Went on Northern Lights trip last night but got back very late so didn't add yesterday, this is how we got on.

Got on a minibus with 12 other english people, and drove towards the Russian/Finnish border where there was no light pollution whatsoever, the night sky was clear and the stars were so bright and close that you felt as though you could actually hold out your hand and touch them. The first sighting just looked like a smoke cloud but Oh My God what a smoke cloud.

Got back on the bus and drove a little further into the wilderness and this is there we encountered the Northen Lights up close and personal. Words could not decsribe the amazing sights that we saw, they were utterly breathtaking, so much so that it brought us both to tears. The lights danced across the sky, changing direction so quickly that you really didn't know where to look next, the best part for Jax was when it swept delicately through the plough constellation - she was in her element and i have never known her lost for words and so emotional.

The aura goes from bright white to soft pastel colours of pink and green to vibrant colours, forever changing direction, speed and formation. It was truely a knock me down with a feather experience. This could never be recreated by man as the colours are out of this world, it was like watching nature's own spectacular light show unfold before our very eyes. The softness of the formation was like angels wings dancing across the sky which gave us both a feeling of inner peace.

We did try to take photos to share the trip with you but the camera wouldn't capture it, maybe it is meant to be seen by the naked eye only and no matter how many pictures could be taken by others it is truely and experience that you have to see for yourself at least once in your lifetime, it is truely mind blowing. This alone has made the trip worthwhile.

At lunchtime today we got on a minibus to start our King Crab trip, this was a multi-cultural group which consisted of 5 english, 1 american, 6 chinese and 2 germans, we drove towards the snow hotel where we were kitted up with the arctic clothing, blue padded suits, snow boots, seal skin mittens and balaclavas, we looked like we were going to rob a bank than to go on the snow. Got back on the bus and headed again towards the border of Finland and Russia, towards a frozen ffjord where we were to do the fishing, here we were given helmets and we got on skadooes and followed the fisherman out onto the frozen lake, whilst being filmed by the chinese cameracrew from CNN - no seriously they were a cameracrew and they are going to email us when the programme is on.

The fisherman cut a hole in the ice and we started fishing, various sized crabs were caught but with our normal luck we didn't catch the 2mtr one's - oh well never mind. We then got back on the the skadooes and went to the fisherman's house where the crabs were to be cooked. Whilst they were cooking we decided to act our age again and put on snow shoes to trog around in and then went on the sledge, while the rest of the party sat around a fire drinking some sort of local tea, it was yack last night so we decided to give it a miss. We did find that in some places the snow was very deep as some of the photos taken show.

The meal was ready and we all went inside the log cabin to be seated, but as Norwegian tradition says you must not sit at a table with your outside coats on, so you can imagine what we all looked like trying to get the suits off. The crab was placed at the table and did we scoff, we ate crab until it came out of our ears. It was very moreish but the crab claws do not taste like ours back home - ours are still better.

Meal all finished, suited back up and back on the skadoo to meet the bus again, but on the way back across the lake we had to swerve to miss a dead reindeer. This gave us chance to slow down and see husky dog treks going in the other direction. The temperature by this time had dropped dramatically and it started snowing.

Got back into the town but with all the fresh air still felt a little peckish, so detoured to the local supermarket where we acquired some doughnuts, sugared almonds and bananas because they are one of our five a day. Might make up the other four with grapes - ok we do mean drinky grapes.

Rest of the evening we are going to chill out with a bottle on champers and a few nibbles ready for tomorrow's adventure, as we have been told that we can hire some shopping skis.