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1
00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:10,840
The far north.
2
00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,120
Quite overpowering.
3
00:00:13,120 --> 00:00:16,160
Vast expanses, silent fjords.
4
00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,720
Fairy tale mountains.
5
00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:21,800
It's just fabulously beautiful.
6
00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:27,680
The land of the magical
Northern Lights is somewhere
I've longed for all my life.
7
00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:30,920
It is quite incredibly cold!
8
00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,600
Well, I suppose, it's Arctic!
9
00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:38,320
'As a little girl, I lived in the
steamy heat of tropical Malaysia
10
00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:43,120
'and, wonderful as it was,
I used to yearn to be cold.
11
00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:47,280
'Putting on a cardigan
was a huge treat.
12
00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,040
'I'd never even seen snow.
13
00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:54,440
'But my storybooks were full
of snow queens and trolls
14
00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:58,160
'and now I'm entering that world.'
15
00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:04,000
It's fantastic! We're so far north.
Can we get further north?
..I think so.
16
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:10,200
'This is the journey
I've always dreamt of making.'
17
00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:19,560
I feel I've come
into another world now.
No people, except you...and us.
18
00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:26,200
'And if we're very lucky, we might
see the elusive Northern Lights
themselves.
19
00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,160
This programme contains
some strong language
20
00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:39,520
'My Arctic odyssey begins
one chill dawn in early March.
21
00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,640
'I'm already 900 miles north
of my home in London.'
22
00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:52,680
Is this us?
'An eight-hour journey lies ahead
to get to the Arctic Circle.
23
00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:58,040
'And I'm heading there on
Norway's real-life Polar Express.'
24
00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:19,000
It's really fresh here, bits of snow
blowing in as I look out.
25
00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,920
They say don't stick your head
out of the window.
26
00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:41,760
One of the most exciting things
about going on a trip is packing.
27
00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:45,880
This lovely old suitcase,
which came from my childhood...
28
00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:52,120
All our luggage was marked the same
way. Mum used to stencil "Lumley"
on it and paint the corners red
29
00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:57,840
so that we could see them on
the quayside, ready to board ship.
You never flew in those days.
30
00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,640
So I'd pack up things
that were essential on every trip.
31
00:03:01,640 --> 00:03:04,920
In here I have oil-based pastels,
32
00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:11,360
and a lovely little drawing book
with coloured pages so you can
draw in different colours.
33
00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,480
These I got here. Chocolates!
34
00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:20,120
A lovely old guide book.
It's called The Land of the Vikings.
Beautiful old maps.
35
00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,280
Look at that!
36
00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:32,080
'But if it wasn't for one item in
my case, I wouldn't be here at all.'
37
00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:38,040
This is the book Ponny the Penguin.
This is when I first heard
of the Northern Lights.
38
00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:42,120
I was a little child in Malaya,
six or seven years old.
39
00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:49,080
It's written by an Australian,
Veronica Basser. So the lights were
the Aurora Australis, not Borealis.
40
00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,640
And there was this picture
which haunted me
41
00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:59,280
of a sort of rippling curtain
and a little tiny penguin.
Anyway...
42
00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:05,240
There's Ponny. "Suddenly the sky was
lit up by long, searching fingers
of pale, primrose light
43
00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:09,320
"which traced patterns
across its inky blackness."
44
00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:15,360
That stayed with me for ever
and ever and I couldn't believe
I'd get to growing up
45
00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:20,160
and leaving school and getting
married and having granddaughters
46
00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:24,440
and still not have seen
what Ponny the Penguin saw,
47
00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:30,400
so this is a lifelong ambition
and my only dread is
that we won't get to see them.
48
00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:36,720
'To give myself every chance,
I'm going to travel ever northwards,
49
00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:41,400
'spending my nights staring up
with hope at the dark sky
50
00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:48,440
'and filling my days
with as wide a range of experiences
of Norway's far north as possible.'
51
00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:54,760
This is going to be the furthest
north I've ever got
and about as far as you can get
52
00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,680
without being Ranulph Fiennes.
53
00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:03,720
Looking at this extraordinary
backbone of Norway,
which is like a huge spinal cord,
54
00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:07,680
we're about there
and travelling on up.
55
00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,880
And it's just...just thrilling
56
00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:17,880
and always the pull
of the magnetic north, the most
senior point on the compass.
57
00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:24,760
What I love is always knowing
where the north is. This is
important, wherever you are,
58
00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:32,560
otherwise you just feel foolish.
At the moment, I am heading
and travelling due north.
59
00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:52,040
'I could just clatter across
the Arctic Circle on the train,
60
00:05:53,240 --> 00:06:00,560
'but actually I'm going to do it
in real style. This is, after all,
the realisation of a lifelong dream.
61
00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:07,320
'This is not your average taxi rank
at the station.
62
00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:12,000
'I'm in the hands of Tore
Christiansen and his 11 sled dogs.'
63
00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:16,080
Good morning. I'm Joanna.
How nice to see you, Tore.
64
00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:24,040
These are wonderful dogs.
What kind are they? Alaskan huskies.
Alaskan huskies? Yes, so...
65
00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:28,400
They like to run.
They like to run? Yes.
66
00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:14,160
This has been the most
extraordinary journey, racing along
in this beautiful little sled
67
00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:20,840
with Tore shouting instructions
to these 11 fine huskies.
They don't like stopping to rest.
68
00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:23,720
They just want to be on the journey.
69
00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:28,360
When we're running over virgin snow,
their footprints are blue.
70
00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:30,480
Pale blue.
71
00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:36,640
It's the most extraordinary way
to cross the Arctic Circle,
but I haven't crossed it yet!
72
00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:46,680
'The Arctic Circle, like
the Equator, is an imaginary line
right around the roof of the world.
73
00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:54,560
'It marks the point at which
you are so far north that on one day
a year, the Winter Solstice,
74
00:07:54,560 --> 00:08:00,200
'the sun never rises,
while at the height of summer
it never sets.
75
00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:05,120
'As well as being imaginary,
the trouble with the Arctic Circle
76
00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:12,240
'is that, because the Earth
shifts slightly on its axis,
it has a habit of moving.
77
00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:18,400
'I need to find 66 degrees
33.706 north -
78
00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:23,200
'the precise latitude for
the Arctic Circle this very day,
79
00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:28,400
'as supplied to me
by the Greenwich Royal Observatory.
80
00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:39,000
'Bearing due north, I hope orbiting
satellites tell my fancy satnav GPS
machine when I hit the right spot.'
81
00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,040
Oh! Stop, stop, stop!
82
00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,400
Just here.
83
00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:53,040
So...
84
00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:54,520
703...
85
00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,520
704. 705.
86
00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:02,800
705.
87
00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,640
I could put this down here.
88
00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,680
Stay, scarf. There.
89
00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:11,000
There. Stay, scarf.
90
00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,560
There.
91
00:09:13,560 --> 00:09:15,760
Arctic Circle.
92
00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:17,800
Seven...
93
00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:20,520
66, 33.705.
94
00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:24,920
706!
95
00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:27,720
I've walked into the Arctic Circle!
96
00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:35,200
That's just...
That's just the ordinary world.
And this is the Arctic Circle!
97
00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:37,320
And that...
98
00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,560
..is due north.
99
00:09:39,560 --> 00:09:43,120
Ohh.
I think this is quite incredible.
100
00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,040
That's due north.
101
00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:52,120
Excellent job, dogs!
102
00:10:00,560 --> 00:10:05,160
'I'm in the Arctic now
and for the rest of my journey north
103
00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:09,800
'I can obviously call myself
an explorer, not a tourist.'
104
00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:23,000
'It's time to stop hurtling around
and give myself a chance
to stand and stare.
105
00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:29,280
'I've chosen a region renowned for
some of Scandinavia's finest scenery
and richest fishing waters -
106
00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,040
'the Lofoten Islands,
107
00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:36,480
'but I'm drawn mainly by the charm
of a name on the map.
108
00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:44,240
'It's not A, but "Aw".
And it's not the first, but the last
letter of the Norwegian alphabet.
109
00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:53,720
'Arriving by night, A certainly
feels like the back of beyond.
110
00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:58,360
'Cloud cover rules out any prospect
of seeing the Northern Lights.'
111
00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,000
This is right out over the sea.
112
00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:08,760
'Retired schoolmaster and local
bigwig Otto Schotz shows me to my
own rorbu, or fisherman's cottage.'
113
00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:12,800
Oh, how wonderful!
114
00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:19,720
Why did you choose Norway
and this Nordic Norway?
115
00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:24,960
I must tell you. I've had a dream
all my life of coming to the north.
116
00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:30,040
When I was a child, I had this idea
of seeing the Northern Lights.
117
00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:36,520
And in my books I could read
about the snow and the north
and I longed to go there.
118
00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,520
And, in fact, once, as a child,
119
00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:45,760
out in Malaysia, for the coronation,
when the Queen was crowned in 1953,
120
00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:52,440
my sister and I dressed in fancy
dress and here is me, seven years
old, dressed as a Norwegian girl.
121
00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:57,080
My mother made fancy dress costumes
for my sister and myself.
122
00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:01,560
She plaited our hair very carefully
to look like little Norwegian girls.
123
00:12:01,560 --> 00:12:08,480
Do I look like a Norwegian girl?
Yes, I think you already here
dream about the Nordic countries.
124
00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:12,360
You can see it?
I can see it in your eyes.
125
00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:17,320
Do you think I may have
Viking blood? Yes, that, too.
126
00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:23,880
Are you a Viking? I think you are.
Yes, I must have
Viking blood in me, yes.
127
00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:28,400
Well, this is just fantastic.
It's so beautiful.
128
00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:34,080
'One thing that didn't feature
in my childhood dreams of the north
was dried fish.
129
00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:38,240
'So what's this swinging ominously
in the middle of the room?'
130
00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:44,760
Yes, this is a cod. Yeah.
But this is a special cod. Yeah.
Called king cod.
131
00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,160
King cod? Yes.
132
00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:53,360
They wanted it to tell them
the weather. How?
How did it do it? Did it...?
133
00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:57,440
Before the weather changed,
it started to turn out.
134
00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:04,680
People could read out from that
indications of storms
and other changes in the weather.
135
00:13:04,680 --> 00:13:08,680
Such a fish, would it hang
in every rorbu? Yes.
136
00:13:08,680 --> 00:13:13,480
In every rorbu and in many homes.
They also brought luck.
137
00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:19,680
It's dark outside,
but tomorrow I can't wait
to see where I am.
138
00:13:36,560 --> 00:13:39,040
GULLS CRY
139
00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:48,320
Astonishing!
140
00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:57,480
Well, this is just unbelievable.
It's just...
It's just fabulously beautiful.
141
00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:05,400
All through the night,
I could just hear this water
dashing under
142
00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:08,160
and the seagulls crying and crying.
143
00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:19,880
'Time to explore A
144
00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:24,320
'and an unmistakable smell
is luring me uphill.
145
00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:30,040
'This is as strange a sight
as you'll ever see -
146
00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:33,920
'thousands of headless cod
hung up on poles.'
147
00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:51,560
Do you speak English? Sorry?
No? English?
148
00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:57,280
Polish. Poland.
You're Poland? And you? Poland.
149
00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:03,560
Three Poland? Yes.
'It seems in Norway, like in the UK,
it's the Poles who do the work,
150
00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:07,600
'but I've never seen Poles
on poles before.'
151
00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,120
Um, how many fish?
152
00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:14,000
I don't know. You don't know.
153
00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:20,440
'Within a month, nearly five million
cod will be hung out to dry here.
154
00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:26,000
'We know the Vikings invaded Britain
with Lofoten dried fish
in their knapsacks.
155
00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,880
'Back then drying was about the only
option for preserving protein.
156
00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:37,280
'It's more of a surprise to me
that this delicacy remains one of
Norway's most profitable exports.'
157
00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:43,960
Smells of fish, but not a bad smell.
Just a pretty sort of
all-pervasive aroma of fish.
158
00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:52,120
Thank you. Spasibo.
HE REPLIES IN POLISH
159
00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:57,160
What's that?! It might be
something terrible! Goodbye, guys.
160
00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:06,120
'As I was pottering around,
I bumped into a man who turns out
to be A's lord of the manor,
161
00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,160
'Sigur Elingsen'
162
00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,640
I am born here. Yeah?
163
00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:17,680
So I'm the fifth generation and
my grandson is going to take over.
He's working in the summer.
164
00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:20,760
The seventh generation on this spot.
165
00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:25,240
When you say working here,
you own this? Yes.
166
00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:29,240
You own A? A and Tind!
And Tind! Yes.
167
00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,440
And how many rorbu do you have here?
168
00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:37,160
70 houses.
Because the fishing is good. Yeah.
169
00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:44,080
We are the closest spot
to the Gulf Stream
and that's where the best fishes are.
170
00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:49,440
This has been going on for hundreds
of years. More than that. Really?
171
00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:55,080
'Fish facts are fascinating,
even for a fake fur-wearing
vegetarian like me
172
00:16:55,080 --> 00:17:01,400
'who doesn't even feel comfortable
with leather. What about the catch
I'm after, the Northern Lights?'
173
00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:05,000
Will I see them, do you think, here?
Not now.
174
00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,840
I think it's not cold enough.
175
00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:09,920
And, eh...
176
00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:15,760
No, it must be colder. Yeah.
And then it's flashing
all over the sky.
177
00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,200
It's absolutely marvellous. Is it?
178
00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:39,600
The great thing about A seems to be,
probably because we're so far up,
179
00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:45,880
the light comes in a different way.
So colours seem really...
fresh washed.
180
00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:49,920
Everything seems
so clean and sharp.
181
00:17:49,920 --> 00:17:54,200
And the other thing I love is
the conjunction of colours.
182
00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:58,440
They have these dark red houses
with the most beautiful,
183
00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:04,400
light, warm, sax-blue
window frames and corners.
184
00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:10,680
And then white round the windows to
bring in as much light as possible.
It's a fashion going out in England.
185
00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:16,840
A lot of people have brown wood
round the windows. Don't do it!
Paint your brown windows white.
186
00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:21,360
You'll have a much happier life.
I'm going to do the boulders now.
187
00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:30,800
I want the white to look white,
so I'll give it more energy.
188
00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:39,080
This is a very cloudy, stormy sky
with that slightly yellowish green.
189
00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:47,040
I think there always comes a time
in anything you do, like drawing
and painting, or acting,
190
00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:53,080
when you think, "Will I ever be
good enough to please myself,
let alone anybody else?
191
00:18:53,080 --> 00:19:00,560
"Will I ever come up to scratch?"
Or people lean over you and go,
"Aren't his eyes more like...?"
192
00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:06,920
"Yes, I know. I'm dealing with
the eye later." I can't bear being
judged on things like this.
193
00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:13,000
They're only for fun and if
it pleases you, which it might not,
try to make it please you.
194
00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:18,720
Try to do things that please you.
And if it's not good enough,
get better.
195
00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:23,520
This isn't going to be exhibited
anywhere. Except on the television!
196
00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:36,320
'If there is one image and one word
synonymous with Norway
it is fjord.
197
00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:42,000
'Otto whisks me away
into a world of romance.
198
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:57,080
'Fjords like these are
so quintessentially picturesque
199
00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:00,960
'that they've come to define
our romantic vision of the north -
200
00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:05,720
'sublime, savage
and quite overpowering.'
201
00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:15,200
These mountains are quite wonderful.
They look like fairy story
mountains, don't they?
202
00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:21,520
As though they'd have trolls
in them. Many fairy tales
are connected to them. Giants.
203
00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:26,800
And many trolls.
And there, you see, the top there.
204
00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,200
That was a beautiful lady.
205
00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:36,040
It's quite cold out here.
206
00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:50,280
'In the 19th century, this type
of scenery inspired writers,
207
00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:56,360
'artists and composers like Grieg
to write down folk tunes
and fairy tales
208
00:20:56,360 --> 00:20:59,200
'and paint the landscape.
209
00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:05,520
'In doing so, they helped forge
a national identity for Norway,
210
00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:10,400
'and an image of the north that
struck a chord with people like me,
211
00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,440
'a seven-year-old with
my story books in tropical Malaysia.
212
00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:21,960
'Artists today remain inspired
by the Lofoten Islands.
213
00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:27,680
'I'm off to visit the studio
of one of them, Thor Essissen.'
214
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:33,960
How do you do?
How lovely to meet you.
Welcome to my gallery.
215
00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:40,480
It's fantastic! It's my life.
I have all things here.
Yes, you do. You do.
216
00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:46,120
This is one of the most beautiful
parts of the world I have ever been.
Isn't it? Here.
217
00:21:46,120 --> 00:21:48,320
All I can say, yes!
218
00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:54,040
I am so lucky.
You're a lucky man, a good man.
219
00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:56,760
'Thor's every bit the modern artist,
220
00:21:56,760 --> 00:22:04,040
'assembling his art from anything
and everything. That goes for
his studio and even his outfit,
221
00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:08,480
'but he's just as much inspired
by nature as the Romantics.
222
00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:12,360
'It's the quality of the light here
that most inspires him.'
223
00:22:12,360 --> 00:22:17,200
Tell me, describe for me
the Northern Lights.
224
00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:21,040
I can try! Will you try?
225
00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:25,160
Maybe four weeks ago
226
00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:30,320
I went around the little sea here
in the night.
227
00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:32,480
And so I see
228
00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:37,360
red and green, little light,
is coming.
229
00:22:37,360 --> 00:22:43,000
And I stand up and see
and so the light come, come, come!
230
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,480
And around me.
231
00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:51,560
I have never seen it before.
I stood after it, three minutes.
232
00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:57,920
How extraordinary.
I see nothing more.
It touched you? It came? Yes, yes!
233
00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,160
So near me, I think.
234
00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,960
I think so.
But I be not afraid. No.
235
00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:12,160
I want more than anything
to see the Northern Lights. Have
you seen it? Never. You will see it.
236
00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,080
For sure? Yes.
237
00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:18,120
I promise!
238
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:30,560
'Despite Thor's promise,
as night fell
the clouds came in again.'
239
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:37,840
The truth is I'm passionate
about finding out about the north
240
00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:42,240
and the Arctic Circle
and the Norse people and legends,
241
00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:46,920
but what's really driven me is the
idea of seeing the Northern Lights,
242
00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:52,920
something I've longed for
for 55 years of my life. I've dreamt
about seeing the Northern Lights.
243
00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:59,200
I just can't bear the thought
of going home without seeing them
on this trip.
244
00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:03,240
'My bags are packed,
spirits a bit low.
245
00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:10,120
'As the film crew sort
their equipment,
I take one last stroll around A.'
246
00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:12,880
Look, look, it's gone.
247
00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:15,640
Ah!
248
00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:17,680
It's gone now.
249
00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:22,760
I'm so sorry, we just...
I was calling you. It was just here.
250
00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:29,200
Just a great big
sort of pale... rainbow,
sort of coming from nowhere.
251
00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:33,600
Right across the sky,
like a vapour trail.
252
00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:36,440
It was the most extraordinary thing.
253
00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,560
It kind of...
254
00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:43,240
It kind of...sort of broke a bit,
sideways like that.
255
00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:46,080
It was just...right across the sky.
256
00:24:47,120 --> 00:24:52,160
I think it's gone now.
I'm so sorry you missed it.
257
00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,800
I saw it. We'll see them again.
258
00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:03,800
'We sat up half the night
waiting for the reappearance
of the "Tricky Lady",
259
00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:08,360
'but she doesn't show her face again
all night.
260
00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:24,720
'As I move ever northwards,
and across to the mainland,
I leave coastal Norway far behind.
261
00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:33,840
'The landscape, culture, history
and people where I'm now heading
couldn't be more different.
262
00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:44,240
'This endless expanse of Arctic
tundra is the ancestral homeland
263
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:47,720
'of the indigenous people,
the Sami.
264
00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:56,600
'Kautokeino is the most Sami town
in Norway.'
265
00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:02,720
Good morning. Morning.
'Its mayor, Klemet Erland Haetta,
kindly agrees to meet me.'
266
00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:09,280
How good to meet you.
I expected a much older mayor.
You are very young for a mayor!
267
00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:13,080
Now you are in Samiland.
It's thrilling. You see.
268
00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:19,840
It's fantastic.
And this beautiful belt and skirt.
What are these? Sealskin?
269
00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:24,640
This is skin from reindeer.
Reindeer skin. And this is also.
270
00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:28,920
So we have white reindeer
and more black reindeer.
271
00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:33,800
And this beautiful pattern -
can I touch it?
272
00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:38,240
Was this made for you?
This is made for me. Very important.
273
00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:43,120
Yes. You can see when you are
unmarried, then it is round.
274
00:26:43,120 --> 00:26:48,040
When you are married,
then you've got... Square? Yeah.
275
00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:50,720
So I'm in with a chance. No...!
276
00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:54,520
Yes, shall we go to the church?
How lovely!
277
00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:57,840
CHURCH BELL RINGS
278
00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,600
'We do go to the church.
279
00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:06,720
'I'm lucky,
not just with my choice of guide,
but with my time of arrival.
280
00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:12,560
'The run-up to Easter
is THE Sami season. Bells are
summoning everyone to church.
281
00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:21,480
'Heading there with the mayor means,
within minutes, I've been introduced
to all of Kautokeino's society.'
282
00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:26,800
This is my cousin.
283
00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,240
Lovely to meet you. And you.
284
00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:35,880
'This is the time for weddings,
partying and basking
in the year's first sunshine
285
00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:40,360
'with the mercury soaring
to a balmy minus five.
286
00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:48,240
'The festivities kick off
with the town's annual
confirmation ceremony.
287
00:27:49,120 --> 00:27:53,800
'Today, around 80,000 Sami people
live across Arctic Scandinavia.
288
00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:59,280
'Until recently,
they were commonly known as Lapps,
289
00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:03,360
'inhabitants of a region
the world called Lapland.
290
00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:09,120
'Reviled as little better
than savages,
they suffered for centuries,
291
00:28:09,120 --> 00:28:14,280
'but Sami identity and language
are now enjoying a renaissance.
292
00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:22,920
'There were no roads here
until the 1960s, but now
almost everyone has mobiles
293
00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:29,960
'and broadband internet
and they enjoy one of the highest
standards of living in the world.
294
00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:35,080
'Yet close to half Kautokeino's
families still depend on reindeer.
295
00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:41,360
'The mayor introduces me to one of
the top herders, Mikkel Isak Eira,
296
00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:48,240
'who lives a life utterly different
from his grandfathers'. He invites
me to join him for a day.'
297
00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:53,120
Do I need to wear a helmet?
Yes. Here is your scooter. Wow.
298
00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:59,480
Do you drive with a scooter before?
No. When you start, you must...
Only take this key.
299
00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:01,840
ENGINE STARTS
300
00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:05,920
And here it stops. OK.
301
00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:10,560
'Unlike me, Mikkel Isak's son
is no learner driver.'
302
00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:15,040
How old is he?
He is four years and five months.
303
00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:22,760
How long has he been driving?
About one year. So he started...
When he was three?! Yes.
304
00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:27,400
Can you tell in English,
one, two, three?
305
00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,040
No! No.
306
00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:33,920
Emil, do you like to drive?
307
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:37,400
Yes. Yes.
308
00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:01,360
'Hey, I'm not proud.
309
00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:05,840
'If it takes a four-year-old
to teach a grandmother, so be it.
310
00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:13,360
'I bet he can't do country dancing
which I was pretty good at
aged four years and five months!'
311
00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,440
Is Emil coming with us today?
312
00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:25,120
No. I will bring him
to the kindergarten. OK. Yes.
313
00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:31,760
Just a quick snowmobile ride,
teach an older person how to ride,
then off to kindergarten!
314
00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,440
Yes. Pretty much puts things
in perspective.
315
00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:55,400
'Mikkel Isak may have all
the mod cons, but he still lives
a semi-nomadic life,
316
00:30:55,400 --> 00:31:00,960
'following his reindeer
on their annual migration
to coastal pastures.'
317
00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:18,560
'The migration
is still some weeks away,
318
00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:23,240
'but even in winter, when the
reindeer are nearby, they roam free,
319
00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:26,920
'so we don't know
exactly where we'll find them.
320
00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:36,440
'I've been told
that it's the height of bad manners
to ask a Sami how big his herd is.
321
00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:41,160
'Let's just say Mikkel Isak's would
be hard to miss.' Look at that.
322
00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:43,720
That's my reindeer herd.
323
00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:46,000
Look at that!
324
00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,880
Mikkel Isak, they look fantastic!
325
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:54,360
Will you do it for me? Yes.
I've got mad old woman's eyes!
326
00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:56,920
Oh, no, I can see now.
327
00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,040
Oh, they're so beautiful!
328
00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:03,120
And what a big herd! Isn't it?
329
00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:08,360
Now, some have got antlers
and some haven't. Which is which?
330
00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:15,000
Females get the antlers and the
males don't in winter. The females
get them? The females, yes.
331
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:21,920
Usually, the male has the antlers
and the female looks a bit humble.
Here, the men look a bit humbler.
332
00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:27,200
Some of them are pawing. Is that...?
Yes, they find the "moos". Moss?
333
00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:32,160
Moss, yes. Look at them
digging like that! Yes.
334
00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:38,800
And this is how the Sami have lived
for thousands of years.
335
00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:46,120
Yes. Travelling with the herds?
Travelling to the winter place
and in summer time, to the coast.
336
00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:52,800
Now we're gonna try to catch one.
Catch one? Yes, with my lasso
and I will show you the ear mark.
337
00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:57,960
You've got your own mark on these?
Yes, I use the lasso to catch them.
338
00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:03,280
This is like rodeo, like a cowboy.
Yes. But you're a reindeer boy. Yes.
339
00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:05,640
ENGINE ROARS
340
00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:39,040
Joanna! Come and help me.
341
00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:43,280
Oh, look!
342
00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:53,520
And here you see... Yes. The ear.
343
00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:56,240
When she was a calf, I do it. Yes.
344
00:33:56,240 --> 00:34:01,600
That's your mark. Yes, it's my mark.
It says "Mikkel Isak". Yes.
345
00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:04,560
It's a female. Six, seven years old.
346
00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:07,160
She's beautiful. A big one too.
347
00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:11,560
She's lovely. You caught her
just so easily. Yes.
348
00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:16,320
I've done it before. You're a bit
of a champion reindeer boy.
349
00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,720
Is she OK? She's very OK. Good.
350
00:34:20,720 --> 00:34:22,760
Whoa!
351
00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,600
She's not afraid. No.
352
00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:30,800
And the herd is just
quietly grazing there. Yeah.
353
00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:34,920
How fantastic!
354
00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:37,680
Thank you so much. That's OK.
355
00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:59,560
'When he travels with his herd,
Mikkel Isak still stays in his lavu,
the traditional Sami tent.
356
00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:05,960
'He's invited an elder there
to introduce me to the yoik,
a unique form of Sami song.'
357
00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,440
SINGS YOIK
358
00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:21,680
'Ante Mikkel Gaup is one of
Kautokeino's most revered yoikers.
359
00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:25,720
'And the yoik is much more
than music to the Sami.'
360
00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,360
That was lovely.
REPLIES IN SAMI
361
00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:36,720
'Ante Mikkel explains
that Samis have always yoiked.
362
00:35:36,720 --> 00:35:41,160
'Not just with people,
but directly to animals and nature.
363
00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:48,920
'The most important thing,
he stresses, is that Samis
don't yoik ABOUT something.
364
00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:53,160
'They bring its very essence
into the yoik.
365
00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:59,680
'It turns out there's no set time
for a yoik. It happens
whenever the moment feels right.'
366
00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:01,880
SINGS YOIK
367
00:36:15,720 --> 00:36:17,960
That's wonderful.
368
00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:22,120
He's yoiking about me. Yeah.
Some person.
369
00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:26,480
How I am and what I do.
And it's about me.
370
00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:29,160
Ante Mikkel, will you tell me...
371
00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:33,560
Do you yoik the Northern Lights?
372
00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,360
SPEAKS IN SAMI
373
00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:43,160
'Ante Mikkel surprises me
by saying he does not know
a Northern Lights yoik
374
00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:47,400
'and one shouldn't even talk
too much about them.
375
00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:51,280
'Above all, he says,
one should not tease them.
376
00:36:53,040 --> 00:37:00,200
'This has me worried. I've been
talking about the Lights non-stop
ever since I arrived in Norway.
377
00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:04,200
'Have I displeased
the Tricky Lady?
378
00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:09,840
'I head away from Kautokeino.
379
00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:12,440
'North, of course.
380
00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:21,880
'This is the route to the coast that
Mikkel Isak and his herd will soon
embark on. It will take them weeks.
381
00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:24,360
'Me, a mere matter of hours.
382
00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:28,320
'But overcast skies taunt me
yet again.
383
00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:42,840
'In Alta, I'll be certain
of a magical night in the cold,
384
00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:46,720
'but it won't be marvelling
at the Northern Lights.
385
00:37:46,720 --> 00:37:49,080
'It will be indoors.'
386
00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:54,000
Solvi, look at this!
387
00:37:56,120 --> 00:37:58,760
'This is the Alta Igloo Hotel.
388
00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:01,320
'Solvi Monsen is its manager.'
389
00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:03,760
It's so weird.
390
00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:06,640
Can you see my breath?
391
00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:10,680
It's that cold,
but in a strange, dry way.
392
00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:16,160
Yes, the temperature inside is about
minus 4. These huge ice doorways.
393
00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:19,200
Ice animals. There's a penguin.
394
00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:28,000
I think these are huskies,
wagging their husky tails.
395
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:34,640
Little bright faces, waiting
for instructions. Maybe this is
a bit of the Northern Lights?
396
00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,960
And snow bears. Hmm.
Look at this...
397
00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:45,200
There's a little snow church
in here. Look at this snow church!
398
00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:48,480
This is extraordinary.
399
00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:52,400
We do weddings here.
Oh, how fantastic!
400
00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:56,840
The Ice Hotel lasts
till about mid-April.
401
00:38:56,840 --> 00:39:02,880
It melts completely?
Yes, from mid-April,
it starts melting very slowly.
402
00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:09,080
What if you have guests
and it starts to melt...?
Look at this chandelier!
403
00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:14,080
It looks as if it's made of crystal.
I know, but it's made of ice.
404
00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:18,760
'It is, of course,
a charming, fairy-tale experience,
405
00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:24,720
'until you realise
that if it is a hotel, that means
you're meant to sleep in it.'
406
00:39:24,720 --> 00:39:31,120
That is a glimpse that makes
my heart beat a little faster.
Is that the bedrooms? Yeah.
407
00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:33,960
Ooh, ooh! It's freezing!
408
00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:39,600
Just to get my bed ready...
409
00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:45,520
This has got somebody
still inside it. How awful,
a little corpse is in this one.
410
00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:48,560
No, just...just having a laugh!
411
00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:51,360
OK, spirits are very high now.
412
00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:57,760
Although I've sort of washed,
I'll take my trousers and top off
and sleep in my underclothes.
413
00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:02,280
But I've removed the maquillage
cos I like to go to bed fresh.
414
00:40:02,280 --> 00:40:07,760
OK, guys, stick around if you want
to, but this is bedtime for me.
415
00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:13,960
It's just the way I am.
416
00:40:16,440 --> 00:40:20,040
I can't...
I can't go to bed in a hat!
417
00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:25,080
Oh, God! This is the worst thing
I've ever done.
418
00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:29,080
Anyway, come on. Let's just do it.
419
00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:33,080
I can't really go on much more
without being rude.
420
00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:39,160
This is what I've been wearing
all day, so that's not so rude.
That comes off.
421
00:40:39,160 --> 00:40:42,240
This is a nightmare.
422
00:40:42,240 --> 00:40:47,880
Don't sleep in these socks. Even if
my feet aren't particularly sweaty,
423
00:40:47,880 --> 00:40:54,400
they'll freeze to a crisp kind
of cheese crackers,
so on with the cashmere socks.
424
00:40:54,400 --> 00:41:01,320
Then the trousers come off, so you
must leave cos underneath it's quite
tragic. Children may be watching.
425
00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:07,160
Trousers...
Don't watch me do the trousers.
Don't watch me do my trousers!
426
00:41:08,720 --> 00:41:11,240
Everything is black under here.
427
00:41:11,240 --> 00:41:14,120
It's my life really.
428
00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:19,080
I wish I was a divorce lawyer.
I'd set up shop straight outside.
429
00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:23,400
Some of you who are planning
a honeymoon... A honeymoon?!
430
00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:28,360
This is getting silly. Here we are,
the gloves, the scarf, the hat...
431
00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:31,560
The fleece. The cheese...
432
00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:35,840
The...jacket, the jacket.
433
00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:40,800
Is that comfortable? It's
a nightmare. What am I doing here?
434
00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:45,840
My breath hanging in the air could
say it for me, but good night!
435
00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:51,920
And if I'm not with you again,
remember,
I thought the world of you.
436
00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:03,680
Well, now...
437
00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:06,080
I've just woken up.
438
00:42:06,080 --> 00:42:09,040
This was such a good sleep.
439
00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:12,120
I even took off my gloves.
440
00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:15,440
And I even took off my scarf.
441
00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:20,520
And I took off my...socks.
442
00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:23,160
You see, it was warm.
443
00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:25,560
It's been a great success.
444
00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:28,040
I might not do it again.
445
00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:32,480
Not because it was horrid,
but because it was such a palaver.
446
00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:44,640
'I'm now right at the top
of the Norwegian land mass.
447
00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:47,640
'I've had a fantastic time.
448
00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:51,480
'It would be churlish
to dwell on regret,
449
00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:58,520
'but as I reach the sea again,
the road-hugging fjords which
give out on to the Arctic Ocean,
450
00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:04,360
'the facts are that the land
of the Northern Lights
has not quite delivered.
451
00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:10,440
'To get help,
I bite the bullet and turn west.
452
00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:19,840
'The city of Tromso boasts
unrivalled scientific credentials
in studying the aurora.
453
00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:27,160
'Maybe Professor Truls Lynne Hansen
of the Northern Lights Observatory
454
00:43:27,160 --> 00:43:32,240
'can help me improve on that one
brief glimpse early in my trip.'
455
00:43:32,240 --> 00:43:37,320
We went outside and I saw this
green slash across the sky. Yes.
456
00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:41,520
And I thought how frightening
it must have been.
457
00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:48,280
Long ago, were people afraid
of the Northern Lights? Yes, a bit.
You shouldn't wave to it.
458
00:43:48,280 --> 00:43:52,560
Some people still believe that.
And don't whistle to it.
459
00:43:52,560 --> 00:43:59,040
It would come down and take you.
If you waved...? It would take you
away from the ground.
460
00:43:59,040 --> 00:44:03,720
Can you explain to me actually
what it is, what's happening?
461
00:44:03,720 --> 00:44:10,240
It's fast electric particles
coming in from space and hitting
the top of the atmosphere.
462
00:44:10,240 --> 00:44:16,320
The energy of the particles
is converted into light.
And that's what we see.
463
00:44:16,320 --> 00:44:20,400
So they come from the sun?
We can make a drawing.
464
00:44:20,400 --> 00:44:25,160
You must do it, you must show me.
We can make a drawing here.
465
00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:31,160
If you have the Earth here
and the rotating axis that way,
so this is the night side.
466
00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:35,640
Night side, day side.
And the sun over here somewhere.
467
00:44:35,640 --> 00:44:41,160
From the sun, there is a tremendous
wind blowing called the solar wind.
468
00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:46,880
It'll hit the Earth's magnetic field.
It's a collision between the two.
469
00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:51,400
That's where this huge clash,
this battle is taking place?
470
00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:57,960
'As Truls' drawing gets
more complicated, I must admit
I begin to panic slightly.
471
00:44:57,960 --> 00:45:02,840
'Particle physics has never been
my strong point.
472
00:45:02,840 --> 00:45:06,680
'But I now understand
that the Earth is a giant magnet
473
00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:13,200
'and its North and South Poles
attract electric particles towards
them with spectacular results.'
474
00:45:13,200 --> 00:45:19,880
Like the moon and the sun
and even a comet is covering only
a small fraction of the sky.
475
00:45:19,880 --> 00:45:24,760
But the Northern Lights, it's all
the sky from horizon to horizon.
476
00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:28,840
It's all over.
So it's so grand that way.
477
00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:32,280
Truls, this is a book
I had as a child.
478
00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:39,000
It had this drawing of the Southern
Lights, I think, because here is
a penguin. We don't have penguins.
479
00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:43,880
The penguin in Antarctica
will see the same as you see here.
480
00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:49,520
Is that a good drawing? Yes, it is
a typical aurora that you will see.
481
00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:54,640
This is what I wanted to see more
than anything - the curtain effect.
482
00:45:54,640 --> 00:46:01,720
It's a folded curtain hanging down
from space and the electrons
coming down along the lines here.
483
00:46:01,720 --> 00:46:08,000
When it hits this atmosphere,
it will emit light,
so this is a very correct drawing.
484
00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:11,080
Truls, I just hope I get to see it.
485
00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:18,120
I hope that one green flash isn't my
only glimpse of the aurora borealis.
I really hope you get that glimpse.
486
00:46:18,120 --> 00:46:23,400
Find a dark place with no disturbing
light and then look for it.
487
00:46:23,400 --> 00:46:29,560
Just be patient, keep looking?
Yes, keep looking. Don't wave?
In a clear sky, keep looking.
488
00:46:29,560 --> 00:46:33,760
WHISTLES
None of that? No, don't do that.
489
00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:38,800
No, I won't. Then it will
take you away and keep you.
490
00:46:41,280 --> 00:46:45,200
'It's now or never
to take Truls' advice.
491
00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:48,760
'The weather near Tromso
is uncertain,
492
00:46:48,760 --> 00:46:56,240
'but local guide Kjetil Skogli
promises me we'll find the lights,
even if it takes till morning.'
493
00:46:56,240 --> 00:47:03,280
I've just got to tell you what
I've got on - two pairs of socks,
one thick, one thin, long johns.
494
00:47:03,280 --> 00:47:08,640
On top, thermal long johns, a vest,
fleece trousers and salopettes,
495
00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:14,320
then another top which is that top,
then on top of that, another fleece.
496
00:47:14,320 --> 00:47:20,960
We're only halfway there because
I've put on my heavy-going,
"freeze on Everest" mountain jacket.
497
00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:27,880
And on my feet, I've got ice
fishermen's boots which have got
soles this big. Fabulously warm!
498
00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:34,800
And I've got foot warmers
pushed in there, hand warmers,
then two pairs of gloves, two hats.
499
00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:40,520
On top of that, I shall put on
a life-saving suit
without which you die!
500
00:47:40,520 --> 00:47:44,280
So... That's good.
And the other one. Lovely.
501
00:47:48,160 --> 00:47:54,160
This is snug. It's not exactly
what I'd wear to the Oscars,
but you know...
502
00:47:54,160 --> 00:48:00,920
Yes, I know. Horses for courses.
That's lovely. You're well-prepared
now. That's good. Thank you.
503
00:48:00,920 --> 00:48:03,520
I can't see anything, Kjetil.
504
00:48:03,520 --> 00:48:09,480
No, there's nothing yet,
but there's good activity
in the magnetic field tonight.
505
00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:13,840
So we just have to be patient.
So we just wait here. Yeah.
506
00:48:13,840 --> 00:48:16,360
Good luck. Thanks, Kjetil.
507
00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:21,880
'I stand in the pitch black...
508
00:48:21,880 --> 00:48:25,720
'by the side of the fjord...
and wait.'
509
00:48:30,160 --> 00:48:32,640
WIND WHISTLES
510
00:48:32,640 --> 00:48:35,400
Look, much brighter there.
511
00:48:35,400 --> 00:48:38,320
Something's happening there.
512
00:48:46,640 --> 00:48:48,680
Oh!
513
00:48:51,880 --> 00:48:54,280
Look up here!
514
00:48:55,360 --> 00:48:58,000
Look what's happening here!
515
00:48:58,960 --> 00:49:02,680
MUSIC: "Solveig's Song" -
Edvard Grieg
516
00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:08,160
We've got one, two...
517
00:49:09,200 --> 00:49:13,240
We've got three kind of...bands.
518
00:49:13,240 --> 00:49:16,240
Three falling curtains of green.
519
00:49:16,240 --> 00:49:20,160
Just curling round
over the mountain.
520
00:49:20,160 --> 00:49:22,600
Look at that!
521
00:49:24,840 --> 00:49:27,280
Well, this is...
522
00:49:27,280 --> 00:49:32,280
This is different from the green
stripe that I glimpsed down at A.
523
00:49:41,320 --> 00:49:45,960
Standing here underneath this,
I feel a little bit like...
524
00:49:45,960 --> 00:49:51,680
the illustration
of Ponny the Penguin
who just stood humbly at the side,
525
00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:55,400
her little flippers down,
just looking up.
526
00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:05,680
This is the wonder of the world.
This is it.
527
00:50:05,680 --> 00:50:09,680
I might just have to lie down
and stare up at this.
528
00:50:12,360 --> 00:50:14,960
Oh, look at this!
529
00:50:15,920 --> 00:50:20,280
And it just keeps changing
and changing.
530
00:50:22,680 --> 00:50:25,360
I can't believe I'm seeing this.
531
00:50:27,520 --> 00:50:29,960
It's fantastic.
532
00:50:29,960 --> 00:50:32,440
And it's coming again.
533
00:50:32,440 --> 00:50:36,560
I have been waiting...all my life
534
00:50:36,560 --> 00:50:39,200
to see the Northern Lights.
535
00:50:41,040 --> 00:50:46,240
And now I am seeing them on a scale
that is beyond description.
536
00:50:54,400 --> 00:50:56,840
I'm as happy as can be.
537
00:50:56,840 --> 00:51:01,560
Look, it's starting
just behind those little cottages.
538
00:51:01,560 --> 00:51:06,120
Just below the moon and above
the mountains. Look at that!
539
00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:08,800
SHE GASPS
540
00:51:08,800 --> 00:51:13,720
And all the way through it, you can
see stars shining through it.
541
00:51:13,720 --> 00:51:18,000
And this little moon
is shining so brightly,
542
00:51:18,000 --> 00:51:22,960
so it doesn't seem to affect
the moonlight, it's just...
543
00:51:22,960 --> 00:51:25,480
It's extraordinary.
544
00:51:30,080 --> 00:51:33,280
It's so exciting.
545
00:51:33,280 --> 00:51:35,920
It's so immense.
546
00:51:40,880 --> 00:51:46,320
This is the most astonishing thing
I have ever, ever seen.
547
00:51:47,360 --> 00:51:50,800
I have a funny feeling
it sort of knew.
548
00:51:53,280 --> 00:51:55,720
I know this sounds a bit mad...
549
00:51:59,200 --> 00:52:01,600
It does sound a bit mad.
550
00:52:04,320 --> 00:52:10,040
But it feels as though it knew
that we wanted to see it so badly.
551
00:52:12,040 --> 00:52:16,520
And instead of just giving
a little strip of light
552
00:52:16,520 --> 00:52:21,720
or a little bit of green and I would
have been so grateful for that,
553
00:52:21,720 --> 00:52:24,200
we've got the whole business.
554
00:52:24,200 --> 00:52:27,040
MUSIC: "Solveig's Song"
555
00:52:44,520 --> 00:52:47,120
This is terribly, terribly moving.
556
00:52:55,440 --> 00:52:57,760
Thank you.
557
00:53:01,160 --> 00:53:03,200
Thank you!
558
00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:15,880
I think I can die happy now,
actually.
559
00:53:15,880 --> 00:53:18,400
I don't intend to die just yet.
560
00:53:19,440 --> 00:53:22,080
But when I do die, I'll die happy.
561
00:53:29,600 --> 00:53:32,280
'I was still alive in the morning
562
00:53:32,280 --> 00:53:36,920
'and quite utterly,
dazzlingly happy.
563
00:53:36,920 --> 00:53:42,920
'My land journey north
through Arctic Norway has ended
in the best possible way.'
564
00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:45,840
PILOT MAKES ANNOUNCEMENT
565
00:53:47,000 --> 00:53:49,520
'But I'm not going home.
566
00:53:49,520 --> 00:53:54,280
'The strongest point on the compass
still pulls me northwards.
567
00:53:55,840 --> 00:54:01,320
'My final destination,
far north across the Arctic Ocean,
568
00:54:01,320 --> 00:54:06,760
'is the most northerly, permanently
inhabited place on Earth.
569
00:54:06,760 --> 00:54:11,840
'Spitsbergen is the largest island
in the Svalbard Archipelago,
570
00:54:11,840 --> 00:54:16,160
'a vast wilderness of mountains,
glaciers and permafrost.
571
00:54:16,160 --> 00:54:20,160
'It's a natural habitat
for the polar bear.
572
00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:23,280
'Hardly so for people.'
573
00:54:23,280 --> 00:54:29,560
This is the Captain.
Latest temperature in Longyearbyen
is minus 16 degrees Celsius.
574
00:54:35,120 --> 00:54:38,320
PASSENGER ANNOUNCEMENT
575
00:54:42,960 --> 00:54:45,040
Oh!
576
00:54:45,040 --> 00:54:47,120
Wow!
577
00:54:47,120 --> 00:54:50,880
Um... Maybe on second thoughts,
I...
578
00:54:52,000 --> 00:54:55,760
This is like breathing knives,
but...
579
00:54:55,760 --> 00:54:58,160
Here goes.
580
00:55:07,360 --> 00:55:14,840
'Apart from the cold and the
latitude, there seems nothing that
unusual about downtown Longyearbyen,
581
00:55:14,840 --> 00:55:19,640
'home to 1,800
of Svarbard's 2,500 people.
582
00:55:21,960 --> 00:55:29,040
'But I'm not convinced
that the world's most northerly
kebab van does a roaring trade.
583
00:55:29,040 --> 00:55:34,040
'People have been living and working
in Svarbard for more than 400 years.
584
00:55:34,040 --> 00:55:38,400
'Whalers, hunters and trappers
came first,
585
00:55:38,400 --> 00:55:42,440
'seeking valuable oil,
blubber and furs.
586
00:55:48,160 --> 00:55:54,200
'For the last 100 years,
it's mainly coal-mining that
has drawn people this far north.
587
00:55:58,520 --> 00:56:05,040
'But to get the true measure
of one of the world's most isolated
and extreme environments,
588
00:56:05,040 --> 00:56:09,920
'I'll need to leave town tomorrow
and head north for the last time.'
589
00:56:18,720 --> 00:56:24,680
'It's not yet 5am and my journey is
ending at its coldest and wildest.
590
00:56:26,280 --> 00:56:30,560
'From October to February,
there is no light here at all.
591
00:56:30,560 --> 00:56:34,640
'But by April,
the sun will shine round the clock.
592
00:56:34,640 --> 00:56:39,520
'And even here, plants will find
the energy they need to grow again.
593
00:56:42,360 --> 00:56:45,000
'I want to catch the sunrise
594
00:56:45,000 --> 00:56:47,640
'and steal a quiet moment.'
595
00:56:58,640 --> 00:57:01,120
Well, it's minus 26
596
00:57:01,120 --> 00:57:03,920
and it's my last day in the Arctic.
597
00:57:05,920 --> 00:57:09,840
It's such a very,
very extraordinary place to be.
598
00:57:09,840 --> 00:57:12,280
It's just completely...
599
00:57:13,840 --> 00:57:16,720
..spectacular and hostile.
600
00:57:16,720 --> 00:57:22,200
At least, hostile to man because
it's so hard to exist here, I think.
601
00:57:22,200 --> 00:57:24,720
And it's so fragile.
602
00:57:24,720 --> 00:57:29,680
And it isn't really the place for
men. I know men have lived here.
603
00:57:32,720 --> 00:57:35,480
But we're not built to live here.
604
00:57:42,400 --> 00:57:46,360
'I've reached the sea
one last time.
605
00:57:49,400 --> 00:57:52,120
'Despite being this far north,
606
00:57:52,120 --> 00:57:54,480
'the fjord here has not frozen,
607
00:57:54,480 --> 00:57:58,720
'still benefiting from the warmth
of the Gulf Stream.
608
00:58:00,800 --> 00:58:04,840
'Finally realising
my childhood dream in Malaysia,
609
00:58:04,840 --> 00:58:08,760
'pulled by the strongest point
on the compass,
610
00:58:08,760 --> 00:58:13,160
'was more amazing
than I could ever have imagined.
611
00:58:13,160 --> 00:58:16,600
'But here,
the north at its very essence,
612
00:58:16,600 --> 00:58:19,600
'is where my Arctic odyssey ends.'
613
00:58:21,640 --> 00:58:24,120
That's the north.
614
00:58:24,120 --> 00:58:27,400
That's 620 miles to the North Pole
615
00:58:27,400 --> 00:58:30,200
and after this, there is nothing.
616
00:58:31,280 --> 00:58:36,440
There might be a few scientists and
some explorers, maybe some hunters,
617
00:58:36,440 --> 00:58:42,000
but there are no more towns, no more
villages. Nobody lives up there.
618
00:58:42,000 --> 00:58:44,480
This is as far as I can go.
619
00:58:44,480 --> 00:58:48,480
There is nothing
between me and the North Pole.
620
00:58:48,480 --> 00:58:50,920
That's rather wonderful.
621
00:59:16,560 --> 00:59:20,520
Subtitles by Subtext
for Red Bee Media Ltd 2008
622
00:59:20,520 --> 00:59:23,560
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