First update from Abisko 17-06-06

It was a long drive up through the whole of Sweden about 2000km, taking us 2 full days of solid driving. We had very warm weather during the whole drive and of course we had to stop to cool down in random lakes spotted along the way. The bathing sign was the one to follow when we were not aiming for the North sign. We arrived in Abisko at 2am on wednesday morning and Janne my new boss/collegue met us and showed us my flat. We crashed straight away and then I had an early start to get shown around the research station and also meet another researcher that is normally based in Umeå (Mats Jansson). We had a little informal meeting and discussed CIRC (Climate impact research centre) research. This is the team I will be part of and it is very interesting indeed. I was shown around the lab and introduced to the people on the station, however many of the people in CIRC are away, either holiday or field work. Janne left on thursday for sampling and he will collect some samples for me and then the last week in June I think I will join them togo sampling around Umeå, a place called Norrby.

Abisko is very pretty it is surrounded by high fjäll (alps) and the lake Torneträsk is a major feature of the village. It lays just next to the research station. The alps are still snowcovered on the top and there are great hiking paths all around which I intend to explore. And the question you all wonder.... how many mossies are there? Well, there are none!!! Too cold for the little blood sucking buggers. The village has one major supermarket with prices being rather expensive as I suppose they can charge anything they like! Kiruna is 110km from here so unless you got a car (and a drivers licence) then you cannot easily get there. There are two busses running there each day I believe and also a few trains. I will investigate this. So far the people I have met are mainly researchers and also my landlord that lives next to me. He is a typical northern in his 60's I believe and very friendly. I get the feeling that most "locals" here dislike the norwegians, it is only 40km to Norway and apparently they come over here and buy food in our supermarket and other stuff as it is cheaper for them. Which is not looked upon very kindly by the "locals".

My flat is absolutely huge 45m2, it has a little hallway and the bathroom is there (both shower and a bath!), then it goes into the kitchen which is massive and I have a big dinner table there that could seat at least 6 people very comfortably. There are two windows in the kitchen and another window in the hallway. Then through the kitchen it goes into the second room which is my bedroom and also where I got my piano. There is also a window in this room. There are heaps of storage space which is great for me that like to collect things (particularly clothes and shoes). The flat is very close to the railtrack however I have not noticed the trains very much, there are a lot of iron ore from Kiruna being transported to the port in Narvik (Norway).

I have not phone, internet or tv in my flat. I am thinking of investing in a tv to watch films etc. However I have found myself listening a lot to the radio which is quite nice for a change. They do have a tv in the basement of the research station where I can watch the all important football. They also have a couple of saunas and also a gym on the station. They have a wood fired sauna down nearby the lake which I still have not been in but I am sure I will soon.

I had bbq raindeer steak on wednesday night at Anders place (another CIRC researcher). And there are lots of fishing going on here both röding and öring (not sure of the English names for these fish). I also heard that there is a good track for cross-country skiing in the village however you may find yourself face to face with an elk that refuses to move he he he. So I will get some cross-country skiis and start practicing as it is a fun exercise I think.

Anyhow, gonna head out and check out the local area

Love Christin