Abisko - 25 June 2018

Geoff
I didn't mention yesterday that we left the E45 yesterday at Gällivare and continued north on the E10. In fact, the road signs showed E10 with E45 underneath as the E45 branches off some miles south of Kiruna and proceeds north in the direction of the border with Finland, while the E10 continues north west to Kiruna and then across into Norway and that is where we are heading.

The countryside around was still wooded but in places opened out, where we saw lakes, marshy land and sparsely wooded areas. We are seeing no agricultural land up here and no agricultural livestock. The road has been busier today and, after the weekend, we are seeing many more lorries. Also, the roadworks are now being worked on but never any traffic lights. Even where the road reduces to one lane, drivers are expected to regulate their progress themselves. As the traffic is not so heavy, it seems to work.

Coming into Kiruna, we saw the large spoil heaps ahead of us, the town having come into existence in the early twentieth century as a result of the seams of iron ore that were starting to be mined there. I read that, if there had been no iron ore, then no-one in their right mind would have built a town there. Anyway, before going into the town itself, we drove north a few miles to Kurravaara, a scattered village which in the books and TV series, Arctic Murders, was the home village of the heroine. There is actually very little there save for a jetty and some small boats and a number of houses.

Back then towards Kiruna, we passed by a large construction site and were impressed by a large circular building, behind which was a metallic lattice clock tower. Now, Kiruna is a town that is on the move, quite literally. The continuing iron ore mining is gradually moving underground towards the present town and, if the trajectory continues, subsidence will cause buildings to collapse. Therefore, the town is being moved 3km to the east. The round building we saw is the new town hall and the clock tower has already been moved from its previous location behind the present town hall. The work is scheduled to be completed by 2033. A few buildings, including the large wooden church, are to be dismantled and reconstructed but the rest will be demolished and a new town will arise. Anyway, that's the plan. 

We went in the present town hall to see a display about the new town plan but it was all in Swedish. We then went to look around the church, designed in the form of a traditional Sami dwelling but on a massively larger scale. A lovely building with a separate belfry, both on a hillside overlooking the town.

Leaving Kiruna, we drove up a winding rough road, steep at times, to near the top of Luossavaara, where we parked the camper and then walked the remaining distance to the top of the hill where there were commanding views over Kiruna and the iron ore workings and the surrounding countryside where we could see for many miles, west towards the snow capped mountains of Norway and north over wooded regions of the northernmost reaches of Sweden. At one point near the top, I'd diverted to read a couple of information boards. I looked round for Amanda but she'd disappeared only to be seen again much higher up where she had ascended mountain goat-like.

Descending, we got back on the E10 towards the mountains we could see in the west. It was a lovely drive and much of the way we had the railway alongside, this being the route taken by goods trains taking iron ore from Kiruna to Narvik. At Abisko, we called in at the information centre to ask about a campsite as showers were wanted. We'd read a very bad report of the one nearby so drove on to where we've found a now full camperstop with the sort of loos Amanda prefers not to use but it will have to do. 

So, we have stopped travelling north and are now moving west and will shortly be in Norway although we intend to do a little exploring around here tomorrow. 

I'm having problems with uploading photos so there are none at the moment.

Amanda

Not the most peaceful night. By 11pm, more vehicles had piled in, we lost count of how many. Three refrigerated lorries were parked on the access road, and their generators kicked in at regular intervals, although that wasn't much of a disturbance. The mini invasion of mozzies at 4am was a disturbance however, and it took a while to dispose of them. No idea where they got in.

Just before we reached Kiruna we turned off for a 10 mile detour to check out the village of Kurravaara, home of Rebekah Martinsson, the lawyer-turned-detective main character of the Arctic Murders series. It was much more attractive than I had expected.

Back to Kiruna and again, what a surprise. It is a sort of new town, mainly built in the 1960's, its existence completely dependent on the iron ore mined there, which accounts for 90% of Europe's supply. The equivalent of slag heaps tower over the town, population 17,000, but it is nevertheless attractive and busy. The bad news is that the mining has literally undermined the town and it is in danger of collapsing, so there is a 20 year project to move the whole town several miles to the east. Our first stop was the Stad Hus, the Town Hall, to seek out an exhibition about the project. Unfortunately it was all in Swedish, but it was interesting to be inside the very impressive building and do some research online. Sad to think that it will be no more - the new ultramodern Stad Hus is the first thing to have been built, and we passed it on our way in, standing alone in the middle of a vast building site.

We nearly missed a visit to the church, but it really was a lovely experience. Cathedral sized, but all built of wood, and designed to reflect the shape of Sami churches. It was beautiful. The townspeople have voted that it should be moved in its entirety to its new position.

Having taken what would be the last opportunity to stock up on provisions and fill up with fuel before hitting Norwegian prices we set off again, this time turning off the main road to tease the Camper up the steep gravel road nearly to the top of Luossavaara, a ski slope in winter, and then walked the last bit to the top to be rewarded with stunning views of mountains and lakes in one direction, and the town way below in the other.

50 miles further on, and a brief stop in Abisko, in the Abisko National Park, where all activity is centred around the smart Tourist Information Centre with adjoining hostel and hotel, established that their campsite was for tents only. Having heard bad reviews of the only other campsite available we headed on to a no-facility free Camperstop in a large lay-by  for the night, promising ourselves that when we get to the Lofoten Islands we will indulge in a couple of days relaxation at a campsite with good facilities.

The E10 will take us there tomorrow,