Getting to Lofoten

[kareina]

 I spent a couple of days before the trip packing things now and then, one catagory at a time, to take with me for just over a week at the viking museum in Lofoten, and four weeks working in Kiruna. 

 

On Wednesday morning I had planned to do the last of the packing, and cook some food to take with me, so I could start driving Wednesday evening after the car was back from being repaired. Instead I was inspired to make a new phone baldric, as my last one was gettin really tattered, and, as it was an emergency amalgamation of an old leather baldric bittom that was still in good shape after the upper part died, and a chunk of a pair of old jeans that came with the house, i wasn't able to wash it, so it was also getting kinda icky. It had never been intended to be in use long term, it was just the fastest way to get a working one when the last one died, I don't recall how long ago.

 

So I started cutting fabric and using the treadle sewing machine, and 8.5 hours later I have a nice looking phone baldric which is washable. But, since it took so long to make, I didn't wind up catching the bus to pick up the car around 13:00 when it was done so that I could load it early. Instead, Keldor drove me down after work to get it, and then I resumed packing stuff and making the bed in the car and loading the already packed stuff.

 

By 21:00 I was really sleepy, so we went to bed, and I got up at 03:30 to finish packing (at that point it was only deciding what sewing projects to bring, and packing the ice chest and transfering my pillows from the bed in the house to the one in the car.

 

I managed to just finish as Keldor was ready to head to work, so we each hopped into our own car, and kept one another company on the phone for his half an hour drive to work, and I kept heading north.

 

I got as far as the little grocery store at Jävre by 07:00, so I stopped for the toilet and to buy some spinach, avacado, cucumber, and tortillas to make wraps out of, since I never did cook road food.

 

My next stop was at 08:00, in the neighbourhood by the turn off from E4 towards Arvidsjaur, just south of Piteå, where I left my signed work contract for the museum job in my boss's mailbox (as this was faster than putting it in the mail, since it didn't reach me till Tuesday, despite having been sent the Tuesday before).

 

At 09:00 I stopped at a random parking place on the side of the road as I needed to pee, and stayed a little extra to eat some blueberries growing a bit further away. Yum!

 

From there I drove to Arvidsjaur, where I went first to the library, but it was closed till12:00, and my mandatory Zoominarium for my Forntid i Norden summer class was to begin at 10:00. I arrived at 09:45, which gave me time to find a café, buy a pastery, and set up my computer and dial in.

 

The seminar was interesting. The teacher provided for bits of art from school posters made in the early 1900's showing four different periods in time. One eatly Stone Age, one late Stone Age, after the start of farming and weaving, one Bronze Age, and one early Iron Age. We were to discuss them in small groups and say what we felt the artist did right with respect to the current understanding of Archaeology research, and what things don't mesh with modern understandings.

 

After two hours of seminar I got back on the road, and soon found a parking area for a nap. That first nap was only 12 minutes, as it turned out that the pakrking spot was so closecto the road that the van shook every time someone drove by, so I called it enough rest, and went on to Arjeplog, where I parked at the Silver Museum, and used the toilet before laying down in the bed and sleeping deeply for 45 minutes. Then Keldor called again (he had bern doing that off and on the whole trip, whenever his work had a pause in it), and woke me. So I got up an continued. 

 

My next stop was at the Polarsirkel Gränshändel (Arctic Circle boarder shop), where they had some very ripe bananas. I love them at that stage, so I took one to the counter. The lady looked at it and paused her conversation with her friend long enough to say I could just have it. So I happily ate my perfect, free, banana before heading on.

 

Just before the actual border to Norway was a rest stop with toilets and covered shelters, so I did my yoga stop, and then continued on to Norway. 

 

Guys, I know that Sweden is pretty, and Norway is prettier. I know that, really, and I never truly forget. But when one crosses that border, and the mountains change from gentle sloping rounded "a glacier completely ran me over" to the steeper, cragy "ha, the glacier never quite civered my tops" peaks, it always strikes me again jusy how profound the difference in relative beauty (on my own personal scale of appreciation) is.

 

I only stopped occasionally for short toilet breaks after reaching Norway, and I arrived at Bodø at around 21:00, abour 15 hours after leaving home. The next ferry is the one departing at 03:15, so I bought a ticket, got my car in the queue, and slept till around 02:00, when I woke to pack a blanket and pillow in a bag snd move to the driver's seat, so when the guy came to collect the tickets I could show it promptly. 

 

My car was the second one on the ferry, and I went straight upstairs and lay down on a bench and slept. When Keldor got up just after 05:00 to get ready for work he called and woke me, giving me company as I packed stuff back in the bag and had breakfast and got ready to leave the ferry, which landed on time, 06:30.

 

Guys, I know that Norway is beautiful, but Lofoten is even more stunningly gorgeous, and I really do remember that when I am not here, but the power and intensity of the beauty of the Lofoten mountains strikes so much harder than I am expecting, ever time I come.

 

I have now driven from the Ferry to the Viking museum, and had time to finish writing this. In 15 minutes I meet my boss, get the keys to my room, and start a week of the best, unpaid (other than a place to stay) summer job ever.