Norway

Map of the Kingdom of Norway.

The Land of the Midnight Sun and the Aurora Borealis, there is only one country where you can visit these eternal solar spectacular displays.

Geirangerfjord, near Alesund
on the west coast of Norway.

Home to the Geirangerfjord, the Nordkapp (North Cape) and the Seven Sisters Waterfall, Norway is the only place where the old Nordic traditions still hold sway and influence over the people residing there. A place always up for a visit has to be the Geirangerfjord, a series of cliffs and islands heading inland with the entrance near the town of Alesund. The Geirangerfjord stretches across from the western tip of the Kingdom of Norway to a hidden gem:the Seven Sisters Waterfall. A waterfall gifted its name due to the many waterfalls it has in its possession.

The Midnight Sun and
the Nordkapp (North Cape).

The fatherland of just under 5.3 million people, there is another fantastic resident in town - the Sea Eagle. This amazing type of sea bird can only be found here in Norway and nowhere else in the Nordic Peninsula. Officially called the Kingdom of Norway, Norway acts as a boundary and a safe haven for this bird as there are so few of them nowadays. another conservation project Norway can boast is the conservation of Moose's. This animal is also being hunted. seeing the care of these two vastly dissimilar creatures tells you all you need to know about the Norwegian people and how caring they are towards those entrusted into their care.

Norway is located in the Scandinavian Peninsula, sharing a border with Sweden and cuts a prominent figure in the Nordic States. It is just north of Denmark.

The Aurora Borealis - Northern Lights.

Sea Eagle

In Norway, there are quite a few metropolitan areas and Tromso is no different. this is a city borne to thrive on the tourism industry and the food and drinks industry, for there is an abundance of fresh and delicious foods all hailing from those timeless Norwegian recipes, the Norwegian people have been cultivating over the centuries. But Tromso doesn't just thrive on tourism, it thrives on its own local attractions such as the stain-glassed perfection that makes up the Arctic Cathedral. Built entirely out of concrete in 1965 and designed by Norwegian architect Jan Inge Horvik, the cathedral, in reality a parish church, boasts around 400,000 visitors per annum, so it is a definite to go onto the bucket list.

Me with the Captain and not
showing my hemiplegia
after discovering it
went numb very quickly
in the cold temperatures.

I have visited Norway twice on two separate occasions. Once to see the Northern Lights, in February of 2016, and the second to see the Midnight Sun, more recently this June just gone. Both times I have been mesmerised by the natural spectaculars this country boasts. Too see the Northern Lights, I recommend going in the Winter time, whilst for the Midnight Sun, I would try to see if a journey can be made as close to the Summer Solstice (June 21) as possible, for these are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and are a must-go-see on a persons, whether they be adult or child, bucket list. During my trip to see the Northern Lights, I struggled to stay out on the boats outside decking area, being forced to stay indoors, not out of choice but out of necessity. My right hand and arm, which are the most affected by my hemiplegia, would freeze up and become numb so quickly in the span of just 10 minutes that I was forced to spend the rest of the day and some of the following day in the side viewing deck just to bring my right hand and arm back up to a comfortable temperature. However, on the second trip, I was able to go out onto the viewing platforms at the front and rear of the boat, and
was mainly struck inside whenever the winds picked up.

The Stained glass window
of the Arctic Cathedral of Tromso.

Overall, Norway is must see and a must go to country, either around the middle of June to see the Midnight Sun or the January-February season which is the best time to see the Northern Lights.

Lanzarote

Flag of Lanzarote

The home of the rich and the island perfect for quick getaways, there's no doubt this small island is on everyone's lips.

Fire Mountains of Lanzarote

Home to the Fire Mountains and the Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote holds more green belt between cities than any other country. The island is picturesque for families and adventures alike, especially for those interested in the history of these iconic Mountains, which are breathtakingly rugged and natural. These two inter-connected locations are just one of the min attractions Lanzarote has in its arsenal. Other attraction include the likes of the city Matagorda, Arrecife, the beach at Puetro del Carmen and the Old Harbour and Papagayo Beach.

Map of Lanzarote

Nicknamed the Land of Eternal Spring, the island has a sub-tropical climate with temperatures hovering between 18 degrees in the Winter and 27 degrees in the summer. Said to be the first island to hold settlements, Lanzarote is located in the Canary Islands alongside its fellow Spanish communities of Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the Atlantic Ocean and bordering the Western point of Africa. At its place as the northernmost and easternmost island in the area, Lanzarote prides itself on its tourism and agriculture industries with its research into volcanic geology coming up as a close second. The Fire Mountains are one such example. These red sandstone mountains and dormant volcanoes keep the history of the island within its grasp, only allowing specialist geological researchers to answer the questions scientists have in regards to this fearsome landscape. This also links in with the Timanfaya National Park, which is one of the only National Parks to be created almost entirely of volcanic rock.

However, whilst Arrecife is the capital city of the island, my favourite has to be the city of Matagorda, located seven miles away in the south-west. Matagorda is a vibrant and lively city filled with colour and the contpunctuary popular restaurants selling cuisines from around the world, bars and small tourist shops and accompanied by the ambience of a stereotypical tropical seaside resort town with the ocean to one direction and local music from the other. Matagorda has a population of under 20,000, which whilst under Arrecife's figure of 59.7 thousand, is impressive and every resident has a warm and inviting charisma.

Fire Pit of the Fire Mountains

When I journey to the island in the summer of last year, I wasn't sure if this holiday would be as exciting as the previous times I have visited an island in the Canary Islands, but I was glad to be proven wrong. Lanzarote is a haven for natural wonders, such as the Fire Mountains and the Tamanfaya National Park, with its little devil signage. With the island coming under Spanish Rule, I was yet again reminded of the kindness and easy acceptance the Spanish have for those who are disadvantaged in some form - my hemiplegia - or another - someone with Dyslexia. When you visit the Continent, there are a lot of things that majorly set them apart from the British Isles and that is their acceptance of disabilities, which became more accepted through the worlds Military Forces coming home with their own forms of disability, and disadvantages. Spain and her overseas territories really can open someones eyes to what a simple acknowlegement and acceptance of that piece which makes that person stand out from the crowd.

Puetro del Carmen 

As a whole, Lanzarote should have a pride of place on the bucket list of people wishing to visit a tropical paradise without the hassle and stigma its neighbour Ibiza receives.