Landscape

Exploring the landscape of the southern mountain

Sweden, Sundsvall. We are the winter in the end of January. Far way the excitement of the city center, on the southern mountain, there is a lake. And to discover it, there is a little way on the forest. What’s better for a foreign student than spend a few hours there, looking at the landscape with a watchful eye? 

On the afternoon, it’s probably the best moment to make this exploration. The sun is still shining, but not for many time. It’s 3pm and the sun set is for soon.

You have to know where the way is to take it. And after a few minutes of walk, it’ seem to be another world. A world where the nature has all the right. On this season, the white winter coat recovers everything, but not similarly. Depending the kind of trees and their tall, it is possible to see a green branch or a brown trunk. Some trees are so covered by snow that they look like works of arts. Sometime the snow is white, sometime it looks greyer. The forest is diversified and not always dense, but still lightly. In the frozen wood, stones became white mushrooms and water flows are fixed like ice fountains.  Human’s traces aren’t totally absents. We can find like little birdhouses or benches. Everything is quiet. The silence is only stopped by birdsongs.

The way is quite large, enough for a few people walking in group. It looks like a snake, crawling between the pins. Sometimes, it crosses little paths. They probably conduct to the houses that we can perceive across the forest. The main road is a trail especially made for walker, and mainly for skiers. We can see their ski printed on the ground.

They are many skiers there, motivated and concentrated in their colored outfit. They are not the only one to enjoy the nature. We can find walker with dogs or sticks and also happy children having fun with their sledges.     

The final destination is the lake. . The sun is nearly disappeared behind the hill but a few light made this extended snowfield shining and sparkling. All this space gave to the visitors a sensation of freedom. The lake is completely frozen. If there was no lifebuoy, it would be easy to forget that there is water under the ice. Now the sun is nearly over. In a country where the sun doesn’t seem to rise or set, it's important to take advantage of the moments when it illuminates the landscape. So take the time to feel the light.

On the way back, it’s the night and the moonlight changes everything in the atmosphere. They are several shades of color in the sky, dark blue, pink and orange around the moon. Enough brightness to see around like during the day. The Sundsvall’s forest looks like a fairyland during the winter.