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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

remembering Lapland

I go up the hill to see if I can see the sunset.  It must happen somewhere.
But as the sun hits the horizon, it does not sink, yet travels along the horizon for a little while, until moving higher in the sky.  It is mid summer in Lapland.  The fire-weed is growing rampant, as are buttercups and bluebells.
rainbow (nearly double) just past midnight
part of that rainbow is my blogging avatar





 Berries just waiting to bud.  Come later in the summer, the cloudberry will arrive.  A tiny jewel in Lapland. There is a cloudberry liqueur, I can no longer remember its name, fancy that.  It was tasty, but nothing I'd go for again.  I love the words though... cloudberry. Ah, Lakka, I think it was called. And a pretty berry it is, too.


Long winter and snows make for a feast of mosquitoes come summer.  I am usually a magnet for them, but they didn't bother me so much while I was there.  Lucky me.
The sun was strong and it lasted oh so long, forever in fact, and sometimes it got the better of me.  I did have a bit of heat sickness which was very unpleasant.  You just don't realize how long you are staying out in the sun, and I did it from morning till late night, usually.  I would stay on the back deck, reading, and sunning, and contemplating life.

 Later, I would share my time with my companion out there, until quite late.


The best part of Finnish life must be the requisite inclusion of a sauna in the house.  Frequent saunas are wonderfully cleansing for mind body and spirit, I believe.  And afterwards it's not unusual for a Finnish man to want to make love, so that's a plus.

after sauna

I ate reindeer while I was there... somewhat gamier than venison.  It was so so.  Didn't eat bear... I wouldn't have gone for that.



Russia is just an hour or so away from where I was, in Rovaniemi.  Didn't bother going there, though.  Although I wouldn't have minded, just to say I'd been.
When it wasn't raining, which it did a lot, to my delight, the sky would be oh so blue, and dotted with puffy clouds.

  And there were doggies, too, who were the most faithful of companions, I love them so.


13 comments:

  1. A good long sauna and a dip in the river just might be the cure Detroit needs at the moment!

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  2. i enjoyed reading about your trip! that photo with the rainbow against the red house is gorgeous!

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  3. What an amazing experience - beautiful photos!

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  4. What an amazing experience - and such beautiful photos!

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  5. I remember when you visited the area.

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  6. Wow when we're you there? Gorgeous pics

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  7. Holy Moley! You've spun a yarn here that was mesmerizing to read and see. Really good writing, Barbara.

    I wish you more and more moments like this. I mean it :-)

    Love
    kj

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  8. The rainbow is very beautiful. I've not experienced the length of the Summer days in the very far North, it must be amazing. I don't use the fisheye lens much, but I will try to use it more.

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  9. love the rainbow. I hope they did not serve bear meat. The animal is protected in scandinavia. It should be in Finland too.

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    1. Actually, I didn't see any bear meat available, so that's good.

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  10. Hienoja elämyksiä Suomesta ja Lapista - kauniita kuvia...
    Kiitos vierailusta ja kommentista blogiini.
    Hienoa - Tervetuloa uudelleen...
    Eko
    Suomi/Lapland/Kuusamo
    http://eskoalamaunu.blogspot.fi/

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