Alfred Nobel

Alfred Nobel (1833-1896)

Wikipedia article

He invented dynamite in 1867, and gelignite in 1875.

In 1888, the death of his brother Ludvig supposedly caused several newspapers to publish obituaries of Alfred in error. One French newspaper condemned him for his invention of military explosives and this is said to have brought about his decision to leave a better legacy after his death. The obituary supposedly stated, "The merchant of death is dead", 

Nobel read the obituary and was appalled at the idea that he would be remembered in this way. His decision to posthumously donate the majority of his wealth to found the Nobel Prize has been credited to him wanting to leave behind a better legacy.

Nobel Prizes

Physics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 

Chemistry, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 

Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute

Literature, Swedish Academy

Peace, Norwegian Nobel Committee

Economics. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 

Scandi-noir etc

Some movies and TV series that have come out of Scandinavia in recent years.

The Bridge (Bron/Broen) (Sweden/Denmark): A landmark series focusing on a detective pairing solving crimes across the border.

The Killing (Forbrydelsen) (Denmark): A groundbreaking police drama focused on a single murder case over a season.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The Girl Who Played with Fire

Borgen

The Legacy

Cry Wolf

The Chestnut Man (Denmark): A tense, modern Netflix series about a serial killer.

Trapped (Iceland): A remote, moody thriller focusing on a murder in a small, isolated town.

Bordertown (Sorjonen) (Finland): Follows a detective with a unique, analytical mind. 

Sentimental Value (2025). 2026 Winner Oscar, Best International Feature Film

The Worst Person in the World (2021) (Norway/Denmark): An Oscar-nominated, modern romantic drama about love and life in Oslo.

Another Round (Druk, 2020) (Denmark): Oscar-winning film starring Mads Mikkelsen about teachers experimenting with alcohol.

Festen (The Celebration, 1998) (Denmark): A pioneering Dogme95 film about family secrets.

The Hunt (Jagten, 2012) (Denmark): Intense drama starring Mads Mikkelsen.

Kon-Tiki (2012) (Norway): Epic historical film about the raft expedition.  

Young Royals (Sweden): Teenage drama series centering on a young prince in boarding school.

Ragnarok (Norway): A modern take on Norse mythology.

The Rain (Denmark): A post-apocalyptic thriller series.

Snabba Cash (Sweden): A crime thriller drama about the tech/drug world.

Troll (2022) (Norway): A fantasy disaster film featuring mythical creatures.

Loving Adults (Denmark): A suspenseful thriller about a marriage gone wrong. 

A Man Called Ove

Key Filmmakers and Creators

Lars von Trier (Denmark): Antichrist, Nymphomaniac.

Joachim Trier (Norway). (Sentimental Value, The Worst Person in the World)

Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark): Festen, Another Round.

Jo Nesbø (Norway): Author of the Harry Hole books.

Stieg Larsson (Sweden): Author of the Millennium series. 

Best Scandinavian Movies & Series (IMDB list)

Scandinavian movies and tv series (IMDB list)

Helsinki

16th Wed 3rd June.  We leave the TripaDeal tour after breakfast, possibly in the 'Scandic Grand Marina Hotel or similar'. 

Location of Scandic Grand Marina Hotel (not confirmed)

Thur 4th June. Stay in Helsinki. Bob W Helsinki City Centre, Vuorikatu 18 B, Kluuvi, 00100 Helsinki, Finland. Confirmation number:5794057133 PIN code:7208. Booking.

Helsinki Central Station

Fri 5th June. Stay in Helsinki. Bob W Helsinki City Centre.

Visit Suomenlinna.

https://x.com/i/grok/share/c06acea3011c4ad6bfa14bf5465f58f9

Sat 6th June. (public transit to airport ~50 min, ~9 AUD) 

https://chatgpt.com/share/6a225fb8-e3c4-83ec-8d1e-f0630ba88f17

Fly IcelandAir FI343 from Helsinki to Reykjavik. HEL dep 3.00pm.

Jean Sibelius

Jean Sibelius (1865 – 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often credited with having helped Finland develop a stronger national identity when the country was struggling from several attempts at Russification in the late 19th century.

Estonia

 

The Baltic States

Day 15 Tue 2nd June Tallinn Full Day Tour - Helsinki, Finland In the morning you will be transferred to the cruise ship terminal where you will board a ferry to the medieval city of Tallinn, Estonia. Upon arrival, be met by a local guide and enjoy a 2-hour sightseeing tour of the city. 

Tallinn

Tallinn offers a charming blend of medieval tranquillity and modern urban life. The medieval Old Town is a busy place with its many shops, galleries, souvenir markets, outdoor cafés and restaurants. The tour takes you around the old medieval city walls and into the Old Town where you will see; Toompea Castle, Dome Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, medieval Old Town Hall and the Great Guild Hall (entrances not included). 

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

After the tour, enjoy some time at leisure. Alternatively, you may like to join an optional lunch at a medieval restaurant in Tallinn. In the afternoon you will embark on a short cruise back to Helsinki by ferry and be transferred to the hotel. 

Lunch at a medieval restaurant in Tallinn (We have paid for this). 

Olde Hansa restaurant

Estonia (Wikipedia article)

History of Estonia.

1918, Estonian Declaration of Independence

1939, Estonia declared neutrality, but this proved futile in WWII.

1940, Estonia was formally annexed by the Soviet Union. Hundreds of people were executed and, on 14 June 1941, c. 11,000 Estonians were deported to Russia, where most were killed.

1941, Nazis invaded as part of Operation Barbarossa.

1944, Soviets invaded again.

1949, about 20,000 Estonians were deported to Siberia.

1987, Introduction of perestroika by the Soviet government led to the independence movement.

1989, Two million people formed the Baltic Way.

1991, Declaration of independence.

1994, Last units of the Russian army left Estonia.

2004, Estonia joined both the European Union and NATO. 

2011, Estonia joined the eurozone and adopted the EU single currency.

After existing as an independent country for twenty-one years, Estonia was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union in June 1940 during World War II. 

In 1941–1944, Estonia was occupied by Nazi Germany. 

From February to November 1944, the German forces were expelled by the Red Army. The Soviet rule was re-established by force, and sovietisation followed, mostly carried out in 1944–1950. The forced collectivisation of agriculture began in 1947, and was completed after the mass deportation in March 1949. The Soviet authorities confiscated private farms and forced peasants to join collective farms. An armed resistance movement of forest brothers was active until the mass deportations. A total of 30,000 participated in or supported the movement; 2,000 were killed. The Soviet authorities fighting the forest brothers also suffered hundreds of casualties. Some innocent civilians were killed on both sides. In addition, a number of underground nationalist schoolchildren's groups were active. Most of their members were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. 

The punitive actions decreased rapidly after Joseph Stalin's death in 1953; from 1956 to 1958, a large part of the deportees and political prisoners were allowed to return. Political arrests and numerous other kinds of crimes against humanity were committed during the occupation period until the late 1980s. In the end, the attempt to integrate the Estonian society into the Soviet system failed. Although the armed resistance was defeated, the population remained anti-Soviet. This helped Estonians to organise a new resistance movement in the late 1980s, regain their independence in 1991, and then rapidly develop a modern society.[6]

Novel: Purge – Sofi Oksanen. 

A modern classic (set partly in Estonia) that deals with Soviet occupation, memory, and survival—powerful for understanding Estonia’s 20th-century history and resilience.

An international sensation, Sofi Oksanen's award-winning novel Purge is a breathtakingly suspenseful tale of two women dogged by their own shameful pasts and the dark, unspoken history that binds them.

When Aliide Truu, an older woman living alone in the Estonian countryside, finds a disheveled girl huddled in her front yard, she suppresses her misgivings and offers her shelter. Zara is a young sex-trafficking victim on the run from her captors, but a photo she carries with her soon makes it clear that her arrival at Aliide's home is no coincidence. Survivors both, Aliide and Zara engage in a complex arithmetic of suspicion and revelation to distill each other's motives; gradually, their stories emerge, the culmination of a tragic family drama of rivalry, lust, and loss that played out during the worst years of Estonia's Soviet occupation.

Sofi Oksanen establishes herself as one the most important voices of her generation with this intricately woven tale, whose stakes are almost unbearably high from the first page to the last. Purge is a fiercely compelling and damning novel about the corrosive effects of shame, and of life in a time and place where to survive is to be implicated.

Iceland Discovery

Iceland Discovery trip notes. 

Hallo! Welcome to Iceland. Your adventure begins in Reykjavik, which lies just below the Arctic Circle. The city sees around four hours of sunlight a day in winter and 22 hours or more in summer. Surrounded by volcanic peaks and crystalline ocean, this city boasts a vibrant arts and nightlife scene. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm at your accommodation tonight. If you arrive early, why not head to the National Museum, which depicts the history of Iceland from the ninth century – when the first Vikings from mainland Scandinavia arrived and settled – to the present day. Or join locals in the Laugardalslaug Geothermal Pool.

 Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

 Meals

There are no meals included on this day.

Special information

It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Make an early start to beat the crowds on the Golden Circle route. Head to Thingvellir National Park, home to the Parliament Plains and location of Iceland’s first parliament. Thingvellir also contains the Silfra fissure, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are slowly pulling apart. The resulting gap is partly filled with fresh water and is clearly visible. From here, head to the Geysir geothermal area, checking out Strokkur and watching as the geyser swells with blue water before erupting and shooting 20 to 30 m in the air. See the immense beauty and sheer power of the Gullfoss (Golden) double waterfall on the Hvita River, before proceeding to a remote farm in the Hvolsvollur region – your home for the night.

 Accommodation

• Guesthouse (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast

 Included activities

• Golden Circle - Strokkur Geysir
• Golden Circle - Gullfoss Waterfall
• Golden Circle - Thingvellir National Park

 Optional activities

• Fludir - Secret Lagoon - ISK4600
• Hvolsvollur - Lava Center - ISK6900

Special information

Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.

You’ll start the day at the Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls – you can feel the power of Skogafoss up close at the viewpoint, with a strenuous walk up a windy set of stairs. The black sands and bizarre, rectangular rock formations of Reynisfjara are up next. The last stop of the day is the famous Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon. Make sure you head down to Diamond Beach, where some of the icebergs wash up onto the black sand. Maybe book the optional walk along the face of one of Europe's largest glaciers – the epic ice cap of Vatnajokull.

 Accommodation

• Guesthouse (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast

 Included activities

• Skogafoss - Waterfall Visit
• South Coast - Rocks of Reynisfjara
• Vik - Seljalandsfoss Waterfall

 Optional activities

• Vatnajokull - Glacier Hike - ISK15900

Special information

Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

Return to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon this morning to cruise between the jagged icebergs on a boat tour. Then, take a scenic drive along the rugged coast of the East Fjords. Enjoy the spectacular views of high mountains, deep fjords, waterfalls, glaciers and fishing villages. Make stops along the way at small but notable towns like Djupivogur, which became a member of the cittaslow movement in 2013 and is aiming to be the Happiest Town in Iceland. Drop by Egilsstadir – home to the mythic Lagarfljot Wyrm – then continue along mountain roads to the farm village of Modrudalur. At 469 m (1539 ft) above sea level, Modrudalur is the highest inhabited place in Iceland, and snow can be seen almost year-round. Stretch your legs with a walk to the farm's church, built in 1949 by farmer Jon Adalsteinn Stefansson in memory of his wife, then settle in for the night.

 Accommodation

• Guesthouse (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast

 Included activities

• East Fjords - Scenic Drive with Stops at Djupivogur & Egilsstadir
• Jokulsarlon - Glacier Lagoon Boat Tour

Special information

Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.

The Glacier Lagoon boat tour is not operational before May. On affected departures, you’ll take a thermal bath experience at Vok Bath in the afternoon. You’ll still have the chance to see the Glacier Lagoon, walk on the Diamond Beach or hike on the glacier.

Set off for Dettifoss – Europe's mightiest waterfall at 100-m wide and with a 45-m drop into the craggy shores of Jokulsargljufur canyon below. It’s so powerful that it’s vibrations can be felt underfoot! Continue with a scenic drive through the volcanic landscapes of Lake Mývatn, followed by a visit to Namaskard, where steam rises from the sulphuric terrain. Walk around the lava stacks and caves of Dimmuborgir, then see the massive pseudo craters of Skutustadir. Continue to the crescent shaped Godafoss waterfall, where legend says a lawmaker priest threw the idols of the Norse gods when Christianity became Iceland’s official religion in AD 1000. Travel on to Akureyri and settle into your accommodation for the evening.

 Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast

 Included activities

• Myvatn - Namaskard Boiling Mud Pools, Dimmuborgir & Skutustadir Crater Group
• Dettifoss - Waterfall Visit
• Myvatn - Lake Myvatn scenic drive
• Godafoss - Waterfall Visit

 Optional activities

• Akureyri - Forest Lagoon - ISK6900

Special information

Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.

Situated at the head of Iceland's longest fjord, Akureyri is the nation's second-largest city. This morning, embark on a short walking tour of the town, taking in the striking church and other local sights. Later, continue to Snaefellsnes Peninsula – home to the magnificent Snaefellsjokull Glacier, which played a starring role in Jules Verne's 1864 novel Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Next, time permitting, you can either bathe in the thermal pools at Lysuholslaug (seasonal) or see the Icelandic horses in the nearby fields. Tonight, you’ll join your group and hosts for a delicious home-cooked dinner.

 Accommodation

• Guesthouse (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast
• Dinner

 Included activities

• Akureyri - Walking Tour
• Snaefellsnes - Home-cooked dinner

 Optional activities

• Lysuholl - Lysuholslaug Thermal Pool (seasonal) - ISK1600

Special information

Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.

Continue exploring the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, beginning with the white beach at Budir, then go on to Arnarstapi, where a short stroll along the coastal cliffs exposes you to rich bird life. Continue on to the basaltic pebble beach Djupalonssandur. In the afternoon, head back to Reykjavik to complete your circuit of Iceland. You may wish to book an optional whale watching tour for later this afternoon if you’re here between May and December. The rest of the evening is yours to maybe head out to dinner with your fellow travellers and toast with a glass of Brennivin (a savoury schnapps) to a wonderful adventure.

 Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

 Meals

• Breakfast

 Included activities

• Snaefellsnes National Park

 Optional activities

• Reykjavik - Whale Watching - ISK14500

Special information

Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

Today, your adventure comes to an end and it’s time to say sjaumst (see you soon)! If you'd like to extend your stay, your booking agent can help arrange extra accommodation so you’ll have more time to explore the city’s art galleries or even experience a Silfra Fissure snorkelling adventure.

 Meals

• Breakfast

 Optional activities

• Reykjavik - Maritime Museum - ISK2450
• Reykjavik - Harpa Concert Hall - Free
• Nautholsvík - Thermal Beach - Free
• Reykjavik - Perlan Museum - ISK5990
• Reykjanes Peninsula - Blue Lagoon inc return transfer - ISK23999
• Reykjavik - Settlement Exhibition - ISK3000
• Reykjavik - Saga Museum - ISK4000
• Reykjavik - Whales of Iceland Museum - ISK4300
• Reykjavik - Silfra Fissure Snorkelling Day Trip inc return transfer from Reykjavik - ISK28490
• Reykjavik - Fly-Over Iceland - ISK5950
• Reykjavik - Sky Lagoon - ISK13990

Special information

The Blue Lagoon has limited availability, and during peak times tickets sell out far in advance. We recommend you book your time slot online in advance if you would like to be sure of a certain time/date for your visit: bluelagoon.com.

Finishing point

Fosshotel Raudara
Rauðarárstígur 37 Reykjavik 105 ICELAND
Phone: +354 5147000