Gallivare
15. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Pronounced "yal-li-VA-ray" this is a word from the local Sami culture, the native people we used to call Laplanders. The town grew due to the mining in the area (see previous post).
Inlandsbanan day one
16. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
The Inlandbanan is a passenger rail that runs in the summer along a route through the middle of Sweden. I am spending 4 days along the route and will post pictures along the way. Today, the trainLes mer
Jokkmokk
17. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Small town right at the arctic circle. A center of or meeting place for Sami culture. Right now the annual reindeer herders Congress is in process here. Unfortunately, it rained heavily yesterday andLes mer
Arctic circle
17. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Thge train stops for pictures right at the arctic circle, and they give certificates, too
Inlandsbanan day two
17. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Much like day one--wild lands, crossing the arctic circle (see another post), a natural river (what we would call wild and scenic), the lunch stop for reindeer stew, grass red like I've never seenLes mer
Vilhelmina
18. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Old logging town now a small center of Sami folks and tourism. The pics are the old courthouse and representative Sami buildings set up by a local Sami cultural society. The last pic is looking out myLes mer
Vilhelmina kyrka
18. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
The village church. You don't see many churches with a glassed off room at the back for socials, coffee hour or even Sunday school. The last pic is the view from the pulpit. I admit I couldn't resist.Les mer
Kyrkstaden
18. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Church town. When the first churches were built to serve the Sami, it was necessary to build a bunch of cottages or bungalows because people had to travel so far to church that they needed places toLes mer
Arija Restbergs
A lot of the design in the rugs/table covers are the same that Latvians used 🙂
Inlandsbanan day three
18. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
4 hour evening ride from Vilhelmina to Ostersund. A few differences. More types of trees, deciduous mostly. More "civilization." Not as boggy. Yet more lakes. More complex forests. A steam engine onLes mer
Ostersund
19. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
A rainy day, but I did visit the Stora Kirka where I was taken by the chancel artwork. I've not seen anything even remotely similar. A pic of the oldest part of town and the Froso Church. The bellLes mer
Sommerhagen
19. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Home of composer Wilhelm Peterson-Bergers. (Pronounced PEH-ter-zhawn--BEER-yers and remember to roll your Rs). Wonderful tour of the house with his music included at each stop. One of the highlightsLes mer
Inlandsbanan day four
20. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
The last day on this small train through the center of Sweden. Still traveling south with the climate becoming more temperate . More farming. More varied topography. Woodlands are more interestingLes mer
Mora
21. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Small country town, home to the world's largest ski race, the Vasaloppet. Named for the same king that the preserved ship is Stockhlom is named for. His statue is at race central, as is the bellLes mer
Mora church
21. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
15th century church. Local cathedral. The exterior is under renovation with scaffolding everywhere. So no pics. So pics are all inside. Look especially at the close-up of the pulpit. I get a kick outLes mer
Southern Sweden
22. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Train for 7 hours through southern Sweden, frtom Mora to Gothenburg. Very different from recent days. Much more agriculture.
Gothenburg
24. august 2017, Sverige ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
City focused on the harbor. The older portion of town was originally a blue collar neighborhood that has gentrified. The "fish church" is actually the fish market, even though it looks like a church.Les mer
Oslo domkirke
26. august 2017, Norge ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Cathedral in Oslo. Extraordinary ceiling. But the best part was arriving 5 minutes before an organ recital. Kristina Lysiak played for a full hour, including Bach, Buxtehude, Schumann, Bjornboe, andLes mer
Oslo
26. august 2017, Norge ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Welcome to Norway. The first pic is the view from the apartment where I'm staying. A nice way to wake up. Then the first city hall and a statue commemorating the king throwing down his glove sayingLes mer
Oslo city hall
26. august 2017, Norge ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
The new and current city hall where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded. First, the front from the courtyard. Then three pics of some of the murals in the main hall where the peace prize ceremony takesLes mer
Vigeland park 1
27. august 2017, Norge ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Vigeland was a sculptor who spent most of his working life on this park, which, even absent the art, is a beautiful place. I have divided this into 3 posts because there is just too much here, andLes mer
Vigeland park 2
27. august 2017, Norge ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
The fountain is between the bridge and the main sculpture. The last pic looks back from the main sculpture to the fountain with the bridge beyond.
Vigeland park 3
27. august 2017, Norge ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Now for the main sculpture. Done in granite. First is the ironwork gate. There is one on all 4 sides, each different. There are about 40 or individual sculptures around the central carved column. (I'mLes mer
Oslo fjord
27. august 2017, Norge ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Oslo fjord differs from the fjords we usually see. I'll get to those next week. This is the harbor. The cruise doesn't go out far enough to get to the narrow section. So this is what we saw--lots ofLes mer
Lillehammer
28. august 2017, Norge ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Site of 1994 Winter Olympics. Pics are the Olympic torch, the ice arena, the ski area and close-up of the ski jump, view from the top of the ski jump (taken while my acrophobic stomach was just aLes mer
Kon tiki
29. august 2017, Norge ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Museum of Thor Heyerdahl and his travels. First, one if the statements Heyerdahl is famous for. Then two pics each of the original Kon-tiki and Ra II rafts actually used in the voyages--across theLes mer
Reisende
The guy on top of the statue looks cold, even in Aguust