29 & 30 June 2008
The train trip to Luleå was packed and the countryside had a sorta used feel about it, not as interesting as on the Inlandbanan. I had an adventure finding some accommodation as by the time I had arrived and walked up to the Info centre it was closed. So I walked around looking for a hostel, backpackers or motel, without any luck. saw a couple of very glamorous hotels, but thought I would leave them as a last resort.
I eventually rang my Servas contact in Luleå, who booked me into a hostel, which proved to be clean and comfortable enough. a stroll around the river side and back into town where nothing was open, left me wondering what to have for dinner that night. Then I remembered Matias' motto - "you can always find something to eat at a petrol station", so not far from the hostel was a Statoil, so in I went and found chips, dip, yoghurt and away I went, satisfied!!
bright and early the next day I ducked into the Norbotten Museum which had a small display of Sami life, but nothing in the line of tapestry, but some traditional textiles as usual. by now my boot sole was separating from the rest of my boot, so I went to the Info centre, got timetables for bus to Gammalstad and asked about a bootmaker. unfortunately for me, the bootmaker had already gone off on summer semester, so a trip to Claus Olsson (the shop with everything)and with a tube of glue, saw me sitting at a coffe spot with coffee in one hand and applying pressue to my boot in the other hand. with some fancy tying of laces I headed off to catch the bus to the old church city, Gammalstad.
This area outside the main town of Luleå is quite fascinating. The large church is surrounded by a jumble of about 500 cottages which were used by parisheners who lived too far from the church to get there in one day. so they would travel in and stay in their cottage, so that the next day they could go to church. I don't think was something they did every week, but just for special occasions. These times were then social gatherings, where not only church business but the business of meeting up with friends and relations, and also courting etc happened. nowadays this area is a tourist site and on the World Heritage list of National Treasures. There is a restuarant and a couple of coffee shops set up within the old cottages, leatherworks, pottery and other crafts. The church is quite impressive with its huge brass lamps and gilded pulpit. In a dark gloomy corner, there were two heavily embroidered capes or garments of some sort worn by bishops or whatever. the metal embroidery was extremely impressive, but the lack of light (conservation rules) made it almost not visible.
I headed back to the city proper, collected pak and walked over to Kristina's - the Servas host I was spending the night with. She made me feel very welcome and after a tasty meal, we went for a walk down along the harbour and saw the ice-breakers resting from their winter duties of keeping the harbour channels free from ice. This area freezes so that people can ski, or snow-mobile across to the islands in the winter. It is really hard to imagine this country when it is dark and cold and covered with snow when now it is so green! Kristina explained that to survive in this area one has to accept the seasons and enjoy each one. She loves to read in the winter and she lights lots of candles and stays inside cosy and warm. She looks forward to the winter as much as the summer.
