Kirkenes, Norway

We toured the Kirkenes area with a stop at the Russian border. We learned a lot about the position of Kirkenes during the war. Because of their proximity to the Russian border, they were actively occupied by German forces for most of the war. We heard ...

... to Russia from Kirkenes, by the way. We could't cross over since we don't have visas and Mäksä says that the road from Kirkenes to Murmansk is challenging... You can hear lots of Russia in Kirkenes, too: there are many Russians living in there. There are ...

... lounges. George went to the dogs while we visited the aquarium. All in all, it's been a really great week and we will leave the MS Midnatsol with just a little sadness but with a lot of fond memories. Now, after a night in Kirkenes, it's on to Scotland.

... that Finland stretches way to the west with Norwegian territory being a sliver going from Finnmark (region of Norway) along a narrow band of coast to Kirkenes. You need a good, detailed map to appreciate the geography. But, I digress. Let's get back ...