Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Province: Norrbotten
Municipalities: Piteå, Älvsbyn, Boden, Luleå, Kalix, Haparanda, Övertorneå, Pajala
Thursday 25th of June
08.52 It is morning again here in Lillstugan at Storstrand Kursgård in Öjebyn west of Piteå. After a quiet night and morning we will now leave the room to look in the fridge for our pre-ordered breakfast bag. What awaits us?
09.32 It was a good mix that was picked from the breakfast bag. We found bread, cheese, ham, juice and instant coffee. Next awaits some cleaning. It will be a new feature during our trips to clean the rooms we stayed in. We will have to do this in several places this summer, more or less most places that are not hotels. A trip in Sweden means the easiest possible accommodation for us to make it financially.
10.22 The key is returned at the reception. Everything recyclable is also put in the right place. Let's move on to the next adventure.
10.55 We travel along road 374 towards Älvsbyn. On the radio we have heard an attempt of humour in the show Radio Jästringe. Radio Norrbotten had devoted time to this. It seems mostly to be speaking with silly voices and think that you are funny. Good thing there are other radio channels.
11.23 We have passed Älvsbyn and continue towards Vidsel. A road work that meant reduced speed has delayed us for a while. Soon we will arrive at today's first attraction. There will be some planning on the map on the phone before then. We've made a short break.
11.44 The car and we arrived and Christer has parked at Storforsen nature reserve (https://www.storforsen.se). We are now very close to the mighty Storforsen in the Pite River. Now is the time to set off on foot towards Europe's largest unbound rapids. Even today it's really hot. It is somewhere around +28-29°C today.
12.03 We have visited a kiosk and souvenir shop to buy an ice cream each. Now we rest on a bench and charge for the upcoming nature experience.
12.28 A path made of wood has taken us through different parts of the nature reserve. It is truly powerful when the forces of nature are allowed to wreak havoc freely. White-foaming, wild, water, evade, not vertically, past us. It thunders and splashes. You can safely and comfortably study the rapids at close range.
12.58 It roars and thunder from the mighty rapids. Nevertheless, it is somehow peaceful here. The Piteälven river that runs past here is one of Sweden's four national rivers. The rest are Torne River, Kalix River and Vindelälven River. They are protected from the expansion of hydroelectric power. This is not fully consistent with Piteälven River as it actually has a power plant and four regulating dams.
15.18 We have searched and searched for a suitable place to stop our vehicle and prepare our lunch. The time is running and we are getting closer to Boden. We found a suitable parking lot but there it was a lot of insects in the form of large horseflies and other unwelcome guests. Now we hope for a better lunch spot.
18.58 After walking around the UNESCO-listed church town around the beautiful Nederluleå church I will awake our friend in the phone and ask for tips and guidance to today's final destination, Luleå.
Friday 26th of June
We are leaving the coast, heading west.
Welcome to Storforsens Nature Reserve.
The car is parked and we continue walking.
Information board about Piteälven river.
It is an easy walk along the nature trail.
The water in Storforsen is continuing to the hotel area.
At Storforsen you can watch nature at a close range.
Peter at Storforsen.
The forces of nature are given free rein.
Christer is taking a selfie at Storforsen.
Swimming visitors at the Giant kettles.
Time to buy lunch in Älvsbyn.
Lunch by the roadside.
Medborgarplatsen, Boden.
Peter at Espresso House, Boden.
Nederluleå church.
Gammelstad church town consists of 408 red wooden buildings.
Citysleep, Luleå.
Luleå cathedral.
Birdhouses in Hermelinsparken.
The sun above Luleälven.
Gültzauudden beach.
You can swim both here and there a warm summer evening.
Storgatan in Luleå a quiet summer evening.
08.25 It's Friday morning here at Citysleep in Luleå. Both of us have slept well in our small room completely isolated from the ambient noise and temperatures. Are we now ready to make our way to new territory? Let's hope so. New money has today reached our accounts. It's needed.
09.02 There is a note with an interesting writing inside the toilet here. There it says Note! Don't turn paper towels in toilet bowl. 09.44 The travelling two are pleased after breakfast and prepared and ready. A city should be left, more places should be seen and beyond the distance awaits our next home. In addition, we will probably set a temporary record for our travels. 10.00 The car and our lady friend in Google Maps happily started. Now we will first drive along the nameless street a few meters. 10.19 We have made our way from Luleå out to E4 and travel north. We just passed some classic Norrbotten barns. From the ground and up towards the eaves, the walls tilt outwards. So they're the narrowest down by the ground. The fact that they look like this has its explanations. Barns typical of Norrbotten have inclined walls. The barns were out in the meadows to dry and store hay. The fact that the walls are skewed has several reasons. The walls helped to "lift" the hay, thereby airing it. Protection from rain. It didn't rain in when the timber was that way. The slope also kept the snow away from the area closest to the barn. It provided better air circulation, but also made it easier to access the barn in winter. Source: Nyteknik.se. 10.39 After Råneå, our northern journey has changed to a journey east. The road, however, is the same, E4. 11.03 In the shade, parked under trees in front of Nederkalix church we are now. The church that was consecrated in 1472 is Sweden's northernmost medieval church. It's time to stretch our legs for a while. The urban area Kalix where we are located has 8 395 inhabitants and can also be called Nederkalix, lower Kalix, as the congregation is called. There's also an Överkalix, upper Kalix. I'm afraid we won't get there on this trip. 11.50 There was a short walk around the church, along the Kalix River and down towards the supermarket Willys in the centre. Inside at Willys we purchased some simple lunch meals that we'll eat in some convenient place out in nature. Team Sportia is located in the same building as Willys. There Christer has bought a ridiculously cheap red cap. It looks like one that Donald Trump's supporters usually use but the main thing is that it protects from the sun these hot days. On our way back to church, we thought we saw Christer's car drive away. However, only the colour and brand were the same. Let's see where we're going next.
Nederkalix church, Sweden´s northernmost medieval church.
The statue Mästerlotsen honours Karl Olov Bäckström.
Christer by the Kalix River.
We are visiting Seskarö.
Peter is watching the sea close to Seskarö.
River Motell & Vandrarhem, Haparanda.
12.47 We have left E4 and travelled south a shorter distance. The island of Seittenkaari or Seskarö in Swedish is now reached. We have photographed around a parking spot at the bridge to the island. Now we will occasionally turn again for a picnic. Seittenkaari is the island's name in meänkieli, meänkieli (literally "our language") is a Finnish language spoken in the northernmost part of Sweden along the valley of the Torne River, one of Sweden's national minority languages.
12.58 We decided not to travel around Seskarö. Instead we have been looking for a suitable parking place near the sea where we can take a break and eat our lunches. Pretty soon we found such a place. Now the camping chairs are folded up. It is relaxing and peaceful to sit in the sun by the sea without stress. 13.55 Out in the water there is apparently a large stone bird. However, it is a visual illusion. It is two stones that at the angle I'm sitting look like a single one. 14.46 Here it is calm and still. Time passes quickly when you are feeling fine. There are some insects, sea, scent of conifers, sunshine and chirping birds. This is really a holiday. There are others but us that like the place. There have been various cars that stopped and then moved on. A German man has been here with his dog. Here is also a couple that came by motorcycle who cook food down by the beach. 15.49 It's really hot in the car that soon starts. Maybe we should have left a window open? Now let's do today's last car trip. 16.22 We are now at River Motel & hostel (http://www.rivermotell.com) in Haparanda. Upon check-in, we were offered an upgrade to a better room than the one we booked. We get a private bathroom and a lovely balcony for just US$5 extra. We're in room 31. Most likely, this is the northernmost we have been on the trips we documented so far. If it's not like that, we'll break the record tomorrow. From the balcony we see the Torne River and on the other side, Finland. This is one of the few contacts with foreign countries we have this year. Because of the situation with Covid 19, the border is closed to us. We'll just have to settle with looking at Finland.
From our room we can see the Torne River (Torne älv).
Nedertorneå church in Finland.
The distance from Haparanda to various destinations.
Pizzeria Amanda, Haparanda.
The water tower has been here since 1920.
Quiet streets in Haparanda.
16.57 Now we will leave the room behind for a while. We're going shopping and some purchases can't wait much longer. In addition, we will see what Haparanda can offer us. Haparanda is a bilingual town. The majority of Haparanda's population has at least one parent born in Finland. Therefore, both Finnish and Swedish are used here. The town, with its 6,642 inhabitants, is directly adjacent to the border with Finland and borders the Finnish city of Tornio. During a period around 2000, the two towns/municipalities together called themselves EuroCity, but later changed to the names Haparanda-Tornio (in Haparanda) and Tornio-Haparanda (in Tornio). At the moment, the cooperation is in a slump due to the closure of the border during the Corona pandemic.
17.09 After having seen two to say the least odd crosswalk signs, we now stand by a stone on which it says MIR. It is a memorial stone about the surrender at Säivis during the Finnish war that went on 1808-1809. This war between Sweden and Russia led to the loss of Finland and the border was drawn right here at the Torne River. 17.40 At COOP supermarket Christer has bought tomorrow's breakfast for the two of us as well as plastic glasses that can be used when we need to drink various drinks. At Systembolaget, the store for stronger alcoholic beverages, I have bought something good to drink on the balcony tonight. 17.45 Haparanda in the centre it says on a large road sign. The sign shows the name and distance to places with historical and touristic connection to Haparanda. It is a gift from the Folklore Society in 1982. Some distances are London 3074 kilometres, Lisbon 4811 kilometres and Timbuktu 8386 kilometres. 19.18 Soon it's time for a new walk around town. New goals are coming up. 19.41 Tonight someone else will cook our dinner. It's going to be dinner at Pizzeria Amanda's. 19.53 Inside the pizzeria we noticed an odd person. The man watched teletext and commented the various news with a loud voice. Among other things, he cursed and objected that Östersund football team would play their last home game in the highest football league, Allsvenskan at the end of November. Too cold! 20.37 It was really good with food, but not heavenly good. Speaking of heavenly, we are now by the church of Haparanda. It is the easternmost major church building in Sweden. To call it beautiful is wrong. To call it original is more right. Here at the church there are also plenty of small insects that bite us on the feet and legs.
The square in the centre of Haparanda.
Haparanda church.
Christer and a flagpole with the Haparanda-Tornio flag.
Finnish police guarding the border crossing.
Christer is drinking beer and checking tomorrow´s route.
Another bright evening in the north.
21.20 The walk through Haparanda goes further. We have seen the water tower, town hotel and the municipality building. Now we are very close to the Finnish border and able to see how border surveillance works. The border is closed because of the Covid 19 situation. Finland is afraid of Swedish visitors because we had no lockdown. Police cars stand by the road and a pedestrian bridge is cordoned off and camera monitored. Just now, we were attacked by some annoyed, annoying, white, screaming birds. Probably we were too close to a bird's nest or they were employed to guard the border. That's enough walking. It's time to go home.
21.46 We are back home in the room at the River Motel. I have clothes in the washbasin. It's time for the rinse the washed. 22.53 For the first time this summer and for the first time in a while we enjoy a balcony beer. After all, certain conditions are needed for these moments to be pleasant. One needs a balcony with seating, access to cold beer and a pleasant evening temperature. 23.34 The day is coming to an end. It's still bright outside. We rarely have time to do as much every day as we´ve done during this trip. Tomorrow we´ll leave the coast and the sea. Then it takes a while before we see sea again. If we think right, it will take almost a month until this happens.
Saturday 27th of June
08.06 It's weekend again. I'm sitting on a chair on our balcony. With me I have coffee in a plastic mug and the book "En perfekt storm" by Buthler and Grimwalker. The sun shines and it reflect in the Torne River. On the other shore, the time is already 09.06. Wonder what they're doing there? What do we do then it is 09.06 here?
09.06 I finally know what we are doing at this time. Our breakfast is finished. Both of us have consumed our breakfasts, juice and yogurt. It is supplemented with bananas for Christer and small baguettes for me. 10.24 Now the time has come to say goodbye to Haparanda and also goodbye to the sea and the coast. Now it will be 3-4 weeks before we reach a coast again. 10.34 We have stopped at Preem to fill up with petrol, an expense we share. We are in the northern outskirts of Haparanda and are getting ready to travel north along route 99. 10.55 Today's first stop, if I do not count the filling of petrol, is at Kukkolaforsen about 15 kilometres north of Haparanda. The rapids are located at Kukkola village, which is both on the Swedish and Finnish side of the Torne River. Here whitefish has been caught with dip nets with long handles since the Middle Ages. The only fisher on the Swedish side is a statue. Across, in Finland, it seems to be some catching. Next to me is a water bowl for a dog. 11.21 After walking for a while and seeing the impressive rapids, some old buildings and lots of small insects, we are again on road 99, Norrskensvägen, Northern light road. 12.01 Finally we found a parking space of our taste. No houses, a small forest and generally quiet. Now we sit in our chairs and drink coffee prepared by water heated and poured into a thermos in Haparanda this morning and coffee powder.
This day´s first attraction is Kukkolaforsen.
The silhouette statue Sikhåvaren (Whitefish catcher) at Kukkolaforsen.
The Finnish side of the river.
Whitefish are caught in Finland.
Christer at Kukkolaforsen (Kukkola rapids).
A dry midsummer pole, a memory from last week´s celebrations.
12.59 After stopping at ICA Supermarket in Övertorneå and buying ice cream and lunch baguettes, we will now continue further north.
13.29 We are not alone at the Kattilakoski rest area in the village of Niskanpää. In addition to flies and small bugs, here there are also some other motorists. The lunch we bought is served on a table with a nice view to Torne River. The rest area has been awarded as Norrbotten's best rest area in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014. I understand why it won. You can stay here for a long time. 14.15 Our journey and Christer's car have taken us a few kilometres north to the village of Juoksengi and the place where the northern Arctic Circle pass. Now we enter the Land of the Midnight Sun. Summer time north of the Arctic Circle means that the sun does not set at all. Here in Juoksengi (https://polcirkelbyn.se) there are flags of countries and nations that the Arctic Circle pass. There is also the Arctic Circle House restaurant. 14.32 The road we travel on is in need of a facelift, plastic surgery, at least repair. We just passed a reindeer walking around on the road. 15.10 No more reindeer are sighted. By the roadside or at least a parking lot, we have stopped for a while. According to Christer's mobile, it is +17˚C and we are in Pello, Finland. We believe that fact with the degrees more than the geographical location. 15.54 Just near the village of Kassa we have found another place to stop. Here it will be a break where we read some in our books. We are in no hurry and can read some chapters of the novels we have brought with us. Christer also follows the ongoing match between Östersunds FK and IFK Norrköping. We sit on a red wooden furniture near a steep staircase leading down to the nearby Torne River. We travel all the time along the border with Finland (Torne River) and strong Finnish radio stations roar in the car radio. Yet we must not cross the border. It feels strange.
Coffee stop in the Torne valley.
Torne River close to Niskanpää village.
Christer is admiring the beauty of nature in Kattilakoski.
The nations of the north have their flags in Juoksengi.
We are entering the land of the midnight sun.
A reindeer on the road.
16.41 We are wondering if there will be any more stops before we arrive. The weather is amazing and nature beautiful. We want to stop both here and there.
17.09 We have arrived in Pajala and Hotel Smedjan. Our theory is that the Citybed Bed & Breakfast we booked rooms with should be adjacent to this hotel. In any case, it is said so on Google Maps. We entered the hotel and were via an appropriation referred to check in at another hotel here in Pajala. That's where we're heading. 17.24 Hotel Lapland (https://hotelsinpajala.se) where we would check in also turned out to be where we will stay. The hotel has a section that is cheaper and counts as a Bed & Breakfast. Room 16 is a smaller apartment on the upper level. Christer has suggested that we can cook our own dinner tonight because we have a great kitchen in our apartment. We also saw the motorcycle couple from the stop near Seskarö. They were in the parking lot outside the hotel. The young lady at the reception explained that all the hotels in Pajala cooperate and have the same owner. Pajala is the home for 2 047 inhabitants. The resort is famous for various different things. The lack of women has attracted attention and Pajala has unexpectedly had a team in the highest series in volleyball 20 years ago. During the Finnish winter war at the start of Word War II, Pajala was accidentally bombed by Soviet bombers. 18.09 We have left our temporary home and have walked to a petrol station OKQ8. There we have bought ice cream each and found out that we can check the air pressure in the tires here tomorrow. 18.41 After a peaceful walk through Pajala we have come to a museum, Laestadius pörtet. There is also a bust of Lars Levi Laestadius. Laestadius who lived between 1800 and 1861 was a Swedish priest who became the leader of the revival called Laestadianism. He was also a prominent botanist, author of several books and writings as well as advocate for teetotalism, no alcohol at all. He and his wife lived here from 1854 until his death in 1861. 19.12 We are now at Soltorget (Sun square) here in Pajala. Here there is or rather there was a large sundial. It seems mostly dismantled nowadays. Now we go towards COOP for purchases.
We had time for another stop.
Torne River near Kassa village.
We are staying in Hotel Lapland´s own Bed & Breakfast part.
An owl is watching Pajala bus station.
Lars Levi Laestadius is remembered.
Interesting distance sign in Pajala.
20.01 It is purchased and ready. We hesitated a lot inside the COOP supermarket. We wanted to buy something original and local, maybe something from Finland? The closest we came was Norrbotten sausage. It will be part of tonight's dinner.
21.11 We have begun to cook the dinner. Here in the land of the midnight sun, the sun is still there and shines into our apartment. 22.08 The dinner might be considered simple but it was but really tasty with sausage and pasta. Besides, we're all but hungry after it. 23.26 Yesterday it was a balcony beer in Haparanda, tonight just an evening beer each. We don´t have enough room on the little balcony here. The sun is up and it's bright out there. This is awesome. This year in Pajala it is midnight sun between 30th of May and the 10th of July. Tomorrow the journey continues even further north here in Tornedalen (Torne valley).
It is daylight at midnight in Pajala.
You can see 136 photos from June 25 in this photoalbum.
You can see 71 photos from June 26 in this photoalbum.
You can see 92 photos from June 27 in this photoalbum.