Inari, Finland

The Guardians of Boreal Europe


Altar of Pielpajarvi
Austere altar of the Lutheran Church of Pielpajarvi, one of the temples of the new faith of the Sami people.
Sami woman
Armi Palonoja next to his restaurant-house, located north of Saariselka, where he welcomes visitors for reindeer rides guided by his son-in-law Maksim.
Inari frozen lake
View of Lake Inari from the top of the island of Ukonsaari.
Mrs Sami
Armi Palonoja leans on the porch railing of his restaurant-house, dressed in traditional Sami clothing and jewelry.
Virsi Kirja
Bible placed next to the altar of the Lutheran church of Pielpajarvi.
Red Squirrel, Pielpajarvi
A furry squirrel surveys the surrounding landscape in a forest around the Lutheran church of Pielpajarvi.
Lutheran Church of Pielpajarvi
The Lutheran Church of Pielpajarvi, behind its pink fence.
Church of Pielpajarvi
Detached pulpit in the Painted Wooden Interior of the Lutheran Church of Pielpajarvi.
Ukonsaari Island
The island of Ukonsaari, located in the middle of Lake Inari and sacred to the Sami of Finnish Lapland.
Ukonkivi island staircase
Completely frozen lake Inari scenery, as seen from the top of Ukonkivi Island.
Note to the faithful
A note welcomes and explains part of the history of the Lutheran church of Pielpajarvi, built in 1760.
Sami and reindeer
Russian-born Sami Maksim leads a reindeer ride north of Inari.
Sami Maksim
Portrait of the Russian Maksim, protected by the traditional Sami costumes he wears in his professional daily life.
Church of Pielpajarvi
The Lutheran Church of Pielpajarvi on the shore of Lake Inari.
Slate of the church of Pielpajarvi
Slate painting in the old Lutheran church of Pielpajarvi, which many visitors come by snowmobile but faith continues to be renewed in the old-fashioned way.
Footprints towards Ukonsaari.
A trail leads to the sacred island of Ukonsaari, in the heart of Lake Inari and surrounded by ice for most of the long northern winter of Lapland.
Long discriminated against by Scandinavian, Finnish and Russian settlers, the Sami people regain their autonomy and pride themselves on their nationality.

Ten in the morning arrives.

It is another inspiring arctic day of clear skies and radiant sun which, with its reflection in the prevailing snow, generates a pleasant winter light. The first contact with Maksim doesn't seem to match.

The folk costumes he wears are typical of the natives of the Sapmi land, with the pattern of the bright colors of the national flag, placed on the deep blue that serves as its base. Their expressions, on the contrary, are rigid and serious.

We got into the van. The host organizes himself. Prepare your mind for another one of your missions.

As soon as you activate the conformative mode, you ask question after question about these guests and their origins. Gradually, our answers amused him and provoked humorous comments.

Maksim, the Heat-averse Sami Guide

The almost turquoise eyes soften like the character itself that immediately begins to enchant us. "They're almost 20th in Portugal? What a horror, I couldn't bear it! I just like it cold.

I'm Sami but from the coldest part of the Russia. I remember our childhood back in the village. They closed the school from negative 30th down. When it was about to happen, we would gather around the inlet thermometer, praying that the temperature would drop a little more. At -31st, the party began.

We grabbed sledges and played like crazy. They thought it was too cold for us to stand at school, but out there, none of us complained!”

Maksim takes us to the family's operational base, a huge wooden house darkened by smoke, lost in the middle of the tundra and endowed with fences that keep reindeer.

The sami equips some of the animals and invites us and other visitors to climb into the sliding carts.

Maksim, Sami people, Inari, Finland-2

Russian-born Sami Maksim leads a reindeer ride north of Inari.

The Finnish Miss Universe, the Salmon Soup and the Praise of Finland

There begins a panoramic route along already marked trails that, without realizing how, return to the starting point. On the way back, a lunch of succulent salmon soup and a dessert of crepe with jam and wild berries made by mother-in-law Armi Palonoja await us.

Maksim seems relieved that the punishment is over. Outside, the sun hurts the irises of husky.

As soon as the discomfort is over, he informs us that Armi was a name popularized by the famous Finnish Miss Universe of 1952 (Armi Kuusela, the first Miss Universe ever), who had traveled the country and abroad in a kind of railway tour, in the company of her husband and before settling in the Philippines with her husband, the businessman Virgílio Hilário.

We did not detect in the wife's mother, who was also dressed in traditional Sami clothes, any wonder of beauty. To compensate, the food he offered customers at his Joiku-Kotsamu restaurant deserved all the acclaim.

Armi Palonoja, Sami people, Inari, Finland

Armi Palonoja next to his restaurant-house, located north of Saariselka, where he welcomes visitors for reindeer rides guided by his son-in-law Maksim.

The host resumes the conversation and takes the opportunity to unburden himself: “the truth is that I'm tired of having to walk around with these clothes for tourists to see. In Russia, I don't wear a costume. Sami but this job makes good money. We are not exactly in Helsinki but of course they have much better conditions here in Finland than on the other side of the border.

At first, I was scared by what went from pay to taxes, but here the state participates and takes care of everything. In fact, in suomi there aren't even future tense verbs. Everything is resolved immediately. When you want to leave something for later, you say, in the worst case, I'll do it tomorrow!”

The People of Boreal Europe, in Times without Borders, Sami

Maksim has a child from another marriage in Russia that you only see from time to time. A month and a half ago, the bosses' daughter had gifted him with the second. But the birth was shaky: “we had to travel 250 km from here to Rovaniemi and it was -40º. Fortunately it went well.

Maksim, man Sami, Inari, Finland

Portrait of the Russian Maksim, protected by the traditional Sami costumes he wears in his professional daily life.

In Russia it would have been much worse. I think I'll stick around. I want my children to live an easier life.”

not always the people Sami he was able to count on the additional security granted by governments, mainly the Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish.

In ancient times, the Sami they roamed freely across the icy steppes at the top of Europe for the best pastures for reindeer herds or for fishing, in the case of tribes living in coastal areas.

Their adaptation to the demanding arctic climate ensured them a enviable prosperity in the south and frequent trade meetings with their neighbours.

red squirrel-inari-Finland, Inari, Finland

A furry squirrel surveys the surrounding landscape in a forest around the Lutheran church of Pielpajarvi.

The Inevitable Imposition of the Dominant Nations to the South

In the XNUMXth century, these most powerful nations began to impose their cultures on them and, through the action of the missionaries, the acceptance of the Lutheran religion at the expense of the millenary shamanist. The use of dialects of sapmi was discouraged and banned.

The acquisition and exploration of attached lands was only allowed to Sami that mastered the languages ​​of the colonists. These, in turn, received incentives to move to lands of sapmi.

Bible, church of Pielpajarvi, Inari, Finland

Bible placed next to the altar of the Lutheran church of Pielpajarvi.

In the far north of Finland, and around, many Sami were at one point ashamed of themselves.

Centuries passed and the occupying powers evolved in civilizational terms like few others in Europe. This fact, together with an emerging awareness of indigenous identity, reversed the different destructive processes of their various sub-ethnic groups.

As in so many other communities in the pan-nation, there are many setbacks to overcome. But now the indigenous people are taking on the challenge with strong political mobilization and a combination of determination and dignity never before dreamed of.

Motorized Excursion to the Holy Island of Ukonsaari, Lake Inari

The next morning, Jarmo Sirvio, another resident, is waiting to guide us on a snowmobile ride across Lake Inari – then under a three-foot-thick icy layer – and to Ukonsaari, an island in the shape of a Tyrannosaurus which is sacred to the sami.

Ukonkivi, Lake Inari, Finland

A trail leads to the sacred island of Ukonsaari, in the heart of Lake Inari and surrounded by ice for most of the long northern winter of Lapland.

We stopped first at the Lutheran church of Pielpajarvi, made of old wood (built in 1760) and lost among the trees on the banks in a surprisingly picturesque way.

Jarmo has a special affection for that place: “My mother was born in 1954 or 1955, I'm not sure anymore.

Church of Pielpajarvi, Lake Inari, Finance

The Lutheran Church of Pielpajarvi on the shore of Lake Inari.

I know she walked for hours here to come to Mass and sell Sami products. Amazing isn't it? We are now going to do much more than the 8 km she did in a few minutes.”

Altar of the church of Pielpajarvi, Inari, Finland

Austere altar of the Lutheran Church of Pielpajarvi, one of the temples of the new faith of the Sami people.

We return to the bikes and take off to cross the lake. At 80 or 90 km/h, extreme cold quickly neutralizes the camcorder, penetrates our gloves and hurts our hands.

In good time, we remember the instructor's tip and save ourselves from suffering when we turn on the powerful wrist warmers.

Ukonkivi Island, Lake Inari, Finland

Completely frozen lake Inari scenery, as seen from the top of the island of Ukonsaari.

Earlier than we expected, we arrived at the base of the island that the Samis ancestors used it to perform sacrificial and burial rituals in honor of their heavenly gods.

We went up the long wooden staircase. Still panting, we sucked in the thick, frigid air greedily through our masks.

We catch our breath and are delighted to contemplate the vast territory Sami white all around.

View from Ukonkivi, Lake Inari, Finland

View of Lake Inari from the top of the island of Ukonsaari.

Inari, Finland

The Babel Parliament of the Sami Nation

The Sami Nation comprises four countries, which ingest into the lives of their peoples. In the parliament of Inari, in various dialects, the Sami govern themselves as they can.
PN Oulanka, Finland

A Slightly Lonesome Wolf

Jukka “Era-Susi” Nordman has created one of the largest packs of sled dogs in the world. He became one of Finland's most iconic characters but remains faithful to his nickname: Wilderness Wolf.
Hailuoto, Finland

A Refuge in the Gulf of Bothnia

During winter, the island of Hailuoto is connected to the rest of Finland by the country's longest ice road. Most of its 986 inhabitants esteem, above all, the distance that the island grants them.
Kemi, Finland

It is No "Love Boat". Icebreaker since 1961

Built to maintain waterways through the most extreme arctic winter, the icebreaker Sampo” fulfilled its mission between Finland and Sweden for 30 years. In 1988, he reformed and dedicated himself to shorter trips that allow passengers to float in a newly opened channel in the Gulf of Bothnia, in clothes that, more than special, seem spacey.
Lapland, Finland

In Search of the Fire Fox

Unique to the heights of the Earth are the northern or southern auroras, light phenomena generated by solar explosions. You Sami natives from Lapland they believed it to be a fiery fox that spread sparkles in the sky. Whatever they are, not even the nearly 30 degrees below zero that were felt in the far north of Finland could deter us from admiring them.
Hailuoto Island, Finland

Fishing for Truly Fresh Fish

Sheltered from unwanted social pressures, the islanders of Hailuoto they know how to sustain themselves. Under the icy sea of ​​Bothnia they capture precious ingredients for the restaurants of Oulu, in mainland Finland.
Rovaniemi, Finland

From the Finnish Lapland to the Arctic. A Visit to the Land of Santa

Fed up with waiting for the bearded old man to descend down the chimney, we reverse the story. We took advantage of a trip to Finnish Lapland and passed through its furtive home.
Kuusamo ao PN Oulanka, Finland

Under the Arctic's Icy Spell

We are at 66º North and at the gates of Lapland. In these parts, the white landscape belongs to everyone and to no one like the snow-covered trees, the atrocious cold and the endless night.
Saariselka, Finland

The Delightful Arctic Heat

It is said that the Finns created SMS so they don't have to talk. The imagination of cold Nordics is lost in the mist of their beloved saunas, real physical and social therapy sessions.
Inari, Finland

The Wackiest Race on the Top of the World

Finland's Lapps have been competing in the tow of their reindeer for centuries. In the final of the Kings Cup - Porokuninkuusajot - , they face each other at great speed, well above the Arctic Circle and well below zero.
Helsinki, Finland

Finland's once Swedish Fortress

Detached in a small archipelago at the entrance to Helsinki, Suomenlinna was built by the Swedish kingdom's political-military designs. For more than a century, the Russia stopped her. Since 1917, the Suomi people have venerated it as the historic bastion of their thorny independence.
Helsinki, Finland

A Frigid-Scholarly Via Crucis

When Holy Week arrives, Helsinki shows its belief. Despite the freezing cold, little dressed actors star in a sophisticated re-enactment of Via Crucis through streets full of spectators.
Helsinki, Finland

The Pagan Passover of Seurasaari

In Helsinki, Holy Saturday is also celebrated in a Gentile way. Hundreds of families gather on an offshore island, around lit fires to chase away evil spirits, witches and trolls
Helsinki, Finland

The Design that Came from the Cold

With much of the territory above the Arctic Circle, Finns respond to the climate with efficient solutions and an obsession with art, aesthetics and modernism inspired by neighboring Scandinavia.
Porvoo, Finland

A Medieval and Winter Finland

One of the oldest settlements of the Suomi nation, in the early XNUMXth century, Porvoo was a busy riverside post and its third city. Over time, Porvoo lost commercial importance. In return, it has become one of Finland's revered historic strongholds.  
Oulu, Finland

Oulu: an Ode to Winter

Located high in the northeast of the Gulf of Bothnia, Oulu is one of Finland's oldest cities and its northern capital. A mere 220km from the Arctic Circle, even in the coldest months it offers a prodigious outdoor life.
Helsinki, Finland

The Suomi Daughter of the Baltic

Several cities grew, emancipated and prospered on the shores of this northern inland sea. Helsinki there stood out as the monumental capital of the young Finnish nation.
saariselka, Finland

Through the (not so) highlands of Finland

West of Mount Sokosti (718m) and the immense Urho Kekkonen National Park, Saariselkä has developed as a nature escape hub. Having arrived from Ivalo, it is there that we set up base for a series of new experiences and adventures. Some 250 freezing km north of the Arctic Circle.
Kemi, Finland

An Unconventional Finland

The authorities themselves describe Kemi as “a small, slightly crazy town in northern Finland”. When you visit, you find yourself in a Lapland that is not in keeping with the traditional ways of the region.
Believers greet each other in the Bukhara region.
City
Bukhara, Uzbequistan

Among the Minarets of Old Turkestan

Situated on the ancient Silk Road, Bukhara has developed for at least two thousand years as an essential commercial, cultural and religious hub in Central Asia. It was Buddhist and then Muslim. It was part of the great Arab empire and that of Genghis Khan, the Turko-Mongol kingdoms and the Soviet Union, until it settled in the still young and peculiar Uzbekistan.
Skipper of one of the bangkas at Raymen Beach Resort during a break from sailing
Beach
Islands Guimaras  e  Ave Maria, Philippines

Towards Ave Maria Island, in a Philippines full of Grace

Discovering the Western Visayas archipelago, we set aside a day to travel from Iloilo along the northwest coast of Guimaras. The beach tour along one of the Philippines’ countless pristine coastlines ends on the stunning Ave Maria Island.
Masai Mara Reservation, Masai Land Travel, Kenya, Masai Convivial
safari
Masai Mara, Kenya

A Journey Through the Masai Lands

The Mara savannah became famous for the confrontation between millions of herbivores and their predators. But, in a reckless communion with wildlife, it is the Masai humans who stand out there.
Thorong Pedi to High Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal, Lone Walker
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 12th - Thorong Phedi a High camp

The Prelude to the Supreme Crossing

This section of the Annapurna Circuit is only 1km away, but in less than two hours it takes you from 4450m to 4850m and to the entrance to the great canyon. Sleeping in High Camp is a test of resistance to Mountain Evil that not everyone passes.
Sculptural Garden, Edward James, Xilitla, Huasteca Potosina, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Cobra dos Pecados
Architecture & Design
Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Edward James' Mexican Delirium

In the rainforest of Xilitla, the restless mind of poet Edward James has twinned an eccentric home garden. Today, Xilitla is lauded as an Eden of the Surreal.
Passengers, scenic flights-Southern Alps, New Zealand
Aventura
Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand

The Aeronautical Conquest of the Southern Alps

In 1955, pilot Harry Wigley created a system for taking off and landing on asphalt or snow. Since then, his company has unveiled, from the air, some of the greatest scenery in Oceania.
Christmas scene, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
Ceremonies and Festivities
Shillong, India

A Christmas Selfiestan at an India Christian Stronghold

December arrives. With a largely Christian population, the state of Meghalaya synchronizes its Nativity with that of the West and clashes with the overcrowded Hindu and Muslim subcontinent. Shillong, the capital, shines with faith, happiness, jingle bells and bright lighting. To dazzle Indian holidaymakers from other parts and creeds.
Tequila, Jalisco City, Mexico, Jima
Cities
Tequila, JaliscoMexico

Tequila: The Distillation of Western Mexico that Animates the World

Disillusioned with the lack of wine and brandy, the Conquistadors of Mexico improved the millenary indigenous aptitude for producing alcohol. In the XNUMXth century, the Spaniards were satisfied with their pinga and began to export it. From Tequila, town, today, the center of a demarcated region. And the name for which it became famous.
Cocoa, Chocolate, Sao Tome Principe, Agua Izé farm
Lunch time
São Tomé and Principe

Cocoa Roças, Corallo and the Chocolate Factory

At the beginning of the century. In the XNUMXth century, São Tomé and Príncipe generated more cocoa than any other territory. Thanks to the dedication of some entrepreneurs, production survives and the two islands taste like the best chocolate.
mini-snorkeling
Culture
Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

Back to Danny Boyle's The Beach

It's been 15 years since the debut of the backpacker classic based on the novel by Alex Garland. The film popularized the places where it was shot. Shortly thereafter, the XNUMX tsunami literally washed some away off the map. Today, their controversial fame remains intact.
Sport
Competitions

Man: an Ever Tested Species

It's in our genes. For the pleasure of participating, for titles, honor or money, competitions give meaning to the world. Some are more eccentric than others.
Aurora lights up the Pisang Valley, Nepal.
Traveling
Annapurna Circuit: 3rd- Upper Banana, Nepal

An Unexpected Snowy Aurora

At the first glimmers of light, the sight of the white mantle that had covered the village during the night dazzles us. With one of the toughest walks on the Annapurna Circuit ahead of us, we postponed the match as much as possible. Annoyed, we left Upper Pisang towards Escort when the last snow faded.
Ooty, Tamil Nadu, Bollywood Scenery, Heartthrob's Eye
Ethnic
Ooty, India

In Bollywood's Nearly Ideal Setting

The conflict with Pakistan and the threat of terrorism made filming in Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh a drama. In Ooty, we see how this former British colonial station took the lead.
sunlight photography, sun, lights
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Natural Light (Part 2)

One Sun, So Many Lights

Most travel photos are taken in sunlight. Sunlight and weather form a capricious interaction. Learn how to predict, detect and use at its best.
capillary helmet
History
Viti levu, Fiji

Cannibalism and Hair, Fiji Islands' Old Pastimes

For 2500 years, anthropophagy has been part of everyday life in Fiji. In more recent centuries, the practice has been adorned by a fascinating hair cult. Luckily, only vestiges of the latest fashion remain.
PN Timanfaya, Mountains of Fire, Lanzarote, Caldera del Corazoncillo
Islands
PN Timanfaya, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

PN Timanfaya and the Fire Mountains of Lanzarote

Between 1730 and 1736, out of nowhere, dozens of volcanoes in Lanzarote erupted successively. The massive amount of lava they released buried several villages and forced almost half of the inhabitants to emigrate. The legacy of this cataclysm is the current Martian setting of the exuberant PN Timanfaya.
Oulu Finland, Passage of Time
Winter White
Oulu, Finland

Oulu: an Ode to Winter

Located high in the northeast of the Gulf of Bothnia, Oulu is one of Finland's oldest cities and its northern capital. A mere 220km from the Arctic Circle, even in the coldest months it offers a prodigious outdoor life.
View from the top of Mount Vaea and the tomb, Vailima village, Robert Louis Stevenson, Upolu, Samoa
Literature
Upolu, Samoa

Stevenson's Treasure Island

At age 30, the Scottish writer began looking for a place to save him from his cursed body. In Upolu and the Samoans, he found a welcoming refuge to which he gave his heart and soul.
Balestrand townhouse, Norway
Nature
Balestrand, Norway

Balestrand: A Life Among the Fjords

Villages on the slopes of the gorges of Norway are common. Balestrand is at the entrance to three. Its settings stand out in such a way that they have attracted famous painters and continue to seduce intrigued travelers.
Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Autumn
Yerevan, Armenia

A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Merida to Los Nevados borders of the Andes, Venezuela
Natural Parks
Mérida, Venezuela

Merida to Los Nevados: in the Andean Ends of Venezuela

In the 40s and 50s, Venezuela attracted 400 Portuguese but only half stayed in Caracas. In Mérida, we find places more similar to the origins and the eccentric ice cream parlor of an immigrant portista.
Transpantaneira pantanal of Mato Grosso, capybara
UNESCO World Heritage
Mato Grosso Pantanal, Brazil

Transpantaneira, Pantanal and the Ends of Mato Grosso

We leave from the South American heart of Cuiabá to the southwest and towards Bolivia. At a certain point, the paved MT060 passes under a picturesque portal and the Transpantaneira. In an instant, the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso is flooded. It becomes a huge Pantanal.
Characters
Look-alikes, Actors and Extras

Make-believe stars

They are the protagonists of events or are street entrepreneurs. They embody unavoidable characters, represent social classes or epochs. Even miles from Hollywood, without them, the world would be more dull.
Mahé Ilhas das Seychelles, friends of the beach
Beaches
Mahé, Seychelles

The Big Island of the Small Seychelles

Mahé is the largest of the islands of the smallest country in Africa. It's home to the nation's capital and most of the Seychellois. But not only. In its relative smallness, it hides a stunning tropical world, made of mountainous jungle that merges with the Indian Ocean in coves of all sea tones.
Djerba, Island, Tunisia, Amazigh and their camels
Religion
Djerba, Tunisia

The Tunisian Island of Conviviality

The largest island in North Africa has long welcomed people who could not resist it. Over time, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs called it home. Today, Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities continue an unusual sharing of Djerba with its native Berbers.
Executives sleep subway seat, sleep, sleep, subway, train, Tokyo, Japan
On Rails
Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo's Hypno-Passengers

Japan is served by millions of executives slaughtered with infernal work rates and sparse vacations. Every minute of respite on the way to work or home serves them for their inemuri, napping in public.
Ditching, Alaska Fashion Life, Talkeetna
Society
Talkeetna, Alaska

Talkeetna's Alaska-Style Life

Once a mere mining outpost, Talkeetna rejuvenated in 1950 to serve Mt. McKinley climbers. The town is by far the most alternative and most captivating town between Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Women with long hair from Huang Luo, Guangxi, China
Daily life
Longsheng, China

Huang Luo: the Chinese Village of the Longest Hairs

In a multi-ethnic region covered with terraced rice paddies, the women of Huang Luo have surrendered to the same hairy obsession. They let the longest hair in the world grow, years on end, to an average length of 170 to 200 cm. Oddly enough, to keep them beautiful and shiny, they only use water and rice.
Vultures in ventilation mode, using the gentle breeze above the savannah
Wildlife
Kruger National Park, South Africa

The Ancient National Park of South Africa

Part of its current area was already protected before the turn of the 1926th century. Declared the first national park in the Rainbow Nation in XNUMX, the Kruger National Park has continued to expand. Today, the XNUMXth largest in Africa, it is home to the coveted Big Five and a multitude of other species.
Napali Coast and Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii Wrinkles
Scenic Flights
napali coast, Hawaii

Hawaii's Dazzling Wrinkles

Kauai is the greenest and rainiest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is also the oldest. As we explore its Napalo Coast by land, sea and air, we are amazed to see how the passage of millennia has only favored it.