Travelling from Finland to Norway via Swden

After leaving Pikkunuppu, I travelled across Finland to Vaasa on the west coast where I caught a ferry to Umea on Sweden's east coast.

Goodbye Finland, hello Gulf of Bothnia

From Umea, I bussed it down to Sundsvall and took lots of photos of clouds and trees and grass

and even some hills along the way
 

From Sundsvall I caught a train that took me into Norway.  On the way, I stopped at Ostersund in Sweden and visited their open air rural community museum.  Being a week day, none of the exhibits were working so I didn't see the locals dressed up as their 18th and 19th century forebears but the farm buildings were impressive enough.  

Note the meadow on the roof - a style that is still sometimes used in newer buildings - presumably for insulation (as well as the wildflower aesthetic)

As you can see, if you only have wood, then you make everything from wood

(I have no idea what that last picture shows ... farm equipment of some kind).  

They also used stones for foundations

and ramps

I was mightily impressed with the tree trunk fences 

as well as the cute farm yard animals

This pair of sheep looked like great friends but a moment later they were head butting each other just like goats

The goats, meanwhile, were mostly complaining loudly

 and the horses looked pretty bored with the whole set up

 I am guessing they had worked out what this meant

This house was not part of the museum but just down the road on the way back into town

The train journey from Ostersund and up into Norway goes firstly along a beautiful river valley

and then up through snow fields which in winter time must be covered with skiiers but in summer time are simply covered in snow.  In some ways it looks like winter in the Australian Alps - mostly hills rather than mountains - but lots more snow.

 

My final destination was Trondheim, Norway's third largest city.  Words & pics to come soon.