Where the sun never sets…

Three days ago Anja and I packed the car full (very full!) and started driving north. About 1300km later we're in Kiruna now!

The axe museum and shop in Gränsfors Bruks were closed (surprise, surprise - it was Sunday…). However, we managed to get into the museum using our special people-skills. Thanks to the lady working at the restaurant!
Yesterday I couldn't resist to go to a salmon fishing spot which was mentioned in a tourist guide. It turned out that you have to rent the equipment (because of diseases) for 30 SEK and pay for the fish you catch (69 SEK per kg, including guts :)). Well, it's not very difficult to get a salmon on the hook when there is plenty of them caught in a cage, even if your equipment is a fishing rod with the top broken off. At least it was delicious ;)

After a day of driving in the rain we're in Kiruna now, the northernmost city of Sweden, famous for ore mining. We had some delicious elk and reindeer meat together with - I'm tired of saying it - creepy expensive beer.
The highest mountain of Sweden (~2000m) is quite close, but the weather forecast doesn't promise nice hiking weather. Therefore, we'll probably head Lofoten (Norway) maybe with a short stopover in Narvik - just to see how it looks in summertime :)

The Scandinavia Picture Album has magically expanded…

Gotland, Canoe and Axes

Wow, the last 10 days were intensive! For about a week, Anja, Hermi, Luis and I cycled the northern part of Gotland (including Fårö) where we saw Raukar and sneaked to Ingmar Bergmans house but didn't catch any fish. The following three days we joined Caro and her friends to paddle from lake Rusken to Rymmen (close to Växjö) where my fish-counter increased by 70cm pike as well as a small and a quite big perch. All of them delicious!
Thanks to our Portuguese, Canadian, German and Austrian company - you guys were great!

I'm rather exhausted from paddling and driving and we're going to leave Uppsala for good today to head north. We'll first go to Gränsfors Bruks to see (and probably buy because I won't be able to resist) Swedish hand-forged axes.
Meanwhile, enjoy some impressions of Gotland!