23rd December 2024, Arctic Trip Day Four, Abisko National Park and Abisko STF.
Well hello again my lovelies, I hope you're all having a good week so far? I have some more photos and videos to share with you from our epic Arctic trip. All of these were taken on 23rd December 2024, as we explored some of the Abisko National Park nearby, before heading back to the STF Turiststation for dinner.
We didn't have any extra excursions planned that day, so had a bit of a lie-in before getting up for a leisurely breakfast at the restaurant. I enjoyed more of the fruit and ginger wake-up shots, and I discovered caviar in a tube! I know many people would be put off by that, but I found it delicious, especially with fresh butter and cucumbers on rye crackers. That's the kind of breakfast I could eat more regularly, haha. It was so much fun trying new things this whole trip!
Abiskojåkka Canyon, Abisko National Park.
Abiskojåkka Canyon, with STF Abisko behind.
After breakfast we got layered up in our warm clothes and headed out for a walk nearby. The STF Abisko Turiststation is located in Abisko National Park,
so there is a lot of natural beauty right on the doorstep. Of course,
given the time of year, it was very cold, there was a lot of snow, and
very little light, so we knew we couldn't go far, but it was a beautiful
day while it lasted, and we simply had to get out to see what we could
see. The Turiststation is located right next to the Abiskojåkka Canyon, so we followed a trail in that direction, which opened up on to Lake Torneträsk. It was breathtakingly beautiful!
Nuolja Mountain, with the chair lift to the Aurora Sky Station.
Lake Torneträsk, Abisko National Park.
Torneträsk is the sixth-largest and second-deepest lake in
Sweden, and is usually completely iced over from December through June.
It was only partially iced while we were there, but we were told it
would soon be covered and remain so for the rest of the Winter. I loved
all the snow covered views we had of everything while we were there, but
I found myself wondering what things look like in Summer, and wondering
more and more if I should book another holiday here in that season too!
Polar Night, Abisko National Park. Taken at 12:25 pm.
Snow falling over the far side of Lake Torneträsk, Abisko National Park.
It was so quiet and peaceful, not just because all the snow
muffles sound, but because there was very little noise anyway. Even the
trains traveling through seemed quiet, and other than a few people that
we passed and said hello to, it felt like we had the whole park to
ourselves. There were many tracks in the snow from all sorts of animals,
but we didn't see any. Until the moose, that is! We followed a trail
that gave us a high viewpoint over Lake
Torneträsk, and passed a family that told us there were several moose in
the area, down below. We were only able to spot three, at a safe
distance, but apparently there were six or seven nearby. Even from a
distance they seemed so majestic, and it was another wonderful thrill
from our holiday to be able to witness them.
There are two moose in this photo! Lake Torneträsk, Abisko National Park.
Polar Night, Abisko National Park. Taken at 12:31 pm.
We spent a couple of hours out walking and exploring, enjoying the
peace and the beauty all around us. Also, because we are us, we had fun
testing how deep the snow was, attempting to make snow angels, and
laughing at our own jokes. (A favourite was after we witnessed a local
man running past at high speed, in shorts and a tee shirt, jumping over
obstacles as though they were nothing. Gareth commented, "Who does he
think he is, Jason Bourne?" We both immediately turned to each other and
said "Jason Bjorn!" simultaneously, before cracking up and falling into
the snow while we laughed. It's the little things, haha!)
Happy smiles and many layers.
I need to give Gareth credit for the videos of me in the snow. I had
asked him to film me walking over the bridge simply because I thought it
would look cool and be a fun memory. I was already well aware that I
have a very purposeful walk, but I didn't realise
quite how much I strode until seeing that video! I think the many layers
I was
wearing, which made my arms stick out at angles, as well as my desire
to walk carefully, so as to not to fall on my face on video, made the
stride extra noticeable, haha!
Happy smiles and many layers.
Polar Night, Abisko National Park. Taken at 13:05 pm.
Abiskojåkka Canyon leading to Lake Torneträsk, Abisko National Park.
We went back to the Turistation before it started to get full dark
again, (around 14:00!) got a drink at the restaurant bar and sat in one
of the comfy lounge spaces to relax and warm up, before taking a nap in
our room. Later we got dressed up a bit and headed down to the
Restaurant Kungsleden for yet another wonderful meal. From the photo
descriptions you can see that we ate a lot of reindeer and Arctic Char
while we were in Sweden, but it never got boring, because it was
prepared differently each time. This Char was fished directly from the
lake behind us, and the reindeer would have come from sustainable herds
nearby as well. The restaurant even had a dedicated grow-room for fresh
herbs. I had to admire the dedication that was shown to locally sourced
foods and sustainable practices, everywhere we stayed. Everything was
grown or raised locally, so we did see some of the same ingredients over
and over, but they were all prepared in different ways, and it was all
phenomenal. I had a conversation with our server that night about how
much I admired this, and how delicious the food was. I told her about
the pancakes I'd had at Camp Ripan and how amazed I was that I enjoyed
them so much, and the difference between naturally sweet, natural food,
versus the artificial and sickeningly sweet palate offered in America.
She actually came back later and thanked me for my perspective. She told
us that having lived there her whole life, it can get a bit tedious
having such a limited growing season, and limited options. That is
completely understandable, but she thanked me for reminding her that it
is all real, natural, local, and sustainable, and that not everyone is
that lucky. It was an interesting conversation! Obviously, everyone's
perspective is shaped by their background and upbringing, by what
they're used to, and I consider myself very lucky to have experienced a
few different countries, whether by living there or traveling through.
We all have our personal preferences, of course, but there is so much to
be said for broadening your horizons and seeing different perspectives.
Arctic Char main course, Restaurant Kungsleden, STF Abisko.
Cake with cloudberry ice cream dessert, Restaurant Kungsleden, STF Abisko.
Later that night we were lucky to have the perfect conditions for seeing
the Aurora again! We wrapped up warm once again and headed out in the
dark to see what we could see. It was a shame that the sky wasn't clear
the night before when we were up the mountain, as being lower down in
the valley obviously meant we couldn't see as far. It was still
absolutely spectacular though, and we stood in awe of the dancing
curtains of green and red light above us. As always, I have to say that
the photos I captured don't do it justice at all, but they do give you
an idea of how amazing it was! I couldn't stop smiling, it was the
perfect end to another perfect day!
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