*18 August 2025* A shorter drive today, we took time to catch up with things in the morning before saying goodbye to the family. Arvidsjaur is an important regional centre. It is named after the Ume Sami words meaning "generous lake"—a nod to its abundant fishing waters. Home to under 5,000 residents in the town (and around 6,000 in the municipality), it blends vibrant Sami culture—visible in its centuries-old Lappstaden church town—with modern life. In winter, it becomes a global hub for Arctic car testing and outdoor pursuits like dog sledding and snowmobiling. We discovered that in 2021 the Swedish military reactivated a local regiment which had been closed down in the 1990s - a response to increasing security concerns. It's not every day you see this when you go into a supermarket: ![[06-GNT - 2.jpeg]] After stocking up we headed north. ![[06-GNT - Map.jpeg]] We did a short detour to visit Grodkällan (the Frog Spring) - an unusual pool in the middle of marshy terrain with extraordinary turquoise reflections. ![[06-GNT - 7.jpeg]]![[06-GNT - 8.jpeg]] This artesian cold spring bursts from the bog with intense pressure, producing bubbling, aquamarine-clear water about 15 m across and over 3 m deep. Surrounded by boardwalks, it once marked Sami paths. ![[06-GNT - 10.jpeg]]![[06-GNT - 3.jpeg]]![[06-GNT - 4.jpeg]]![[06-GNT - 5.jpeg]]![[06-GNT - 6.jpeg]]![[06-GNT - 9.jpeg]] We absolutely love the special light and beauty of these places. A few kms south of Jokkmokk we crossed the Arctic Circle. This is the southernmost latitude where the midnight sun can be seen at the summer solstice. Its position is defined by the inclination of the earth's axis which varies under the influence of the sun, the moon and the planets. ![[06-GNT - 12.jpeg]] During a period of 40,000 years the Arctic Circle moves southwards and northwards within an area 180 km wide. During a period of 18.6 years, it also moves within an area 570 m wide. The Arctic Circle will reach its northernmost position in the year 12,000, return here in 22,000, to reach its southernmost position in 32,000 and so forth. The heavens clearly take the long view! We parked our caravan in Jokkmokk outside the home of old friends Elisabeth Pirak-Kuoljok and her husband Uno. Elisabeth is the administrative manager of the Sami Museum in Jokkmokk. We were joined by Elisabeth's brother Mikael Pirak, teacher of Sami crafts at the Sami schools in Jokkmokk and Gällivare, for a magnificent dinner of mountain trout from the lakes of this family's land. We learnt a lot about the dispute over a contract for iron-ore mining at Kallas, sought by UK company Beowolf, which would disrupt further the Sami land and reindeer herding, as well as the massive hydroelectric dams on the big rivers running from the Norwegian mountains to the Baltic which also impact the Sami people enormously. Uno retired a few years ago as an engineer on these dams. The region between Arvidsjaur and Jokkmokk is used extensively by Sweden and NATO for military exercises and testing. I took Ester for a walk around the lake where our friends live, with beautiful views back to their 'terrace house'. ![[06-GNT - 13.jpeg]] << [[The GNT, Day 5 - Skuleberget to Arvidsjaur]]