POSTMAN ≠ ARCHITECTURE BUFF
That being said, I gave serious thought to converting to Christianity when I saw this church.
...and not just because it's flippin' amazing, either. It happens to be located in Kiruna, Sweden.
That's the northernmost city in the country, about 90 miles north of the Arctic circle, in the province of Lappland.
How awesome would it be if you had to shoulder polar bears off the road on the way to Sunday services? (That's assuming you had enough light to see them by.)
Doesn't look like the place is hurting for precipitation, either, does it?
Kiruna's other big claim to fame is its proximity to Jukkasjärvi, where the world's first ice hotel was built.
Yes, you read that correctly. It's a hotel. Made of ice.
Sounds like my kind of joint already.
Ice hotels are these novelty inns built in the far North, where guests repose in sleeping bags laid on reindeer hides. Supposedly it's an interesting way to spend a night in the Arctic circle. I don't give a darn about any of that.
It's a HOTEL.
Made of ICE.
It looks just like the White Witch's ice palace in The Chronicles of Narnia.
And if you slide sideways into Finland, you'll be very near where they filmed all the outdoor scenes for the Rebel base on Hoth VI in The Empire Strikes Back.
So, all in all, northern Sweden scores high on my list of best places to geek out.
16 comments:
Okay, bags are packed. I'll send you a postcard. See you when I get back. ;-)
Oh wow. That church is amazing looking and the ice hotel too!
If you like Ice, I'd recommend the Ice Cave in Salzburg, Austria. Kinda scary cause you have to wander around on wooden frame with a gas lamp but it was amazing (natural ice desings, not sculpted though)especially when it was 0 degrees inside the cave but 30 degrees outside.
haha, looks pretty amazing! also looks like where im living...but cooler. cause its sweden.
propinquity: Say hi to the polar bears for me.
Emily: Hello there! Thanks for stopping by! I love ice. I like cold weather, that's my thing. Or just plain cold. Salzburg, eh? I didn't know they had an ice cave there. I'll HAVE to look that up. Sounds incredible, the way you describe it.
Jane: 'Ello again! Thanks for stopping in, too. Hey, if where you live looks like that, it's cool in MY book.
Awesome idea. Can't even imagine something like that where I live... that place called India!
If I could sleep inside a Tauntaun carcass and scare away the local flora with my lightsaber, then I'm totally there.
I wonder what they do when they want to cook dinner? You can't build a fire.
Seriously, it looks cool, uh, er--you know cold?! Cool post.
asmita: Yes, that's right, you're in Hyderabad, aren't you? Gets hot there, doesn't it? What's it like?
Jon Paul: Ha ha! I was hoping somebody would throw a tauntaun reference in there somewhere.
Now...that's a darn good question. I've only ever heard of these ice hotels in Wikipedia entries and news blurbs. I don't know what they do for food.
Or wait, hold on. I think they DO cook indoors, on stoves. Packed snow and ice is surprisingly heat-resistant, I've heard. The Inuit can still have fires in their igloos, right?
It might be an interesting thing to try once in your life. Hotels made of ice, you know? Yeah, been there, done that, bought the souvenir mug. I'll pass on the hotel of fire, though.
An ice hotel. I have to go. Wow, and wow, and WOW.
You are so wonderful to post such a thing.
You can easily run into the Snow Queen there, I know it.
I look at maps all the time. I was looking at Sweden a few days ago and and thought, man, it's cold up there! Look at that location. Burrrr.
(I converted. I know, right?)
I don't know about all of the ice hotels, but there was one I read about where they literally made everything in the hotel out of ice. When you ordered a drink, it came in a tumbler made of ice. It would last 2 or 3 drinks, depending how quickly you drank. Your dinner came on an ice plate, and so on and so forth.
(I also would kind of like to stay in one for a night one of these years.)
EC: I've been doing some research on my ancestry lately (and from my word choice, I'll bet you can guess which website I'm using). My grandfather's mother's family is from Norway. All of 'em, Sweden, Norway, they look FRIGID. I really want to go. Even if I have to convert.
GoldenGirl: Well hello there! Thanks for the follow and the comment! I didn't know ice hotels went THAT far...crockery and drink-ware made out of ice, too?! I'll bet that makes clean-up easy. Only thing is you have to keep making new dishes before every meal.
Postie,
That's wonderful you're studying your family. Can you post your findings? I'd love to read that.
EC: Why, thanks for saying so! I'm glad you're interested. Yes, I plan to post my findings. I was just finishing some final investigations last night. My next "post" will be the "Post" family history.
No. No ice hotel for me. I don't do winter camping. Nope. I'll look at the lovely picture of it all day, but don't make me sleep there.
Polly!
Aw come on, you haven't even tried it yet! Maybe we could just sort of go inside and look around?? Pleeeeeeeeeeease?
Oh sure, I'll go walk around in it. But I'm not sleeping there. Unless you get me a really good sleeping bag.
I'll see what I can do! You know they've got sleeping bags rated for comfortable repose in -40 degree temperatures, right?
Say, I wanted to ask you something: how's your word on the board going?
You may have heard this already, but your daughter's friend, the artist, contacted me not long after you tipped him off. I put him on hold, though. He seemed like a good catch, to be sure, but I'm not quite ready to get the comic started yet. Thought I'd better clear that up. I very much appreciate you sending him my way. I'll get back to him.
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