Got dropped off at Manchester Airport at 11am this morning so that we would have plenty of time to have breakfast and a leisurely relax with coffee before the flight was called. Did this happen - no nowt different there then.

By the time we eventually got through passport control, it left us enough time to buy a sandwich and a packet of crisps as we were served by an assistant who from her speed thought we were travelling in the next six hours - that means she was slow !!, we did however take the opportunity to sample a few shots of pink voda that tasted so nice we had to buy the litre bottle, and also a chocolate praline sweet that meant we had to buy a box - never let it be said that we don't get our priorities right.

We boarded the plane thinking that we had done really well to get row 22 - wrong !! it was the back, back, back row and the seats did not recline. The flight was only 1hr 40mins but we did our usual people watching and this is what we encountered.

Sat next to a man that we named Russell as all the way through the flight he read tabloid papers, yes more than one and looking at a map of Norway. He kept shaking the paper to open it and obviously encrouched into our space, Rose was so tempted to roll it up and .....we'll leave the rest to your imagination.

It is nice to know that the airline's do not discriminate between stunning ladies of a slender build and russian shotputters - gender still unsure !!! who didn't really seem pleased to be doing the job as the language barrier is easily crossed when it's a grunt.

The toilet facilities on the plane would be good if you were an amputee as they were so small you could only actually put one leg on the floor as you had to sit nearly crossed legged.

Arrived in Oslo, the temperature was minus 12. Went outside for a spot of fresh air - well one of us did - fresh air that is, as the other went for a nicotine fix - let you decide which was which. The air was that bracing that our fingers went blue. Had to collect our luggage and re-book in and this is when we nearly had a panic attack, customs nearly took our vodka off us, shock horror.

Sat in the departure lounge and waited for our flight to be called, another look round at the people and we saw a man, and we use that term loosely, who had obviously never left his mum's apron strings, was in his 40's and was unfamilar with packed sandwiches as he opened the box, took both sandwich halves out, one on top of another, squashed it in his hand and rammed them both in his mouth, followed shortly by a packet of jelly sweets - not a pretty site.

Flight from Oslo to Kirkenes which was 2hrs was quite uneventful as we had worn ourselves out people watching.

Arrived Kirkenes to be welcomed by a rather nippy minus 16 degree temperature, first time we have even stood waiting for our cases with scarves, hats and gloves on.

Found our connection bus to the Rica Arctic Hotel, quick turnabout as we found out that food was only being served for another hour and as usual we were hungry. Every item that we ordered from the menu, when it arrived was described in detail to us by the waiter, ie the crab has been sealed in a bag and boiled at a slow temperature to kill all bacteria - did we really care .... no we would've still eaten it if it had walked to the table itself. The waiter recognised our accents as we recognised his, he wasn't really a local lad unless the hotel was actually in Hackney, North London but we did charm him enough to get unlimited coffee.

Had a five minute walk around the town, looks like we will have fun there tomorrow but a bit too cold to stay out any longer.