Thursday Thoughts – Moving a Town

23 februari, 201723 februari, 2017 / Leya / 24 kommentarer

Kiruna is the northernmost town in Sweden, situated in the province of Lapland in Norrbotten County. Inhabitants – about 20 000.

Esrange Space Center was established in Kiruna in the 1960s, and they also have the Institute of Space Physics^.

The re-development of Kiruna is a reconstruction project, as the Kirunavaara mine, run by LKAB, undermines the current town center. Several buildings, including Sweden´s most beautiful church and the famous Town Hall, are to be moved or demolished. The whole town center is to be moved 3 kilometers to the east.

The ground deformations became apparent in 2003, and the redevelopment started in 2007. The moving of the town was started in 2014 and is expected to be finished by 2100. According to the plan, there will be a denser city centre with a greater focus on sustainability, green and blue infrastructure, pedestrians and public transport rather than automobiles.

Walking the empty streets at night, the snowy silence is almost visible, touchable, embedding you in cotton cold. I wonder how the people here really feel…knowing most of them will have to leave their homes and their familiar surroundings for something they have not chosen themselves. A great piece of history will be lost, and I guess a piece of Lapland´s soul as well.

Cee’s B&W Photo Challenge: Any Camera or Photographer

23 februari, 201723 februari, 2017 / Leya / 10 kommentarer

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal, Galapagos.

Pelikan and photographer – both of them relaxed.

Wordless Wednesday

22 februari, 2017 / Leya / 4 kommentarer

CFFC: Looking Down at Things

22 februari, 201722 februari, 2017 / Leya / 7 kommentarer

For Cee´s Looking Down…, here we are at Prins Philip´s Steps, Galapagos, waiting for the panga to come and take us back to Cachalote.

Travel theme: Turquoise

20 februari, 2017 / Leya / 13 kommentarer

Travel theme: Turquoise

Those mountain lakes in Switzerland – they are my first thought when it comes to soft turquoise! Fresh and clear mountain water

Jokkmokk – The Reindeer Race

19 februari, 201719 februari, 2017 / Leya / 18 kommentarer

Every year there is this race on the lake – and it is great fun to watch it. The reindeer are indeed not very tame, and they have to be handled rather like the wild creatures they are… But they seem to like this game – and the running!

The horns often got tangled in the ropes…

…but finally time for a new race!

…and the reindeer eager!

Almost unstoppable…

Well…the last guy was really funny – and he most certainly enjoyed this game even more than the reindeer….No sledge, just his boots!

The reindeer are quite unstoppable as well, as you can see from the pictures. When they have finished the race…they will go on running!

And walking them home can be rather tricky too – even more if they are two…

Silent Sunday

19 februari, 201719 februari, 2017 / Leya / 7 kommentarer

Jokkmokk – The Market Place

18 februari, 201719 februari, 2017 / Leya / 21 kommentarer

If you missed out on my first post on this famous market, click here.

For the big 100- year-celebration, 6th February in Trondheim – go to Bente Haarstad’s blog. Click here.

After a rather warm walk (only 9 degrees C below zero…the temperature at some of the markets over the years has dropped to -40-45 C) among the tents, eating well and buying some dried reindeer sausages, we went down to the lake for the yearly Reindeer Race. People from everywhere come and race two and two on sledges behind a reindeer. But that – you can see more of in another post! Maybe you would like to try yourself?

An akja, to be drawn by a reindeer

The Jokkmokk youth hostel

Knitted wool socks and more…very useful in this cold part of Sweden

Many old people who traditionally work here

A sled is a very practical vehicle in snow

This crochet piece cost 300 dollars

Fox skins and other skins are traditionally sold here. The Sámi people has always been hunters

The food tents – here you can get traditional Sámi food

Old friends – a market is always a great meeting place

Well dressed in the cold air!

Of course we had to buy hjortronsylt! Nothing beats that – warm on waffles and icecream

Skins for everyone. I think this was the most commonly bought thing from this market. One roll under every arm…

Tradition is important

WPC: Against All Odds

17 februari, 201717 februari, 2017 / Leya / 16 kommentarer

Against the odds – my very special and wonderful friend, Mille, survived his severe illness and lived his last two years thanks to my daughter’s loving care. He was so close to death several times, but she managed to save him through natural medicine from the Japanese sea, and through loving care. No veterinary has managed to explain how this really worked – but it did. He was strong and lively throughout his life. And we are so very grateful to have known him. I have had some dogs in my life, but no one like him. I called him Iron Man.

Mille died in May 2014. This is the last picture of him, standing in his beloved water, the sea at our summer house. He had just turned 12.

Thursday Thoughts – Jokkmokks Marknad -412 Years Old

16 februari, 201717 februari, 2017 / Leya / 10 kommentarer

”Jokkmokk’s Market has a long history and is considered to have a four hundred-year unbroken tradition. Permanent marketplaces near the Sámi’s winter settlements were established by the Swedish crown at the beginning of the 17th century in all the Sámi Lappish territories on both sides of the Gulf of Bothnia. The purpose was to strengthen the state’s control of the population in the north as well as to collect taxes, hold legal court and spread the Word of God. Planning a market in the Lappish territories during the coldest time of the year had several advantages. The Sámi were gathered in their winter settlements in the forest area with winter grazing for their reindeer and the frozen waterways constituted magnificent roads for the merchants, state officials and men of the church.”

http://www.jokkmokksmarknad.se/visitors/history/

”Renrajden” is every year led by Per Kuhmunen and his family. It takes at least a year to tame the reindeer as much as needed to follow their leaders through the market place and let people touch them. At the Snow Scene in the middle of the market place, they sometimes let themselves be interviewed and photographed in the traditional Gákti. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A1kti

His wife makes all the beautiful clothes for the family…

…but now the older children make their own Sámi clothes

Once in a while Per might say a word or two…but must be coaxed into it…

Not many words from his wife either. I guess that is the way of northeners.

The Sámi people have always led a harsh life, and today they also have problems with the global warming that hits hard up north. As the weather wavers between warm and cold, the ground will get icy and the reindeer cannot find food enough. Last year some 30000 reindeer starved to death in northern Russia.

Per Kuhmunen and his family comes back every year to Jokkmokk’s Market. Today they are met by film cameras and ordinary cameras, radio and TV. But they seem to enjoy it.

Between Old and New.