24th December 2024, Arctic Trip Day Five, Abisko, Sweden to Narvik, Norway.

 Well hello again my loves, and happy Wednesday! I hope you are having a good week so far. Mine has been frustrating, as I have loud construction noise going on next door to me, making it impossible to work on my VO stuff during the day. Well, that just means I have an excuse to try to catch up with my Blog a bit, so here you go! All of these photos and videos were taken on Day Five of our Epic Arctic trip, which was also Christmas Eve.

Saying goodbye to the Abisko STF Turistation.

That day we were up early to make sure we were all packed and ready to go, and then went down for our last meal at the restaurant. I went with a light breakfast, and had the caviar from a tube again, haha. I wish I could have brought some home with me, I thought it was delicious! Today was Christmas Eve for us, but Sweden celebrates their Christmas on the 24th December, so I made sure to wish everyone "god jul" and I gave small gifts to all the staff at the restaurant, and at the Turiststation when we checked out. I did this everywhere we stayed, and people really seemed to appreciate it. Having worked in retail and restaurants for so many years, I have worked more than my share of holidays, and I know how it feels to be away from loved ones at Christmas and on other special occasions. I wanted to make sure all the staff knew that they were appreciated. There were even a few tearful reactions, so I felt more than justified at doing this. It's going to be a thing for me moving forwards, no matter the time of year. I'm a great believer in spreading a little joy everywhere you go, and I also know that the ripple effect of good vibes really can make a big difference in the world!

Cheers! Beer on the train.

After checking out, we walked back to the nearby train station and waited for the (30 minutes delayed) northbound train to Narvik. Once in our seats and on the way, I got a beer from the cafe on board, it being Christmas Eve and all! Gareth didn't want any, since he sometimes gets travel sick and didn't want to risk not feeling well on the journey. However, as you can see below, I was so busy taking videos of the spectacular scenery, that I didn't have enough time to drink it, so Gareth had to help me once we got to our destination, haha. I felt like the journey didn't take nearly long enough. All the views were so beautiful, I could have stayed looking out the window all day. Before we knew it, we had crossed the border into Norway, and arrived safely in Narvik.

View from the train window, journey from Abisko to Narvik.

View from the train window, journey from Abisko to Narvik.

I had been to Sweden once before, but this was my first time in Norway, and it was Gareth's first time in both countries, which made it all extra special. Narvik, or Áhkánjárga in Northern Sámi, is located on the edge of the Ofotfjord in Northern Norway. Called Ofotfjorden in Norwegian, and Ufuohttá in Northen Sámi, Ofotfjord is an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, located north of the Arctic Circle, and it was so beautiful. After the quiet and remote places we had stayed at in Sweden over the last few days, Narvik, with it's population of about 14,000 people, seemed like a vast metropolis!

View from our hotel room, Narvik.

Exploring Narvik on Christmas Eve.

 "Liv opp av kaos" or "Life out of chaos", WWII memorial by sculptor Gunnar Olaf Finn Eriksen.

Exploring Narvik.

Exploring Narvik. (Telford friends, note the "spider web" climbing frame!)

The Scandic Narvik Hotel, our accommodation while in Norway.

View of the Ofotfjord, (Ofotfjorden in Norwegian, and Ufuohttá in Northen Sámi.)

We made our way from the train station to our hotel, the Scandic Narvik, and were very pleased to find that we had a room on the top floor (with only the Bar above us) which afforded a beautiful view of the mountains and the town below. After checking in and settling into our room, we went for a walk to explore a little. Since it was Christmas, a lot of places were closed, but we had expected that, and it was still lovely to walk through the snow and enjoy the festive lights on Christmas Eve. We found an open supermarket and stocked up on some snacks and supplies, since we had been told that the hotel bar had a limited menu over the holidays. The main restaurant downstairs would still be serving breakfast in the morning, but the lovely lady at the desk had told us that they have a tradition of serving the homeless and needy at Christmas, and they wouldn't be open to hotel guests that night. She apologised for the inconvenience, but we thought it was such a lovely thing for them to do, and not something you would necessarily expect from an upscale hotel chain! It only made me think more highly of them.

View from the Tøtta Bar, Scandic Narvik hotel.

Christmas Eve drinks. Tøtta Bar, Scandic Narvik hotel.

Later in the evening we made our way up to the Tøtta Bar to check it out. We weren't sure what to expect, and had our backup plan of snacks in our room if we needed, but it turned out that they weren't necessary. At first the place was empty apart from us and the lovely young woman working the entire place alone, but after a while several large groups arrived and the place got a lot more noisy. We had chosen a small cozy table by the window, which gave us a view of the town and the mountain behind, and not long after we sat down, it started snowing. This was definitely a very non-traditional Christmas for both of us, but it was so magical to watch the snow falling down over the town on Christmas Eve. We ended up staying in the bar for most of the evening, ate a delicious meal, had a few drinks, and enjoyed the views while we reminisced over everything we'd done on this trip so far. Every day was so full that neither of us could pick a favourite moment, and indeed, it was difficult to differentiate one day from another, though it was only a short trip!

Delicious food and drinks at the Tøtta Bar, Scandic Narvik hotel.

Christmas Eve drinks. Tøtta Bar, Scandic Narvik hotel.

Christmas Eve drinks. Tøtta Bar, Scandic Narvik hotel.

Views from the Tøtta Bar, over Narvik.

 View of the Ofotfjord from the hotel bar.

View of the Ofotfjord from the hotel bar.

Views from the Tøtta Bar, Narvik.

After a very enjoyable few hours in the bar, we went back to our room. Our plan to watch Christmas movies failed at first since we couldn't find any on the TV, but Gareth saved the day and was able to play the film Love Actually on his phone. So, we snuggled up in bed together and watched one of my favourite Christmas movies, while the snow fell outside over the sleepy town of Narvik. It was the perfect end to a wonderful Christmas Eve.