Our last couple of days in Stockholm were nice and relaxing. After flying down from Kiruna we had the best meal we had eaten for a long time. It included salad, fresh vegetables and a noticeable absence of fried food, butter and bacon. Marcus was very fond of saying that bacon and butter had all the vitamins you need and his cooking reflected this philosophy.
The next day we met up with Sapna and walked around together until she had to go to the airport. In the afternoon we went to Skansen, which is marketed as Sweden in miniature. It consists of all these cottages and buildings built up to 400 years ago and transported to one location. In each building it is set up as it would have been in that era and there is a costumed actor to explain what the building was used for or how people lived in that time period.
The next day we spent time with Christiane. We had planned on going to the Royal Palace, but on discussion with some of the local press who were hanging around, we found out that it was closed for the funeral of Princess Lillian who had died the previous week. Having seen most of the places we wanted to, and feeling like we had done little physical activity we decided to go rock climbing! We did feel rather silly, but the centre was amazing and we felt so much better for it.
Showing posts with label Sweden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sweden. Show all posts
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Northern Lights
One of our hopes on this trip was to see the northern lights, however when we were looking at the weather forecast with Stephen it did not look good with clouds forecast every night. The first night we saw them I wasn't sure if that was what I was seeing at all. There was a glow on the horizon, a bit like a city in the distance, except there were no cities in that direction. After a lot of watching and discussion with Christiane, it was decided that it was the northern lights, but that they were a long way away and the only clouds around were between us and them. The next night we again saw a faint glow above us, but it was even less than the previous night. On night three the clouds had rolled in and obliterated our view of the sky, so we had decided there was no point even checking for the lights that night.
On my way back from the toilet before bed I noticed that the stars were again visible so I turned off my torch and turned my gaze skyward to see a greenish glow in the sky. It was still mild, but never the less I woke Jason up and went back outside to watch. We must have stayed outside for an hour or so, as the lights waxed and waned, changed shape, colour and intensity. Although we had technically seen the northern lights previously, this night I actually felt we saw them. Just brilliant!
On my way back from the toilet before bed I noticed that the stars were again visible so I turned off my torch and turned my gaze skyward to see a greenish glow in the sky. It was still mild, but never the less I woke Jason up and went back outside to watch. We must have stayed outside for an hour or so, as the lights waxed and waned, changed shape, colour and intensity. Although we had technically seen the northern lights previously, this night I actually felt we saw them. Just brilliant!
The simple life
There is a charm in returning to a world without electricity or running water. Sitting in a warm cabin, with a roaring fire and playing card games by candle light. The romance is lost somewhat when you need to go to the toilet. When we arrived at the first cabin it was -10, windy and snowing. The first thing we were shown was a tree with "Gentlemens" written on it, for midnight pee stops we were told. The actual drop toilet was 300m away and I assure you that in those conditions a toilet seat without heating is rather unpleasant, although it was made of polystyrene so heated up quickly.
Over the week our priorities became clear. As soon as we stopped for the day we had to get water and wood. Water had to be collected in 25 litre drums from a hole that had been made in the nearest lake or river. This was sometimes only a 5 minute walk, but at one cabin it was 700m away! Once at the hole we had to fill buckets with ice cold water and pour them into the larger container, inevitably getting our gloves wet in the process. Once full we had to drag it back to the cabin, knowing there would be another container that needed to be filled. Each day we went through about 150 litres. On our last water collecting trip Jason managed to make his own waterhole, going straight through the snow and ice, filling his boot with water. This was naturally at the waterhole 700m from the cabin meaning he had a very uncomfortable walk back, and the slight risk of frostbite each time he had to put his boots back on for toilet breaks that night.
Each cabin also had a wood shed where we would saw the logs down to size and split them with an axe. This was my preferred chore, although I am not a natural with an axe!
There were other occasions when the rustic nature of life was much less pleasant. B1 and B2 tended to engage in a bit of biffo whilst sledding along, and one day it became more serious. B1 had got her leg tangled in the rope and it took me a while to get her free, during which time there was a certain amount of growling and biting between the dogs. Later that day I noticed some blood on the snow and found a bite wound on B1's neck. Without proper medical supplies or vets handy this was fixed with the use of a staple gun.
Over the week our priorities became clear. As soon as we stopped for the day we had to get water and wood. Water had to be collected in 25 litre drums from a hole that had been made in the nearest lake or river. This was sometimes only a 5 minute walk, but at one cabin it was 700m away! Once at the hole we had to fill buckets with ice cold water and pour them into the larger container, inevitably getting our gloves wet in the process. Once full we had to drag it back to the cabin, knowing there would be another container that needed to be filled. Each day we went through about 150 litres. On our last water collecting trip Jason managed to make his own waterhole, going straight through the snow and ice, filling his boot with water. This was naturally at the waterhole 700m from the cabin meaning he had a very uncomfortable walk back, and the slight risk of frostbite each time he had to put his boots back on for toilet breaks that night.
Each cabin also had a wood shed where we would saw the logs down to size and split them with an axe. This was my preferred chore, although I am not a natural with an axe!
There were other occasions when the rustic nature of life was much less pleasant. B1 and B2 tended to engage in a bit of biffo whilst sledding along, and one day it became more serious. B1 had got her leg tangled in the rope and it took me a while to get her free, during which time there was a certain amount of growling and biting between the dogs. Later that day I noticed some blood on the snow and found a bite wound on B1's neck. Without proper medical supplies or vets handy this was fixed with the use of a staple gun.
Just don't think
Two readying breaths to fully absorb the warmth of the sauna. Then just run, door one to the washing room, door two to the change room, then through door three to the outside. Don't stop to think, just keep going.
"You're fucking crazy!"
I roll on to my back and look at the most amazing night sky. Just for a moment before running back to the sauna laughing harder than I have in years.
Christiane, who had introduced me to the idea of a snow break (stepping outside for a moment mid sauna to cool down), looked at me. "You're totally insane." Then more laughter. " I want to try it."
Sapna reluctantly agreed to join us. So once we are hot again all three of us run out to where it is -18 and jump in the snow wearing only our bikinis. Insanity is apparently catching.
"You're fucking crazy!"
I roll on to my back and look at the most amazing night sky. Just for a moment before running back to the sauna laughing harder than I have in years.
Christiane, who had introduced me to the idea of a snow break (stepping outside for a moment mid sauna to cool down), looked at me. "You're totally insane." Then more laughter. " I want to try it."
Sapna reluctantly agreed to join us. So once we are hot again all three of us run out to where it is -18 and jump in the snow wearing only our bikinis. Insanity is apparently catching.
Dog sledding
I had this vision of traversing white wilderness with the only sound being the swish of the sled on snow, but the reality was a mad cacophony of barking, whining and howling.
When we first arrived at the kennels we met our vaguely psychopathic guide Marcus. He proceeded to do the obligatory guide activity of regaling us with previous horror stories. Although as he had frostbite on his face from a snow storm he got caught in on the previous trip, these may not all have been exaggerated.
We were soon introduced to the rest of our group. Christiane, a purple haired geophysicist who had studied the northern lights in Alaska. Sapna, a sound technician who was on her first solo overseas adventure following a recent break-up. Frank, an anaesthetist from Belgium and Mario, the ubiquitous traveller who had done it all before. He really had, it was his eighth dog sledding tour. Together we were a fairly quiet group, comfortable with enjoying the surroundings in silence, the dogs not do much. The start of the dog sledding was deafening. There were 30 dogs, 7 sleds and 6 tourists wondering what we had got ourselves in for. How were we supposed to control 4 rambunctious huskies?
I had 2 black dogs in the lead, Nero and Hassle, with 2 white dogs behind who I'll call B1 and B2 as I had no hope of pronouncing their Swedish names, let alone spelling them. Hassle became a bit of a favourite as she was half the size of the other dogs, but seemed to have twice as much pulling power. Plus she was a total sook. I did get laughed at when I built up a wind break for her one night as she looked so cold.
The sled came with a variety of braking systems. A rope that could be attached to trees or posts when available. A snow hook that you had to stomp into the snow to secure the sled when stopped. A strong foot brake with massive spikes for slowing down the sled going downhill or stopping. A milder foot brake with two blades on the bottom to slow down if you were quicker than the person in front. The acceleration method involved lifting the brakes and letting the dogs go. My 4 had the ability to coordinate their leaps forward, so I would occasionally start moving despite applying all the brakes at my disposal.
Once the dogs were allowed to run the noise subsided and just as I'd hoped the only sound was the quiet swish of the sled on the snow. The scenery was spectacular. We started in birch forests, winding between trees, but soon we were high in the mountains travelling through valleys with mountains on all sides. We were incredibly lucky with the weather, mostly blue skies and little to no wind although it was a little chilly. The temperature was mostly around -15 during the day, dipping as low as -32 at night. The warmest day was also the day we weren't able to move due to the snow and high winds, it reached -9 that day!
The most magical moments were those times when I lost sight of everyone so it was really just me and my four dogs surrounded by a beautiful white wilderness.
When we first arrived at the kennels we met our vaguely psychopathic guide Marcus. He proceeded to do the obligatory guide activity of regaling us with previous horror stories. Although as he had frostbite on his face from a snow storm he got caught in on the previous trip, these may not all have been exaggerated.
We were soon introduced to the rest of our group. Christiane, a purple haired geophysicist who had studied the northern lights in Alaska. Sapna, a sound technician who was on her first solo overseas adventure following a recent break-up. Frank, an anaesthetist from Belgium and Mario, the ubiquitous traveller who had done it all before. He really had, it was his eighth dog sledding tour. Together we were a fairly quiet group, comfortable with enjoying the surroundings in silence, the dogs not do much. The start of the dog sledding was deafening. There were 30 dogs, 7 sleds and 6 tourists wondering what we had got ourselves in for. How were we supposed to control 4 rambunctious huskies?
I had 2 black dogs in the lead, Nero and Hassle, with 2 white dogs behind who I'll call B1 and B2 as I had no hope of pronouncing their Swedish names, let alone spelling them. Hassle became a bit of a favourite as she was half the size of the other dogs, but seemed to have twice as much pulling power. Plus she was a total sook. I did get laughed at when I built up a wind break for her one night as she looked so cold.
The sled came with a variety of braking systems. A rope that could be attached to trees or posts when available. A snow hook that you had to stomp into the snow to secure the sled when stopped. A strong foot brake with massive spikes for slowing down the sled going downhill or stopping. A milder foot brake with two blades on the bottom to slow down if you were quicker than the person in front. The acceleration method involved lifting the brakes and letting the dogs go. My 4 had the ability to coordinate their leaps forward, so I would occasionally start moving despite applying all the brakes at my disposal.
Once the dogs were allowed to run the noise subsided and just as I'd hoped the only sound was the quiet swish of the sled on the snow. The scenery was spectacular. We started in birch forests, winding between trees, but soon we were high in the mountains travelling through valleys with mountains on all sides. We were incredibly lucky with the weather, mostly blue skies and little to no wind although it was a little chilly. The temperature was mostly around -15 during the day, dipping as low as -32 at night. The warmest day was also the day we weren't able to move due to the snow and high winds, it reached -9 that day!
The most magical moments were those times when I lost sight of everyone so it was really just me and my four dogs surrounded by a beautiful white wilderness.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Stephen in Skelleftea
From Stockholm we headed north to spend a few days with Stephen. It was a gorgeous, if chilly, day in Skelleftea when we arrived and Stephen gave us a guided tour straight away to capatilise on the sun. As the subsequent days were rather snowy and temperatures around -15 it was nice to have had a look around whilst we could.
The cold I got shortly before leaving home is still hanging round and has developed into a rather unpleasant cough, so I decided that spending some time curled on the sofa, watching movies and generally trying to get better was a good use of my time. Jason's birthday was subsequently a very quiet affair although there was cake so all was not lost.
Tonight we are heading out to watch an ice hockey game, and tomorrow we are heading up beyond the Arctic circle. I think it could be cold(er)...
The cold I got shortly before leaving home is still hanging round and has developed into a rather unpleasant cough, so I decided that spending some time curled on the sofa, watching movies and generally trying to get better was a good use of my time. Jason's birthday was subsequently a very quiet affair although there was cake so all was not lost.
Tonight we are heading out to watch an ice hockey game, and tomorrow we are heading up beyond the Arctic circle. I think it could be cold(er)...
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Getting used to freezing
Our first night in Sweden was spent in a prison cell. At least it used to be a prison cell, although it has since been converted into a youth hostel. We arrived at our cell, having trekked along ice covered side walks through sleet, at 4pm. We wanted nothing more than to have a shower then curl up and go to sleep, so instead we dumped the bags and went straight back out in attempt to minimise our jet lag.
We chose to just walk around the area where we were staying, meandering along the water, crossing between islands, and finding the occasional oddity. Why has someone tied 20 miniature houses to a tree?! Despite our attempts to stay out as late as possible, we were still tucked up in bed by 6pm.
Day 2 needless to say started early. However opening hours do not take into account jet lag, so there was nothing to do until 11am. The two main activities that we did (in between eating various forms of chocolate) were going to the Noblemuseet and the Vasamuseet. We learnt about Alfred Noble and the origins of the Noble prize, and the dodgy wording that lets the economics prize be part of the Noble Prize ceremony despite it not actually being a noble prize. There had been a major emphasis on creativity when they were designing the museum, which led to some interesting movies. There was one about Cambridge University (as it has produced a large number of Noble laureates) which focused heavily on carrots, and proving you've cooked a swan by producing its head when required.
In the afternoon we headed across town to see a ship (the Vasa) which had sunk in 1633 on its maiden voyage. Due to fortuitous water conditions (such as too much pollution for creatures that normally eat wood to survive) it was in close to pristine condition when it was discovered in the 50s. The ship was quite spectacular and the work that went into raising it phenomenal.
We chose to just walk around the area where we were staying, meandering along the water, crossing between islands, and finding the occasional oddity. Why has someone tied 20 miniature houses to a tree?! Despite our attempts to stay out as late as possible, we were still tucked up in bed by 6pm.
Day 2 needless to say started early. However opening hours do not take into account jet lag, so there was nothing to do until 11am. The two main activities that we did (in between eating various forms of chocolate) were going to the Noblemuseet and the Vasamuseet. We learnt about Alfred Noble and the origins of the Noble prize, and the dodgy wording that lets the economics prize be part of the Noble Prize ceremony despite it not actually being a noble prize. There had been a major emphasis on creativity when they were designing the museum, which led to some interesting movies. There was one about Cambridge University (as it has produced a large number of Noble laureates) which focused heavily on carrots, and proving you've cooked a swan by producing its head when required.
In the afternoon we headed across town to see a ship (the Vasa) which had sunk in 1633 on its maiden voyage. Due to fortuitous water conditions (such as too much pollution for creatures that normally eat wood to survive) it was in close to pristine condition when it was discovered in the 50s. The ship was quite spectacular and the work that went into raising it phenomenal.
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