Moskosel - 21 June 2018

Geoff

What a lovely spot we found to spend the night. Inevitably some mosquitoes but it's that time of year. 

Back on the E45 Inlandsvägen. It was a bright sunny day but not too warm. We stopped in Storuman for Swedbank's wifi to download the paper and did some food shopping in ICA. Prices can be  bit unpredictable so we were canny about what we bought. We didn't buy an iceberg lettuce for over £3.00 but a sizeable pack of smoked ham slices was very reasonable. 

Our next stop was at Sorsele where we spent some time in the Inlandsbanan Museum, housed next to the railway in the former parcel depot. The history was beautifully set out with text, photos and artefacts. The main drawback for us was that it was all in Swedish but there was a useful leaflet in English. 

We stopped nearby still in Sorsele for lunch overlooking lake Vindeläiven. 

I've been aware whilst driving in Sweden that there is absolutely no litter on the roadsides and around laybys. At home, our roads are a disgrace. 

We saw reindeer today. A couple were ambling along in the middle of the road so we stopped to allow them to take their time. There were more grazing at the roadside. 

The next town on (or rather, just off) was Arvidsjaur. Although I think there are some Sami settlements here, I read that it was otherwise a somewhat drab place so we didn't go in and kept going on the E45. A few miles past Moskosel we came to a parking area just before the bridge over the Piteälven river. Here were loos and water and we thought of overnighting here. However, a sign said it was for short visits only although a caravan was clearly set up for at least an overnight stay. Other vans came and went. I went for a walk over to the other side of the river and found some perfect hideaway spaces next to the river amongst woodland so we took the camper there. The river is a couple of hundred yards wide and very fast flowing. And it's a free pitch!

Amanda

I slept particularly well last night, perhaps because of the soothing sound of the river beside us. The insect life is still a nuisance, and I am glad that it is cool enough to be comfortable in the camper with hatches well and truly battened down both evening, night and morning! I really keep venturing outside in the woods/by water to a minimum, although that means all the most picturesque places!

Just a few miles further along the E45 we stopped at Storuman for Swedbank Internet, loos and shopping, and then set off again settled for the day, and enjoying the sunshine. Next stop, 50 miles later, was Sorsele, and a visit to the station, where there was much to enjoy. It houses a cafe, crafts/nice souvenirs, the Tourist information Centre and the Inlandsbanan Museum. Although everything was in Swedish there was a helpful English leaflet  and some interesting photos, explaining the history of the railway line. It was a surprising fact that thousands of German soldiers travelled through Sweden every week on the railway between 1940 and 1943 - two million in all!

I bought some natural anti mozzie stuff to add to my collection. It is based on Eucalyptus oil and at least it smells nice. They seem to have been immune to deet, vit B, yeast and garlic tablets and mozzie patches. I assume that the anti-histamine tablets are working, and that things would be worse without them. Aloe Vera gel seems to give the best relief. TCP is good, but the smell combined with the deet and everything else is pretty strong and probably repels everything/one except mozzies. 

This is the point where the two daily trains, one going south and one going north, pass each other. Both stop here for refreshments at the cafe, and they overlap by 5 minutes. They were expecting "rush hour" with a total of 87 people any minute, so we timed our visit well!

We lunched back in the town in a car park by the pretty white church (closed) overlooking the lake, before setting off again. The road took us through an area where reindeer were grazing, and we saw quite a few, including a large gathered herd by the roadside, and two who preferred to amble along in the middle of the road in front of us!

Tonight we are in another lovely wooded spot by rapids, a few miles north of Moskosel. Along this side of the river there are several little areas enclosed by trees,  each with room for a couple of motor homes. It is a couple of hundred yards away from the main road, where, on the other side of the river and reached by a footbridge, there is a Rastplats, with a motor home service point ( loos, Chemical disposal and water). All provided free. We have only seen one other like this along the road, but understand that they are more abundant in Norway.