7th
I’ve Reached the Arctic!
After an 18 hour train ride from Stockholm, I’ve reached my first city in the Arctic Circle—Narvik, Norway.
Before I get into the more recent events, I would like to say that my opinion of Stockholm improved significantly on my last day there. I made myself get up early, have breakfast, check out of the hostel, lock up my backpack at the train station, and go see some attractions. I fit in three sites, the first of which was the Royal Coin Collection. They displayed a collection of coins throughout history, including the first Swedish coin produced. Did you know that the word “dollar” comes from the old German word for the first coin money, “Thaler”? One of the more silly things there was the world’s largest coin, which they invited you to try to pick up (it was heaaavy!). It was created during a time of high inflation in Sweden around 1700.
The second place I visited was the Nordisk museum. It covered a variety of topics on Swedish culture including holidays, weddings, table settings, and homes (inside and out). There was also a great exhibit on the Sámi people, the indigenous group of northern Scandinavia. That was quite relevant for me since I’m now in the area traditionally inhabited by the Sámi.
Lastly, I visited Skansen, the world’s first open-air museum. It was really cool! They tried to make a mini-Sweden with buildings brought from all over the country. Most buildings were from the 19th century before heavy industrialization. Some of them, like the glassworks, engineering house, and furniture making company were open for demonstration. Mom, I wish you could have been there, you would have loved it. It was so quaint, and because of its location on a hill, it offered a great overlook of the city center.
The train ride, for being so long, wasn’t bad at all. For the first 3-1/2 hours I was alone in a couchette for six people. I got worried when I found an unattended, unmarked bag on my seat. The American secuity instincts kicked in and I went looking for one of the staff. The Swedish conductor just shrugged it off. I looked so paranoid compared to her! At around 10 at night, the other five members of my compartment boarded the train: a whole family of grandparents, parents, and child/grandchild. Opening the door and finding me there, the father asked, “Do you have a place somewhere else?” to which I responded that I was in my place. A long, frustrated conversation ensued between him and the conductor. I felt pretty awkward. I’m pretty sure they thought they’d reserved a whole compartment. After that debacle, they left for a while to get some food and came back with a much friendlier attitude. I didn’t get the best sleep of my life, but it was OK. The train ride in the morning was breathtaking. The mountains here in Norway are amazing! Opening the window to the freezing temperatures outside and sticking my camera out, I got some great photos.
The hostel here in Narvik is much better than the one in Stockholm. I’ve got a bright, clean room on the top floor (with a balcony!) and breakfast is included. I’m rooming with a Dutch girl this time, who seems pretty cool. Since I’ve only got one day here, I didn’t waste the precious business hours after I arrived. First I went to the Ofoten Museum about Narvik’s history. The city was founded in 1902 as a warm-water port for the iron ore mining operations in northern Sweden. In WWII, it was heavily bombed by Germany. It’s since been rebuilt and greatly expanded, but it’s not so pretty from street level.
After the museum I went up a mountain on a cable car to a height of 656m (2150 ft) above sea level. I learned that the Norwegians are serious about their winter sports. Almost all of the people skiing were younger than me, and this was a big mountain! What really amazed me, however, were the kids hardly older than my little sister (6), sledding down the mountain. No, I’m not even joking. Kids of probably about 8 years old. Sledding down a mountain. 2150 feet high. With only short banks keeping you from falling off to serious injury or death. Sledding in the United States is something you do at the local golf course, not what I saw today. I suppose children here are taught from a young age to respect the mountain, both its fun and danger. After all, Norwegians stress the importance of being able to ski well.
