Its a long way to Rovaniemi

Last night Runo offered to be our chauffeur today for the drive to Rovaniemi.  

Is just a little drive for those of us from Australia - a mere 543.2km!  This way, we get to relax a little during the drive and Donna gets a break from being main photographer and Runo can give us snippets of his knowledge and wisdom en-route.  It is a lovely gesture and greatly appreciated.  

We meet him at their home just before 9 am and drive almost half the length of Finland, stopping for a quick lunch and fuel at a roadstop before arriving at the air-base at Rovaniemi about 4:45 pm - just in time for Runo to get his military flight back to a base near Jyväskylä at 5:30 pm.  He will then get a bus ride home that will take him about an hour!

The drive is on really good roads and we are constantly being teased by the promise of moose sightings - these signs are placed about every 500 m along the road.  Bit of false advertising really, we saw none.  Not one! 

As we travel further north, the crops change as do the forests.  The same crops are harvested, but the yield is smaller, the crops do not grow as high.  The forests also thin with the trees not having the girth or the height of those growing further south.

Runo explains that the only way that these farmers are able to continue farming is with the government subsidies provided to ensure that farming land is still worked.  When you see the size of some of these smallholdings, it is easy to see that none of them can be financially viable.  After a long, dry summer last year where many crops failed, this year has been more productive and the wrapped hay is testament to this.  

This part of Finland has a large timber growing and processing industry with much of it going to paper production and China. We pass quite a number of timber trucks, seeing that the timber logs are significantly smaller than what we are used to seeing at home.  In fact, the way the logs are loaded on the trucks reminds us of the layout of the timber frames you find in Ikea and similar Scandinavian house stores back home!

Finland is the land of the lakes and from time to time, we come lakeside with many of them.  Lots have boats resting on the shoreline, exhausted after a summer of fun-giving.  We also see lots of signs to camping spots along their shores.  Runo's parents have a cabin in Eastern Finland that the family uses from time to time.  Lucky them, although I am told that the mosquitoes can be horrendous!

At last we arrive and drop Runo off at one of the back gates at the airbase, complete with requisite mounted plane, before contacting our hosts for the night and collecting the key to their inner city apartment.  Kikki is very welcoming and friendly and has provided a good selection of tourist information in their modern and tastefully decorated apartment.

We head in to town for a bite to eat only to find that the University here is also having the O week celebrations this week.  I watched two groups for a couple of minutes - one group would sing/chant and then the other group would reply in like.  Boisterous yes, but all good clean fun from what I observed. 

As the crow flies, we are only 50 kms from the Swedish border, but we don't do things the easy way - first we are driving back to Riikka and Runo's and then on to Helsinki for the weekend.

We are off to Santa Claus Village back across the Arctic Circle tomorrow.

But before we go to bed, we are going to have a look skyward - the Northern Lights were seen here two days ago - wouldn't THAT be a bonus!

71°10' 21" - The North Cape

Yesterday when we got in from our excursion to Tromsø, there were Certificates in our names certifying that we had crossed the Arctic Circle yesterday aboard the MS Kong Harald. So it is official! Mind you, we have now crossed the 70.26 degrees north latitude and 21.6 degrees east.

Last night was interesting as we ventured into the true open sea waters across the top of Norway about midnight. The motion of the ship has increased markedly and I am glad to going to bed to be 'lulled'. I was just glad that Donna or I didn't fall out of bed!

We woke this morning to hammering and other welding type noises. "Hope that they're not trying to fix a hole in this bucket", says Donna and now I can't get the words of the damn song out of my head! We are sailing up through the Strait of Magerøya toward Magerøya Island. This island is the furthest north that you can travel by road in Norway and the North Cape is the most northern tip of mainland Europe.

Honningsvåg is the most northern city in Norway. The North Cape has been a beacon for adventurers from around the world for centuries. Today we were given a unique and unforgettable insight into the incredible way of life in this isolated territory, far above the Arctic Circle. We are now at 71°10' 21" north of the Equator and at the end of the northernmost road in Norway. The

landscape is rugged and bare with not a tree to be seen outside of the gardens in Honningsvåg. I am surprised that on this trip we have not seen much wildlife. Plenty of birds, but no whales, or seals, or porpoises, no foxes or martens or even rabbits. Today however we do see reindeer in their natural habitat and we are told that every house in Honningsvåg has a cat to deal with the only rodents on the island - the plentiful mice!

Our guide tells us that Honningsvåg averages one fine day each two weeks, so we are lucky that today is clear but cloudy. As this is the end of summer (in a week) and rain is forecast for the next three weeks, it was their last fine day this summer. It is also

unseasonally warm at 8 degrees, although the wind chill makes it feel colder.
So far, this is the first day we have resorted to beanies and really that was to keep or hair from whipping across our faces!
Methinks that we might have over-packed on cold weather gear - although it appears that we might be glad of them tomorrow both literally and metaphorically when we take a bus trip to the Russian border!

The North Cape Plateau soars to 307 metres almost vertically above the Arctic Ocean. The iconic globe sculpture has become the symbol of the North Cape. At the North Cape Hall we viewed a panoramic film about Magerøya Island through the seasons and 'experienced' the northern lights in a light

tunnel. Took a photo with the globe at the top of the earth and another at the marker for the International Hiking Trail from Italy to North Cape - inspired by Francesco Negri an Italian priest who first did this expedition in 1664! Wonder who he was trying to avoid!!In those times, there were no roads (first constructed in the 1950s) and early explorers would have travelled by boat and then scaled a near vertical cliff. Mad or what?

The reindeer are herded by the local Sami people - the indigenous peoples of the Finnmark (across the top of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia). Each year in winter they herd the reindeer to the mainland for feed and then at the start of summer they transport them (by ferry) back to the island. Reindeer are mottled colours in the summer, and have a white coat in the winter. There are some reindeer that have white coats year round - these are albino and have red eyes, and wait for it - red noses! Hello Rudolph!!

There is a Post Office (box) here and you can send postcards stamped with the North Cape - we didn't worry about that.

In 1988, seven children from across the globe were invited

to the North Cape for one week to produce a monument to the 'Children of the Earth' - a symbol of cooperation, friendship, hope and joy.

Sadly the Kysten Restaurant is closed tonight so we have to resort to eating at the buffet bistro. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it is just that our two experiences at the Kysten have been so memorable. On the menu tonight was local Salmon, Reindeer strips in a cream sauce served with mashed potato and

a berry mouse with hazelnut crunch for dessert. These were the three regional specialities for us to try. Of course there was plenty else on offer as well - prawns, crab claws, various cold roast meats and salads. Both Donna and I are so full. We have resorted to two meals per day and still feel like we are over-eating.

Tonight's meal is finished with cheese plates and a sample of the Norwegian Akevitt

(Water of life) which is made from distilled poteter.  This is a harsh liquour with a distinct flavor from a variety of different spices and herbs.  Caraway is by far the most popular, but dill, cardamom, cumin, anise, and fennel are typical ingredients as well. Akevitts vary in color from clear to a light and even caramer colored brown. Some akevitt is aged in oak casks, which give it a brownish hue. The longer it is stored in the oak casks, the darker the hue will be. Norwegian akevitt is aged in oak casks for anywhere from 1-12 years. Clear akevitt is known as “taffel.” Not to everyone's taste.

We have to re-pack our bags now andhave them ready to be off-loaded at the port of Kirkenes in the morning. Wish us luck - they are getting fuller by the day.

Riikka and Runo and the boys are getting excited as we get closer. Tomorrow we will try to arrange a hire car for our trip to Helsinki and we hope to reach Riikka's home in Jyväskylä by Wednesday night.

"Nice to see you Australian's like your mead"

Description

I didn't sleep all that well last night.  Before I had got into a deep sleep we had docked at one of the overnight ports where the Hurtigruten vessels pull in to collect daily food supplies and make freight deliveries.  Our cabin is very close to the gangways - both passenger and freight and for some reason, last night seemed noisier than previous nights. Still, little price to pay for being close to the excursion exit points - literally just outside our door.

When ships pass in the night (and in the day), there are three horns sounded from each vessel. Before you realise this, as the horns sound you start to count, waiting to hear for the evacuation alarm.  Must admit, the first time was a bit alarming as we got to the sixth horn, until you realise that the second round of three blasts sounds different to the first three.  Phew, no need to get wet!


The ship is in and out of open waters at the moment.  You can immediately feel the change without even looking out the window.  When we hit open waters, unprotected from islands, islets or rocks, the swell increase is quite noticeable. 

We are back into the exploring today with two excursions.  Firstly, we are headed for Bodø - the second largest town in northern Norway and home to 70,000 people. 
Bodø lies just north of the Arctic Circle. It is also the end of the line for the Norwegian rail system.


Bodø was bombed in 1944 and assistance was provided by the Swedish government to rebuild parts of the ruined town. In return, the city now has a sector dubbed the Swedish quarter. Today, Bodø is a very fast growing town. There is very little manufacturing. Rather, it is a city of communications, access, tourism and learning. The 'high school' was granted university status a couple of years ago and is now home to 7,000 students. 
There is a very noticeable amount of building and roadworks happening with new civic and private investment happening. Its a nice mix of traditional timber homes and modern high-rise apartments.  

After our whirlwind drive through the streets of Bodø, we leave to drive 30 kms north to the point where we can observe the effects of the Saltstraumen current. 
Our driver and guide Michael was obviously very proud of his home. As we boarded the bus, he handed out samples of Arctic Salt in rather unique little tins. This salt is harvested at Saltstraumen where the ocean currents rush into the fjord.



The Saltstraumen is the strongest tidal current in the world with water speeds reaching up to 22 knots. Up to 400,000,000 cubic metres of seawater forces its way through a 3 km wide strait every 6 hours! The Saltstraumen has existed for about 3,000 years.  Depending on the conditions, there can be up to a 1 metre difference between the level of the seawater and that of the water inside the fjord. Today, we have arrived about halfway in to the turn of the tide and the Saltstraumen is just beginning to develop. If you look very closely, you can see eddies forming at the edge of the current. Too bad we are not 2 hours later when it would beat its peak.  We are told of the maelstroms that can occur and the loss of life over the years. Michael was saying that only yesterday a small ship was pushed on to the rocks when it lost its engine. Both the crew and the ship were saved.


The scenery en-route is a little ho-hum - just kidding! Like the rest of the Norwegian coastline to now, it is a mix of towering mountains that plunge to the sea, small lakes and streams dotted with rocks and rocky outcrops and glacial plains that are farmed and settled. 
The high mountains, like in other parts of the world are the cloud nurseries and we see clouds forming high in the mountain valleys. At times, they tumble over the ridges and cascade down the mountainside.

Out at sea,we can see squalls where it is raining in one view and in the next there is bright sunlight reflected so sharply that we need to squint while looking out the windows.

Back on board we have missed the lunch service.  We could have had an early lunch, or

packed something to take with us, but all we seem to do is eat, so we chose not to have anything after a good breakfast this morning of eggs,sausage, pancake (pikelets) with jam and sweetened whipped butter, yoghurt and fruit.  Instead, we head up to the cafe for a hot drink and the obligatory cake - today's afternoon delight! There are a number of points on board where you can have instant coffee or tea for nought, but personally, would prefer to pay and have the real deal!

We rug up a bit more for our next excursion - an evening journey for a taste of Viking life on the Lofoten Islands.
This trip we journeyed from Stamsund to Borg before continuing to the Lofotr Viking Museum. We are met at Stamsund by our guide Christian, dressed in Viking garb. He tells a good story in preparation for our visit to the local Chieftan's house - a fully restored full sized reconstruction of a traditional Viking home. Chieftan Olaf and his wife Olsen met us at the door. They then introduced us to some of the other members of the household including Olsen's sister - alive for 18 winters, and their slave who had been found by a local farmer as a baby and given to the chieftan when her own family came along. Picture a flamboyant Baldrick and you have him in one!

Into the banquet hall we file where we feasted on a traditional Viking meal of Lamb roasted on the fire, swedes, carrots, barley gruel, 'bread', sour cream and ligonberry conserve. The meat was cut with a knife, but the meal was eaten for the most part with your fingers - much to the chagrin of some of our fellow travellers! Served with goblets of mead and water.  Every time something significant was said, it was time for a toast - a reverberating 'Skul' - and

then a hearty swig of the mead. They generously refilled the goblets of all those who partook a generous swig. True Aussies in style, we celebrated with the chieftan with gusto.  Donna was one of the lucky ones who got to join in the dance at the end of the meal.

All too soon our visit was at an end. The ship had sailed on and we drove for just under an hour to reach it, now docked in Svolvær.

Tonight we are promised something special on the outside deck just before midnight - we are sailing in through the Trollfjord and in this narrow channel, you can almost reach out and touch the cliff walls on either side of the ship!  Coupled with a moon hanging high in the sky over open water, it certainly made sitting up worth it. Too dark for a photo,but forever in our mind's eyes!


Another memorable day in a very memorable part of this beautiful world.