Journal: Pages
41-42
played
happily on the green grass near a fishing pond), the cabin was comfortable
and fully-equipped (the grandfather kindly asked me to examine it before
renting), and I was charged only Kr 400. My only regret was yet another cold
meal of pickled herring, chorizo and smoked salmon...
28
May 2003, Wednesday: Kautokeino - Enontekiö -
Jukkasjärvi
-
Kiruna - Abisko - Narvik
I
was likely the first customer of the day, if not the season, for the Sami
souvenir shop at Leppäjärvi, in Finland's northwestern panhandle. The
proprietress about my age treated me a cup of coffee, changed a few Euros with
no extra fee, and introduced me to this land of 10,000 lakes, glorious fall
colors and the dreaded summer mosquitoes. "It's only a problem if you
think it's a problem," she said in reference to the seasonal pests, which
I am lucky to have missed by only a few weeks. Ah, Minnesota...
For
having nothing to declare, I drove on without even a hand wave across the
borders of Finland, Sweden and Norway. If only the rest of the world can be
this civilized.
My
Volvo swiftly carried me past pockets of rain and sunshine, overtaking the
storm clouds high above. By the time I reach the Swedish lakeside resort town
of Jukkasjärvi -- where the Ice Hotel, the world's largest igloo, melts away
for the summer until it is rebuilt to prolong the tourist season well into
this region's dark, frigid winter -- I was already donning my sunglasses
again.
One
must marvel at these long Finnish and Sami names on the bilingual road signs
throughout Lapland. Near the mountainous Norwegian-Swedish border, I took
note of another roadside photo stop along the E10, chasing the iron-ore
train from Kiruna to Narvik. It's Paktajåkka (Finnish-derived Swedish) or
Jáffogasluobblat (Sami), a stream running under the E10 west of Abisko to
feed the thawing Torneträsk.
Not relishing the thought of another dinner of smoked
salmon back at my hotel room in Narvik (Northern Star Hotel, reasonably priced
at 500 and recommended by The Rough Guide), I went out to buy
New Zealand (November 2004) 73-74 75-76 77-78
79-80 81-82
