March 25: Pielpajärven kirkko

Several kilometers later, we arrived at the clearing of the Pielpajärvi church. According to outdoors.fi, the church is one of the oldest buildings in Lapland, completed in 1760, on the site of an older church from the 17th century. Pielpajärvi was a winter village for the residents of Inari back in the day.

1981

Right at the trail's entrance to the clearing (direct off the lake) are these buildings and this shelter.

1984

There's the church up in back.

1990

Closer in.

1991

And a zoom of the tower.

1993

Looking in all the way down to the end.

1995

Unusual low wooden barrel vaults.

2000

The transept.

2002

This ladder goes up to a balcony.

2003

The bell tower, where I snapped this from, is connected to the sanctuary at the transept.

2004

All kinds of light leaks were happening in the lower bell tower room.

2007

A more subtle example.

2008

The guest book and stairs up into the tower.

2009

It was pretty dark up there.

2010

Not with flash, though.

2014

Here's the same view without flash. Little light gaps everywhere.

2021

Posts within the tower holding up the still further-up platform.

2028

The pulpit from one of the balconies.

2038

We explored around the outside as well, within the fence. Here, the back gable.

2040

A back corner.

2043

Now just a little further on, a view back out to the clearing.

2046

Curiously, there were these boulders out front inside the yard.

2048

We picnicked inside this building, one of the ones by the trail entrance, building a little fire in this fireplace.

2050

Lunchtime!

2051

We brought hard-boiled eggs, which were a good idea.

2053

Yeah here it is. The fire.

2059

Then there was this nice Blockbau outhouse adjacent.

2060

The back side of the picnic cabin.

2061

The view back out to the lake from the clearing. I find this enchanting, somehow.