to help you and more times than not, in perfect English. Thanks to very liberal immigration policies, most of our towns are far more interesting these days, with local food markets and a great variety of restaurants.  If you go in summer, you will see a lot of happy Swedes frequenting the outside bars, cafes and our many beaches.  If you go in winter, we do all we possibly can to light up the dark streets with Christmas lights, candle and lanterns.  Mention any of our local football teams in summer, or ice hockey teams in winter and you will instantly be welcomed with open arms. And as with many other cultures, Swedes gladly open up over a drink or two.

I have often noticed in my travels that no matter where you go, there seem to be a Swede, German, Kiwi, Australian and North American around somewhere.  Next time I go home, I want to experience the same thing in my home country – so get to it and I’ll see you there next time I’m having a beer at  Harry’s in Helsingborg.

Ski the Last Degree and then fly home

The Amundsen-Scott Station, a scientific research base, sits atop the most desolate patch of snow on earth: the geographic South Pole.

Carbon dioxide freezes to dry ice at -109 degrees Fahrenheit. By South Pole standards, that’s just a nippy day. Winter temperatures have dipped to -117 degrees. It’s easily the coldest, most lifeless place on Earth — the “on Earth” part being crucial: While the North Pole’s ice cap floats on water, the South Pole’s sits on rock. While the north’s is thin (15 feet, average), the south’s is nearly two miles thick.

Because of such extremes, the station is cut off from the world for eight months – between March and November – winter at the bottom of the earth. When it is below -50 degrees, nobody can fly in or out; metal landing gear on aircraft snaps like twigs, and engine oil turns to jelly.

Ever since I was a child, I had wanted to visit this mysterious place, so I joined a “Ski the Last Degree” expedition. The plan was to fly to 89 degrees south, then battle mother nature the remaining 70 miles to the Pole, cross-country skiing with equipment, food and personal gear in sleds behind us.

After five separate flights — New York to Lima; Lima to Santiago; Santiago to Punta Arenas; Punta Arenas to Patriot Hills, Antarctica; Patriot Hills to 89 South — our group of four intrepids set out on the polar plateau, where bone-chilling wind is the norm and even birds can’t survive. The landscape is a flat ice desert and, had we not had a GPS, we would have had no idea in which direction to ski.

It was summer (December), but that didn’t mean it was easy. Because the plateau is 9,300 feet above sea level the cold air, rarely above zero, is thin and the body acclimates to oxygen deprivation grudgingly. I had a splitting headache and nausea for the first few days. Couple that with the 110-pound sled loads we were pulling — well, you get the exhausting picture!

Our routine was similar each day. We awoke at 7 a.m., then fired up stoves to melt snow for a breakfast of oatmeal and hot cocoa. By 10 a.m., tents were dismantled and camp packed up. Then the real work began: eight grueling hours of skiing.

Day after day, we pushed on for a solid 60 minutes at a time, then broke for 15 minutes, then skied another 60 minutes, then took a break, and so on. Burning 1,000 calories an hour, we ate as much chocolate, dried fruit and nuts as possible during the breaks, washing them down with hot drinks from thermoses.

When the wind kicked up, we quickly donned face masks, since at those temperatures any exposed skin is frostbitten within minutes. Was it tough? Three days in, I leaned over to our guide and panted, “Of this much I am certain: If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I do not want to come back as a sled dog.”

Despite the struggles, I couldn’t help but admire the view, otherworldly and beautiful. One day brought with it “sun dogs,” a phenomenon whereby a large rainbow rings the sun, with two false suns on either side. Another day, tiny ice crystals began falling from a perfectly clear blue sky.

We stared at the ground, looking, unsuccessfully, for meteorites. The area near the South Pole is perhaps the world’s best place to hunt, because a dark rock against a white background is easy to spot. If you spot one in such isolated ice, you can be sure it didn’t come from anywhere but the sky.

In the “evening”, we would set up camp. Then there was more snow melting to prepare freeze-dried dinners. Afterward, we’d hit our sleeping bags, rated -40 degrees, for some rest. Even this was difficult. In the height of the Antarctic summer the sun just rolls around the edge of the sky like a giant yellow balloon.

After six days, the Amundsen-Scott Station finally appeared, first as a dot on the horizon, later as a small complex of buildings. It took yet another day to reach it, but once there we were treated to a hot meal and tour by the National Science Foundation staff, which controls the base. It houses about 240 people during the summer, but in winter the number drops to just 60 hearty souls. We camped in tents there for three days.

Established in 1957 by the U.S. to mark the International Geophysical Year, the base has character. In the dining room there was an upside-down globe with Antarctica on top. There is a small store for souvenirs and a post office, where we had our passports stamped.

We marveled at a well decorated Christmas tree in the mess hall and visited the CalTech telescope and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration facility. We even learned about “The 300 Club” — crazies who, when the temperature hits -100 degrees for the first time in a particular year, strip down, climb into a steaming 200-degree sauna, then head outside to run around the ceremonial pole marker naked.

Tired as I was, I felt immense satisfaction at having reached the South Pole. While I had skied only 70 miles–nothing compared the 1,450 miles covered by Robert Scott, the British explorer who in 1911 raced Norwegian Roald Amundsen to the pole, finished second, and died on his return–we were here, finally, and the wonder of it all wasn’t lost on me.

Article first published in the Huffington Post Blog by James M. Clash, 04/ 4/2012

Aurora in Norway

Well, most of our readers have probably been reading about the amazing Aurora Borealis shows that seem to be happening on a nightly basic in Scandinavia at the moment.

2013 is likely to be just as good and already bookings are strong for the next European Winter. We have just produced two new itineraries that are unique to 50 Degrees North and that are designed to optimize your chances of seeing the Northern Lights.

They are independent itineraries that can be tailormade according to your travel plans. We have included lots of wonderful hotels, snow adventures and Aurora Borealis catching experiences. Check them out but be quick, accommodation is filling.

Nordic Winter Odyssey (high end option, includes ICEHOTEL) and Nordic Winter Adventure (more adventure, cheaper)

Norway accommodationwith a view

This past weekend, Tietse and I were in Sydney attending a Holiday and Travel Show. Two days on your feet, talking to hopeful passengers in the exciting planning stages of their trip, can be a pretty full on way to spend the weekend. The venue was ten minutes out of the CBD of Sydney and initially I was looking at accommodation in town.

However, with a good recommendation from a friend, I was able to twist the weekend around a little and find a gem of a small hotel by the beach. The weekend was transformed from a rather dull city experience, to a memorable and fun stay. We were able to swim after the shows, enjoy a lovely hotel with a great friendly vibe and relax in the fun spot of Coogee.

This short Sydney stay has reminded me how critical a hotel is when travelling. Its location, its style and its ability to make you feel at ease imprints upon your experience. The cafe near the hotel, the side streets around it and people that you meet inside really shape your impressions of a city. We take hotels seriously at 50 Degrees North and this weekend has reinforced how much of an impact a good hotel has on your personal tour.

Franz Joseph Land Walrus

In February 2012 we visited the office of the Franz Josef Land National Park in Arkhangelsk (Russia), where we got the confirmation that we have permission to sail with our passengers in August 2012 to this rarely visited Arctic archipelago. The area is teeming with Polar Bears,Walruses, Harp Seals, Bearded Seals, Ringed Seals, and encounters with Greenland Whales and the elusive Narwal are not uncommon. Ivory Gulls, the followers of the Polar Bear, are common and we have also seen Ross Gulls.

We will visit the wintering and landing sites of the heroic expeditions from the turn of the 19th century, the Austrian Tegethoff, the British Leigh Schmitt and Jackson, the Norwegian Nansen and Johansenfrom the Fram, the Americans, Wellman, Baldwin and Fiala, and the Italian Duke d’Ábruzzie.

We will also visit Russian polar stations. Our guide / lecturer and veteran polar biologist Andrey Volkov (Moscow), will be the representative of the National Park and give us the friendly instructions how to move in this pristine forbidden Arctic at the edge of the Earth.10% discount is now offered on: Franz Josef Land Voyages Aug 9 – Aug 21, 2012 (12 nights) Kirkenes – Kirkenes