A Winter Journey by Virginia Hainsworth
Engine thrumming soothingly, absorbing the kilometres, as each stretch of road is replaced by another, snowier than the last. Winter tyres earning their keep. The pine forest parts before us as if to let us through, drawing us further north. North into the land of the Sami, where the days shrink. The temperature slides, as does the sun. Barely a car passes, barely a sound penetrates the air. The hours pass us by and are left behind. And still the frigid road. And then the magic. Miniature flecks in the distance amplify a nd evolve into elegant reindeer. We stop, while these soft coated, horned magicians silently cross our path, casting their spell. Our drive continues. But, somehow, the images of those majestic Nordic heroes condense our onward journey, and leave us bewitched. November 2017