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CHRISTMAS REINDEER 

a Sami experience above the arctic circle

photos by Alessandro Bee

videos by Giovanni Bee

reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

Perfettamente adattate al duro ambiente artico, le renne sono da sempre elementi imprescindibili della vita e della cultura del popolo Sami.

Perfectly adapted to the harsh arctic environment, reindeer have always been essential elements of the life and culture of the Sami people.

Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"Le renne sono animali che mi piacciono molto. In realtà non conosco nessuno a cui non piacciano!

I cuccioli sono morbidissimi, sembrano delle nuvolette bianche".

(Ekaterina Bee)

reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"I like reindeer very much, I love them! To tell the true, actually I don't know anyone who doesn't like reindeer! The cubs are very tiny and soft, they look like white clouds".

(Ekaterina Bee)

Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"Mentre girovagavo nel campo dei Sami ed ero circondata dalle renne, ero sempre un po’ tesa, per non farmi incornare dai loro enormi palchi!

(Ekaterina Bee)

Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"As I wandered around the Sami camp and was surrounded by reindeers, I was always a little tense, so as not to be gored by their huge antlers!"

(Ekaterina Bee)

Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"Ce ne erano così tante che facevo lo “slalom” fra le renne per andare alla ricerca dei cuccioli e per dar loro dei licheni da mangiare". (Ekaterina Bee)

Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"There were so many that I did the "slalom" among the reindeer while I was looking for cubs and to give them lichens to eat".

(Ekaterina Bee)

Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"Mentre andavo sulla slitta mi sembrava di essere in una fiaba. Mi sentivo in Frozen! Come se fossi Anna con Kristoff e la renna Sven!"  (Ekaterina Bee)

Ekaterina Bee, Tatiana Kondakova,reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter, Tatiana Kondakova

"While I was going on the sled I felt like I was in a fairy tale. I felt in Frozen! As if I was Anna with Kristoff and the reindeer Sven".

(Ekaterina Bee)

Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter, Alessandro Bee
Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"Mi è piaciuto molto fare le foto e i video alle renne, erano così curiose quando si avvicinavano. Penso scambiassero la macchina fotografica per un sacchetto con i licheni". (Ekaterina Bee)

travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"I really enjoyed taking pictures and videos of the reindeer, they were so curious when they approached me. I think they swapped the camera for a bag full of lichens".

(Ekaterina Bee)

travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

Photo by Ekaterina Bee

_DSC0287. Katy.jpg

Photo by Ekaterina Bee

travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

Photo by Ekaterina Bee

travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"Nel centro dell’accampamento c’era una grande tenda con il fuoco per scaldarsi e li ho bevuto the caldo e mangiato cioccolato e biscotti. Non proprio una merenda Sami, ma ottima!"  (Ekaterina Bee)

travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"In the center of the camp there was a large tent with a fire to warm up and I drank hot tea and ate chocolate and biscuits. Not really a Sami snack, but excellent!" (Ekaterina Bee)

travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"Lì c’erano anche i secchi con i licheni e, mentre sorseggiavo un po’ di the caldo, le renne si avvicinavano perché pensavano che nella tazza ci fossero appunto i licheni. E io mi divertivo a scappare dentro la tenda e poi a sbirciare fuori". (Ekaterina Bee)

travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

"There were also buckets with lichens and, while I was drinking some hot tea, the reindeer approached because they thought that there were lichens in the cup. And I had fun running away inside the tent and then peeking out!" (Ekaterina Bee)

travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

LO SAPEVI CHE?

Le renne sono l'unica specie di cervidi in cui sia i maschi che le femmine hanno i palchi. Nei maschi i palchi sono generalmente più grandi e possono raggiungere notevoli dimensioni.

travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

Reindeer are the only deer species where both males and females have antlers.

In males the antlers are generally larger and can reach considerable dimensions.

travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

LO SAPEVI CHE?

Le renne sono perfettamente adattate all'ambiente artico. I loro zoccoli tendono ad allargarsi in estate quando il terreno è morbido e si restringono in inverno quando il terreno è duro.

​

Il loro naso inoltre ha una conformazione tale per cui le renne riescono a riscaldare l'aria prima che arrivi ai loro polmoni.

travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

Reindeer are perfectly adapted to the arctic environment. Their hooves tend to expand in summer when the ground is soft and shrink in winter when the ground is hard.

​

Their nose also has such a conformation that reindeer manage to warm the air before it gets to their lungs.

travelling with daddy, Ekaterina Bee, reindeer, lapland, tromso, arctic, norway, northern fjords, snow, tundra, winter
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