Gullriset Lagenhetshotellet Kiruna

... and probably drinking vodka or beer). The other speck was a young Sami (Lapp) boy of about 10, fishing alone. After all this fairly tiring activity I go to the one restaurant in the town and have smoked reindeer strips and lingonberry sauce. When I go back to the hostel I am part of a group that is booked for the sauna at 9pm. It consists of my room mates, plus people from another dorm - in all we are 6 guys and 2 girls (2 French, 4 Germans, and 2 Australians) all students except ...

... the supermarket where we got talking about how quiet it was, then again when I was on the way home, and then again when I was on the way to the newsagents! I had some tea and cakes (fika) at his flat and we talked about this and that. It really cheered my up because I was feeling slightly isolated at the time so I am very greatful to the man (Johannes) for being so generous to me. Whilst back in Kiruna I went down ...

... them to the Ice Hotel and one of the guys carried my giant suitcase the whole way and even held up the bus for me. If I ever go to Sicily, I can stay in his bed and breakfast for free. The Ice Hotel was even more spectacular than I had imagined. It was the manifestation of every fairy tale of the North Pole, the castle of every girl's dreams of being an ice princess. It was not a cheesy tourist trap like I had expected, but a contemporary art museum ...

... far out into the mountains. The Sami people are similar to the native Americans in that they are an old culture who live off the land and herd reindeer. I'll write more later. Someone else would like to use the computer and we are getting ready to walk to Gammlastan and then on to Vaxsjö to study our great great grandparents history!!

... and coming soon to Copenhagen. The IceBar was really cool -- they serve drinks in these ice glasses, and like the rest of the hotel, the whole bar, seats, walls, etc are all made of ice. Apparently they ship the ice glasses to all the other IceBars across the world. While I was there, I also rented some cross country skis and went up onto a ski track in the woods and then out along the frozen river. And, that night, I went on a snowmobile ...

... good thing he didn't see me get off the sled & take one step off to the side & immediately fall waist-deep into snow. Ingrid managed to stop laughing only long enough to help pull me out of my snow ditch. The other must-do in Kiruna is to visit the Ice Hotel. I had no desire to stay there as sleeping in an ice box holds no appeal to someone who needs to wear gloves in balmy 50F weather. Plus, all guests and their belongings are ...

Morning dawns with hot lingonberry juice, the drink of the gods. I am shocked to have slept well. James has disappeared to ogle men in the sauna while I opt to sleep in. I am woken twice more by beautiful swede men with juice, and subconsciously exhibit my cleavage. Both sides are satisfied and I eventually get up and once more display my joyous pajamas. James confirms himself as a freak when he wanders around with no coat. This far north in winter, daylight stretches ...

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It's *s if I w*sn't cold or remote enough coming *cross Mongoli* or Siberi*, *nd th*t *nother burst of -30C we*ther would do the trick before he*ding down to the Middle E*st for more be*chside shen*****ns. Why not he*d up to the Arctic Circle *nd see if there is * big dotted line m*rking it in the snow? Long term re*ders will know ...

So here I am, fresh out of the sauna, wrapped in a towel and clutching a plastic glass of Spanish wine, blinking my weary eyes at the setting sun. We're watching what seems like a pretty sunset you'd see anywhere; the rays spilling between the layers of clouds colouring them all hues of red and pink. Three unusual aspects: 1) it's July, and the sun is setting over snow-capped mountains 2) it's setting directly to the north 3) it's midnight I must be in Lapland. I'm in Sweden to ...