North of the Arctic Circle

We crossed the Finland/Sweden border at Pello and headed north-west.  The roads have wider verges, but are becoming increasingly bumpy due to ‘frost heave’ .  I have to be extra vigilant with stowing things away in Molly, as everything gets shaken up!   We passed through many tiny hamlets, most of which seemed to have red wooden houses.  Drivers need their wits about them, as the reindeer still persist in prancing across the road! 

Kiruna sits on the 67^th parallel and was a ‘must stop’ for us to top up our LPG – we have a refillable tank, and LPG is not sold in Finland!  The town proved to be fascinating.  It is home to Europe’s largest iron mine, founded in the early 1900’s.  Enormous terraces of slag surround the entire area – in several places these are now used as ski slopes! 

However, due to years of mining, the town is sinking, hence many buildings are being moved.  A friendly lady in the book shop  (Him indoors, has to buy a map wherever we are!) gave us a map showing the future moving plans.  Huge sections have already been moved  – a brand new centre, with up-to-the-minute shops and offices – a fantastic Town Hall – in the round – which had a very good model showing the proposed moves.

  Everyone is given ample compensation for a new house or apartment – and they all accept the move because the mine brings so much employment and business to the area.  Apparently the church, which is very large, is to be moved IN ONE PIECE to its new position shortly – worth watching out for on Swedish news or on You Tube! The campsite on the edge of town was attached to a hotel which served a very nice supper – Arctic Char (very like salmon) and Reindeer meat were enjoyed!

 It was whilst shopping in Kiruna – chatting to the very friendly chap on the till in the supermarket.  “Wow! You’re a long way from home!  Why drive all this way?”  My answer is always that we love touring and discovering new places, but that we’ve come this far north in the hope of seeing the Northern Lights.  Great guffaws of laughter from both the cashier and the chap in the queue behind me  “You won’t see the Northern Lights!  It’s far too warm – and there’s too much cloud around – Come back in November!” they said.   

Feeling somewhat deflated, we decided to head further north anyway,  to the Abisko National Park – known to be a particularly beautiful area.  We were not disappointed.  Lakes, rivers and mountains combined with glorious autumn colour make this place a real gem.  Only 30 km from the Norwegian border, it sits on latitude 68.4 and is a mecca for skiing in the winter.  We enjoyed a 25-minute ride up a mountain on the ski lift, made all the better by good weather with barely any wind.  Splendid views from the top.

A well-marked 5km walk alongside the rushing Abisko river, through spectacular yellow mountain birch, gave us a good dose of ‘forest bathing’ – and some great photos! 

Heading south, we broke our journey in both Gallivare and Jokmokk.  We were fascinated to find out about the Sami people, who were the original inhabitants of this area (i.e. Lapland)  At the end of the Ice Age, the reindeer followed the retreating ice sheet from central Europe, northwards to Scandinavia.  Humans adapted to the ways of the reindeer and followed.  (A similar movement took place in North America, where reindeer are called Caribou.)  As in all places where settlers have had to adapt to modern day life, the Sami feel a little put out.  In Gallivare, a memorial statue dedicated to the Sami culture reads “Mine was the land in the past – preserve my people in the future” 

Jokkmokk has an excellent museum devoted to the history and culture of the Sami people.  Judiciously laid out, with excellent interpretation, this little treasure has won many awards.  Two things stood out for me – the brightly coloured traditional costumes, with their different patterns and colour depending on what area of Lapland they come from.  Also, the multitude of crafts – originally everything had a use, these days things are made to pass on the expertise through the generations.    Intricate designs are beautifully woven into bands, worn as belts or hat bands.  Many things were embellished using pewter thread – imagine the painstaking work involved!

We are now just south of the Arctic Circle.  Did you know that the position of the Arctic Circle is defined by the inclination of the earth’s axis, which varies under the influence of the sun, the moon and the planets?  In other words, it is always moving  VERY slowly northwards and southwards   – who knew? 

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