More Incredible Scenery and Back to Sweden

A good night's sleep, an early start, and we were already through three long tunnels and saw numerous magnificent waterfalls and rapids. There were green Birch valleys, snow covered peaks in every direction and fjords so crystal clear they mirrored it all. Our cameras were purring.

We see campgrounds everywhere with people in small motor homes and trailers. People also park in the many scenic pull offs. What views to wake up to!

Bob thought he saw our son, Sean, this morning. He knew better, but for a moment he was startled and he wondered why he was here. He said the likeness was fascinating. We surely do have roots here. However, the Norwegians are a stoic lot. They are willing to help and will speak if you ask, but they don't like to meet your eye in passing and won't return a smile. It makes it lonely to not be able to have friendly sharing in the midst of all of this beauty.

On a hairpin curve, we passed a Cosmos bus with tourists clicking pictures out the window. Bob said their pictures are probably all blurred and full of reflections. We got to laughing about our British Isles Tour and Robyn asking if anyone would like pictures of a complete set of road signs coming down a mountain as she was sure she had caught them all and Doug popped out with, "Only if they're blurry." I get so frustrated snapping out the window as some dumb pole or tree gets right in the way. 

Down the mountain we went to a fjord and we waited in line for a ferry to take us across. We, of course, put on our winter coats and went up on top to watch in the brisk wind. Bob reminded me that we were above the Arctic Circle sailing across a fjord in Norway. Wow!

Then, picturesque, picturesque! More fjords, waterfalls, and mountains and just too much to take in. We quit stopping for waterfalls and views that would have thrilled us two days ago. We were on overload with beauty no words can explain.

We drove through the small city of Narvik which looked like Tromso where we stopped on the ship. There is a fjord with pretty mountains all around and lots of industry and warehouses along the waterfront. Houses of every color went up the sides of the hills. It could be a bustling northern port town anywhere. And all of a sudden, we were in a long tunnel again - the longest yet, and then out into more city. It is not a quaint town and we were happy to leave the traffic behind and climb back into the mountains as we pushed northeast into Sweden.

We have noticed in Sweden and Norway how nicely people decorate their windows. They often have partial lace curtains and then cute small plants, statues or candles on display. It's very nice.

Back up over the tree line we went and into the snow with lots of rock and scrub pine. Little houses were perched on rock slabs on the shores of numerous lakes. It was rugged looking land with reindeer crossing signs and huge modern windmills catching the strong winds.

 

It started to snow hard for a bit and we noticed ice still on some of the lakes as we crossed the border back into Sweden. Then the sky quickly cleared and the sun came out. Bob pulled off to take pictures of a beautiful snow covered U shaped mountain formation.

We met two cute little older ladies taking pictures and one explained that the mountains are called the Gateway to Lapland. We took a picture for them and they took ours. The sky was so blue and the lake so clear, it was hard to quit clicking our cameras.

Right after that we saw a sign for the town of Bjorklinden where we thought we had seen a nice hotel advertised. It was a National Park and a Ski Lodge. I was sure it would be too expensive, but for less than half of what we paid in Norway, we got a perfect room with a breathtaking view and breakfast included. Also, people smiled at us and spoke. Yay!

We settled in and went out to hike gorgeous trails thought the hills. We were back to huffing and puffing but it felt good in the crisp mountain air. It was so quiet up there that my ears pounded. There was just the wind, the rushing little river and the sweet songs of birds.

We came back and had a beer in the beautiful sitting room with that awesome view. 

The World Cup Soccer game was on and we listened to all of the languages around us. It was fun texting with our son, Brian, while he had his lunch. We talked to Brad Sunday, Sean last night, and texted with Chad this afternoon. That really helps my occasional homesickness.

We had a lovely dinner in the dining room and joked with the workers.

            

It cracks us up that Country Music from the USA was playing. Earlier this morning as we left the hotel, the song One Moment in Time was playing and later at the gas station, Michael Jackson's Beat It was playing. I guess music is a universal language.

And now, to rest so we can get up and do some trails tomorrow and look for Reindeer!

Spectacular Overwhelming Scenery

We slept 10 hours with the window cracked to let in the cool mountain air and the shades drawn blocking out the light as we are again in daylight for 24 hours a day. We must have needed it, but we jumped up not believing the time, showered and hurried to breakfast. We are finding people in Norway not nearly as friendly as Sweden. Maybe it's because we are in a city.

Then, when we checked out and got our bill, Holy Smokes! We were so blurry, sleepy last night, we were just thankful to get a room. That is surely a lesson. Our dinner was $50 each, beer $30 each and our room $300 - for a little tiny basic room. All of our frugality was ruined in one night. Oh well, live and learn.

Today was a mountain drive and a pass back over the Arctic Circle. We were most happy to leave the city and it's traffic behind.

We went through a long tunnel that was just starting to freak me when we came out the other side by a wide, swiftly flowing river that we followed through the mountain valleys.

As I glanced over the sides of parts of the road with a shear drop and no guard rail, I suggested to Bob that he might want to go a slower speed. He suggested that I might drive. I suggested....oh, that's enough. You get the idea.

This was fabulously beautiful country and our brains were on overload. I didn't even take pictures for a while. It's hard to soak it all in. I think that if I saw a moose, I would max out and have to quit and go home.

Notice the sign for an upcoming picnic area and a WC (water closet/toilet). They are so good at having regular stops.

Luckily it rained a while or as the scenery grew more awesome, I might have burned up my camera in a clicking flurry. There were quaint farms, smoke coming out of chimneys on little sod covered cabins, sheep, horses, wild flowers in mountain valleys, snow covered peaks, and on and on and on...

This was the scenic route in back country and we were loving it! Would anyone like to come over and see our 9000 pictures?

We drove up above the tree line into the snow and over the Arctic Circle.

This area is a National Park for Norway. There was a very nice visitor center and café. There were monuments here, and at one of our earlier stops, for the Russian Prisoners of War from World War II that were kept by the Germans in camps in Northern Norway and made to work on the roads and tunnels.

It was a rough life with brutal weather and inadequate clothing and food and many died. It was very sad. War is very sad.

After hiking around a little, we went in to look at the center and gift shop.
They had many beautiful Norwegian sweaters. Too itchy for me, but these were lovely.

We went into the café and had a coffee and shared a soft waffle with Lingdonberry Jam and Sour Cream.

It was marvelous! The guys at the table near us were speaking English and joking with American slang - music to our ears. We asked where they were from and they said Minnesota. The guy who talked to us the most, said they were biking and camping and it was his sixth trip through Norway. He had ancestors from Norway and has visited the family farm. He is a retired fourth grade teacher traveling with two friends, a retired elementary principal and a retired minister. He was also with his son, an FBI worker and his son in law, an Optometrist. He said they take turns biking and driving the van with their gear.

He was impressive and went on to give me his card and tell me about a book he wrote about coaching middle school basketball. (The author is the second on the left.) What a treat. It was a real lift to our spirits to talk and laugh with such nice people. He is writing a new book about their biking experiences and anything funny that happens. This trip, for fun, they are keeping count of trampolines. They have seen them everywhere and are taking bets on their grand total. Bob and I had noticed them too and had commented about seeing them in so many yards. Too funny!

Back on the road, as we traveled across the top of the mountains, we spotted a swinging foot bridge across a fast moving river and we stopped to explore. There was a warning to have only one person at a time on the bridge. I was glad the warning was in English too. I was afraid to go out too far, but as usual, Bob pushed me to do it and then when I was about half way across he started bouncing the bridge. I won't tell you what I said to him, but, I was saying Hail Marys and I'm not Catholic.

Back down the mountains we wound into the pines with rivers gushing white and turquoise water. It is said you can drink the pure cold mountain water right out of the river.

We came down along a beautiful fjord and we were back to scenery we'd seen from our cruise with little settlements and boat houses with the mountains rising up behind them. It is fun to see the land from this perspective. We went through several tunnels, each seeming longer than the last. Just when I'm sure I can't breathe we come out. 

If you had a fear of tunnels or bridges, this would not be the drive for you. The scenery was spectacular, but we would come out of one tunnel and soon go back in another. One in particular seemed to go on forever like a rounded, rocky, lighted cave.

Daylight never looked so good just to pop right back into another cave. I lost count and kept busy writing in my journal.

We stopped to get out to see the beautiful view of the fjord and Bob as usual, can't resist going right to the edge of the rock. He took my breath, but wouldn't stop.

We finally came out in the little town of Kobbelv where I had seen an advertisement for a hotel. We were lucky to get a fairly reasonable room (for Norway) with a nice dinner buffet and free breakfast. The view of the fjord out our window was wonderful and there was a beautiful waterfall right at our door, with a stature of a troll looking over the top. Perfect!

This was the view from our room tonight on the fjord.

A Long Drive

In the morning, Bob went down for coffee while I cleaned up. He met a Norwegian lady he had fun chatting with and she had definite ideas on the scenic route we should take. She was traveling through Sweden as it was the quickest way, but she had no use for it. "Woods, woods, woods. Loppis, Loppis, Loppis. That's all you see!" We had seen several signs saying Loppis and wondered what it meant. It means Flea Market that they pronounce, Fly Market. We've learned the Norwegians and Swedes aren't crazy about each other, but it was funny to hear her. When she left, she left a note tucked in our car door with more advice. Very nice.

We had a fun breakfast as we had the kitchen to ourselves. The other people were sleeping in and the owners would not be in until later. They just trusted us with everything either laid out on the counter or on small platters in the refrigerator with milk and yogurt. It was relaxing to do our own thing and we carried our breakfast to our favorite table by the window.

 

As we ate, the cute little owner of the hotel came in. We were instant friends and chatted enthusiastically about everything. She wanted to help me find information about my grandparents and got on the phone to make calls and get me email addresses of people who will be able to help once we are home. Long ago when she first opened her hotel, she helped a couple from the states find information and even where their family farm was. She said it was all so emotional and rewarding. They stayed in touch until the couple passed away.

She pointed us off to the post office so we could box up some stuff to send home and lighten our load. We bought a small box and went back to the room to jam in dress clothes from the cruise, dirty laundry and a few small souvenirs. Bob took it back to mail and was shocked at the price. We would have been better off to buy another suitcase and pay the extra air fare. Oh well, live and learn.

The hotel owner, my new friend, advised us on our route and gave us a book. Then she gave us a tour of the spa downstairs. She and her husband had remodeled it from a dirt floor basement. It had rounded stone ceilings and was all wood and tile with IKEA furniture. There was a sauna, massage rooms, soft music and the lovely smell of lavender. I could have stayed right there.

As we finally said good bye she told us we had to return one day and we ended up hugging. What a fabulous moment in time.

Barely through town, we stopped at a great little river. Bob thought it was a perfect place to fish. There are so few people in this area and so many fish. He was happy to spot some line on the ground and to know someone was enjoying the river.

On we drove down the delightful, winding back road with very little traffic and lots of woods and we could see huge snow covered mountains in the distance. We were on our way!

We have commented several times since landing here how familiar everyone looks. Everyone seems to resemble someone we know until they speak. It is very evident that this country is a strong part of our heritage back home. We feel a familiarity and a connection to the people and the countryside.

We started into the green mountains with streams, waterfalls, and crystal clear lakes. Flies are hatching and the fish are jumping and Bob is sighing. Each turn is more beautiful than the last.

We came into a tiny settlement and needed to get gas. The store was closed for lunch for an hour and Bob thought we might be able to do it ourselves with a credit card. We thought we did it right, but it wouldn't work. The postman happened by and stopped to help. When the machine said "Var God" we thought it meant our card was "very good" and thought it should work. The postman explained that "Var God" meant "Please wait." With a twinkle in his eyes and a little smirk of humor, he encouraged us to be patient.

We drove on through vast woods with almost no other traffic as we flew along bouncing over frost buckled highway and hugging curves. We traveled up and down past numerous lakes and streams. We saw fencing where the Sami round up their reindeer in the Fall, but we still haven't seen any wildlife. Where is everything?

We finally turned off on an even more remote side road that was supposed to be a short cut (small way to the Swedish) back to the highway. It was a winding, roller coaster of a gravel road. I was a little tense. I quietly said, "You are driving a Volvo, not your truck!" Or maybe it wasn't quiet. But, here we were deep in the woods, in a foreign country with no one in sight. A car finally passed us and I wanted to stop and invite them to tea!

We eventually passed a cluster of cabins and noticed all of the moose racks on their barns. Maybe they've killed off all of the moose. Meanwhile our Tom Tom seems to know where we are, still Coo Cooing if Bob goes too fast (Thank God) and tells us where to turn on these back country cross roads. It is amazing.

We finally made it back to the main road and crossed back into Norway on our way to Moirana to hopefully spend the night.

We stopped in the first little settlement to get a much needed cup of coffee and use the restroom. Well, the restroom stunk pretty bad but I held my breath and made do. Bob followed and as he came out, two cute young girls were waiting to go in. Bob was embarrassed and tried to motion that it wasn't him and then started to laugh. They walked in and walked right back out and gave him a look. I felt bad for Bob and yet, sometimes he is to blame, so I guess it all comes out in the end...sorry. A little bathroom humor. I am the mother of four boys.

The scenery was gorgeous and we drove up into patches of snow and then down to the fjord and in to town. It reminded us of driving in the Tetons in Wyoming.

The first Hotel we checked in Moirana was full. We next checked the Fjordgarden where we saw tour buses parked and felt lucky to still be able to get a room. We didn't even check the price figuring if a tour bus was there, it was probably reasonable. They offered a good buffet dinner and we ate listening to a fun group of people from a tour watching the soccer game and then laughing over dinner. We missed our Aussie Travel Mates.

We had a lovely walk along the water and enjoyed the quaint buildings and impressive statue out in the harbor keeping watch over the town.

We turned in early as we wanted to get a good start tomorrow. On we go north back over the Arctic Circle.

Truly Wandering

We folded our nice clean laundry, took long hot showers and filled up on breakfast to prepare for the day. It is a little unnerving to be the only English speaking people and to not understand anyone around us. Thank goodness we can chat with the sweet hotel clerk. Then outside, Bob met a couple traveling by motorcycle in the parking lot who spoke some English. He said that this had been the worst vacation they had ever had as there was snow in the mountains and they couldn't get through and it had been rainy and cold the whole trip. They chatted and laughed but, oh boy, now I'm nervous. What have we gotten ourselves into?! Today will be interesting.

Here is the typical Swedish breakfast buffet - sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, sweet pickles, herring, salami, sliced cheese, liver pate', brown bread, several jams, hard boiled eggs, and a variety of granola type cereals. Bob tries it all and complains when his stomach gurgles later. I have learned to get my coffee and make a sandwich of heavy whole grain bread with cheese and orange marmalade. It sticks with me and doesn't smell like old fish.

After we get on the road, our first stop was at an old church on a river outside of Sveg. It was open to tour with a little log cabin beside it. There was no one in attendance and we were free to explore on our own.

Inside the church was covered with breathtaking paintings.

  

Many of these churches have no heat or electricity. They just burned candles and the benches made you sit very straight. No sleeping here. I had fun clicking many pictures and said a prayer of thanks and for safe travels.

As we left, a couple about our age in a motor home stopped and started walking around the outside. I felt pretty sassy that I could point and say, "Opet," to let them know it was open and they could go in. However, glass (ice cream) is still my favorite word.

The sky cleared and everything looked shiny green from the rain. We are starting to see occasional lilac bushes up by some cabins along with all of the other pretty spring flowers. We drove through patches of thick woods. Some have white moss on the ground that makes me think of high country. We also passed fields that looked like someone had scattered huge rocks and boulders about with moss and scrub pine trying to grow. A glacier must have dumped its load here.

                          

We saw a sporting goods outlet with a café and restrooms so we pulled in. Looking through the bins, I spotted a Michigan State sweatshirt. It was an omen. I had to have it. How funny to buy an MSU sweatshirt, made in China, in Sweden.

We ate a Swedish energy bar with a latte' for lunch as we drove through beautifully wooded hills with moose crossing signs once more. We also saw snowmobile trail signs. We drove in and out of heavy rain and even some hail and then back into the sun.

As we passed around the town of Ostersund, our son, Brad called us on Viber. It was early morning there and he was the only one up. It was great to hear his voice and to catch up a little. Here we were driving through woods in Sweden and can talk to Brad like he is next door. Technology amazes me!

We stopped at an ICA Grocery Store for some snacks for the car. A huge young man helped us read the labels on the boxes of crackers so we would know what we were getting. The checkout girl was also so nice to us and switched into English with no problem. It seems to come very easily to the younger ones.

We went by some lakes and rivers and over several bridges.

 

It was beautiful country. 

We (or I) started to worry again about a place to stay for the night. My Trip Advisor App looked like there wasn't much of a choice. We stopped at a nice looking little hotel in a small town and it was closed. It was a Sunday night on a holiday weekend and as we were told, many things were closed. We pushed on with Bob saying, remember to keep the faith and we'll find the right place. In the next little town of Vilhelmina at 5:00, we stopped at another hotel that was closed. We had one more chance with the Lilla Hotel and sure enough, it was locked up. We started to leave and Bob noticed a phone but we couldn't read the sign. He picked it up and gave it a go. A very nice lady answered and said they did have a room and she'd be right down. She set us up with the perfect little, spotless room and then cooked us the best salmon dinner we had had (other than the smoked salmon with Tord).

 

We sat relaxing to American 80s music and just enjoyed. The hotel was so cute, filled with things to look at hanging everywhere. I could use that "quaint" word again.

We then took a much needed walk through town and along the river and enjoyed the quiet sounds of the water and woods .

Way in the distance we could see snow covered mountains. We're going there tomorrow.

Back at the hotel, I worked on the blog while Bob chatted with the hotel clerk and got some good advice for tomorrow's journey. I know she was a little nervous around us at first, but quickly became comfortable. It was a little weird feeling that we were the only ones in the hotel and we knew the workers went home for the night. There was a phone on the wall to reach them. Luckily, two more rooms filled up before we turned in. Jack Nicholson and the Shining was drifting through my mind.