North of the Arctic Circle

Just after 8.00am we crossed the Arctic Circle in glorious sunshine with clear blue skies, and an icy wind. The scenery was breathtaking and for a while we sat out on deck in a sheltered corner, drinking it all in. (Extras)
Later in the morning, there was an Arctic circle ceremony on the top deck to mark the fact that we had crossed this notable line of latitude. The ceremony was attended by Njord, the Norse god of wind and sea and it involved having a ladleful of extremely cold water laced with crushed ice poured down the back of several necks, including mine!
After a change of clothes and a warming lunch, we explored the town of Bodo in the afternoon, finding a very special cafe which sold the most delicious chocolate and macarons (the blackberry and juniper really made my taste buds zing).
After dinner we joined a two hour coach excursion across three of the Lofoten Islands. Although dusk was falling during the drive, it was still possible to enjoy the snow-covered majestic mountains and the fjords cutting deep into the islands…..it was quite surreal.