Snow to not Snow

There is a bus that runs daily (perhaps more than once?) from Abisko to the airport in Kiruna. The trip takes about two hours with pick up stops if the weather is clear. There is the possibility of taking a car service if you need to travel outside of the scheduled time, but it is significantly more expensive. Not being foolish, I elected to travel with 20+ some of my new bad very best friends. Leaving at 0900, or so due to a couple of passengers unable to be prompt,we still managed to arrive shortly after 1100.

Kiruna Airport

As you see, there was just a bit of snow on the ground. The roads and runways are firmly packed which bothered me obviously more than the drivers or pilots.  I had almost 90 minutes before my flight hampered only by those who couldn’t find their (pick one) – passport, reservation, wallet, gloves, brain….  I sort of thought that if you had traveled TO this area of Sweden from another continent it might just mean that you had checked in at an airport at least once and, just possibly had been through a security checkpoint.

I will completely ignore the inability of certain of the passengers to figure out that two sets of stairs going to the plane might just mean going up the front set if your seat assignment was forward and NOT using the back stairs with your backpack, purse, long fur coat (yes, really) wheeled oversized lug on and your nasty habit of cursing everyone in your native Italian. Not my problem that you didn’t bother to note your seat choice was in row 5.

The young couple next to me was from Eugene Oregon.  They have six days planned in Stockholm before having to return to real life and rain.

 

&nbtsp;

Stockholm

There is a bus that runs daily (perhaps more than once?) from Abisko to the airport in Kiruna. The trip takes about two hours with pick up stops if the weather is clear. There is the possibility of taking a car service if you need to travel outside of the scheduled time, but it is significantly more expensive. Not being foolish, I elected to travel with 20+ some of my new bad very best friends. Leaving at 0900, or so due to a couple of passengers unable to be prompt,we still managed to arrive shortly after 1100.

Kiruna Airport

As you see, there was just a bit of snow on the ground. The roads and runways are firmly packed which bothered me obviously more than the drivers or pilots.  I had almost 90 minutes before my flight hampered only by those who couldn’t find their (pick one) – passport, reservation, wallet, gloves, brain….  I sort of thought that if you had traveled TO this area of Sweden from another continent it might just mean that you had checked in at an airport at least once and, just possibly had been through a security checkpoint.

I will completely ignore the inability of certain of the passengers to figure out that two sets of stairs going to the plane might just mean going up the front set if your seat assignment was forward and NOT using the back stairs with your backpack, purse, long fur coat (yes, really) wheeled oversized lug on and your nasty habit of cursing everyone in your native Italian. Not my problem that you didn’t bother to note your seat choice was in row 5.

The young couple next to me was from Eugene Oregon.  They have six days planned in Stockholm before having to return to real life and rain.

 

 

Stockholm


 
 

Please note the lack of snow… by the time I had dragged myself, backpack, suitcase and outwear from the airport to the bus to the “T” to the hotel I was ready to fall in a heap. Elected sleep instead.

About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!
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