GRAND TOUR OF EUROPE: June 21 Sweden's Lappland (770 miles)

Monday June 21, 1976: 

Kiruna 

 I dreamt that I needed to phone to check which of Stockholm's two domestic airports we needed that day. And it was just as well I did, or we would have chosen the wrong airport and missed our flight to Kiruna.

A few hours later, our SAS flight north left Stockholm via Arlanda Airport and we ate lunch at 25,000 feet. Kiruna is located within the Arctic Circle, about 770 miles (1240 km) north of Stockholm.

map photo by kind courtesy of steelguru.com

photo by kind courtesy of www.docstoc.com 

We arrived at our windy northern destination to discover that Kiruna airport had only one taxi available in which to chauffeur visitors into town and to their hotels. So Donna and I joined Bo and Hans whom we had met on the flight.

It was a short, but friendly, ride to town, squished together in that taxi. So much so that, by the time we reached Hotel Ferrum, both men had invited us for supper that evening.  

photo by kind courtesy of http://www.hrsstatic.com/fotos/0/3/255/255/80

HOTEL FERRUM, KIRUNA, SVERIGE

Our pre-booked room was spacious and airy and had a magnificent view of the mountain and mine. Donna and I changed into jeans and then enjoyed an escorted trip to the town's Iron Ore Mine - the largest deposit of Iron Ore on the planet world.

photo by kind courtesy of www.kirunashotell.se -

The excavation of Kiruna's iron ore is a gigantic engineering feat that, sadly, involves the gradual levelling of the the town's mountain.  Our tour took us underground, where we wore hard hats and saw a drill, the size of a house, in operation. It was very impressive but also extremely noisy!

photo by kind courtesy of barentsobserver.com

Nature does not quietly 

surrender her mineral bounty

After taking photos of people beside the 8ft. diameter wheels on those huge mining machines, I walked around Kiruna, and breathed in the crisp, cool, clear air that was blowing in from the west. Then, I returned to the Ferrum for a bastu - which is what the Swedes call a sauna.

photo by kind courtesy of www.tumblr.com

The hotel's unisex bastu was deserted. Located on the top floor, it was the first one I had ever seen that had a window in it - with a view of the mountain.

The solstice sun's long flirtation with the horizon, on this longest day of the northern year, made it very easy to lose track of time.

I had travelled a thousand miles already, learning new customs, language basics and currencies along the way. While I welcomed the challenge, there was still far to go, and we had not scheduled much time for relaxation. So I happily surrendered to the restorative dry heat of that deliciously silent bastu. After all the hustle and bustle, being there alone was exactly what my soul had needed.

After returning to my room, I had a quick shower and remained in my towel, allowing my body to cool down naturally whilst folding my now dry lingerie.

So, when Hans opened the door without knocking, and then let himself in, I shrieked in surprise.

The poor man looked as shocked to see me as I was to see him. He immediately turned his back and explained that he just wanted me to have what was in his hand. Keeping my composure, I put on my hotel robe, then bid Hans turn around and show me what it was he had in his hand!

photo by kind courtesy of http://fleursflorist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Rose_and_Freesia_Handtied-300x200.jpg

He had brought Donna and me a fragrant vase of pink miniature roses with some fragrant freesia.  What a sweet welcome to Lappland!

I was sincerely moved by his flower gift, and thanked him, assuring him that we were both looking forward to having supper with him.

Hans then left, but returned a few minutes later to inform us that Bo had to work and was thus unable to accompany us to dinner that night. By way of an apology for breaking the date, he had sent a bottle of wine, which Hans quickly opened.

He poured 3 glasses, then we all toasted to Bo's health and our upcoming evening with Hans before ushering him out of our room so that we could get finish getting ready for dinner!

Donna and I also needed time to recover from the distinct pleasure of receiving both flowers AND wine from two complete strangers!  We simply had not expected to be treated like royalty in Kiruna. Who knew that Swedes were so romantic?!  Maybe it's their hot Viking blood?!

Our vase of pink roses had alerted me that Donna's 
and my stay in Kiruna was sure to be a lot more 
meaningful than either of us could have anticipated.

The dining room at the Ferrum Hotel looked like an IKEA store on steroids. It could have comfortably seated several dozen people. And the magnificent floor to ceiling windows faced the town's raison d'être, its mountain and mine.

The furniture was ultra-stylish, reasonably comfortable and very Swedish. There was even a small dance floor with a surprisingly accomplished dance band playing that night.  

Hans welcomed Donna and me, pulling both of our chairs out for us.  This simple act of courtesy instantly alerted every male there to the fact that at least one of us was potentially available!
photo by kind courtesy of http://whynotbook.com/hotels/view/Scandic-Ferrum-Hotel-Kiruna-Sweden-56388

We ordered our meal, and sipped the wine that Hans provided for the table. His manners were impeccable, as one would expect from a Swede.

But around us, things were rapidly becoming quite bizarre! A couple of dozen men had quietly occupied the tables around us.  And, when they thought we were not looking, were quite openly leering at Donna and me.

It was obvious that the news of our arrival 

had reached the ears of every man in town 

since all the iron-men were seated all around us.

I'd half-finished my glass of wine, when a smiling stranger approached our table and politely asked Hans if he might dance with me!  Hans wisely deferred to my judgement.  And seeing no harm in dancing,  I smiled and rose to my feet.  

We chatted as the stranger guided me across the floor.  He spoke perfect English and, of course, wanted to know why we two ladies were in Kiruna. I explained that I was a university student in Canada and so had wanted to see, with my own eyes, the planet's largest operational iron ore mine.

At the end of our dance, my partner thanked me and returned me to my table and Hans. Donna had also accepted a dance, so poor Hans had been sitting there patiently watching us while awaiting our food orders. He seemed genuinely content with his role as our chaperone.

Hans further explained that for us to refuse to dance, would be considered bad-mannered as all the men were there only because we two young single women were dining there that night!

by kind courtesy of http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxcy18EDnq1r4k8uuo1_500.png

He spoke the truth! No sooner had Donna and I taken our seats and a quick sip of wine than we received more dance requests. Subsequent invitations followed, as quickly as we were deemed sufficiently refreshed to dance.

Thankfully most of my partners spoke English. Being able to converse with them took my mind off the pain of having my toes - and shoes - so cruelly crushed!

Without realizing it, Donna and I had injected ourselves into 'testosterone-ville'!!  Like most mining towns in the 1970s, Kiruna was comprised primarily of young, strong, healthy males, many of whom regularly spent months at a time separated from their wives and/or families.

We scarcely had time to eat, much less digest our meals. Each man took turns at respectfully approaching our table to ask one or other of us to dance. Some men were flirtatious, others painfully shy and some just hungry for the scent of a woman.  Yet all of our partners behaved like perfect gentlemen. Unfortunately, most of them danced like engineers with two left feet!

That night of dancing brought me face to face - quite literally - with the intense loneliness that is often experienced by those who work in geographically isolated locations. Most of these men staunchly deny the depths of their loneliness, which is another noble act of sacrifice for their family. Thus their pain and selflessness often goes unnoticed and under-appreciated.

photo by kind courtesy of http://www.fishershotelpitlochry.com/images/dance-weekend-breaks_thumb1.jpg

I saw varying degrees of loneliness in the eyes of my dance partners that night. And I gasped to suddenly realize the toll it takes on a person's psyche to spend a lifetime away from their loved ones - especially when it is for the sake of providing for those very same loved ones. 

What a cruel, lonely fate! 

We need to honour those men and women 
who quietly labour, in emotionally barren conditions, to provide for loved ones

Tack från djupet av mitt hjärta
by kind courtesy of http://cfaithholland.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/your-heart-and-my-heart.jpg?w=300&h=236

Somewhere between our entree and dessert, as I was pondering the psychological effects of loneliness on the human body, Kurt asked me to dance. I dutifully followed him to the floor, expecting the worst, but was delighted to discover he really could dance the foxtrot!

Both my parents had been keen ballroom dancers, so I had grown up dancing on my Daddy's feet.  Dancing with Kurt reminded me of the way it had felt to dance with my now deceased Father. And I enjoyed it so much that, custom or not, I refused to dance with any other partner for the remainder of that night.

Hans was very good natured about Donna's and my popularity with the other males, thanking us for sharing dinner was him then bidding us both a genteel goodnight when it was over.

Kurt then invited both Donna and me outside to witness the midnight sun for ourselves.  After an evening of dancing, we wisely decided against climbing the mountain in our dresses and heels. Instead, we traded a slightly improved solar view, for the opportunity to chat quietly with this knowledgeable man, whilst slowly walking around this now deserted town. Everyone, except us, seemed to be asleep!

My mind rebelled against the sky's being so bright at 11.30 at night. Though the sun was dipping downwards to almost touch the horizon, tonight there would be no sunset at all.
photo by kind courtesy of tripwow.tripadvisor.com

 Midnattssolen lyste mjukt färgning molnen rosa, Välkomna Sommaren!

The 24-hour bright sky, following days of non-stop activity, played havoc with all of my senses. How does one get their bearings, when the sun never sets?

Even though I'd helped to consume a few of bottles of wine with and after dinner, I was not in the least bit drunk or sleepy. All that dancing must have exercised the alcohol right out of my system!  Donna, on the other hand, was quite weary and so returned to our room.

I chose to spend the rest of that awesome night with Kurt.

photo by kind courtesy of http://www.eos.ubc.ca/academic/careers/geolengineering.html

In public, being with Kurt had felt more like a one-on-one tutorial than romance! As a Geological Engineer, he was eager to explain all the intracacies of iron ore mining in Kiruna. And since I was already a 3rd year geology student, ours was an intellectual match made in tectonic heaven!

But Kurt was also a fit, handsome, and very sexy, divorced, 34-year old Viking man. And I was a fit, divorced, emancipated 27-year old Canadian woman.  We knew we had only a few hours to share before I would forever leave Kiruna. So, we did not waste time in being shy!

Though short and sweet, our time together was so compelling that, upon my return to Canada, Kurt and I remained friends and communicated, via snail mail, for many years.

I had spent less than 48 hours in Sweden,but was 
already in love with this country and her people!
Tack för den varmt välkomnande, Kiruna, 
och för de underbara minnen

by kind courtesy of jenlemen.com 

My crazy adventures in Sweden had only just begun. 

for the very best was yet to be!

NEXT WEEK!

June 22-23 

Sweden

LULEA, Lappland

Norbotten Museum
Coastal Lappland

STOCKHOLM

Harbour Cruise
The Vasa Warship
Waldemarssude in Djurgarden
Painter Prince Museum

GRAND TOUR OF EUROPE - June 22-23 SWEDEN North to South to NORWAY 

Chapter 5 - Day 6: Granada to Estepona (125 miles)

The Alhambra

Everyone was wide awake and out of their tents at the crack of dawn today! 

Camping gear as well as breakfast was efficiently dispatched since we were all eager to visit the eighth wonder of the world and crown jewel of Granada, The Alhambra.

After the previous day's solo tour of Toledo, I was beyond delighted to be escorted through the Alhambra by Anton.

He was an architect. Who better to explain Alhambra's complex and fascinating craftsmanship?

Alhambra was not listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site until 1986.  So in the early 70s, there were no regular 'guided tours' available, and each visitor was free to find their own way around the enormous complex.

Seeing the Alhambra, up close and personal, was one of the main reasons that Anton had booked this particular trip. And his knowledge of the palaces and grounds was to prove more extensive than I could ever have imagined!  Given his genuine passion for Muslim excellence in Alhambra's art and architecture, I was both humbled and privileged to be his student that day.   

And what a day it was!

I did not yet know that Alhambra has a timeless beauty whose magical creations transcend our mundane world. She will dance with your Spirit and set your Soul ablaze!

To feel a little of the allure of The Alhambra for yourself, press the link below.
The Alhambra - Spain - UNESCO World Heritage Site YouTube

Photo by kind courtesy of 

http://www.andalucia.com/image/cities/mvc03010-0032alhambrasunset.jpg 

In Spain, The Alhambra represents the pinnacle of  excellence in Muslim architectural craftsmanship.
  
Originally built as a fortress,  the Alhambra commands a sweeping view of Granada city.  Named by the Arabs, Alhambra means the 'the red one' because of the colour of its walls at sunset.

Short History

The Alhambra is a palace city defended by a network of walls and towers built on high hills in a commanding location to the east of the city, with unsurpassed 360 degree views.  

The first Nasrid king, El Ahmar, moved his court to this prestigious and well fortified location in 1238. Successive rulers then altered the palaces according to their own style. Today's Alhambra is almost entirely the work of one king, Mohammed V  

Alhambra Overview

In the Hispano-Muslim houses, the courtyard is the core of family life, around which all the other rooms are distributed. The wealth of a family is viewed not in the exterior of a dwelling but in its courtyard.  

In Alhambra, the Palaces have the same layout and function as houses, only they are larger and much more richly decorated. 

Photo by kind courtesy of: http://www.alhambradegranada.org 

The Royal Palace (see map) is actually three palaces - the Mexuar (1), Comares Palace (2) and the Lion's Palace (5). The Comares Palace houses the Hall of the Ambassador and has become synonymous with it. Each palace is built around a central courtyard containing a fountain or pool. 

press here for a 2-min YouTube Alhambra Tour

CGI shows history and placement of main palaces in The Alhambra. (Graphics, Spanish narration and music)

1. Mexuar Palace  
photo and information by kind courtesy of http://www.alhambra.org

The Mexuar for meetings of the Counsel of Ministers and the Oratory for worship. Its name is derived from the Arabic word Maswar, the place where the Surah or Counsel of Ministers met. It was also the place or hall where the Sultan dispensed justice.

2. Hall of the Ambassadors   
photo and information by kind courtesy of http://www.alhambra.org  
At forty-five meters, the tower of the Palace of Comares is the tallest construct in Alhambra. 

Traditionally designed, like other Spanish-Moorish houses with a central open air courtyard, it is flanked by many rooms consisting of a ground floor and at least one upper floor or loft.

Altogether nine small rooms surround the Court of the Myrtles and the Hall of the Ambassadors, the sultan's official residence, was the most important hall in the Palace. Tall and imposing, its lighting is subdued to ensure a respectful quietness during royal audiences and court ceremonies.  

3. Royal baths 
 photo and information by kind courtesy of http://www.alhambra.org

These baths show an intimate and sensitive use of light, shape and colour. Singers and musicians would entertain the bathers from the galleries above. 

4. Hall of the Two Sisters 
photo and information by kind courtesy of  http://www.alhambra-patronato.es/index.php/The-Hall-of-the-Two-Sister/160+M5d637b1e38d/0/

With its cupola of sculpted mocarabes (press here for more information) and rich stucco motifs on the walls, this hall was in the centre of a series of chambers where the sultana and her family lived and is the most sumptuous and monumental room in the palace.

Its name comes from the two identical white marble slabs in the floor.  It has a small fountain with a jet and a little channel that carries the water to the Patio of the Lions  

5. Lions Palace and Court 
information by kind courtesy of http://www.alhambra.org 

On a small scale, the Fountain of the Lions  represents the entire technical concept behind the creation of the Alhambra, a structural conception rooted in human and constructive experiences developed creatively over many centuries 
 photo by kind courtesy of smh.com.au
The Palace of the Lions was the architectural pinnacle of the Alhambra and the most beautiful part of the Nasrid. Its celebrated marble fountain, guarded by twelve stone lions, is a symbol of its decorative richness and an example of the complex water system.   

The poem inscribed on the fountain tells how much fiercer the lions would look if they weren't so restrained by their respect for the sultan.

photo by kind courtesy of arxxiduc.wordpress.com

The courtyard of the Lions is encircled by delicate arcades which are supported by slender columns. The hall supports the beautiful and perfect dome mocarabes that receives the light from small lateral windows. The dome is therefore like a beautiful and exquisitely rich flower.

6. Hall of the Abencerrages 
photo and information by kind courtesy of: http://www.alhambra-patronato.es/index.php/The-Hall-of-the-Abencerrages/163+M5d637b1e38d/0/

The hall was built by order of Mohammed V. It is square, and has interlacing ceilings and bedchambers connected with the Emperor's Chambers and, through a balcony, with the Partal Gardens. 
  
Of the two residential areas surrounding the Court of the Lions, the rooms located at the south end of the Court developed around the Hall of the Abencerrages. 

The name itself was derived its name from a legend of the 16th century, according to which the members of this North-African family were invited to a banquet and then massacred in this hall.

7. Partal Gardens  
photo and information by kind courtesy of http://www.alhambra.org

The Partal Gardens are relatively recent, having been planted on the site of the sumptuous palace of the Count of Tendilla, first Catholic General of Granada.

Pomegranate trees whose fruit, the granada, is symbol of the city, shade the paths. To the north, with fine views of the Rio Darro and Sacromonte, is the richly decorated Ladies' Tower.

8.  Charles V Palace 
photo and information by kind courtesy of http://www.alhambra.org

The palace has two floors (not counting mezzanine floors). On the exterior, the lower is of a padded Tuscon order, while the upper is of the Ionic order, alternating pilasters and pedimented windows. Both main façades boast portals made of stone from the Sierra Elvira.   

photo by kind courtesy of http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Palace-of-Charles-V

The circular patio has also two levels. The lower consists of a doric colonnade of conglomerate stone, with an orthodox classical entablature formed of triglyphs and metopes. The upper floor is formed by a stylized ionic colonnade whose entablature has no decoration.

9.  Court of the Myrtles  
photo and information by kind courtesy of http://www.alhambradegranada.org/en/info/placesandspots/courtofthemyrtles.asp

This is one end of the largest patio inside the Nasrid Palace.The Court of the Myrtles  takes its name from the dense myrtle hedges that line their central waterway. 

 

The Pool plays an important part in the architectural and aesthetic definition of the site, with its surface of water that acts as a mirror and reflects the surrounding structures, generating a geometrical projection that breaks the structural horizontal lines of the place. 

The Court was paved with sizable white marble slabs, although at the end of the 16th century the floor was enlarged.

10. Gardens of Daraxa  
photo and information by kind courtesy of http://www.alhambra.org

A garden within the palace! The Daraxa garden, remodelled in the 16th century, is the best example of a closed garden, a place of charms and delights. 

An irregular trapeze, strong and sober in style, this garden features a big and beautiful Renaissance fountain. Six narrow beds of dense boxwood hedges line the walkways of this garden.

Cypress, Acacia and orange trees surround the central marble fountain which is decorated on the edges with a poem, like the fountain of the Lion’s court. 

On the south side of the courtyard there is a room whose vault creates unique acoustic quality. Named “the Secrets Room” because if two people stand on opposite corners of this room and one of them whispers in the direction of the corner, one person will clearly hear what the other person says. 

It's true, one can hear what is said  

clearly enough to make one blush!

Experience magnificent Alhambra craftsmanship in this 10-minute (English narration) YouTube
  

Our drivers had given us a full six hours to enjoy ourselves in Alhambra and Granada, and it had already taken us over four hours to experience and appreciate the varied and intricate architectural details that brought each structure to life.

We had missed lunch, because our eyes were so filled with beauty that we had felt no hunger! On the walls, floors and ceilings, through the columns and arches to the mountain and city vistas, the Alhambra was -and is- a gorgeous, textural symphonic poem that speaks directly to the heart.

To his technical explanations of the fortress and palace architecture, Anton also added relevant historical vignettes for several of the rooms.  His theatrical delivery made the sights, scents and sounds of this fortress' extensive past come alive for me, searing the memory of Alhambra forever in my brain and, most especially, in my heart.

Long before we entered the beautiful gardens of the Generalife, I had become enraptured by the Alhambra.  

And Anton knew it!   

So when he paused by the pink roses  

to kiss me, I kissed him back. 

As I had ended my lengthy relationship with my now absent Canadian boyfriend mere days before taking this trip, I felt more than a little conflicted about enjoying Anton's kiss.

Needing to regain my equilibrium, I quickly suggested that Anton leave me to meditate in the fragrant Daxara gardens while he photographed some specific features of architecture that had earlier fascinated him.

He found me there an hour later, refreshed and glowing from a meditation that had transcended even Alhambra's magnificent structures, permitting me to glimpse the joy of heaven itself.

We strolled back to the bus, arm in arm, and were the last to arrive, to the good-natured ribbing of our fellow travellers. Though neither of us said a word, my blushing face must have spoken volumes.

Granada to Estepona (120 miles)

Two hours later, we reached that night's campsite, near the town of Estepona, on the Mediterranean coast directly across the sea from Morocco.  And what a delightful place it was.  We stayed on the beach of a recently renovated private hotel, run by a friend of the Tour Company owner's cousin. 

We arrived in time for supper with the Staff, who welcomed us to their own quarters as if we were royalty.  They had prepared a cold vegetable soup meal that was simple in ingredients yet complex in taste - an Andalusian trait in food as well as architecture, it seems.  I later learned that this soup was called  Gazpacho (click here) 
 photo by kind courtesy of hottp://sisonline.axspace.com

 After an entire day of walking, learning and meditating in the open air, sans lunch, my body badly needed replenishment.  And this tasty, local dish perfectly fit the bill for everyone else too.

Our gracious hosts visited our table during supper, informing us that their hotel was due to open that weekend but was currently closed. We were, however, more than welcome to use the staff quarters for our meals, and bathroom needs.   

We were also permitted to camp overnight on the hotel's private beach, as long as we vacated before the beach cleaner swept us away at dawn, tents and all.  And dawn was expected shortly before 8am.

Anton wanted to erect our tent away from the others, as near to the east end of the beach site as possible. He was, he said, keen to photograph an unobstructed view of the rising sun over the Mediterranean Sea.  

As he intended to be as comfortable as possible whilst awaiting that 'golden moment', he turned our sleeping bags around, placing our heads, instead our feet, closest to the tent flap. I was, admittedly, curious about these changes, but too tired to question Anton further.

Tomorrow we would arrive in Morocco! 

And step foot on the continent of Africa...

I had lazily begun to muse about how very differently today would have turned out, had I remained in London and not taken this trip!  But the sand beneath my sleeping bag was too soft and yielding for me to resist its comfort and I fell asleep before complet...

Coming Soon! 

Section 3 - Chapter 6

From Estepona to Tangier

Sunrise, Siesta, Soccer and Sand dunes in

My Road to Morocco - Day 7