mountains!
After getting back from Double Wars I posted a list of things I ought to do straight away. Pretty much none of them happened on Monday, which was spent relaxing and recovering from the trip. Ok, so I did get out for a trike ride that day, but that was the only thing from the list. The rest of the week was a bit more productive, with many hours spent working on my visa application, a little work done on my paper, four loads of laundry accomplished, and partially catching up on email, LJ, FB,and blogs (and marking lots of things as read that I will never actually go back and look at--hope I didn't miss anything important).
Friday evening archinonlive and I decided to do a small road trip adventure--we realized that this was our last chance to get me to some mountains before I depart for Australia at the end of the month since we have folk dance performances the next two weekends, so we decided to go. We packed up some food, clothes, and projects and set on the road at 19:00. Along the way we found the very best rest area I have ever seen in my life. This place has a variety of picnic tables and benches in the woods, many of which overlook a lovely lake (clear enough to reflect the hills around and the clouds overhead), a couple of different fire pits, each of which has benches set up in a circle around them, and a small cabin with a fireplace for travelers to take shelter in should they wish. The sign on the door points out that the cabin is only to be slept in in case of emergency, and it is freely available to any and all who wish to use it. Since we arrived there around 22:00 the misquotes were in full force outside, so after admiring the view we brought my yoga mat into the cabin and did my yoga for the day before continuing on down the highway. Such luxury while traveling is appreciated.
We spent the night sleeping in the car at a much less well appointed rest area, not far from the Norwegian border. This one was labeled "Gupletesjaure Naturrastplats" and had only a small lean-to, an outhouse, and some benches and tables to offer travelers, but the view was truly beautiful. It is also the start of quite a few walking trails, so we set out for a small walking adventure when we woke up in the morning. The rock there is a lovely low to medium grade metamorphic rock. There were plenty of patches of snow still on the ground (so welcome given the heat that we've had here in the north the past few days--I think the temps actually broke 30 C, which is way too hot for my blood). After our walk we continued on over the border to Norway a bit, just to say we had, and returned home.
Four drive to mountains is certainly better than not having any available, but it does take a chunk of uncommitted time to get there. No, the closet mountains aren't the towering, majestic things I think of when I say "mountain", but they are pretty, the rock is nice, and the snow was a very welcome treat this time of year.
During the drive I managed to finish adding the blue velvet cover to the bells I was working on at Double Wars, and I started a new project. Much to my surprise a grocery store we stopped at in a small town not far from the Norwegian border carries real wool yarn! They had some nice blue and a good strong red that looks great with it, so we picked up one of each for me to do some experimenting with mixing colours. I am told that area has a decent sized Sami population, and that is why wool is so easily available. We certainly saw a fair number of reindeer along the road as we drove in that region.
Today I finished getting my visa application ready and emailed the packet to the Swedish Embassy in Australia so that they can check it over and see if anything is missing before I fly down and officially turn in the paper copy at the start of next month. The application packet is meant to include a cover letter stating "when I plan to move", so I gave them my dream date for being back in Luleå (15 July--on time for the local Medieval days, at which I had hoped to teach classes and fight in Coronet tournament), my second choice date of on time for Medieval Week in Gotland (before 7 Aug when our Ferry tickets are), and my third choice (before September, when the Swedish folk dancing class we are meant to teach starts). With luck I will make one of those, but if not I will find fun things to keep me out of trouble in Australia while I wait.
Next up on the to-do list: folk dancing tonight, tomorrow: work on my paper, some house work, get out for a trike ride...
Friday evening archinonlive and I decided to do a small road trip adventure--we realized that this was our last chance to get me to some mountains before I depart for Australia at the end of the month since we have folk dance performances the next two weekends, so we decided to go. We packed up some food, clothes, and projects and set on the road at 19:00. Along the way we found the very best rest area I have ever seen in my life. This place has a variety of picnic tables and benches in the woods, many of which overlook a lovely lake (clear enough to reflect the hills around and the clouds overhead), a couple of different fire pits, each of which has benches set up in a circle around them, and a small cabin with a fireplace for travelers to take shelter in should they wish. The sign on the door points out that the cabin is only to be slept in in case of emergency, and it is freely available to any and all who wish to use it. Since we arrived there around 22:00 the misquotes were in full force outside, so after admiring the view we brought my yoga mat into the cabin and did my yoga for the day before continuing on down the highway. Such luxury while traveling is appreciated.
We spent the night sleeping in the car at a much less well appointed rest area, not far from the Norwegian border. This one was labeled "Gupletesjaure Naturrastplats" and had only a small lean-to, an outhouse, and some benches and tables to offer travelers, but the view was truly beautiful. It is also the start of quite a few walking trails, so we set out for a small walking adventure when we woke up in the morning. The rock there is a lovely low to medium grade metamorphic rock. There were plenty of patches of snow still on the ground (so welcome given the heat that we've had here in the north the past few days--I think the temps actually broke 30 C, which is way too hot for my blood). After our walk we continued on over the border to Norway a bit, just to say we had, and returned home.
Four drive to mountains is certainly better than not having any available, but it does take a chunk of uncommitted time to get there. No, the closet mountains aren't the towering, majestic things I think of when I say "mountain", but they are pretty, the rock is nice, and the snow was a very welcome treat this time of year.
During the drive I managed to finish adding the blue velvet cover to the bells I was working on at Double Wars, and I started a new project. Much to my surprise a grocery store we stopped at in a small town not far from the Norwegian border carries real wool yarn! They had some nice blue and a good strong red that looks great with it, so we picked up one of each for me to do some experimenting with mixing colours. I am told that area has a decent sized Sami population, and that is why wool is so easily available. We certainly saw a fair number of reindeer along the road as we drove in that region.
Today I finished getting my visa application ready and emailed the packet to the Swedish Embassy in Australia so that they can check it over and see if anything is missing before I fly down and officially turn in the paper copy at the start of next month. The application packet is meant to include a cover letter stating "when I plan to move", so I gave them my dream date for being back in Luleå (15 July--on time for the local Medieval days, at which I had hoped to teach classes and fight in Coronet tournament), my second choice date of on time for Medieval Week in Gotland (before 7 Aug when our Ferry tickets are), and my third choice (before September, when the Swedish folk dancing class we are meant to teach starts). With luck I will make one of those, but if not I will find fun things to keep me out of trouble in Australia while I wait.
Next up on the to-do list: folk dancing tonight, tomorrow: work on my paper, some house work, get out for a trike ride...