It’s mid May and by now we should be enjoying warmer days and temperate evenings. But instead it’s cold and the central heating is back on. So what better excuse to curl up in my pyjamas on the sofa with a hot chocolate to watch Joanna Lumley’s recent film, In the Land of the Northern Lights. It really is compulsory viewing for anyone who’d like to understand why people are spellbound by the North and why I find myself dreaming of wintry wonderlands that I know aren’t so far away.
Joanna’s longing to see the Northern Lights is palpable as she journeys due north meeting new people and landscapes between Trondheim and Svalbard in Norway. She follows her childhood dreams to travel to this mystical land which held such a vivid and important place in her imagination. And she wasn’t let down. The magical fairytales came alive as she finally witnesses the spectacle in the dark, winter night sky.
What keeps me going is the thought of sending our guests beyond the Arctic Circle and giving them the chance to see this wonder for themselves. In fact, if we missed out the summer and went straight to December it would mean that we could do it again next week. But the anticipation is part of the marvel of tracking down the ‘Tricky Lady’, as the Lights are affectionately known. And we hope to take you there soon! If you have a question about the Lights and how to find them, please get in touch at yourstory@magneticnorth.travel. If you do one thing, though, watch Joanna’s DVD, it’s just wonderful.
Laura Greenman
