*17 August 2025* Weather nice today and we decamped by 10 in order to get on the road up country and inland to Arvidsjaur. ![[05-GNT - Map.jpeg]] The road was quite small to start with, but beautiful as we passed lakes and meadows, becoming more forested. The distance between fast electric chargers at Örnsköldsvik and Lycksele (191 kms) was just a little tight if the wind was against us (as it was!) so we had decided to do a top up at the tiny village of Fredrika (200 inhabitants) where there was a Vattenfall supercharger. ![[05-GNT - 1.jpeg]] But to my dismay, when we found this fabulous equipment we also discovered there was no mobile reception or internet. It was a Sunday, with no one around, and I got rather panicky as I wondered how on earth to get some electricity when we could not use the app and not even call the operator. Happily I found a kind lady in a nearby house who let me use her phone to call Vattenfall and they were able to detect my car plugged in, and start charging remotely. Phew! A fresh bit of learning, not to rely on an internet connection. We passed through the small but regionally important town of Lycksele, and over the important Umeåälven river, which is also very controversial because of hydro-electric power dams flooding traditional Sami land. ![[05-GNT - 2.jpeg]] Lycksele was founded in 1607 by decree of King Charles IX as part of Sweden’s effort to establish stronger control over Lapland. At the time, the Sámi people lived largely in a nomadic way, moving with the reindeer herds, and taxation was difficult for the crown to enforce. By designating Lycksele as a church and market town, the Swedish government created a central meeting point where the Sámi were required to gather for trade, worship, and administration. This allowed the state to spread Christianity, organize taxation, and strengthen its authority in the north. Over time, the market developed into a permanent community, and Lycksele became the first official town in Swedish Lapland in 1946. Its foundation reflects Sweden’s broader strategy of integrating the north into the kingdom’s economic and political structure. Driving north we experienced more of the endless forest and straight roads which characterise the north of Sweden. ![[05-GNT - 3.jpeg]] We encountered our first reindeer of this trip - two beautiful white specimens by the side of the road. ![[05-GNT - 4.jpeg]]![[05-GNT - 5.jpeg]] And further on a couple of darker reindeer owning the road. ![[05-GNT - 6.jpeg]]![[05-GNT - 7.jpeg]] No matter how many of these animals one meets, one never ceases to marvel at how beautiful they are. We reached Arvidsjaur in time for supper with our old Sami friend Anna-Maria Stenberg and her family. Anna-Maria lived with us for a year in Oxford from 1984-85, bringing her Sami culture into our lives. Her husband Pär and three children welcomed us into their home and treated us to a stunning meal of reindeer and elk meat, followed by hjortron (cloudberries from the far north here) for dessert. It was wonderful to catch up and live into their varied lives. ![[05-GNT - 8.jpeg]]![[05-GNT - 9.jpeg]] Eventually we went to bed in our little caravan parked beside their house. << [[The GNT, Day 4 - Skuleberget]]