On the 29th of February, which comes along once every four years, I set on the road for my new journey. My first stop is Hotel Diplomat, Stockholm. Stockholm is a very tranquil and peaceful city; 85% of the community is on the same socio-economic level, any waiter or doctor can live in the same apartment building. More or less everyone is on the same income level; therefore people do not expect any tips from you at all... For instance, the monarch and the royalty still exist but do not interfere with politics... The king’s daughter, namely the princess, recently married an ordinary 34-year-old boy, a boy her own age, who owns a gym and when they had a daughter, he received the title of a prince... An excellent dinner with oysters and salmon, followed by a nice sleep... Off to KIRUNA in the morning...

When I got off the plane in Kiruna, a snowmobile was waiting for me... I can’t tell you how excited I was... During the 1.5 hour trip to Ice Hotel, I truly believed I was in heaven amidst all the snow... Years ago, about 20-25 years earlier, I had heard the voice of God in a dream... My God had told me that I would see very beautiful things from then on... Just as I was going through the snow and the forest, I remembered those words.

Two rooms were reserved for me at Ice Hotel, just in case, I had also reserved a warm room considering I might not able to sleep inside the ice... I’m glad that was the case; I returned to my warm room at around 3:00 in the morning. It feels very peculiar to sleep on ice; people try to sleep in sleeping bags, with gloves, socks and hats on... You cannot leave any belongings in the ice rooms; there is no space to leave anything anyway. My belongings were in my warm room. As I was having dinner at Ice Hotel’s restaurant, suddenly there was a commotion and everyone rushed outside... YESSSS Northern lights, unbelievable... I truly believe one hundred percent that there is some power somewhere that watches over me and holds me very dear. As you can see in the photos below, the beauty of those colors in the sky takes one’s breath away... As I write these lines, I can still feel the rush of what I have seen.

Tomorrow, I will write about my dog sledding adventure; they call it a DOG SLED, just like they do in Alaska...

Just like in Alaska, outstandingly beautiful Huskies pull the sleds; if you wish, you can also drive the sleds yourself...

I traveled from Kiruna to Oslo by plane. In the evening I found a superb restaurant by the sea, it was called Olda. Lobster, prawns and salmon were among the cheapest dishes... And of course, because I love them so much, for me it is delightful around here...

In the morning, I flied from Oslo to Kirkenes, where I would board the ship. Around here, meaning the northern counties, there is no such thing as LUXURY, everyone is equal... You cannot even find someone to carry your luggage... My cabin on the ship is very comfortable, so everything is great. I’m enjoying everything. In five days, I will disembark, stay in Bergen for one night and return to the homeland... ..