The Far North - Norway - page 894

Samekniv SAMI KNIVES
(Galaniitoluodda; 9am-8pm Jun-Aug, 9am-4pm rest of year) Samekniv, beside the
road that leads to Juhls' Silver Gallery, is the workshop and gallery of Sami knifesmith
Josef Per Buljo, who crafts a wide range of traditional and modern knives.
Festivals & Events
Easter week is a time for weddings and an excuse for a big gathering to mark the end
of the dark season, before folk and flocks disperse to the summer grazing. It's celebrated
with panache: the reindeer-racing world championships, the Sami Grand Prix - no, not a
souped-up snowmobile race but the premier yoik and Sami pop contest - and other tradi-
tional Sami and religious events.
Sleeping & Eating
Thon Hotel Kautokeino HOTEL €€
( 78 48 70 00; www.thonhotels.no/kautokeino ; Biedjovaggeluodda 2; s/d Nkr895/
1095; ) This brand-new hotel is built on the site of its predecessor, which burnt
to the ground a few years ago. It's a lovely structure with an exterior of mellow wood,
built low to blend with its few neighbours. Within, rooms are cheerful and cosy. Duottar
(lunch mains Nkr165-175, dinner mains Nkr220-335) , its gourmet restaurant, serves
fine cuisine. Main item on the menu, as you'd expect in such a town, is reindeer in several
guises-smoked,fillet,mincedinacreamsauceor(verySami,thisone)saltedandsmoked
ina lavvo (tepee).Fordessert,enjoythedelightfulfusionofcloudberry panna cotta soused
in a brandy syrup.
Arctic Motell & Camping CAMPGROUND €
( 78 48 54 00; www.kauto.no in Norwegian; Suomaluodda 16; car/caravan sites
Nkr160/200, cabins with outdoor bathroom Nkr300, with bathroom Nkr750-1800,
motel s/d Nkr500/600) At the southern end of town, this is a hyperfriendly place, where
campers and cabin dwellers have access to a communal kitchen. Its lavvo is a warm and
cosy spot to relax by a wood fire and sip steaming coffee, laid on nightly at 8pm. If you
ask, the small cafe will also rustle up bidos, the traditional reindeer-meat stew served at
Sami weddings and other rites of passage.