Jokkmokk, August 23, 2024 🇸🇪
Today we learn that you can drive a Fiat 500 to the North Cape…or at least try to. The nice Italian couple set off from Mantua and plan to reach the North Cape over the next few days…hopefully there isn’t any snow yet.
Today we’re crossing the Arctic Circle, where we’ll enjoy our lunch right away. Then we’re off to Jokkmokk, where we’ll meet a few people from Graubünden and stock up on warm clothes—and we’ll treat ourselves to a few yeast rolls, too; we’ve certainly earned them….
Otherwise, Jokkmokk doesn’t really have much to offer—the village youth drive through the streets in their cars, limited to 30 km/h, blasting loud music; there are fishermen and hunters; and it’s raining. So we move on, another 30 km or so until we find a nice spot in the nearby national park. By the way, this is Adriana’s job, which she handles brilliantly every day, even if it doesn’t always go without a bit of discussion….
Gällivare, August 24, 2024 🇸🇪
Today, a short detour takes us to Gällivare, a small town with a special charm. An art museum right in the center catches the eye; next to it, there are artists painting the buildings, and there’s also great street food. And suddenly, the sun even comes out to greet us, and everything looks even better. After our brief stop, we continue on toward Jukkasjärvi. Today, however, we’ll make another stop at a rest area along the highway, where we’ll also spend the night.
Jukkasjärvi, August 25, 2024 🇸🇪
Jukkasjärvi is actually best known for the Ice Hotel. And although it’s already quite cold for us, the Ice Hotel isn’t built yet, of course. Still, it’s interesting to visit the entire infrastructure in “summer.” The Ice Hotel doesn’t keep us occupied for too long, though, and we set off for today’s campsite, the Reindeer Lodge. Just outside Jukkasjärvi, down a gravel road, we arrive at the campsite. It’s actually a hotel with bungalows, but campers are allowed to use the parking lot and the entire facility (for 500 SEK…). So off to the sauna… or maybe not quite so fast? Because first we have to build a fire and then wait about an hour. It’s worth the effort—a unique experience right in the middle of nature. It has everything you need, including modern showers and a nice lounge area.
We enjoy our time at the lodge, since the weather is currently on the gloomy side. In the evening, it does clear up a bit—time for a walk down to the lake.
Jukkasjärvi, August 26, 2024 🇸🇪
Before we set off today, we’re enjoying a Sámi breakfast (slightly adapted for tourists…) in the traditional (heated) tent. A real treat—and it’s already clear that there won’t be any lunch today…But now it’s time to get going—first, we’re heading to Nutti Sami Siida, an outdoor museum that gives us insight into the traditional life and history of the Sámi (the indigenous people of Lapland). The museum is very impressive and well worth a visit. Around noon, we’ll set off for Kiruna.
Kiruna, August 26, 2024 🇸🇪
Kiruna is truly extraordinary! The world-famous mining town welcomes us with state-of-the-art shopping centers—all indoors and very cozy. You’d think we were in a big city. And since it’s really pouring outside, we decide that today is the day to buy some rubber boots. So now we’re the proud owners of rubber boots from Sweden’s northernmost city. After this important purchase, we’re on our way again, because today we still want to head to Norway.
In our parking lot, we run into a group of Dutch Citroën CX drivers on their way to the North Cape.
Shortly after we set off, we realize that there’s quite a bit of activity going on in Kiruna right now. Soon we see that many buildings are being demolished. To allow for the mining of the deposits beneath the city, Kiruna will be completely relocated five kilometers to the east by 2040! This also explains the many new buildings we’ve seen.
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