To research my novel Bitter Fruit I traveled to the Arctic through Iceland, Norway and Sweden. In winter.
The Sami Gate, called the Tjiunavagge (Goose Valley) in the Sami language, and the Lapporten in Swedish, was carved by glaciers eons ago. It is considered to be the gateway to the Sami lands. The Sami have been herding reindeer across the arctic for a thousand years. Their territory encompasses land from Norway to western Russia. They are fighting to keep their lands from encroachment by national governments.
I didn't know reindeer had heart shaped tongues!
We were guests at a Sami meal and listened to the stories of the battle for identity and survival of the Sami people.
A Sami meal for us: reindeer meat....
Our Sami guide
The reindeer herds are the cattle of the Sami people. They are financially dependent on them.
The Rift Valley in Iceland. The brown gash is where the European and North American continents are colliding. In its dark valley the first Parliament, or Thing, was called by the Icelandic chiefs in the 9th century. In Bitter Fruit, the 10-year-old Rogenvaldr goes to a Thing with his father.
A panoramic view of a Norwegian fjord near Narvick. The setting in which a dead narwhal washes up onshore in Bitter Fruit was taken from this landscape.
Icelandic horses have been carefully bred for a thousand years. They have a smooth fifth gait called the Tolt that makes a long journey very comfortable.