Sunday, February 16, 2014

Abisko!

My return to Scandinavia was spent in beautiful Abisko, Sweden. Dave is working in a really great place amongst really great people and I am beyond grateful for getting to explore the sights and sounds of Abisko. I flew into Kiruna, and then made the journey west to Abisko for two weeks of snowy adventures. Lots of walks on frozen lakes, warm beverages, sauna-a-plenty, movies, two lovely trips out to cabins, and some spectacular northern lights made the trip one to remember! I also got to see my first live moose/elk, so amazing! And I got to see my first reindeer, sadly it was dead, but seeing nature at work is quite interesting. Next trip to Lapland I'm guaranteed to finally see an arctic fox, I figure, and hopefully an alive reindeer. Pictures can show you my trip now, but bear in mind that I took the 6 crappiest ones, all of the others are Dave's doing, naturally.
The views from the plane were incredible! Welcome back to Lapland!
I think it was my second morning when this guy was just outside the window, having breakfast.
The view from Dave's bedroom, pretty spectacular.
And again.. it's hard to be upset about the sun setting at 2 when the sky is brilliant shades of pink and blue.
Lapporten, the gateway to Lapland.
Yup, it's frozen.
And so are my eyelashes.
And a tad closer for dramatic effect.
The first cabin that Dave took me to was along the Kungsleden, or the Kings Trail. It was a lovely area called Abiskojaure. We spent an evening by a fire, watching for northern lights, but to no avail. The company was what mattered though ;-)
Good morning from Abiskojaure.
On the lake just leaving Abiskojaure.
I'm a friendly skier..
Dave's hostel also organizes dog sledding trips, and they were very gracious to let he and I try it out. It was really good fun, despite the fact that I fell a couple of times. The day we went was quite cold, but made for some good pictures.. 
I think this is me and my pups.
My eyelashes freeze over quite easily, what can I say?
Dave and his pups!
Frozen eyelashes for everyone!
The second trip we took was to an equally as beautiful destination, Karsavagge. What I learned on this trip is that I'm not great at uphill skiing, but nothing that can't be perfected with practice? Sadly I was plagued with a migraine shortly after we arrived, so I missed the northern lights that were out that night, but I did get to see the sea of stars when I went to the loo and wow! It was on the way back to Abisko the next morning that we saw my first reindeer, so maybe click past that picture quickly if you're uninterested in how mother nature unfolds. We also saw a family of moose, but they were too quick and distant to snap pictures of, but it was incredible to see them roaming about. And a flock of willow grouse!
Views of Karsavagge.
!!!
This is what I missed :(
He makes the best breakfast.
The work of possibly a lynx.
Lynx tracks?
I was also unbelievably lucky to see the northern lights in truly spectacular form! I had been fortunate to see them last year, but this year it was like how everyone describes it, and how they picture it in magazines! It wasn't just a beam of green across the sky, but rather it was a swirling party in the sky and it moved and danced like nothing I've ever witnessed before. It was jaw dropping and something I will never forget. It carried on all night and was enough to make you not care if you didn't have on proper attire, because you could lay down in the snow and watch the sky perform without any care in the world because you knew you were witnessing an incredible event. If you were quiet enough you could even hear it whispering.
Brilliant shades of green.
I was so excited!
I like him.
And so concludes my whirlwind adventure to Lapland. I am so thankful to see what all I saw, but it was time to move on to my next adventure.. BARCELONA! Goodbye Arctic and Scandinavia, it's been a pleasure, but my heart is set on warmer, sunnier landscapes for now. 
My last snowy view, for a while. I flew over the Swiss Alps on my way to Spain.