These photos are in sections – the first being relating to stopping in one of the Sami villages partway to Abisko. If I understood Maria correctly
there are about ten families involved and around 5000 reindeer which they move seasonally from the high mountains to the forests with the seasons and available food (grasses to mushrooms to lichen). Where as the old methods aren’t always practical (hello, roads, rails, traffic and other modern inchonvieneces causing significant injury and animal death) they have been replaced with snowmobiles and large trucks.
The reindeer hanging out here I assume are primarily for tourists
and sledge pulling –
the trees are all stark white against the snow and limed with ice-
our break was in the small house
with reindeer skins for flooring
and lunch cooked over the open fire
while sunset comes early (not even 1400….)
