Kiruna & the Icehotel.

so last weekend we went to Sweden & had a blast @ the Icehotel. we went on some rather dull hikes around Kiruna but the highlight of the trip was the dinner we ate outdoors @ a camp ground with a guide & chef.

the price tag was ridiculous but the experience was priceless. it was complete karma that we made it & got the dinner. although our company was referred to Google after endless questions anyone should know. i was not fond of the selfie stick on the river boat or that they took pictures of our guide & us without asking permission. uncool. but as usual i transgress.

Kiruna was beautiful as was Abisko which we drove through on the way back. i also found a smashing barista that knew what to do with the milk. in a old beautiful house in the middle of Kiruna. the sun was out the whole weekend & it was warm. the weatherman had predicted rain. glad he was wrong.

the Icehotel was fun, drinking out of ice is a real experience in -5 C. crew @ the hotel was really cool & did everything to make things great for us. even though we stayed every night somewhere else they did a great job which says a ton of the hotel & their staff.

we didn’t have the chance to see the iron\ore mine but we had a great time even though we didn’t go on the tour. it’s really a shame that they are going to tear down that cute town just because of iron\ore. so hurry up & go see it before it happens.

how is that NRK, the Norwegian broadcast service manages to grab active people to sit & watch sommer toget. it is fascinating as you see all aspects of Norway from the small villages to the bigger cities. a few years back they followed hurtigruten along the coast & it was really fun to watch.

this it is the train complete with a stage & compartments for the hosts to sit & watch the view as they come into towns where everyone is waving a flag & is happy to see them. even in downpour & wind. people are out to greet the train.
between stations they have informative history of the rail line & who, what & where happened there.

if you don’t follow it through out the day you can catch up at night & see where they are. in each town they talk to the Mayor & they get to advertise for their community. really fun to watch. they began up North & have moved South the last few weeks. the train is on Røros rail line heading in a direction i dare not say, guess you’ll have to watch.

good for you. i just came back from a 90 minute romp in nature with my husband. it was an important trip because he was frustrated & cabin fevered & the dog needed to go out. i think being out in nature clears your head & gives you a different perspective.

i have hiked my whole life-& really enjoy days where the weather is not perfect like today. the wind is howling & it is an onslaught of rain as you make your way through the mountains. there is not as many people out & so you have the trail to yourself.

a month ago i hiked the djevelporten in Svolvær-or the Devils port as it is known. we hit snow & difficult climbing conditions & where sore for days afterward but the feeling of accomplishment was immmense. like last year when my husband & i hiked Mt. Pilchuck in Seattle. the conditions where really good that day but the amount of unprepared hikers was scary. no water or proper shoes. the list is endless.

hiking in Norway is different because most of the time the people you encounter are prepared sometimes over prepared even for small hikes in the neighborhood. we like to carry water & have some sort of nourishment with us as we hike or when we take a break. today, i am happy to report we beat the rain as i look out the window it is really coming down.

remember next time life gets you stressed-get outside!!