Beyond the cottage windows the world is white and still. Snow-covered mountains tumble to the sea. A single otter scuttles along the frozen river and disappears into the twilight. It’s 2pm but the light’s fading, colouring the scene an eerie blue.
It’s the lure of the Arctic winter that has brought me to northern Norway in January – the strangeness of an icy world with long dark days and, of course, the possibility of seeing the northern lights.
But rather than joining an organised (and pricey) aurora borealis trip with a tour operator, I’m here on a DIY long weekend with friends, renting a house in the tiny fishing village of Oldervik, an hour’s drive north-east of Tromsø.
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/nov/26/norway-aurora-borealis-northern-lights-on-a-budget