After breakfast we drove to the airport to board our first flight to Bergen. We had to take two flights, but our luggage was checked straight through. The flights were not long, the planes were dual propeller and were pretty roomy.
When we walked to our bus, we were greeted with a huge sign “BERGEN?”. The Bergen sign is the result of a competition won by an Icelandic artist. The letters stand 18 feet tall. The question mark is intended to invoke a sense of curiosity and anticipation. Who knows what you will feel or take away with you, as you tour this beautiful city.
Bergen is surrounded by “the seven mountains” and was once the capital of Norway. Tomorrow when we go out on tour, we’ll learn about the city with our local guide.
Bergen is Norway’s second largest city, but it’s first in all of Europe when it comes to rainfall! Bergen’s unique location between the seven mountains doesn’t just make it an unbelievably picturesque destination to visit – It also makes it particularly exposed to rain showers. How exposed? Well, out of the 365 days of the year, 202-239 are days you should expect at least some rain in Bergen. The sun can be out and then suddenly, it can be pouring. So I guess rain pants and raincoats will be worn while we’re here.
We did an orientation walk and then went to ride the funicular, one of Norway’s best-known and most visited attractions. The journey up to the top is over 1,000’ above sea level and takes about 5–8 minutes. Given my fear of heights, I couldn’t go near the glass wall that you could go up to, in order to get a good view of the city, but I still could appreciate the view from afar.
We all went for dinner at an Italian restaurant and it was delicious!! Allan and I had pasta with beef and mushrooms. So, so good!!
Heidi’s nephew has joined us and will be with our group for the next three days. He is 14 years old, plays soccer and is also on his school’s sailing team. He was very sweet and we enjoyed having dinner with him and getting to know him.
Tomorrow we have a very busy day planned!
Our two prop plane
The bathroom in Bergen airport
Are we really here?????
View from the top after the funicular ride
Trolls are big here
A library to borrow books. Take a book…leave a book.
After breakfast, we boarded our bus and drove to the first site of the day – Gimsøy church. The church is located right at the beach and apparently, due to its proximity to the water and without any barriers surrounding it, our guide said the church has been blown into the water a few times. That actually isn’t true. However, the church is now anchored with steel beans, cables, and rods to prevent it from blowing in the wind. The present church is a long wooden church and was inaugurated in 1876. The original church is first mentioned by Aslak Bolt in 1432. The church has been restored a few times over the years. There is an old cemetery at the church and Edmund Munch’s uncle is buried there.
Our next stop was to visit the Lofotr Viking museum. We listened to the museum guide tell us about the Vikings and then we went into the world’s longest reconstructed longhouse. We had reservations for lunch there and we all sat Viking style at long tables in front of a boiling cauldron where our lunch was simmering. Our guide told us more about how the people lived in the Viking age. Vikings from Norway were renowned for their raiding and exploring, often venturing into distant lands and establishing settlements. Vikings were also active traders, exchanging goods and establishing trade routes. The Viking Age in Norway is generally considered to have ended around the mid-11th century.
After the talk, we were served a delicious lamb soup, filled with root vegetables and lamb that was simmered for a long time in a broth. We had bread with it as well as mead. Mead is probably the most well-known of Viking drinks (mjød in Norwegian). It is an alcoholic beer-like brew sweetened with honey. It was very good! During lunch, a “Viking” came in and serenaded us with his lyre. The music was beautiful.
I asked about the recipe for the soup and they told me that rutabaga, carrots, leeks, celery, nettles, barley, Jerusalem artichoke, celery root, diced lamb, thyme, rosemary, salt, potatoes, and broth all went in and then it was simmered for hours. (I probably won’t be putting nettles in the soup if I try to make it.) And by the way, the man from the whaling restaurant yesterday sent me his recipe for potato soup. You can find the recipe at the bottom of this post.
After lunch we walked around and explored the “living museum”. We saw artifacts that were found during the archaeological excavations carried out in the period 1983-1989. It was a very interesting (and very filling, given the soup) morning and afternoon.
On our way back to our hotel, we stopped at an untitled glass and stainless steel work by Dan Graham, who actually hailed from New York. It is a huge concave mirror overlooking and reflecting the water and the mountains, a very unique piece of art.
We then stopped at Henningsvaer, a quaint fishing village, where we could walk around and browse the shops. Allan and I had a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll and enjoyed the sunshine.
Dinner was chicken and barley at the hotel and then it was to bed because we have an early flight to Bergen in the morning. The photos from today follow the soup recipe.
Creamy Potato and Leek Soup with Crispy Bacon
Ingredients:
• 1 leek (white part only), chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 kg potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 liters chicken or vegetable broth
• 4 dl heavy cream
• 100 g crispy bacon
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped
• A drizzle of olive oil (for garnish)
Instructions:
1. Preparation: Wash and chop the leek, peel and chop the potatoes, and finely chop the garlic.
2. Cook the soup: Place the leek, garlic, potatoes, and broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
3. Blend the soup: Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the soup until smooth. Be cautious if using a blender with hot soup.
4. Add cream: Stir in the heavy cream and let the soup simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Garnish and serve: Serve the soup in bowls and top with crispy bacon, fresh parsley, and a small drizzle of olive oil as garnish.
The scenery is undeniably beautiful here in Norway. Dandelions grow all over and make for a beautiful yellow carpet wherever you look. Makes you wonder why we are so anxious to dig them up at home.
Gimsøy church
Anchoring the church
The scenery is always changing and always beautiful.
Bread and sour cream for our soup.
Our delicious lamb soup with mead and water. Love the holders for the glasses.
Breakfast at the hotel was really nice – probably the largest buffet so far. Allan had dried whale on a cracker and I had the yogurt that the fisherman from yesterday told us he makes and sells to the hotels. It was delicious with blueberries.
We are on the Lofoten archipelago, a beautiful place, where artists from all over come to sketch the scenic highlights.
After breakfast, we boarded an electric catamaran for a three hour Trollfjord Cruise over the beautiful blue waters and through the majestic mountains. We saw little hamlets along the way, where the fishing homes, painted the iconic red and white, are nestled into little coves. It’s amazing to think the people live here through the harsh winters.
We sailed into Trollfjord, a narrow inlet with a large population of sea eagles. We were very lucky to see many of them fly by. They are beautiful, with a wing span of about 8 feet. They are found in coastal areas, fjords, and around islands, where they hunt for fish and other prey.
We enjoyed a sweet potato soup with bread as we cruised along and it was truly a wonderful morning.
After the cruise, a few of us went on an almost 4 mile walk along the coast. On the way, we saw where stockfish are hung to dry. Stockfish (tørrfisk in Norwegian) is a traditional Norwegian fish that is actually dried cod. The fish is dried outside on huge racks.
As we passed by, you could smell the fish that were hanging on the racks. The bodies had apparently already been dried and removed and all that was hanging on the racks were the fish heads. The heads take longer to dry out and could be on the racks for months. The fish isn’t salted, but rather gets the salt content from the sea. Stockfish has been a major Norwegian export for centuries, even dating back to the Viking era.
We walked to the end of the coastal path and saw the statue that stands in the water – The Fisherman’s Wife. This is a statue by Per Ung, depicting a woman looking anxiously towards the sea, waiting for her husband’s return from fishing. It is rather sad when you think that many of the men that went out to fish in the rough seas, never did came back.
On the way back to the hotel, we were very excited to see a pod of orca whales swimming around. They usually leave the area in May, so we were extremely lucky to see them today.
When we returned to the hotel, we had an hour to rest and then we went off to see the Lofoten War Museum. The museum is small, but has an enormous collection of artifacts from World War II and William Hakvaag, the curator, has amassed an extensive collection of military and civilian items from the war, all on his own. It was unbelievable to see the actual uniforms, bombs, eating utensils, typewriters, and to hear the story of the Nazi invasion and occupation of northern Norway from 1940-1945. He even has a Gestapo room on display, with a prisoner handcuffed and hanging from a hook, while the Gestapo agents stand by in authentic uniforms, deciding the prisoner’s fate.
William has a signed watercolor, painted by Adolph Hitler, that he purchased from a young girl whose grandparents had it in their possession for many years. She had tried to find out its worth, but since it was dated 1940, everyone believed it was a fraud, since the thought was that Hitler only painted watercolors for about six years, in the beginning of the 1900’s.
William bought the picture from the girl for 250 euros and it was delivered in a fairly new frame. He took the frame apart and took out the watercolor, and behind it, were four other watercolors. Three were of three of the seven dwarfs and one was of Pinocchio. All four renditions are signed A H and dated ‘40’. Apparently, Hitler did paint in the 40’s, so the landscape William bought from the girl is signed and is apparently authentic.
We toured the museum and then we all went for dinner. Our appetizer was whale and it was excellent. It tasted like beef jerky and was very salty. Stockfish was served for the main course, which as you now know, is dried cod. Apparently, the dried cod is reconstituted with water and then becomes “fresh” cod. Dried cod can actually be kept for 30 years.
Well…this was the first fish here on the trip that everyone thought was positively awful! It had no taste and the texture was chewy and hard at the same time and tasted like…. Wait for it…. Dried fish! Yuck!!!! It smelled fishy too.
After dinner Allan and I did laundry in a little outdoor building with two washers and two dryers, but one washer wasn’t working. We downloaded the app…GoMarina…which allowed us to pay with a credit card and then get a PIN number that you enter to get the washer going. Then after the load is done, you put everything into the dryer. All this for $5 and change! A bargain!
Except…when the washer cycle ends and the door to the washer won’t open. Yikes!!! We tried everything, to know avail. Another couple came to use the laundry facility and they couldn’t figure it out either. (But in talking with them, they said they loved stockfish… so could I really trust them to know what to do???)
I finally contacted Heidi who contacted someone who runs the facility. The guy came and put a coin into the slot and the machine started up and finished running and voila, thankfully the door opened at the end of the cycle and we could move our laundry to the dryer, where the clothes could have the time of the lives after being ransomed, frolicking and dancing in the non-existent heat. Yes…after an hour and a half, the clothes were still quite damp. Fortunately, I had my trusty clothes line with us and we strung the clothes to dry in the bathroom. The man who came to our rescue to release our clothes from the washer said that the broken washer would work, but you’d have to stand there for the entire cycle and hold the door shut. So one washer door won’t stay closed…the other washer door won’t open. Go figure!! The man who came to our aid said they are having a lot of trouble with the app, and he also said that new machines would be coming, probably within the next three months. Too funny!!
At least the cost of the washer/dryer was a bargain. Remember the cost of our beers the other night? $25?? Our wines tonight were $16 a glass…and definitely not a big pour. After the laundry adventure, we treated ourselves to a Guinness at the hotel bar. It was 10:30 at night, but the sun was shining and it seemed like midday.
From the catamaran
Majestic
Waterfall along the way
Sea eagle. So lucky to see them
Sea eagles
On the 3.5 mile walk
Gigantic nets for cod fishing
The cod heads drying. The bodies are laid on flat wooden slats but we didn’t see any today
The heads take a long time to dry
The fisherman’s wife
Orca whale
WWII – Authentic Nazi flag
Top secret Correspondence
Watercolor done by Adolph Hitler
A Hitler watercolor of one of the seven dwarfs. Apparently he loved the movie when it came out.
Fish farming in Norway is big business and salmon is the number one farmed animal in Norway by far. Fish farming in Norway is prolific along most of the country’s coastline, producing more than 1.5 million tons of fish per year, almost all of which is exported.
Mortality rate for the fish raised on the farms is very high, and the cause of the mortality rate is unknown. It is thought that the stressful handling of the fish while they treat the fish for lice can cause mass mortality. Disease is another cause of the fish mortality, although vaccinations have helped.
Fish farms are a source of controversy and they can impact the environment negatively. Escapees from fish farms can introduce genes into the wild and potential change the genetic makeup of other species. Also, escaped fish compete with other fish for food thus impacting the other fish significantly.
The treatment for sea lice can affect the environment and the food that the fish are fed in the farms, as well as their feces, can pollute the seabed and deplete the oxygen that other marine life need to survive. Farmed fish can give out more toxic emissions into the environment than a town of 50,000 people. Also, wherever a fish farm is located in the ocean, the ocean floor is ruined because of what the fish are fed.
The bus ride from the hotel to our next destination, Svolaer, was unbelievably scenic, with little red houses dotting the seaside and the majestic mountains springing up from the horizon.
We stopped in Lofoten, a seaside town, where families, who make their living fishing, reside. We enjoyed an amazing shared lunch at Livland Gård, where our host and hostess brought out a huge charcuterie board filled with moose meat, whale meat, chicken, pork, shrimp, reindeer, potato salad, potato soup, and other delicious treats. We finished the lunch with homemade vanilla and brown cheese ice creams. Our host gave us the recipe for his delicious fresh and spicy Livland salad with romaine lettuce, arugula, and peanuts as well as his potato soup recipe.
We then listened to our host tell us about the controversial subject of whaling in Norway. Norwegians still hunt whale and remain among the few countries where whales are still hunted for commercial purposes. Japan and Iceland are the other countries. Norwegians feel it is an old cultural tradition, but environmentalists and animal rights groups disagree.
The whales are killed with harpoons which are filled with explosives that hit the whale as it emerges from the water. The whale is dragged into the whaling vessel, sometimes alive and in pain.
Norway had dominated the whaling industry globally and in doing so, practically made many of the whale species practically extinct. The whales were a valuable source of whale oil which was used for fuel. Nowadays, commercial whaling in Norway is restricted to hunting only a particular type of whale called minke whale, which is not classified as an endangered species.
Whaling continues to be a controversial topic. Environmental groups are trying to get across the fact that whaling and its benefits are “mere fabrications made up by politicians and fishermen to hold onto a traditional practice that is long out of style and time”.
We bid goodbye to our hosts and continued along the coast, traveling along one of the 18 most scenic panoramic drives in Norway. It was just beautiful. Along the way we looked for sea eagles that sometimes are seen flying along the coast, but we weren’t lucky. Sea eagles mate for life and their large nests are reused, sometimes for many years.
Hiking in Norway is very big for individuals as well as families. All along the road we spotted cabins that people rent to go hiking, fishing, and just to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
We arrived in Svolvaer, had an orientation walk, and then had pizza for dinner and a Guinness to wash it down.
Norway has been a NATO member since 1949. However, it is not a member of the EU. It does maintain close relations with the EU through its membership in the European Economic Area (EEA)
Norway is known as the Land of the Midnight Sun. The midnight sun is a natural occurrence that happens north of the Arctic Circle, where the sun doesn’t completely set below the horizon during the summer months. Fortunately, the hotels have darkening drapes so the midnight sun does not bother us very as we sleep.
Fish is a major part of the culture of Norway. People not only love to eat the fish – fishing is an important part of their livelihood. Of course, sushi has been a very old tradition in Japan, but what we didn’t know, is that the Norwegians introduced salmon sushi to Japan. In 1989, a former minister of fisheries in Norway, Thor Listau, visited Japan to introduce the salmon, and the rest is history.
Norway leads the all-time medal record for the Winter Olympic Games. More than half of the medals were awarded in cross-country skiing and speed skating.
If you’d like to get a drivers license in Norway, you have to complete mandatory training through a licensed driving school. In addition to passing the driving test, you also have to pass a test for driving in the dark, driving on slippery surfaces, as well as a first aid test. You need at least 18 hours of theoretical instruction and 16 hours of practical training.
Teslas are popular in Norway and reasonably priced, so many Norwegians can purchase them.
There is a popular saying in Norway: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” It is possible to experience all four seasons in a day, so it’s good to be prepared. Because of the Gulf stream, Norway has a much warmer and milder climate than other countries of the world at the same latitude. That being said, last winter in northern Norway, the temperature was a bitterly cold -61 degrees Fahrenheit. Brrrrr!
Norway has 240,000 islands and Harstad, where we will be for two days, is mostly located on the large island of Hinnoya.
This morning at breakfast Allan and I tried a delicious “cheese” called Brunost, which literally translates to “brown cheese”, even though it’s not technically a cheese. It’s usually eaten at breakfast on a thin cracker. As a by-product of the cheesemaking process, brown cheese is good example of “waste not – want not”. Leftover whey from the cheesemaking process is boiled down until it caramelizes. I would compare the taste to dulce de leche – similar to caramel. I thought it was delicious and had two helpings. It isn’t the healthiest because of its fat content, and I read that some schools have banned it from their menus.
Today we visited a local horse farm owned by a psychologist who specializes in equine-assisted therapy to treat alcoholism, substance abuse, learning disorders, etc. This is a holistic approach to promote physical and mental well-being. It involves tasks like grooming horses, feeding sheep, doing team work activities, as well as just listening and watching the animals and nature to recenter yourself.
We walked to where the sheep were grazing and we were told to try not to speak or take photos, but instead, reflect on our lives, our goals, our sadnesses, our joys, etc.
After a few minutes, some of our group went into the grazing area to feed the sheep. I’m glad Allan and I did not partake because it was a free-for-all, as some of the sheep were particularly anxious for food and butted not only their sheep mates, but also the feeders.
After the sheep were fed we went to the stable and sat very still for a while to observe two horses while again, we were told to try to take the time to recenter. Afterwards, some in the group groomed the horses.
Then we were all invited to participate in a team activity. We broke up into two groups and using the different materials that were around the large stable, we were instructed to make a path on the ground that was not easy to traverse. Then each group led their horse through the mazes that we created. It was an interesting team activity, but to be honest, I’m not sure what the point was except to learn that our horse was not excited about stepping over the wooden pole we had put in his path, but rather bulldozed through and knocked it over.
We had lunch at the farm, a dish called Lapskaus, which is a stew made with lamb, potatoes, and vegetables that is cooked slowly until the vegetables blend together. It was delicious. For dessert we had lefse, which is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread. It is made with riced potatoes and can be filled with soft butter mixed with cinnamon sugar. It was very tasty.
After lunch we rode the bus to visit Trondenes Church, the northernmost medieval stone church in the world. Built around 1250, the church is well preserved and the exterior is still close to its original state. A church host met us in the church, who was very kind and knowledgeable and shared a lots of interesting facts about the church with us.
After we toured the church, we started walking the two mile path along the sea to go back to our hotel. Along the way, we stopped at a sea house, built of untreated larch wood, with seating for about 20 people. It has a glass wall for protection against the north winds and Heidi surprised us by serving us Kvikk Lunsj (“quick lunch”) chocolate candy bars. They were first introduced in 1937 and have been sold ever since, except during WW II. (Between 1941 and 1949, its production was halted due to a sugar shortage.) The bars are almost like Twix and they are often taken as a snack on skiing trips where quick energy might be needed.
We continued our walk along the sea path back to the hotel and then met a few of the folks on the tour at a Thai restaurant to celebrate the birthday of a fellow traveler. The food was delicious.
Tomorrow is another day we can sleep in as we don’t have to leave the hotel until 10 am. I’m looking forward to that brown cheese again for breakfast!
Brown cheese – Brunost
Feeding frenzy
The delicious Lapskaus
The church
The original font
The original entry way
Along the two mile sea path
There were four, but I ate one. Much too sweet.
Where we tasted the candy
Inside the wrapper which translates to:
1. Plan your trip and inform others about the route you have selected.
2. Adapt the planned routes according to ability and conditions
3. Pay attention to the weather and the avalanche warnings.
4. Be prepared for bad weather and frost, even in short trips.
5. Bring the necessaryequipmentso you can help yourself and others.
6. Chose safe routes. Recognize avalanche terrain and unsafe ice.
7. Use a map and a compass. Always know where you are.
8. Don’t be ashamed to turn around.
9. Conserve your energy and seek shelter if necessary.
After breakfast, we boarded our bus and took a scenic drive to Norway. On the way we stopped at Abisko National Park.
Located about 121 miles inside the Arctic Circle, Abisko National Park is surrounded on three sides by the Abisko Alps and on the north by the Tornetrask lake. Abisko is apparently one of the best places to see the northern lights, but of course that is only in wintertime.
We arrived at the Norway/Sweden border and Heidi gave us all a small glass of Linie Aquavit, which is a potato-based spirit that has Nordic greens and spices in it. Whoa!! It’s potent! We had lunch at a local restaurant in Narvik and dined on salmon which was was very good and the little potatoes that came with it were delicious.
The drive to our hotel in Harstad was beautiful. The snow capped mountains, the lakes, the forest – every minute postcard perfect.
On the way we passed wind farms. The construction of wind farms in Norway has been a major point of controversy. Apparently, Sami traditions and cultures have been seriously affected by the wind farms. Reindeer herding is a traditional way of life for the Sami people, and the wind farms are located in areas where they graze their reindeer. The turbines disrupt the reindeer’s natural movements and grazing patterns.
The conflict has been ongoing for years and is a hot item. Some people feel that the goal should always be for the renewable energy the turbines provide, while others strongly oppose the wind farms because the rights of the indigenous people are being violated. There’s no easy answer.
We checked into the hotel and Allan and I decided not to go on the orientation walk. After the walk, when the group returned, just about all of us went to the restaurant in the hotel for dinner. Allan and I had the fish and chips and probably the biggest glasses of beer we have ever had. I couldn’t finish it! 0.75 liters is a bit much. Even Allan couldn’t finish the entire glass. We really got snookered since we had no clue it was going to be that big AND that they would charge us $25 for each glass. Wowser!
Tomorrow we can sleep late since we don’t have to start the day until 10 am.
Another pic from the ICEHOTEL 365
More pics from ice hotel
Abisko National Park. We’re still in Sweden on our way to Norway.
Powerful waterfall because of the snow melting in the mountains
Beautiful area
The scenery is beautiful. The lake is half frozen in June!
Sweden Norway border
We had a welcome to Norway drink at the border.
Norway
Lunch in Norway
WOW!! 0.75 liters. It was Brooklyn lager. I wanted a dark beer…but this really wasn’t.
After breakfast, we drove to the Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (“LKAB” for short) iron ore mine. We actually descended 1,500 feet into the mine to the part that has been converted into a visitor’s center. Our tour guide gave us safety instructions before we descended and told us what to do in case of an emergency. There is a theater inside and she said that would be the place we would go to if there was some kind of danger outside the mine (I’m assuming like a terrorist threat). We could lock ourselves inside the theater and be safe. We donned our safety helmets and off we went while the tour guide explained how the mine operation works, etc.
It was a little disconcerting as we were standing talking with the mine guide, when we all felt air circulating around us and the guide said this is very unusual. Wait…what????? Apparently, we learned later, there had been a problem with the circulating system and the workers were dealing with it. Whew!
The active mining operations take place more than 4,500 feet underground, where every day enough ore is gathered to build up to six Eiffel Towers. We could hear and feel the blasting from down below on occasion. She said every night at 1:30 am, they blast another large area in the mine and people can feel the ground vibrating in their homes if they happen to be awake at that time.
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, much of the mining takes place beneath Kiruna’s town center, and the hollowing of the earth will soon render the area uninhabitable. LKAB is spending a lot of money to relocate these people and rebuild (for those who want to stay in the area with a new home) their home almost exactly as the one being demolished. And…if the people happen to mention that they always wished they could have a sauna, or a much bigger bedroom, the company will do it for them. LKAB wants to do whatever they can to make everyone happy. The tour was very interesting and the mining operation is incredible.
We bid goodbye to our guide and boarded our bus to Jukkasjarvi, a town of just 600 Sami residents, where we had lunch inside a lavvu. First course was a delicious mushroom soup. The mushrooms they actually foraged for. The main course was Swedish meatballs made with moose meat and we had a side of mashed potatoes as well. Delicious!! We also had pitchers of lingonberry juice to enjoy.
One of the residents of the village spoke with us during our luncheon about the Sami culture. It was a very interesting talk and if you’d like to know more about the Sami, you can read about it here:
After lunch we visited the Jukkasjärvi church on the grounds, which was built in 1608. It is the oldest protected wooden church in Lapland. After visiting the church, we went to feed the reindeer.
The reindeer were very happy to see us and were actually very gentle as they took their food of moss from our hands. Their antlers, instead of being hard and white, were soft with a velvet coating. This is because the antlers are still growing. They are not pointed, but rather rounded at this stage, because the antler has not calcified nor finished developing. We were told not to touch the antlers at this stage since if you grab them too hard, they will start to bleed and the reindeer could bleed to death.
We left the village and then went to the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjarvi. Staying for a night in an ice hotel has been on my bucket list since forever, so I was so happy to have the opportunity to actually tour one.
The ICEHOTEL opened in 1989, and was the world’s first and largest hotel totally built from ice and snow. For over three decades, the ice hotel has been reborn each year with new art, new rooms, and new experiences.
When winter arrives, the water in the nearby Torne River freezes and turns to ice. The ice is then harvested and tranformed into the art and architecture. When spring comes and the weather gets warmer, the entire hotel melts and the water returns to the river.
At the beginning of each year the hotel receives applications from artists with their ideas to create the hotel for the next winter. Folks from all over the world submit their applications. Out of around 150 proposals, about 15 are selected, with artists ranging from graphic designers and architects, to engineers. In November, the selected creators gather to make their concepts for the ice hotel a reality.
Today we visited ICEHOTEL 365, which is next to the one that is created every winter. ICEHOTEL 365 is the firstyear round hotel – opened in 2016.
We walked in and were given a heavy cloak to wear, and then we entered this permanent hotel where the temperature was about 24 degrees. We toured 17 (one was under construction) of the 18 art and deluxe suites, as well as the ice bar which serves only cold beverages. (No duh!) The suites were gorgeous, with ice sculptures all throughout and each room had a specific theme. During the day, people can come as we did to tour the hotel, but come 6 pm, the place is closed to visitors, and becomes an actual hotel and the rooms we toured would be used for the night.
The deluxe suites have a bathroom within the suite. Otherwise, if you reserve a regular room, you have to leave your bedroom and travel down the hall to the common bathroom. Brrrrr! You are given thermal sleeping bags to snuggle in and you sleep on an ice bed that is covered in reindeer skins. If you want a drink from the bar, the glasses are made of ice.
After a good night’s sleep, you can enjoy a morning sauna and a refreshing shower, either in your private relaxation area (for a deluxe suite), or in the shared facilities for a regular room. Warm lingonberry juice is served in the morning.
Allan checked the price for this coming Christmas night, just to see what the cost would be for the deluxe suite. $1,450!!!
It was a fantastic opportunity to find out what an ice hotel truly is and I still can’t get over the amazing ice sculptures and rooms created totally from ice. The amazing thing is, the water from the river that freezes to make ice to sculpt the rooms and sculptures, is crystal clear. Just beautiful!
We came back to our hotel and went up to the top (12th) floor for a pre-dinner drink, and watched the street below as kids arrived all dressed in beautiful gowns and suits, (as well as traditional Sami garb), to celebrate prom night. They were all going into the museum across the street from our hotel, where a banquet was being held. The kids even walked on a red carpet into the museum, with onlookers lining the way on either side taking photos. It was like the Oscars.
We had a buffet dinner at the hotel and then it was to bed for an early departure tomorrow. What a fantastic day it was that was filled with unusual and unique experiences from start to finish.
Posts in the ground to monitor below ground seismic activity from the mine.
Our bus going deep into the mine
Standing in the scooper that puts the iron ore into the box cars
The wheels are huge
Firepit at the Sami village. We had lunch here.
Swedish meatballs
Church
Inside the church
They are eating moss.
Please be gentle.
The Ice Hotel
The hotel is kept at 24 degrees
The sculptures were amazing
Inside one of the deluxe suites. It was made to look like a subway station.
So gorgeous. Love the blue lights.
Such intricate artwork.
Another large suite
The ICEHOTEL, that was built for this past winter… melting.
Kids dressed in traditional Sami garb for prom night.
The kids walking the red carpet into the museum for prom night.
We woke up and had breakfast and then it was off to tour the Open Air museum in Tärendö which featured a typical Lapland homestead. We learned about the culture, traditions, garments, different devices, nomadic lifestyle, and history of the reindeer herding Sámi people. I really enjoyed looking at the old kitchen implements and many of them, I really didn’t know what they were used for. Something that looked like tongs to move fireplace logs was actually a waffle maker. There was a cast iron triangle shaped box that had a lid over the deep cavity with holes punched into the sides. Stones were put inside the cavity with a little water and then all was heated on the fire and… voilà…a steam iron was created. It was very interesting and the original home was built in the 1700’s and moved board by board to this location. Then we drove to Kiruna and had a delicious lunch of pork, potatoes, and broccoli at a local restaurant.
We boarded our bus again and drove to our hotel in Kiruna Scandic. We saw reindeer along the way. The Sami people own their own reindeer herds and each reindeer is marked with the owners special marking on their ears. It is impolite to ask a Sami how many reindeer are in their herd. It would be the same as asking someone how much money they have.
We arrived in Kiruna and our bus drove us all around the town. Unbelievably, the town is in the process of being physically moved, to allow for the continued expansion of the world’s largest underground iron ore mine. As the mine deepens and expands, it causes parts of the town to become unsafe to inhabit. To continue mining, and to preserve the town’s economy, Kiruna is being relocated about 2 miles away. For the residents who live in historical homes, their homes will physically be moved to another location and will be given compensation. For those who live in homes that do not have an historical value, they will be offered compensation and they can have their home demolished and rebuilt in a safer area. Others who just want to move away on their own will be given compensation for their home and they can just leave.
There is a beautiful church that is in the process of being moved. Thick beams are placed under the church as it is jacked up, and then it will be put on a huge flatbed truck and moved to its new location. The process should be completed by August.
We drove through the area where homes had been destroyed and new homes built and we also drove through the area that will be demolished. Most of these folks have lived in the area for years and it is very hard for them to have to relocate.
Our hotel is brand new and is in the new area and after checking in, we went on an orientation walk. Then it was back to the hotel to get ready for the home-hosted dinner.
We were placed in a taxi and driven to our host and hostess’s home. Joel and Lisa were very nice and we found out that Lisa owns a shop in town that sells beautiful and eclectic goods, and Joel is an engineer and has been instrumental in planning for the relocation of the homes because of the mining situation.
We were surprised when our dinner was… wait for it…TACOS!! That was the last meal any of us expected to eat in Sweden. They put out soft and hard tacos with chopped beef, tomatoes, lettuce, bell peppers, apples, corn, salsa, sour cream, a vegetable marinade, guacamole, and cheeses. It was fun to prepare the tacos since we all could make our own. They served wine and beer and chocolate candies for dessert.
We took the taxi back to the hotel and we all went up to the 12th floor to have a drink at the bar that overlooks the town.
It was a beautifully sunny day and rather warm. Too bad we didn’t have this weather yesterday with the pups!
The homestead. The building was built in the 1700’s and dismantled beam by beam and moved to this location. People donated the artifacts.
I woke up in the middle of the night and peeked out from our curtains and sure enough, the sun was still shining and continued to shine all night long.
We are in Tarendo, a village just above the Arctic Circle – a very remote setting in the forest. For the folks who live here, the closest food store is about an hour away and in winter, a trek to get to. Our accommodation is the Arctic River Lodge, where you can relax by the fireside or participate in the activities the lodge offers. Being it is spring, the winter activities that require snow obviously are not being offered, but hiking, canoeing, etc., are available, although Heidi said that the river is rapid and if you are new to canoeing, best not to try it. The lodge also has a sauna. Next to the lodge is a husky kennel with 96 dogs.
A Day in the Life is unique to OAT, and many adventures and hands-on experiences are always offered and fun! Today our Day in the Life was learning about the huskies and getting the opportunity to feed them, scoop the poop in their cages, and walk them. Sounds like fun???? (Especially the poop scooping.). NOT!
Today was a rainy day so the planned activity of working in the dog kennel was not optimal. I for one, really did not want to go into the cages with the dogs to scoop the poop since the dogs were jumping up and down and jumping on people. I didn’t want to be covered in mud. Allan was brave and did do a good job with the pooper-scooper and then we both fed the animals. They get a wet mixture of cow stomach with a little chicken, and also a cupful of kibble. They carefully monitor the weight of the dogs and if the dogs seem to be getting a little chubby, the feed is cut back.
I believe the dogs give birth twice a year. The very first litter of puppies from years ago when the kennel first opened, were all given names beginning with the letter A. The second group of puppies, perhaps 6 months later were given names beginning with the letter B. In the kennel to date, they are already naming puppies starting with the letter I and in about three weeks time, new puppies will be born with names beginning with the letter J. The males and females are on opposite sides of the large kennel area.
When the weather is very cold, the dogs wear a jacket to protect them from the harsh winds etc. when they are outside. They also wear booties on their paws. Since the snow can melt and turn to ice and then melt again, the booties protect the dog’s paws from the breaking ice which would be like glass slivers. The booties and the jackets are sized to fit the dogs. The jackets and booties have a blue stripe on them for the males and red for the females. Collars are either red or blue.
The collars are not worn during the spring shedding season since the hair would shed all over except for under the collar and would look like a ruffle around the dog’s neck when the collar is removed, so it’s better not to have the collars on.
There are some dogs that are the leaders of the Husky team and others are followers. Female dogs can actually be stronger than the male dogs, but they are smaller in stature. The lead dogs know the commands for turning left, right, etc. so they lead the pack and the other dogs know to follow along. Training of the lead dogs begins at around 8 months of age and they train by pulling on something heavy and by wearing a harness. When a dog gets to be around 8 years of age, the dog starts to train down and is slowly acclimated to retirement. Most of the time, the dogs let the owners know they are getting too tired to continue being a sled dog. The puppies love to be around the dogs that are getting on in age and the older dogs seem to sense that their elder status is beneficial to the little ones.
The dogs are affectionate and for the most part, they all get along. An occasional fight will break out, but nothing serious.
An Alaskan Husky isn’t a pure bred dog, but is bred instead to be highly efficient sled dog. They can be a mixture of hound, sled dog, and northern breed. Personality is more important than looks.
It started to pour, so Allan and I opted out of walking the dogs down to the river. Even if it wasn’t raining, I might have done the walk, but not with a harness attached to me with a dog at the end. These dogs are powerful and can really pull. I prefer to keep standing upright and not be pulled face down into the mud.
It was soon time for lunch and we walked over to the outdoor lavvu, a temporary dwelling used by the Sami people. It has a design similar to a teepee but is less vertical and more stable in high winds. This lavvu allows the Sami people to follow their reindeer herds. We had lunch of reindeer, cooked in a muurykka, which is almost like a wok, but much flatter, which is then placed over a gas grill platform. I believe tunnbrödsrulle (also known as a tumlerulle) is what we had once the reindeer meat was cooked, since we placed it on a wrap and filled it with lettuce, onion, a sauce, tomato, and cucumber. Heidi did confirm this. It was delicious! We finished the meal with homemade cinnamon buns.
Since the weather was still rainy, Heidi canceled our walk and instead we watched an excellent movie called Stolen. The movie is based on a true story: Nine-year-old Elsa, a Sami girl, witnesses her beloved reindeer being poached and is sworn to secrecy by the poacher. Ten years later, she vows revenge.
We had pre-dinner drinks and then had a delicious salmon, mashed potato, asparagus, and string bean dinner. The salmon was delicious.
After dinner we all took a nature walk for about an hour with a guide and they pointed out mushrooms, lichen, bird calls (the cuckoo), and animal scat. One of the men in our tour sent this to the group: “Reindeer urine itself is not hallucinogenic, but it can contain hallucinogenic compounds if the reindeer has consumed certain mushrooms, like Amanita muscaria (fly agaric). These mushrooms contain psychoactive substances such as muscimol, which can pass through the reindeer’s system and remain active in its urine. Historically, some cultures have consumed this urine to experience the hallucinogenic effects without ingesting the toxic mushroom directly.” Who knew!
Activity Note: As we cross the Swedish border today, please be aware of the time change (1 hour back).
After breakfast, we boarded our bus to take us to the airport for our flight to Rovaniemi in northern Finland. The plane was very new and very comfortable and we were served blueberry juice for a snack. In Finland, “blueberries” are referred to as bilberries and they grow wild in forests and bogs. They are used in many different ways.
Rovaniemi, is the official hometown of Santa Claus and he has made Lapland in Northern Finland his home for centuries. His workshop is in the North Pole, but he lives here when he’s not supervising the North Pole workshop.
We had a delicious buffet lunch and then some of us went over to talk with Santa. Santa asked me where I lived and I told him – and then I said, “But Santa…you knew that already, right?” He said “Of course!” (I was a little suspicious that this Santa might be filling in for the real Santa today, because I know the REAL Santa would have known right away where I live.)
We continued to the border of Finland and Sweden and our guide Heidi had a little “say goodbye to Finland” ceremony and we toasted with a drink of gin and grapefruit juice.
We drove to Tärendö, a village located in northern Sweden and where the Arctic River Ranch is – our home for the next two days. On the way we drove through a beautiful corridor of pine and birch trees and saw some reindeer as well.
Red lingonberries are very prevalent in the forest as well as blueberries. Mushrooms can be searched for, but you have to be careful because some are very poisonous. Not only reindeer roam the forest, but moose and bear do as well. The waters are home to many varieties of fish such as pike, bass, and char.
People snowmobile here in the winter as well as ski and cross country ski. Dogsledding is popular as well as hiking and canoeing.
Interestingly, the world’s second largest bifurcation is located in Tärendö. A bifurcation can be described as “a river taking water from one river and bringing it to another”. The normal way would be for a river to take its water from a lake or perhaps a wetland. The largest one in the world is located in South America.
We checked into the ranch and enjoyed a pre-dinner drink and then went to dinner. They served a delicious steak with potatoes and vegetables as well as panne cotta for dessert. The dinner was outstanding! Our room is on the small side, but actually on par with most Scandinavian hotels. We don’t plan on spending much time in the bedroom anyway, as there is so much to see and do at the ranch.
It is much colder here as we are at the Arctic circle and tomorrow, our luck will run out with the sunny days, as tomorrow there is a 100% chance of precipitation.
And by the way…the sun will not set tonight as we are in the land of the midnight sun.
