Japanese

September 3,2011 The Arctic Circle
	My husband Ken enjoys the cleaning up of the dishes. He was interested in various unfamiliar washing tools like handled brush and wipe cloth.
Whenever we are ready to start, we make it a rule to take a we-were-there-picture. I was a little bit sleepy this morning because I had waked up expecting the polar light. The outer temperature is only 5 C.
	Lovely cabins are on the lake shore The mist started to veil the scene.
The weather is getting worse, but the color of the cloud and water are dark enough to remind me of Scandinavian winter.
	We arrived at a large town. The building color looks so brilliant as if it stirs the residents' feeling up.  Mr.Klaus stopped at a town corner to show us an unusual monnument like this.
The Wild Man. He appears even in the Old Tastament Isaiah 44:13. He is also cited in many novels and poems. Lapish people carved him on the emblem as a guardian. Lapish people yearn for the strength of the Wildman, relating his red body as might and golden club as wealth and to coexsistence and prosperity with nature.
What attracted my eyes in the town was the mushrooms like this. I had seen such mushrooms in the kinderbook. I realized that there was actually a mushroom with red head dotted with white points. Mr.Klaus said laughing that it was a poisonous mushroom. Those small kinds are edible, he taught me, but I ventured to pick them up for dinner. This means that it is not so familiar to picking up the mushroom in western Japan.
	The rain gives moisture to the tiga trees whose height and diameter was getting smaller than before. The speed limit is 100 Km and 40 Km in the habitant area and 60-70 Km in the suburbs. Mr.Klaus drives safely with the maximum speed of 90Km/h.
The datailed map helped me to identify where we were driving. The map was sent to me in avdance from Mr.Klaus who marked the route in green. It is very pleasant to sit on the helper seat and view the changing scene.
	The mist prevented us from taking the lunch outside. We dropped in a small but cozy restaurant nearby. The name of the restaurant was Afrodeti, the goddess of beauty.
I took beer even from the daytime. The taste was light and good. The sala of mushroom and olieve was good as as well.
	We took different dishes. I took this dish of pork with three kind of sauce on it. The assorted fried potato was good as well.
Ken ordered sauteed salmon. We all shared the dish. The taste of salmon was soft and good together with the marinated warm cabbage.
	Mr.Klaus selected chicken shish kebab. He was very delighted and eaten it up. Kenasked the cooker where he was from and lerned that the restaurant was run by Turkey members.
The huge wooden monument in front of the city hall. I want to witness live moose. BUt even Mr.Klaus has met them just twice or three times despite his commute to Lapland every year.
	we have all day rain today at last. On the both side of the road are snow pole that alart the edge of the road under the snow. yes, winter is just at hand.
At four in the afternoon, we entered the Arctic Circle at last. The sign anounces the border 66 33 39N. Arctic Circle
On the yellow line that shows the ArcticCircle of this area was a stone monument like this.
	In the coldness of mere 10 C, flowes still broom bravely. The souvenior shop on the Arctic Circle was closed after the summer was over. I was a little bit dissapointed that I hoped to get a certificate of crossing the Arctic Circle here.
The pinc flower looks so beautifully in full broom in summer. The remnant of the pinc flower will soon turn to the fluff like left. In this season the road side is decorated by so much fluffs beautifully.
	We arrived at a Swedish famouse rtesort Jokkmokk. We visited the reception desk in a hotel to get the cabin key.
The summer season was pver and the cabins were under repair. The front door was removed this morning to change the new one.
	The wonderful long chair can be converted to a sofa bed. We use a bunk in the back room and Mr.Klaus sleeps on the front room bunk.
So many beautiful cabins dotted the camp site. I waked up many times in the midnight expecting the polar light, but failed. I feel something special to spend the first night in the Arctic Circle. What will waite us tommorow?
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Today's mileage：426km(Total 2003Km)	Picture by K.P.Nickel Ken & Mie