By Denise Eaton

MY grandmother was a particularly stern woman. A woman probably typical of her generation; no nonsense, stoical, practical and thrifty.
Yet this stony exterior would always crumble whenever my older sister was present. Not so with me.
I was convinced it was because I was the complete opposite to my sibling. She was tall, elegant, slim, blonde and beautiful, and would always steal my grandmother’s attention and affection.
So during a rare weekend visit on my own at her remote Essex home, I tried to win her approval by getting ready for bed without being reminded (or, rather, scolded!). I appeared at the door all washed and dressed eagerly anticipating praise. Instead my grandmother uttered: “Oh, what a shame. I was going to take you to the fairground you’d been admiring. Too late now.”
I scuttled off to bed vowing never to make the same mistake again.
Which is why, some 35 years on, I slept practically fully clothed in order to take full advantage of the 24-hour alert system employed by MS Trollfjord on its Northern Lights voyage.
This was one spectacular carnival I was definitely not going to miss.
Ever since, and perhaps because of my childhood experiences, I have been fascinated by the night sky and no more so than the greatest display on earth; aurora borealis, the elusive but electrifying Northern Lights. I, along with hundreds of other passengers on board Hurtigruten’s north-bound MS Trollfjord, spent night after night craning my neck sky-bound to get a glimpse of this most magical nocturnal display. Sightings can never be guaranteed, but to me that’s part of the mystique.
We’d opted for Hurtigruten’s seven-day Voyage North, which runs from October to March and visits 34 ports along the spine of Norway’s scenic coast. Beginning in beautiful Bergen, the bustling capital of Norway’s fjord district, it ends in Kirkenes in the north, just a few kilometres from the Russian border and the Sami communities of Northern Finland.
Flight times on day one should allow a few hours before embarking to stroll around the UNESCO World Heritage site with its remaining wooden buildings in the Bryggen Wharf, remnants of its Hanseatic past.
Despite many fires which ravaged the wharf’s wooden houses, traditional building methods have prevailed to preserve its character and some 62 buildings remain of this former townscape. Definitely one not to miss.
There are many opportunities to set foot on Norway’s soil en route, and several exciting excursions to tempt you further afield including the medieval city of Trondheim with its Gothic cathedral, the wonderful Art Nouveau town of Ålesund, and the North Cape, mainland Europe’s most northerly point.
By far the best shore trip for us was dog sledging in Tromso, the capital of the Arctic. It’s difficult to describe the thrill as you glide across the frozen landscape snuggled romantically under a blanket (not to mention several layers of supplied thermal clobber). The mood is magical as you watch the sky’s hues change dramatically, your thoughts punctuated only by the sound of the sledge swishing through the snowy plains and the panting of the dozen huskies at work.
It was truly one of life’s greatest moments and, if you get the chance, seize it. And talking of life’s wondrous encounters, lady luck must have been shining down on us (or perhaps my remorseful grandmother played her part) because, on the final night of our voyage, the Northern Lights made a gloriously ethereal appearance to set hearts racing and tears tumbling.
It was a long wait, but this girl got to go to the carnival after all.

Hurtigruten’s winter Northern Lights2009-2010 programme is packed full of itineraries to make the most out of Arctic Norway from three-night short breaks to longer stays between October and March.

A six-night voyage north from Bergen to Kirkenes, calling at more than 30 ports of call along the way, costs from £895 per person in December, including return flights from London Gatwick, six nights half-board on the ship, transfers and taxes. No single supplements apply.

A range of excursions can be added such as snowmobiling, visiting ice hotels and much more.

www.hurtigruten.co.uk
Telephone 0208 846 2666 or 0845 225 6640.