We drove Minis on a frozen lake (I’ve never been mapped over water—in a car, with no bridge). They gave us lessons—moose avoidance, slalom course, braking on ice—then handed us the keys! Swede and I sped around a rally course, bouncing off snow banks and drifting around sharp turns. My crazed driving made him so sick, he had to get out for my last circuit. (More videos to come)

From the Ice Hotel site: 

a morning session with a MINI Countryman Cooper at our private ice circuit. The session is arranged as a half-day course, including theory and practical tests. Learn from your specially trained instructor what to expect from a car when on icy or slippery roads, and put your skills to the test 

Our guide, Sara, (who was awesome!) drove us to a farm near the foot of Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest mountain. When we arrived, wild moose were hopping the corral fence to steal hay.

We saddled and rode Icelandic horses (sturdy, furry, gentle, sure-footed—the horses, not us so much) into the wilderness. The temperature dropped, and the moon shone through the snow-covered trees. It was zen (book ideas flowing)! Afterwards, we headed to a traditional Sami kåta (a cozy round structure with a smoke vent for the roaring fire and reindeer skins lining the floor) to eat delicious moose stew, reindeer sausage, and fire warmed coffee. On the car ride back, we were inundated with northern lights!

With our knowledgeable guide, Steffan, we snowmobile-trailered to the woods, part of a Taiga forest belt that runs along the far northern latitudes of the world (and covers much of Siberia). There we learned about shelters and built a fire with a flint and birch shavings. We even brewed pine-needle tea. Learned tons of fun stuff, then got to stop in the middle of the vast Torne River…

Swede surprised me with a dream ice den, and the sight of it rattled my brain. 

First Look at Tolackuntur: ln Kunza (an extinct language once used in Northern Chile) “Tolackuntur” means “to gather”

Waking up…

In the past when we’d booked this trip [we kept having to cancel 🙁 ] we always scheduled the “cold room” on the first night. I’m so glad we changed that up this year. By the time we settled into our thermals and arctic-rated sleeping bags, we were so beat from the week’s adventures that we passed right out. I only woke a few times—the first to remove my socks (I was too warm), and the rest to wish I hadn’t (it got chilly when I moved inside the bag). But all-in-all, it wasn’t bad.

Yesterday, we went on the Vuoján tour to learn more about the Sami people, long known as the nomadic reindeer herders of the far north. They are indigenous to northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and parts of Russia. After heading out on a reindeer sled excursion (vuoján is Sami for “reindeer used for transport”), we entered a warm Lavvu, a traditional tent. Our wonderful guide, Therese, cooked reindeer over the fire and prepared delicious souvas for us, while telling us about the culture.

pics to come . . .

The lights paid us one last visit before we had to go…

Until next year, Lapland!