God Morgon! Yesterday, the 13th, we went to the Abisko Mountain Lodge for lunch and a wonderful outdoor experience. Since I came prepared for the Great North, I was dressed too warmly for most activities. We hiked up to a small mountain top, which for me was a LOOOONNNGGG way, and I got so hot, I had to take OFF clothes. Once we got to the top, however, it was very cold and I was glad I had all my layers. The snow is deep when you deviate from the trail -- past knee level in many places -- as I and the rest of my team found out. The snow is beautiful -- it looks like God sprinkled glitter across the whole countryside. After a wonderful dinner of salmon with dill and a wonderful sauce, great bread, and some of the best Hot Chocolate I have ever had, we set out for snowshoeing and a hope to see the Aurora Borealis. We hiked back to that same peak we had been to before. Snowshoeing is not much different on these trails than hiking, except the snowshoes make it more cumbersome to move. I had difficulty keeping up that afternoon, much less in the dark of night after having had a full dinner, so it was not great for me. I was hot on the way up and when we got to the top, I nearly froze. My clothes were soaked when I got back to the room and that is probably why I got sooooo cooooold. I probably had on too many clothes to start but I was concerned about being cold. So, just like everything in life, you have to strike the best balance you can. Today, I will not wear as much and see what happens. The Aurora was there but was not spectacular that night. It was just a greenish glow in the clouds. It would have been great to have seen a lot of color, but, by that time, all I wanted was to be inside somewhere.

The people we have met have all been exceptional. Every Swede we have encountered speaks impeccable English and all seem content and friendly. We met a couple from England at the Abisko Mountain Lodge. The man is an acrobat who now does musical theatre in the West End of London and the woman was a dancer who moved into management. There were also two ladies at the Abisko Mountain Lodge who work in England but who are from the Southern United States. Pretty cool.

This morning, the team went ice fishing ---- without me. The last thing our guide said last night as to this endeavor was "Dress Warmly." There is absolutely no way I want to EVER get as cold as I was last night, so I opted to stay at the hotel. I don't like the heat but bone chilling cold is a whole other phenomenon. A Wilderness Explorer, I am not! Today, after lunch, we are set to go to the world famous Icehotel. We then have a more formal dinner and stay in a hotel in Kiruna one more night before moving on to the next team. Thank you so much for following me on this adventure! Ciao!