On our first day back in Kirkenes we bumped into Kristin Pedersen at the hospital, who casually invited us ‘crabbing’ with her family in Bugøyfjord. Catching a few king crabs is a free treat for anyone living in Finnmark (you can find advice on how to move up here, right here).
Kristin’s husband Audun orchestrated the boat, the traps and the humane goodbyes once the exclusive catch was safely on the shore. Seeing all these crustaceans on the beach was too tempting a sight for us and we couldn’t resist asking Kristin to pose for us with some of them. Bows to Matilda for being our fearless shoot assistant and experienced crab handler, and to Kristin for her crab-induced yoga acrobatics.
A balmy +8 C temperature set the scene for an epic summer crab party amongst friends – priceless!
Kristin and Audun had set the traps out the night before © Karoline Hjorth & Riitta Ikonen
The bait is Norwegian salmon of course © Karoline Hjorth & Riitta Ikonen
The going price for these babies is around 400 Norwegian Krone per kilo © Karoline Hjorth & Riitta Ikonen
Matilda realising that artistic vision © Karoline Hjorth & Riitta Ikonen
It’s a hard pose to keep for 10 minutes solid © Karoline Hjorth & Riitta Ikonen
The Red King Crab or the Kamchatka crab is an expensive delicacy. It is also an invasive species in the Barents Sea, eating everything on its way. © Karoline Hjorth & Riitta Ikonen
This is Else, Audun’s mum. She kindly hosted the crab party at her house © Karoline Hjorth & Riitta Ikonen
The legs spend 15 minutes in boiling water over a fire © Karoline Hjorth & Riitta Ikonen
A quick cold bath in the river loosens the meat from the shell nicely) © Karoline Hjorth & Riitta Ikonen
© Karoline Hjorth & Riitta Ikonen
Vigorous bending of the various joints and hey presto, we have crab meat! © Karoline Hjorth & Riitta Ikonen
A touch of lemon, melted garlic butter (from Finland) and fresh white bread: Delectable combination! © Karoline Hjorth & Riitta Ikonen
Time is a ship that never casts anchor 
What great pictures from a great day. It was so nice to have you over. 😊 😊
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Thank you for the unforgettable experience!
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