Postcards from the past: John Creedon recounts an unforgettable journey in Norway

— "If someone touches your nose and you can’t feel it, you’re in trouble"

John Creedon, at the Norway-Russia border

As with life itself, travel is often more about the journey than the actual destination. I’ve been on countless road-trips — from journeying towards the Temple of the Tooth in Sri Lanka in an over-laden, whining tuc-tuc, to a rickety bus breaking down while crossing a dry riverbed in rural Malawi — where the highlights often occur en route. Nowhere, however, stands out more than one trip to Norway...

Ten years ago, I was spending my Sundays as a judge on The All-Ireland Talent Show. Having already filmed a number of travel reports for No Frontiers, I was intrigued when they asked me to travel to the Arctic Ocean — and back — in the six days between the two editions of the talent show. So, with the all-clear from RTÉ, I hopped in a taxi for Dublin Airport to meet the film crew. We were all new to each other, but within a week we were family.