Finding My Way Around Lapland

 

Although I was up bright and early for breakfast, and then outside for a view of the area…the sky didn’t appreciate my early efforts – this is how it looked at 9-15 a.m., it not getting bright until almost 11 a.m., and as I was to find out, it never really get’s bright at this time of the year, here in the Artic Circle. Still I had my Thermal suit and boots on, and trudged my way up into the forest surround the Davvi Lodge, working out my best spot for viewing the Northern Lights, having been told by the staff that the best ‘viewing’ time was around 2 to 3 A.M. !

As I trudged up through deep snow, I found my way up to the top of the nearby hill, and looked down,across the frozen river below, and into Sweden , which I would explore later in the week (probably!)

Then it was back , on a winding route through the forest, only getting slightly ‘lost’ several times…and back to the lodge for a hot lunch, and ‘icicle’ viewing from my room… then time to rest, before the evening/ night time activities commenced..

The rooms in the Lodge were red hot,even with the vent always open, comfortably maintaining 25C..far too hot for me, although the –10C outside temperature helped to cool me down !

After evening dinner, I had a look outside, the sky was overcast, as it had been all day, I decided to remain inside until later, reading a book, before I left around 11 p.m. for the top of the hill.

As I trudged up the hill, shortly after 11, I bumped into some other people, who said the ‘lights’ had already put on a ‘show’, albeit briefly, and everyone thought that would be it for the night, so were returning to bed !

Here’s some pictures from some of the people..

Although the pictures look stunning, the views in ‘real life’ were nothing like as spectacular !

 

Undaunted, I carried on up the hill, and stood ‘frozen’ to the spot, looking at a cloudy sky,until around 2 a.m., I was just about to pack up, and return to my bed, when I spied a star appearing in the sky, soon to be followed by several more, and almost as I watched the sky became clear, and stars shone everywhere… what was to happen I wondered

Then suddenly the sky started to light up, and lo and behold there in front of me the sky lit up with an intensive glow, and spirals of golden colour filled the horizon, twisting and turning as they went, one way, then the other, as if on a giant Wurlitzer..

I wish my camera (again a ‘lent’ pic) had been able to record my personal sights, sadly all I’ve got are black screens, and giving up on photography I stood in awe for well over an hour watching all these differing sights in the sky, above,around and below me..well, it had been worth it..

By now, as the intensity reduced to just the occasional spiral, or ‘cigar’ shape, and it being around 3-30 a.m. I decided to return to the lodge…Oh, I’d made one ‘excellent’ provision for my transport down the hill – a plastic sledge, which I used to zoom down the hill ,almost knocking over a couple who had decided to come up for a look themselves, so leaving them with my sledge I returned to my oven of a room, for a celebratory glass of wine,and well earned sleep !