​It was at the northern stretch of a European tour when my eyes were open to a reality that has always stayed with me. We followed the route up into Scandinavia with its breathtaking beauty. I liked the rugged northern part of the European continent as it reminded me of my Canada. The trip from Stockholm Sweden to Turku Finland through the hundreds of islands was beautiful reminding me again of areas in Canada I have traveled. I went up to this land of the Vikings twice.