Travels through Sweden and Norway: north on Inlandsbanan train and south with the Hurtigruten ferry.

We visited Sweden and Norway in July but I have been busy with house moving since then and haven't had a chance to update the Blog; it already seems a long time ago! We starting our trip from Heathrow flying to Stockholm and then by Swedish Railways to the start of the Inlandsbanan train route at Kristinehamn followed by two weeks on the route to Gallivare where we headed across to the Norwegian coast by train and bus to get the Hurtigruten ferry at Tromso sailing south to Bergen and then a flight home to Gatwick. This took us a total of 29 days and even though we were above the Artic Circle for some of the trip, the temperatures were untypically high in 2018, rarely dropping below 20 C and hitting over 30 C on many days; an advantage of the dry weather was that we never got bothered by midges of any description.

We traveled independently and because the Inlandsbanan only runs in the summer months it is often necessary to book seats in advance and also reserve accommodation as some of the stops in central and northern Sweden have limited overnight availability. I'm sure this wouldn't be a great difficulty in some of the larger towns especially as the staff in Tourist Information Officers are very helpful. A limitation of the train is that there is only one a day so if you reach your destination at 6 pm, the next train will be 6 pm the next day unless you change direction of course. We found the trains very reliable and on time, sometimes full to the brim and at other times less busy. 

In Stockholm we stayed at the Hotel Central which is well placed near the city centre and close to the terminus of the rail link to the airport (about two minutes walk away).  This was very comfortable and served excellent buffet breakfasts. We mostly strolled around but did a bus tour of the sites and also a boat trip around the islands that make up the central city and this gave us an impression of the cities geography.

View from our boat trip in the harbour across to Djurgarden with the fairground in view.  On another day we took the ferry across to visit Skansen, a large open -air museum on Djurgarden island.

On our second day we decided to visit the island of Djurgarden by ferry and spent a good part of the day looking around the large Skansen outdoor museum with about 150 reconstructed buildings.

Inside the "Snickerifabrik" the carpenter's workshop. In front on the left is a large wheel for factory production of boards made by joining timber and gluing under compression. They also had an array of old hand tools on display including several frame saws of different design from those I've made.

Stockholm is a beautiful city and easy to get around with lots of cycle-ways that allow cyclists priority over vehicles and we could have easily spent more time in the area. However, our next stop was Kristinehamn about two and half hours away towards the west and centre of Sweden on a fast intercity train. Kristinehamn wasn't in the "Rough Guide" which was surprising; it has a long history to do with the iron trade with the harbour a major port for exportation of milled iron. We stayed in the "Park Hotel" which is five minutes walk from the train station and conveniently situated on the edge of a park leading into the town centre. We arrived on Sunday and there wasn't many people about but we did find restaurants open and located a cycle hire shop ("Team Sportia") for the next day. Many of the attractions are outside of the town including the lake (or maybe river?) shore and the famous Picasso sculpture. There are cycle paths so there was little need to use the highways as we progressed north to Marieberg on the Sverigeleden (21) long distance cycle route to get a coffee (at "Kafferian" looking onto the lake). We then went back into town and south to the Picasso Skulpturea on the river bank and very picturesque location in the summer sun.

The Picasso sculpture welcoming sailors into the river mouth serving Kristenhamn.

The Inlandsbanan ticket that we had purchased in the UK allowed us to travel for a period of two weeks stopping and starting along the way as we wished. We had also reserved seats for each of the journeys and accommodation at our stop-overs. The first leg of the trip was to Mora taking about four hours travelling north through pine, spruce and birch forests. The train for this section seemed to be a normal Swedish Railways train. We only had one night in Mora at Kristinberg B&B (more like a motel in the UK) which was pleasant enough and close to the station and about 15 minutes walk into the main part of the town. The next morning we left our luggage at the luggage lockers at the station  and visited the Anders Zorn museum. The exhibition of some of his work was very good and left a lasting impression of the his genius. We were also lucky to catch a guided tour (in English) of his house. Although he died in 1920, the rooms and contents gave me the impression that he'd just popped out and would be back at any time.

Mora horse

Anders Zorn's house adjoining the art gallery with the gardens out of view in front of the house.

We could have done with more time at Mora as some of the attractions are out of town with infrequent bus connections, so another day would have been ideal for us. We enjoyed Wayne's Cafe and also a buffet lunch at Vasagatan 32. It was interesting to see all the knives on sale and I hadn't connected my own wood carving knife "a Mora knife" with the town but if you do want one, this is the place!

Our next stop was Sveg just over two hours away. This was our first encounter with the iconic Inlandsbanan train. It was a very hot day, the train was full including several cyclists; you can imagine that the ventilation from the windows was most welcome!!. As it happened we had an eventful journey as nearing one bridge, the conductor rushed down the carriage with a fire extinguisher and jumped off the train, soon to return to collect a bucket of water. He later apologised for the delay explaining that is is always wise to put fires out on the track to make things easier for later trains. It is also worth mentioning that there were several major forest fires in Sweden at the time of our visit and I think something like "forest fires in the Artic" made UK newspapers. Also along this section we saw our first Moose (or Elk?) as it galloped off into the trees.

Our little train with a typical scene of trees and lake water in the background. The train has two carriages with a space set aside for luggage (there is also spacious racks above the seat) and space for cycles at the rear of the train. There is one toilet and you can get drinks and snacks onboard. The train also stops for lunch or dinner breaks or if there is some highlight to see.

Sveg Station typical of the architecture of many of the Inlandsbanan stations we encountered.

We stayed at Hotel Harjedalen  which was very pleasant with breakfast served in a spacious lounge or in your room. We had a massive comfortable room and the feeling we were the only people staying in the hotel. Sveg wasn't busy and we had difficulty filling our time here; a walk along the river and around an island and a short walk to the main street for a snack and coffee. I think you need independent transport to explore the area more fully.
In the evening we caught the northern train to Ostersund stopping at a ski resort for dinner. We had reserved three nights in Ostersund in an apartment called Prastgatanett just a short walk from the centre (although uphill from the railway station). This allowed self-catering and also had a pleasant area outside to see the passing life of the city and enjoy the sunshine. The first day we went to the Jamtli Museum and spent most of the day in the open air museum. They had working farmsteads from 1785, 1895, 1942 and 70's so it was really interesting to see the timber buildings and all the artifacts to do with life in the different periods and even have a word with some of the farmers!

Eco-house in the woods or grain store?? I don't think it will fit in our garden

The following day we had a relaxing stroll past the tour boats and over the footbridge along the lake shore, mostly on cycle paths. We returned through the forest that offered some shade from the hot sunshine.

View of the foot bridge looking to the city across Lake Storsjon

The next morning was an early start to board the train to Dorotea. The train was full to the brim and already warm as we arrived by ten ready for a morning coffee. This was to be our first stay in a cabin on a campsite, this one with its own railway stop on request.  

Our first campsite at Doro Camping, a short ten minute walk from the town and pleasantly situated by the river.

It was a short walk into town for lunch at "Konditori" and then to the chapel to see the "Last Supper" sculptures. We did some local riverside walks from the campsite and enjoyed the evening sun. We were told that the area has the greatest density of brown bears in the country and they do have a permit to feed so that visitors can view them.

Our next stop along the line was Vilhelmina where we had two nights in a log cabin (Saliva camping) besides a lake. Vilhelmina has a main street with a few pizzerias and  hamburger places. It has an interesting museum at the Church Village in the older part of the town and a nature reserve on higher ground above the village. This made an interesting walk but by midday the temperatures has reached over 30 C  so we were happy to return to the cabin and relax by the small beach at the lake.

A Sami hut in the nature reserve along the Sagostig trail above Church Village.

A view from the reserve looking over the northern edge of town to the lake beyond. You also get a great view of the lake from Hotel Wilhelmina where we had a great buffet lunch.

Returning to the tracks the following day, the train stopped at Vilhelmina Norte for food and the onto Storuman for an overnight stop. Here we stayed in Hotell Toppen at the top of town and were pleased to get into cooler temperatures after the climb from the railway station. 

View  north-east from a high point a short climb above the town. It was already getting hot and humid.

In the early morning I went to a local view point on a nearby hill and was lucky enough to spot a Lynx in the bushes darting away from the track (but I was too slow to capture it  on camera!). After lunch in the Akkam cafe, a local community centre, we headed to catch the little train to Aridsjaur staying at Camp Gielas in a cabin. The train was busy and hot with more Spruce, Scots pine and birch to see although we did see our first tree line, at least the first that I'd noticed. There was some commentary on the train but the English version was short and it was too noisy to make head or tail of it. I asked Helen to wake me if she spotted an Oak or Beech tree!

There is not a great deal for the visitor in the Aridsjaur but we did see around the Lappstaden, a meeting place for the forest Sami. It was interesting to see the construction of the huts although we did notice that many used a modern felt underlay beneath the roof poles as well as the traditional birch bark. Anyway, I have enough photos of their construction to build one should we have to leave and set-up home in a forest!!

Guess what? the moose of Aridsjaur. We had seen some live ones in the forests from the train but they were usually darting away from us.

Helen looking around the Lappstaden, a collection of Sami huts where the forest Sami gather for events. Some were in need of repair and looked much like the photos shown for 1901.

Again the day was too hot for walking far so we returned to the cabin and Helen enjoyed a swim in the lake and the added cooler breeze near the shore.

Our next stop was Jokkmokk north of the Artic Circle staying in the STF Hostel. This wasn't busy and was very convenient for town and also the Ajttee (meaning Storehouse), "The Swedish Mountain and Sami Museum".

The train stopped at the position of crossing the Artic Circle giving us a chance for photos.

This sculpture is in the centre of Jokkmokk and puzzled us at first but after reading some of the history it was evidently a man clearing  a log jam on the river.

The museum is very good and gives a lot of information about the Sami culture, early settlers and the fauna and flora of the mountains. It also has a reserve associated with the museum which is about a kilometre away centred on a small valley in the forest. The reserve is well documented with information on the local plants and animals including an information centre. Unfortunately we got caught out with downpour lasting about 30 minutes, the first rain of the trip, so we had to return to town early for lunch.

View down the reserve before the downpour.

I think we will also remember Jokkmokk because of the crazy car raleigh involving old gas-guzzlers, mostly of American origin many of them bent on losing their tyres skidding on the roads making much noise and fumes. Luckily the rain damped things down and cleared after lunch.
The train didn't call until late in the afternoon and unlike most of the other stations, Jokkmokk was closed and so no facilities for left luggage.
So this was to be our last leg on the little train, from Jokkmokk to Gallivare, the end of the line. We stayed in Pensionat Augustin, which was very pleasant and convenient for the station and the main part of town. We followed the culture trail around the town visiting the Old Church (1747), Fjallnas castle and another model village dating from the mid 1880's. There is also a good museum set inside the railway station and another in town that was a little run down but had some interesting artifacts from the early settlers and iron ore mining.

The next part of our trip was to get the main line train to Narvik in Norway and then a further bus journey north to Tromso, the start of our return passage by ferry to Bergen and onward flight to the UK. The train to Narvik was delayed by a couple of hours. The scenery was mainly in contrast to that encountered travelling north through the centre of Sweden with trees still in abundance (although getting lower as we travelled north) but far views of mountains, some with snow and also views of the sea as we descended from the mountains into Narvik. I think the railway was built to aid the transport of iron ore to the coast and export.

View from the train as it descended towards Narvik

We arrived late in Narvik but found our apartment easily (Astrupgarden Apartments) on the main street and a couple of kilometres from the train station. The apartment was very spacious and seemed an indulgence for our two night stay. We were tired after the long journey from Gallivare and didn't do a lot in Narvik the following day apart from explore the main street and get our bearings and of course bus tickets. In the event we found we couldn't reserve a seat or buy a ticket so that simplified things!
The coach journey was a treat as it wound a way through the small towns, villages, mountain passes and along lake shores to reach Tromso in just over four hours. Tromso was the largest place we'd visited since leaving Stockholm and it did come as a pleasant change to see so many people busy with their lives in this far-off place. If it hadn't been for the "Polar Capital" reputation that attracted us tourists, we could have been in a number of fishing ports dotted around Europe. Anyway we had a very pleasant stay at the Amalie Hotel in the centre and not far from either the bus station or ferry harbour.

Hassen with his dog team. The museums in Tromso are a great attraction with much information about the early explorers such as Helmer  Hanssen and  Roald Amundsen.

We spent our time in Tromso visiting the different museums and exhibitions mainly concerned with polar journeys that started from the town, seal and whale hunting and the lives of famous explorers including Hanssen and Amundsen. There are a variety of cafes and restaurants that cater for all tastes and budgets. Incidently, the Velo 1 European Cycle Route that we followed through France also goes through Tromso and we did meet a British cyclist on board the ferry who was returning to Bergen after cycling to the north of Norway.

Our ferry boat, "Lofoten" in harbour as we take a ten minute stroll.

We left Tromso on the "Lofoten" after midnight for our journey through the Fjords and open sea to Bergen. The ferry company has a long history starting in 1893 and our ship was one of the older ones on the route (started service in 1964) but amazingly we were told, it still has the original diesel engine. The scenery was spectacular with views of the Fjord cliffs, background mountains and at one point, glaciers. Luckily for me, the weather was kind to us and made for a trouble free journey. We mostly spent our time on board, viewing the scenery, eating, reading and sleeping!! You do need a good choice of books for the trip (or other entertainment).
There are a few opportunities to disembark and see the ports and towns on route but usually quite a short time, one or two hours. A few people also did the organised activities but we had already seen a lot of the countryside on our trip.

One of the narrower Trollfjord that we entered of the main route.

Hole in the mountain, "Torghatten". We were told there is a path that climbs to the hole and through it. The ferry took a deviation for us to see this and it took several photos to actual capture the hole so as to speak.

Just to prove it rains in Sweden and Norway in July, I've included this photo of Helen dashing across Bergen near the harbour.

Near our apartment in the old part of Bergen

We only had one night in Bergen staying in the old part of town in the north near the fish market. We were introduced to Norwegian rain to finish our journey so after exploring the harbour area and getting a meal we rested for an early start getting the airport bus in the morning. We'll probably return to Bergen; there seemed to be lots to see and do in the area that we didn't have time for on this trip.

And so ended our trip and a return to setting up home in Dartington. I think everyone will remember the summer of 2018 because of the excellent weather in June and July and we were lucky enough to experience it above the Artic Circle!.
Another Kuksa….my account of making one at home.
Following this trip I was keen to make another Kuksa more in the style that we'd seen in Sweden when visiting the museums. In the summer of 2019 I joined a small group at the Old Craft Centre at Schumacher College making a Kuksa of our own design guided by Felix Cary. This was over a weekend starting from a large log of Downy Birch felled from nearby Dartmoor about a year ago, and more recently (about a month) sawn into large sections ready for further axework. The wood was slightly spalted (starting to decay through fungal attack) and had a few boring insects that had chewed through the bark. This adds to the character of the final bowl but also made the heartwood harder to chisel and shape compared with fresh greenwood. It also had a few knots to be aware of and to avoid in crucial places.
I started with a lump of wood chopped from a log that was big enough to carve the Kuksa.

This is the starting cuboid of Birch showing knotes and grain direction.

This is the other side showing some streaking and grain structure and was to become the top of the Kuksa.

The first step was to axe the sides to make a fairly regular cuboid that could be easily clamped for making the bowl of the Kuksa. After this it was a case of making the outline of the top taking in to account the position of knots and insect holes. I used a plant pot base to get the size I wanted.

A rough outline of the plan of the Kuksa with a centre line marked through the bowl to the handle. The orientation of the handle was determined by a large knot visible underneath the wood.

The slab of wood was then clamped flat and the bowl of the Kuksa chipped out using a small carving Adze. I had never used one of these but soon got the hang of it.

Shows the beginning of the bowl cut with the Adze. After this I used a gouge  to deepen the bowl and smooth the sides better.

The next stage was to axe the sides of the bowl and handle.

To shape the handle I sawed lines across the bottom of the handle so that my axe work didn't split the bowl.

Looking a little more like a Kuksa but still a long way to go. This was basically the stage after the first days work!

I continued with axe work for a couple of hours after this to get as much wood off as possible to take it to about 1 cm from the final size. In fact, in retrospect, I could have continued longer using the axe to avoid a lot of knife work later on in the shaping. This of course depends on having a good sharp axe. I used a dropped forged axe for most of the finer work.

Here you can see the Kuksa taking shape and the Mora knife used to do the finer carving. Still a way to go.

I spent a lot of time trying to shape the rim and also the handle of the Kuksa.

I am happy with the bowl of the Kuksa at the end of the second day but still feel the need to tweek the outside of the bowl and handle to get the shape I want.

Profile of the Kuksa. I was trying to get the handle coming down with the bowl slightly lower. This has worked to a degree.

After I have refined to outer edges and maybe drilled a hole for the leather hanger, I'll treat it with Walnut oil and the outside will get a 1:4 Beeswax:Walnut oil seal. It should take about a week to dry before treatment. I'm still not sure if I'll sand it when dry to get a very smooth finish or leave it with the knife marks.