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A few lone seagulls, stragglers from the massive squawking group chasing the fishermen out to sea that morning, waiting for the afternoon's catch and a possible feed at the docks of Reinefjord.

The aurora borealis seen above a remote Air Force facility in Alaska, above the Arctic Circle. A very vivid green northern lights is seen encircling the bright orb of the moon.

One of the many icebergs seen on an inflatable "Zodiac" cruise around Burgerbukta, in the Arctic Circle, Spitsbegan, Svalbard.

The giant globe statue that stands at North Cape (Nordkapp), the northernmost point in mainland Europe (we'll just ignore the fact that it's on an island). It was a stormy day -- not unusual for the area in the winter -- which made for some very interesting skies.

Approaching the huge Braswellglacier ( with a face of over 150 miles ), Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean. Taken from the deck of the ex ice-breaker Polar Star, at midnight, under the midnight sun. Camera: Canon EOS 5 D Mark II

Just a cool map design presented to you by the artists at Arctic Fitness

Remember your visit to Gates of the Arctic with this original watercolor painting design.

The sun sets on a gorgeous winter's day in Jukkasjärvi as people go for evening strolls across the frozen Torne River, the source of all the ice for the world-famous Icehotel.

The beautiful clear skies of the morning gave way to moody clouds in the afternoon, which gave the gorgeous setting of Reine a completely different feel. I thought it worked particularly well for the beautiful little church in the town.

The midnight sun shining over Lyngenfjord around 1am. It slowly worked its way behind the mountains, lighting up the clouds above them, until it finally peeked out and continued tracing its never-ending circles around the sky. Having gone for a long hike during the day, I was tempted to go to bed, but I am so glad I stayed up to see this...especially since I could see this from the living room of my rented house! Location: Lyngenfjord, Norway Camera: Nikon D750 w/ 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and Lee Big Stopper filter

I couldn't get over how gorgeous the light was all day in the Arctic. This photo looks like a sunrise over the myriad islands and fjords of the Lofoten Islands -- but it was actually taken at 10am!

My favourite part of my visit to Svolvær was my wander along Svinøya Island, where I saw (and smelled) plenty of stockfish racks, talked to locals out walking their dogs, and saw amazing scenes like this one. It was interesting how I could take multiple photos from the same spot and get some with perfect blue water and others where the water colour was hardly evident at all because of the strong reflections. As for the goat in the title? The bit of rock sticking up out of the mountains near the middle of the shot is the Svolværgeita, or the 'goat of Svolvær.'

I couldn't believe the light in the Arctic in early March. It seemed like golden hour went on for 2-3 hours after sunrise, and then it started all over again before sunset. It's a photographer's dream!

I'm sure that jetty is used by laughing children diving into the water in summer. On this day in early March, it was eerily quiet.

The vivid colors of Norway and the Arctic Circle. The houses really pop against the otherwise white landscape.

Flowers and greenery: two things you don't see in Reine in winter! This visit was a very different one to my previous two, and it was interesting to see the area in such a different light! This image and many more will be featured in my upcoming "Guide to Lapland and Northern Norway in Summer." If you'd like to learn more, head over to http://www.lapland.travel.

Later in the day, these clouds would be my bane as they sunk down and obscured the mountains completely. However, as I packed up to leave Å, the town at the end of the Lofoten Islands, they made for a beautiful sight.

Olstind Mountain stands high above the town of Reine in the Lofoten Islands of Northern Norway. From any angle, it is impressive, but in the RIB boat where I had a perfect view of the reflection on the calm waters, it was absolutely stunning.

What a morning this was. I arrived in Reine late at night and awoke to see the fjord stretched out in front of me and Olstind Mountain towering above it all. Gorgeous.

Is this a fjord or a glacier lake? It could easily be mistaken for the crystal clear waters of a glacier-fed lake like Lake Pukaki in New Zealand, but it's actually Lyngenfjord in Northern Norway. The incredible blue colour comes from the outflow from Strupen Glacier into the bay behind.

We got so lucky with the light on our second morning in Reine. Not only did we get 2 hours of continuous sunrise/sunset, but we got it in one of the most stunning places in the world. I considered it especially lucky that I was wandering around only to be assaulted by the smell of drying fish. And why's that lucky? Well, fishing and drying stockfish is one of the main lifebloods of the Lofoten Islands, but I didn't think we'd actually see any evidence of it on this trip as it was too early in the year. Apparently, this fisherman started his season early! I know this rack looks empty, but if you squint to the left you'll see the hanging fish on the next rack over.

From the RIB boat that was taking me out for a winter snorkeling trip, I could see perfect reflections of the rorbuer that I called my home for two nights. I love how their red stands out against the natural blues and whites of the fjord.

Snowmobiles, walkers, and skiiers before had beaten down a wide path alongside the Juutua River in Inari.

Our first morning in the Lofoten Islands also coincided with the first morning they had seen the sun peek over the horizon since the early days of December. With colours like this in the sky, we couldn't help but to pull over on our drive out of Henningsvær and capture the scene. If you want to read more about what it was like to drive in Norway in winter, check out my recent blog post at http://www.bootsandabackpack.com/best-ways-drive-norwegian-fjord/ .

Unsurprisingly, the majority of the rivers in Lapland were frozen so thickly by March that you could walk across them with no worries at all. The River Juutua in Inari was not one of those rivers, given it had raging rapids fighting the freezing cold (and I mean freezing, since it was -33ºC the night before I took this). Those rapids eventually lost the battle slightly further downriver.

A beautiful romantic sunrise at the arctic circle

Sunlight and Icicles

Arctic world

Great bear lake Canada travel map.

Illustrated Map of Greenland in a vintage style.

The island of Magerøya in Norway's Arctic north is an interesting place to visit in winter, especially because it's so far north (at 71º north) that it has no trees on the entire island -- meaning it often turns into a sea of white, especially when storms like the one on the horizon roll in!

Just a cool map design presented to you by the artists at Arctic Fitness

The Tenojoki (Teno River, or Tana River if you're on the Norwegian side) winds its way between Finland (on the left) and Norway (on the right). Seen from the top of Nuvvus Ailigas, one of three fells named "Ailigas" that watch over the Utsjoki region.

There's a reason drives around Norway take so long. Yes, it could have something to do with the winding roads that dangle a speed limit in front of you as an unattainable goal, and maybe a little to do with doddering caravans too. But I think a lot of it has to do with stunning scenes like this! Location: Between Olderfjord and Repvåg on the road to Nordkapp in northern Norway Camera: Nikpn D750 w/ 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and Lee Big Stopper filter

The sky glows orange with the midnight sun over the Tjeldsund Bridge that links the mainland with the islands of Vesterålen and Lofoten.

I set out to walk the length of Svinøya Island in Svolvær to see some stockfish (cod that spend all winter drying on racks around the Lofoten Islands) up close and personal. While I was successful in this mission, I was also saw some absolutely stunning views of the fjord surrounding Lofoten's capital as well.

In the centre on the mountain side is the formation called "Svolværgeita," or the goat of Svolvær. In the summer you can climb to the top of it and stand in the goat's horns!