Day 31
What a wonderful day. I’ve been looking forward to it for a couple days and it lived up to it in full. Remember my friends colleague and friend that helped me with my card issues in Kuopio? She has rented a cottage with her family in Rovaniemi for holidays. So funnily enough our paths crossed again and she was unbelievably kind in inviting me for dinner and giving me advice for things to do in the city. So after a very long and needed slumber I headed out in the late morning to go hiking a trail she recommended, not far from the city. Unfortunately, when I arrived there was no signage for the trail and with me not being to keen on getting lost in the forest I simply decided to instead head to the resteraunt and traditional sauna at the river, where I’d meet Reetta and family in the evening. After all, a day of reading at the riverside with gorgeous views, sauna and the possibility to take a dip doesn’t sound bad at all, does it? And well, it was wonderful. Since I had forgotten my towel a visit to the sauna and a dip in the Kemijoki would have been a bit of a risky move, considering just how cold the water was. But that didn’t matter. The place was so peaceful and gorgeous I just got lost in the moment, admiring nature, being overjoyed with life and where I am and in general just feeling a deep state of peacefulness. Oh and of course the final stages of the book I was reading also proved to be extremely thrilling, so before I knew it, it was already evening and time to meet up with Reetta.
That evening was definitely one of the best moments of the trip and will be a cherished memory for years to come. The whole family was so incredibly nice, warm and welcoming, I felt like I belonged there, feeling at ease and home. It’s been a long time since I laughed that much and when we went to the cottage, escaping the thunderstorm, it felt like I was part of the family having a cozy evening chat in the most home feeling cottage I’ve ever been to. Time flew by and way too soon it was time for me to say goodbye and head back to the apartment. But what I’ve gained was new friends I felt truly connected to, priceless memories and a new dream: Christmas in a cottage just like that, with someone/people I love. Thank you Reetta and family for making this an evening for the ages. I can not thank you enough for it!
The newer on of the two Bridges in Rovaniemi 
A view across the river Kemijoki 
Fir forests just outside of Rovaniemi 
Almost feels a bit like the Engadin back home 
Breathtaking woods 
My view from the sauna place 
A day of reading in paradise 
The peer of the sauna place with the older one of the bridges in Rovaniemi 
More views from the sauna restaurant 
Remnants of the winter
Day 32
Ouch! Not much more to say. I originally had planned to visit the Arktikum – a museum about the culture, history and science of Lapland and the Arctic – another tip from Reetta. But when getting out of one of these chairs on the peer yesterday I felt a sudden back pain. I already feared that it would be a lumbago at that point but being used to ignore severe back pain I didn’t give it any attention, hoping to ignore it out of existence over night. That didn’t work though. I could barely move so my precious second day of rest and exploring Rovaniemi ended up being spent in bed reading. I mean, that was really relaxing and nice as well, but the pain and frustration about not being able to go explore really dampened the mood.
Day 33
I really wanted to get back on the road – so close to the big goal – the Nordkapp – I can feel myself being very eager to get going, get close to it and soak up all the new landscape that will await me when I get closer and further into Lapland. So my mood was really not in a good place when I, instead of heading for Kemijärvi, had to book two more nights in Rovaniemi to wait out my lumbago. Financially it makes me anxious to spend so much more money than planned and I also found myself having more anxiety issues when not progressing. But there just wasn’t any other way. So I packed my things as I had to switch apartments, went back to the sauna place until I could move into the new apartment where I went to rest my back again and call my dad to just have a nice chat and calm my mind a bit. Would like to note here that he really is just the best.
Day 34
Finally my back is better. I can still feel it quite a bit, but my practice of years with incredible back pain really come in handy right now. At least it’s in a state where I can move again. So I went to visit the Arktikum today, really not wanting to miss out on that. And boy am I glad I didn’t. It’s an incredible place with very interesting and captivating exhibitions about the history of Rovaniemi and Lapland, the fauna and flora of Lapland and the Arctic, the culture of Finland, Lapland and the Arctic as well the impact of climate change as well as politics on the Arctic and it’s indigenous people. Oh and not to forget the big current exhibition about Petsamo, a former province of Finland in Lapland that is now part of Russia after the second World War. Each one of these topics were very well presented and thought provoking. Supremely interesting, although I left the building with a somber feeling. The destructive force that we humans represent is just saddening. Be it the mass extinction and destruction of the Arctic as we know it, or the wars and terror these people had to endure. Yet I also leave in awe of nature and the incredible resilience of the people in Lapland. Living in such a difficult environment, having been pushed around in the theatre of war like a playball, getting their home scorched during the German retreat and yet the just kept on, never giving up their way of life. Not to forget the new insight I got into the life and circumstances of the many indigenous groups living in the Arctic. I wish we’d take better care of their rights, beliefs and culture for there is such priceless value in them, as is in any culture. In general I left the building feeling that we’ve just got to do better. So much better.
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