Ending 2023 with lots of anticipation for our first adventure of the New Year. However, 2024 didn’t want to accommodate our enthusiasm. Norovirus, 2 bouts with the flu, and throw in a few stitches made January a tough start to the calendar year. Perseverance matters (stubbornness) and getting on a plane to the Arctic Circle is somehow bringing a sense of relief and normalcy to our worlds.
Orlando to Reykjavik, Reykjavik to Stokholm, Stockholm to Kiruna. Three flights and over 90 degree difference in temperature.
Finally, we arrive in Kiruna in the Swedish Lapland! Temperature of -26 degrees Celsius and a sunset time of 3:29 pm. Which means a 4:30 (1630 for the rest of the world) arrival in the dark! Excited, ready, and only 1 of 2 bags make it to Kiruna 🤦♂️. Scott’s bag is still in Stockholm.
BIG problem: no thermals (wicked cold), no tripod (aurora hunting), and plans (first day in Norway) messed up for tomorrow as we wait for bag to fly north. Not ideal, but airline called and said it will arrive tomorrow, delaying our departure for Norway in the morning.
Let’s go with the, how do you make the best of the situation scenario. It’s -30 degrees outside, and there is a decent chance of auroras appearing (clear skies & cold). So, Scott tightly and not so comfortably squeezes into a pair of Katie’s thermal pants, and we head out. First stop, dinner at Arctic Thai & Grill in Kiruna! Highly recommend!
Dark and cold and no auroras in sight. A quick peek at the famous Ice Hotel, some sketchy dark road driving, a frigid, aurora free, nearly frozen limbs rounds out a tough first evening in Sweden. Best to get to bed and hope for a fresh start in the morning.
Sweden’s northernmost town is in a unique position. KLAB, the company owned by the Swedish government, and the reason the town exists, is expanding its iron ore mining operations. They are hoping to be the leaders in Europe’s green initiatives. Get this, the entire town is going to shift its city center two miles to the east. Pick up and move has a new meaning, as at least 20 buildings are moving too! The project, named ‘Kiruna Forever’, is expected to be finished by 2035.
Day Two – When 2024 Actually Aligned in Our Favor!
This is it! The not so perfect day that makes everything worth it!
Unfortunately, we had to cancel our first Norwegian experience, spa overlooking the mountains of Lofoten, because we had to wait in Kiruna for Scott’s bag to arrive before embarking on the six hour drive to Norway. No way to make it to Lofoten in time.
Breakfast at our hotel… and let’s pause to celebrate a solid place to stay in Kiruna, the Best Western Hotel Arctic Eden.
Followed breakfast with a cruise around Kiruna to see the town, give dronie some sights, and begin the journey.
First stop, back to the airport to grab luggage and get on our way. Road conditions aren’t exactly ideal, but we committed to potential treacherous driving when we decided to drive across the Arctic Circle. But it’s hard to beat the scenario, and the random things you will see along the journey.
Let’s start with a red fox!
And some reindeer!
Followed by a spontaneous stop in Narvik, Norway to go skiing at Narvikfjellet overlooking the fjords (Ofotfjord).
This was amazing! Long day of travel, tired bodies, and frustration all seemed to go away when we strap on some skis, head up the gondola, and do the unimaginable: ski slopes overlooking the fjords of Norway, right at sunset!
One problem, Katie hasn’t spent much (any) time skiing since her younger days, mainly used her time on a snowboard. Relearning on the fly, or should we say on the slopes was a fun challenge!
Wrap up a few hours on the slopes, and now we head back to the car to finish the drive to Henningsvaer. Four more hours to go!
So, let’s be honest. We all know that you go to the Arctic Circle in February to see the northern lights. However, you try to convince yourself that it will be okay if you don’t see them. After all, there is a fairly decent chance you won’t see them.
But today just became one of those days. We knew it would be cold with clear skies, so we are on high alert. We get to Henningsvaer around 9 and start hunting. What began as a who knows kind of day, turned into a day we will remember forever. Best lights we’ve seen since standing on frozen Lake Inari in Finland 9 years ago.
One more from when Katie went outside our Airbnb to get her phone out of the car!
Our obsessing over aurora apps and stalking the sun’s activity paid off. Dare I mention the next three days present a KP index of 5, 6, & 5. Off the charts numbers… all we can do is hope for clear skies.
Day Three – Henningsvaer to Reine
Last night in Henningsvaer was fantastic! Except the only thing we could see in the Lofoten archipelago so far has been the impressive light show last night. Wouldn’t exactly recommend making this drive at night in the winter, but we made it and it paid off last night!
Waking up in the daylight didn’t disappoint either. Blue skies aren’t especially common this time of year, but to Katie’s delight, it’s a photog’s picture perfect day.
Pack up, and a quick (very windy) drone session to see the fishing village of Henningsvaer from above, then over to the Kafe Lysstoperiet and shops.
Henningsvaer is a small fishing village, with a population of about 500. We are big fans of this picturesque, quaint welcoming small but mighty town. This village exports an enormous amount of cod every year!
And no visit to Henningsvaer would be complete without checking out the world’s most iconic (in our opinion) soccer pitch. Except on our day, it was covered in snow and hard to see, so here is what it looks like when not covered by snow.
The archipelago region of Lofoten is renowned for its fishing and more specifically cod. Lots to learn about this industry and how it has helped this region thrive for over 1,000 years.
Beautiful day to drive the E10 through the archipelago. Drive, photo, drive, photo, repeat… throw in a slide into a snowbank. Some roads are narrow and hardly plowed, making it a bit slippery and challenging to navigate. With a bit of daylight to spare, we make our way to the picture perfect village of Hammoy. These small fishing villages are epic!
Two Wayfaring Wanderers 
Love the pictures !!!