sweden the arctic circle
TRANSCRIPT
Arhythmic“tonk,tonk,tonk”breaksthesilenceonthebanksoftheTorneRiver.It’ssoquietherethatanysoundreverberatesandseemsintrusive.Wetracethe“tonking”toanintrepidboat-buildermeticulouslyrepairingthewoodenstrutsonatraditionalnuut.He’ssofocusedthathehardlylooksupasweaskaboutthepilesofnetandropebundledintheboat.Instead,heexplainsthetimelessbeautyoftheseArcticriver
Togethere–200kmintoSweden’sArcticCircle–wetooka17-hourtraintripfromStockholm,straightupthelengthofthecountry.ThisvastArcticwildernesshasonlytiny,remotevillagespunctuatingitssweepinglandscape,andwe’reinoneofthem:Jukkasjärvi,withapopulationof600peopleand900dogs.Thisisbecauseduringwinter,dogsledsaretheonlytransportwhenthelandscape’sfrozenanddustedfairytale-whitewithsnowandice.Butinthesummermonths,fromJunetoAugust,thehuskiesareonholidaytoo,thoughtheirwolverinehowlscansometimesbeheardbouncingacrossthesurfaceoftheTorne.ThiswildrivertravelsallthewayfromNorway,throughSwedentoFinland,bringingwithitsalmonandtrillionsoflitresofpure,cleanwater.Heretheriver’seasilyamilewide,rushingcoolandclear.
“Rightnowyou’rewatchingthenextICEHOTEL,”smilesDavidLind,whoworksattheiconicestablishment.ThisisthewaterthatbecomestheclearicefromwhichtheICEHOTELisbuilteveryyear.TheTorneprovidesitsbuildingblocks,whichareharvestedfromthefrozenrivereachMarch.At1mthick,asingleiceblockweighstwotons.AnnualconstructionstartsinlateNovemberandittakesabout100constructionworkersandartiststocompletethe65-roomhotel.Everything’smadeofice.Justimagine
andeventheglassesyoudrinkfromatthebararesolidice.Insummer,of
course,thehotel’smeltedbackintotheTorneandwoodencabinsprovideguestaccommodation.Jukkasjärvimeans“meetingplaceatthelake”intheSamilanguage.
today,nearlyhalfofSwedenisreindeerterritoryandthereare4500reindeer-ownersinthecountry,with230000animalsbetweenthem.TothenomadicSamiherders,reindeerarelifeandtheymovetheirherdsastheseasonschange.AllofSweden’sreindeerareownedbysomeone;therearenolonger
wildherds.They’resimplytoopreciousforthat.It’snosurprise,then,thataSamiherder’smostimportanttoolisthelasso.Heneedstokeephisherdtogetherbecauseeverypartofeveryoneoftheseanimalsisneededandused.ReindeerpulltheheavySamisledsthroughsnow;theirfuristhewarmestpossible,withhollowhairthattraps
andblanketsimaginable.Sinewsareusedforstitchingandmaking
toughtwine,whilethemeatisbothdeliciousandnutritious.TheanimalsarethefullpackageforsustainingtheSamilifestyle.Reindeeraresmall,butsurprisinglytoughandwelladaptedforthisharshArcticenvironment,wherethetemperaturecandropto-50°Cin
speciesandwhentimesarereallylean,theydigbeneaththesnowforlichen.Theirhoovessplaytowalkeasilyonsnow.Duringsummerthereindeerfattenthemselvesupforthecold,darkmonthsahead.“Goandwalkamongthem,”saysThereseIversenfromtheSamiSiidaCaféinthevillage.“Takesomepelletswithyouandyou’llfeellikeapiedpiperforreindeer.”
velvetyandquiteungainly.Wedidn’trealisethattheirantlersmoult,northatreindeercanbecolouredwhiteandareverytame.“Theclickingisreindeercommunicationandcomesfromatendoninthehoof,”explainsIversen.“It’ssothattheycan
becausetherearelongmonthslikethathere.Buttodayyou’dneverbelievethat.”ItfeelslikelatespringinJohannesburg:bright,warmanddrenchedinsunshine,withthetemperatureinthemid-20s.This,then,istheheightoftheArcticsummer–anda“heatwave”atthesametime.“TheTorneroseto20°C,”sheadds,“andsalmonstarteddyingofheat.Theydon’tknowthesehottemperatures.”Iversenherselfisbaskinginthesunshine,sittingoutsideandcarefullystitchinganintricatesoftleatherandsilverthreadbracelet.She’snotaSami,butshe’sfromJukkasjärviandwantstokeeptheirunique
culturealive.“ThisisatraditionalSamiadornment,”shesaysofthebracelet.Itwillbefastenedusingabuttonofreindeerbone.JustabouteveryoneinJukkasjärviwearsone,andnowwedotoo.Peckishforlunch,westepintotheconicalLavvutent,wheretraditionalSamislowfoodispreparedandservedbyIversen.She’samulti-talentedwomanandsuggestswetrythesuovas,whichis
jamandgurpi,theSamirenditionofareindeerhamburger.Dessertislattegat–tartyellowcloudberriesthatonlygrowintheArctic
ironpan,thesmokespirallingouttheopen-funnelledtenttop.It’ssomehowallfamiliarandunfamiliar,thequietofthewilderness,
versionofourAfricanexperiences.TheredwoodenJukkasjärvichurchnextdoorispostcard-prettyandtheoldestpreservedwoodenchurchinSwedishLapland.It’sshadedbypinetrees,whileinsidewornwoodenpewsandamuralabovethealtartellofreallifeintheArcticCircle.Thesenseofsimplicityhereispalpable.Lifefollowstherhythmoftheseasons,wealthisinreindeerandenjoymentisinthefellowshipoffriendsandfamily.YoucanwalkeverywhereinJukkasjärvi:it’stiny.Thebutter-yellow
torridwinters;verandahsfestoonedwithhangingcandlesforlightondarkdays;ladderslyingonpitchedroofstoclearsnow.Otherroofsarecoveredingreengrowinggrass.Buttoday,doorsandwindowsarewideopentoletinthewarmthofsummer,gardensareburstingwithcolour
betweenhomes.It’scompletelyunexpected,somethinglikeanArcticNamaqualand.JustastheArcticCircle’sinconstantdarknessforamonthortwoinwinter,ithasconstantsunshineinmidsummer.Soifyouonlygotobedafterdark,theArcticmidnightsunwillhaveyou
andthenimmediatelyriseagain,asifteasingyouthatthere’llbedarkness.Tosleep,homeshaveblock-outcurtainsandblinds,butthelocalsarefamiliarwithturninginwhilethesunstillshines;tousitfeltratherstrange,untilexhaustionovercameus.EnroutebacktooursummerlogcabinonthebanksoftheTorne,westopatthetinysupermarkettobuy fortheafternoon.It’saSwedishtraditiontonurturebloodsugarlevelsat4pm.EveninthecapitalofStockholm,workhaltsforandthenpromptlyresumeswithrenewedenergyandinterest.
work,still“tonking”andstillcompletelyfocused.Momentarilyhelooksup,seesusandwavesuscloser.“Justlook,”hesaysinaserious
smileandbeckonsustofollowhim.“Come,”hesays.“Let’stakeabreakandhavesome Ineedsomesugarenergy.”