The Five Seasons of Tornionlaakso
Tornionlaakso
The people of Tornionlaakso treasure their peaceful atmosphere. These people also love their five seasons...
The frosty winters, the glistening snow in the spring sun, the bright summer nights, the pitch-black autumn evenings, and the polar night, that prodigious blue time when the sun is but a suggestion on the horizon. Throughout all seasons, the river Tornionjoki runs, forming the centrepiece and setting the pace of local life. The sun gives tones and dimensions to the colours of nature. People gaze at it as it moves from horizon to horizon. It defines the rhythm of life and, combined with the power of the river, gives the soul a home.
Spring
Squinting, staring at the horizon, people look over the river. There it shines, the dazzling March sun. It invites you out. People embrace the joys of winter, all in their own place, in their own way: skiing, hiking, fishing, sleighing.
In May, the spring starts to turn into summer and people's eyes start to show deep thought and expectation: soon the river will break free from its steely cage of ice.
Summer
Excited anticipation sees May turn to June. Tornionlaakso wakes up to summer. People take out their fishing rods, refurbish their boats and arrange their lures. It won't be long until you hear the first rumours of wild salmon.
The bright nights of early summer are almost too exciting for sleeping. The sun looks over the people who, wide awake, reach out to it. Soon, it is midsummer, a feast celebrated with delicacies of salmon caught from the river and a sauna to wash off the inhibiting burden of winter. Steam from the sauna melts into the green July nature. The summer grows deeper.
Autumn
In September, winds grow colder and strip the summer off of Tornionlaakso. Autumn paints the nature in countless shades of red, yellow and orange. The sunlight changes colour: its translucent autumn shine wraps people in its invigorating power. The air is refreshing to breathe, and crisp mornings give a beautiful start to the day. The first northern lights flare in the starry night sky.
Winter and the polar night
The lush green of summer is long gone and the barren nature awaits the protective snow cover. October clouds lay low over the river, indicating that the first snow will fall soon. People settle down and start to walk more slowly. The flow of the river is comforting in the darkening darkness. The polar night descends over Tornionlaakso. Around Christmas time the area is surrounded by a magical peace that derives its rhythm from the quiet crackles of wood in the fireplace.
And soon people turn their eyes to the river in anticipation again. Once the river gets its thick ice cover and the nature turns all white, it's time for the numerous joyful winter activities. The sun rises over the horizon again and wakes people up from their polar night slumber. The new year comes, the winter loses its grip, the sun moves from horizon to horizon. Life in Tornionlaakso flows on at its peaceful, unwavering pace.
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