THE ROAD TO TRONDHEIM TAKES US THROUGH HELL

Wed. 29th.June 2016

Tues 28th.June 2016

We have left the wilderness, but not the 24 hr daylight, as we we see the first dual carriageway in over 5 weeks and pass the first McDonald's.  At last I can regularly get into 6th gear.
The day dawns raining but only 120 miles and the roads improve when we hit the E6. Stop for lunch at HELL, which appears to be 6 houses, a railway station and a large out of town shopping mall - so aptly named. The station is the most photographed in Norway, but not by Norwegians who don't understand the reason. Campsite at MALVIK is close to Trondheim and on banks of fjord with gorgeous views. Norwegian schools broke for summer this week so all sites are  getting busy with families. Weather cleared pm and great (almost) sunset. Can't imagine what nightime looks like now.

Wed.29th.June

Coach trip to TRONDHEIM,  with guided tour, very good. Is Norway 3rd largest town but population is only 185000. Very pretty university city, nice cathedral which we tour with very funny guide who talk wonderfully about Norwegian love of raping and pillaging at great length. Much discussion about tomorrow's 200 mile route when it is disvovered that the scenic Atlantic Highway would be an alternative,  a road I had pencilled into my wishlist and thought we would miss. Search on Google produced a route that involved (only) 2 ferries which run every 20 mins so we are again departing from advised plan and going solo....except that 5/6 others think the same including our tour leader. Hopefully it will be a great drive.
We play cards and the GF cleans up, another 2€ in the basket and the slate is clean now and up to date.......but I feel that this is the lull before the storm and our so-far meagre winnings are about to fly home ........

THE ROAD TO HELL IS JUST A LUNCH STOP AWAY.....

CAUGHT IN THE BUSHES WITH REG.....

We were looking for a Geocache, honest....

HARD DAYS DRIVING....

Monday 27th June 2016

Lovely afternoon and evening in MOSJŒN,  we got the bikes off for the first time in ages and cycled around the town and up and down river.....very old traditional houses to be seen, and then a 10 pin bowling alley on the site was commandeered for an impromptu competition in which I signally failed to trouble the scorer.
The days drive had been arduous but Mondays was harder. We've now done 4000 miles and the roads have been difficult for the last 2-3 weeks. Sweden and Finland  had long straight boring roads through zero habitation.  These roads are winding,twisty,up and down and narrow. If there is a central yellow line, each carriageway is a minimum of 3 metres wide  otherwise there is no yellow line. There is seldom a yellow line. A Motorhome  is 2.35 m wide plus mirrors which add 0.4m, so we are 2.75m wide. There has been a lot of traffic and every other vehicle is another motorhome....passing is stressful especially  when you've just paid £500 for a mirror......and then there are the lorries.  They are big and take no prisoners....pedal to the metal and speed limits are for wimps.....and the speed limits change all the time, often with no notification except that at the town limit  it automatically goes to 60kph and 50kph in built up areas without a signpost. ...you are supposed to know this. All this means a low average speed and a tiring and stressful drive...145 miles took over 5 hours of driving today and a lot of people are saying they are feeling the strain, me included and I've got an automatic. .....and seldom been up to 6th gear..and a manual may be hell on these roads.
D&M have found a winning streak at cards and suddenly money is being demanded with menaces as though everything is hunkydory. With exceedingly  good grace I have bitten my tongue regarding non payment of past winnings and paid up 4€ over 2 nights......OK Margaret?  I've said it in public so you can gloat but we have 2 more weeks AND we are still well ahead... them fish still swim round that barrel.
A bizarre picture is circulating of 2 men in a comprising situation......unfortunately  one of them bears an uncanny resemblance to me......

BYE BYE ARCTIC CIRCLE. ..AND BYE BYE ERIC & JANICE

26th June 2016

Saturday 25th June
Up at crack of dawn and arrive ferry terminal 07.00 to find it deserted so we are first in queue for the 09.30 so we have tea and then breakfast as lots of motorhomes arrive after us. We are first on and first off a rather small  roro ferry and the 2 hour crossing for £35  saves us 100kms and is £45 cheaper than the organised 1 hour crossing ....and the drive the other side is stunningly scenic along sky blue fjords. The actual sailing to SKUTVIK  is also wonderful as we have the sunniest day for weeks. The plan was to drive to the next campsite at FAUSKE and have a shower, quick nap, refill the water etc and then head 100 kms south to spend the night at the Arctic Circle crossing where there is a large visitor centre and car park. As the campsite turned out to be a building  site , moving on was an even better option than when first mooted.

So all but 5 units headed south minus Eric & Joyce who had effectively been told to leave the group due to their disruptive behaviour.....Janice had been rude to practically everyone (even the GF on the 2nd. night, so we hardly spoke to them again) and tensions had mounted as I had alluded to earlier. No doubt there will be repercussions for the tour leaders and the organisation but there was a completely different atmosphere immediately.  We also lost another couple,  Andrew and Jackie who had to return home due to a burst water tank in their house and Peter, a guy travelling on his own.....there were issues there as well, and Janice calling him Billy No Mates to his face didn't help.....but that 's the cow she was.
So 14 vans went to 66°33' and when we had all gathered by 21.00, we set our chairs in a big ring (that I christened the Arctic Circle a to less hilarity than it deserved) and a great number of wine boxes appeared, along with a lot of spirits and a very jolly time was had in lovely sunshine till gone midnight when the shadows from the mountains turned the air chilly.
We are of course still in the arctic circle,so we have had full on 24 hour daylight for the last month and I shall be sorry to see it go. The weather for the last 2 days has been terrific and our drive today took us over a mountain pass beneath northern Norway 's highest mountain at 1916 m with a view to the 2nd and 8 th largest glaciers from the park at the top. Nice campsite at MOSJŒN but we are back to civilisation with busy family sites and Norwegians taking full advantage of the light nights.

66°33' WE WILD CAMP OVERNIGHT ON THE ARCTIC CIRCLE

.....and party til dawn

Continued......

24th June 2016

Thursday 23rd June

Excursion day by coach to explore the LOFOTEN.  Excellent weather  and superb coach driver who managed to avoid  demolishing any mirrors in extremely narrow places unlike some others.....
The Viking Museum at BORG was great. ...an original long house. And we had an interesting Q&A session with a young lady from Lithuania doing her PHD on Norse culture at Trondheim ....and a very good viking lunch of lamb stew and mead. Then ABFV (another bloody fishing  village) at NUSFJORD...spectacular setting and a drive round impossible  roads through spectacular scenery before dinner at HENNINGSVAER  at an apparently famous restaurant called
Fiskekrogen. And it was an excellent meal....cod of course as it's pretty big in these parts....and you smell it everywhere as it dries on the frames. The heads go to Nigeria to be ground into flour. There is friction in the group and no I have nothing to do with it. We just iritate D&M by winning at cards.

Friday 24th.june

So it's Out. Sad day, even though we voted out (by proxy) but I think it's correct. The straw poll last night had 27 in,13 out and 2 do t know 's which was a big surprise but a quite a few either live or have property in Europe.
So off at 07.30, breakfast at the bridge of Grimsoy and in LEKNES BY 10.00. Mirror fitted but unexpected problem with electronics for integral satnav and radio antenna which Autotrail incorporate into the offside mirror. Rewiring this was going to be labour intensive and costly so I asked for the original bits to be stripped from the old mirror and I'll Ave them sorted in the UK.  Then discovered mirror is for a LHD vehicle so it sits too far back when in locked position. Nothing I can do except wedge a bung under the arm so it sits further forward without moving when vibrating when driving......technical stuff.
And of course it set me back 5575 krona which at last month's rate was £490 and god knows what that will be today... the € hit 1.48 in the middle of Wednesday night and is dwn to 1.18 this morning.  Parity next week ?
And now we have left the tour like many others, having decided to take a different route and ferry from organised one and will meet up with them tomorrow as we cross the Arctic circle back to civilisation.  Tonight we are parked outside the Vestfjord Hotel in SVOLVAER who have a waterfront park for motorhomes and we will attempt to get the ferry to SKUTVIK in the morning without reservations  (they  only allow 40% capacity to be booked and it's full.

HIGHS AND LO(WS)FOTEN

Thursday 23rd June 2016...Referendum day...in or out

Wed.22nd.june. .....a low day
A day at leisure but we are miles from anywhere so have to drive out for fun. The obvious is to Å, a town at the very bottom of the LOFOTEN ISLANDS and a box needing ticking for some reason. The advised "60 odd miles" turned out to be exactly 100 miles each way on roads not too wide for the last 30 miles and virtually single track for the last 10, more of which anon. The weather was glorious and the scenery to die for. ..absolutely  magnificent....and if the road was better it would be the best drive ever. Plan A had been to take D&M but they decided not to at the last moment which was wise in hindsight as the journey on the sideways bench seats sans seat belts would not have been pleasant and probably dangerous. Å itself is an interesting old wooden building fishing village, reserved and maintained and still working at catching and drying cod on huge wooden frames.....there's a lot of them about. It also has a traditional bakery selling the most delicious cinnamon buns from a small wood burning oven and which are a must buy experience for which there is a long queue. The place is tourist heaven, coaches,motorhomes,backpackers and cyclists. In fact all of LOFOTEN is packed with motorhomes ,coaches,cyclists and backpackers which is how one of them took off my offside mirror on the return journey. A positive side of driving a RH drive vehicle on the right is that you know exactly how close in to the kerb you are. He came round a bend much to fast, I was nearly stationary and we both saw him coming right at us. Previously mirrors just clip and the protectors save them serious damage but this one was so close that it took the whole thing off and scattered bits 50 yards down the road....he stopped a hundred yards further on and we met picking up bits....no language in common and he wasn't conciliatory  but neither was I so we went our separate  ways.. I managed to find enough bits to cobble together so that I had an excuse for a mirror....the glass was all cracked in both parts but at least held together so I could see anything overtaking or coming up behind.  So I drove to LEKNES where I had spotted an Esso station on the way down that was cheaper than the rest and after refuelling asked the cashier if there was a Fiat garage in town....Luckily there was one 100 yds away and to cut a long story they can help. Hadn't got one in stock but had 2 on order for Thursday,  as they can get through 5 (!!!) a week in the summer...."too many motorhomes on too narrow roads". So I'm going back on Friday (50 miles each way) as Thursday is an excursion day.....tbc

Whale of a time (2)

Due to public demand, I publish some whale photos. These are from Codi who emailed them to me as my own are on the sd card and I can't download them until I have a computer rather than a tablet. They are similar to my own so I thought I would upload them so that an expectant audience could share the moment.

Wonderfull

This is the blowing bit actually. ..

....And Another

THAR SHE BLOWS......

A WHALE OF A TIME....Pass the sick bag Alice

Monday 20th . June 2016

It wasn't raining when we started but that didn't last.....and Derek 's got the bit between his teeth since bring introduced to geocaching. So he drove  us to ANDENES and we spent 2 hours finding 4 caches around the town. The last proved problematic until Martin,  a young German doing his PHD at Trondheim on hydro power turned up and helped us find it in return for clues to the one in Main Street,which was a tricky little magnetic cache under an electricity box that M found.. Anyway we got soaking wet 2 hours before we set foot on a boat.......
The forecast was for improvements but they hardly materialised and although the sea looked calm, the WhaleSafari boat (an ex trawler, fitted out for 80 punters) rocked and rolled someting rotten. I had taken 2 Stugeron and just about held my own ; the GF  didn't.
However,  on the bright side, we saw 4 sperm whales .....the 1st disappeared  before the cameras
were out of the bags but then 3 appeared over the next hour and we got very close. Thanks to the captain's experience we were warned of their impending dive so I have 3 photos of tail flukes of which I am quite proud .....not publishable until I can download them from the sd card in the camera. Box ticked. Great thrill, and even whilst feeling under the weather the GF did stagger to the rail to see the magnificent  beasts close up.. very good operation from the whale safari people who did everything possible to help and were well worth the money. Trip also included a guided tour of their museum which was most informative.  Weather improved pm and views are fantastic.

A LITTLE BIT NORTH OF NOWHERE......

Sunday 19th June 2016

Lovely weather all through Sweden when there was nothing to see and 48 hours of rain,mist and clouds when we hit the most scenic road in Norway. Sod's law. Something else to dislike about Sweden.
Arrived in GULLESFJORD in the rain and saw nothing and left in the rain. Drove north through fantastic scenery that we never saw to STAVE. At least it stopped raining early afternoon but the temperature is 5.6°....we are still well inside the arctic circle and have moved north again
The site is lovely (apart from extremely dodgy electrics when the voltage dropped as everyone arrived and turned on heaters,fridges etc which caused fridges to malfunction and control panels to sound alarms )with huge hot tubs in big mounds of earth, resembling volcanoes, but the wind is from the arctic and it would take a brave man to venture forth......but then the German who ran down to the beach and dived into the sea would probably disagree.
Saw an eagle on the drive and then a sea eagle was sitting on the rocks 100 m out from the campsite.....and we have Peter the twitcher with an enormous thing on a tripod that looks like a bazooka. ...
We are here 2 nights and we have booked to go on a whale safari on Monday. ...whale sighting guaranteed or your (not inconsiderable ) money back....the weather may improve marginally but the temperature will not increase so the GF will be utilising all her extensive cold weather wardrobe..
When playing cards tonight the incentive was that the losing family drove everybody to ANDENES to the whale  safari termial so guess who won't be driving tomorrow. ...to say that M accepted defeat graciously would not be accurate since at one point she referred to the GF as Miss CockyArse.....a strange term of endearment .......
An hour ago the weather out to sea (northwards ) was looking good but another front is moving in and big back clouds are hoving into view....the seasick pills may be needed.

NICE EFFECT NEAR TROMSO

NO...THIS IS RAIN,DEAR

Saturday 18th June 2016

We head for the LOFOTEN ISLANDS. A 200 mile day so we leave at cracking of dawn for the first time...07.30. Should have been a cracking day scenery - wise  but the clouds were 3ft. above our heads and it rained for 24 hours and is still raining. The site is fabulous at GULLESFJORD if the sun was shining . Tonight it looks like Loch Lomond in winter ......and a bad winter at that.  Shame, but you can't win them all.

VIEW OF TROMSO.....ARCTIC CATHEDRAL IN CENTRE

THERE'S A MOOSE LOOSE ABOOT THIS HOOSE. .....

Friday 17th June 2016

The older readers will make the connection but for younger or less cultured followers this merely introduces the sighting, after 2700 miles and 2700 signs exhorting us to be aware of them, of a Moose.  Not a painted,stuffed,wooden or cardboard version but a real,  living ,breathing moose. Reindeers?  2 a penny. So prolific,  herds galloping over the hillsides , that we only get excited about sheep and cows. But a Moose?  So conditioned have we become to being warned about their ubiquitous nature and yet not a single specimen having been spotted  that they have aquired the status of unicorns in the group. But today we saw one standing by the road..and it moved realstically,  not like a Sony model type moose from Disney world. ...but the coach wizzed past as everyone  screamed, tried to find their cameras and groaned as it disappeared behind us. Box ticked.
TROMSO. Weather was kind and lovely drive by coach ..130 kms. .. Paris of the north...NOT.....but a nice town, largest city in the north, capital of  the Arctic etc. Beautiful setting on its own island, nice bridge.
The Polar Museum very good (great stuff abut polar exploration and especially Amundson, favourite son), nice cathedral.  Nice buffet lunch, we took optional tour with 7 others to visit to Botanic Gardens rather than retail therapy in expensive shopping malls which was a correct decision...it meant we missed the hysteria of the King and Queen arriving on Royal Yacht next to where our coach was parked and only had to put up with resulting traffic jam that produced gridlock in Tromso. Thank you, your Highnesses .
For those interested, I picked up 5 caches, my best haul in a single day yet but Reg & Vee got 6...only 2 in common though.
Drive back was disappointing as rain set in and our views of the Lyngyn Alps was much restricted
,

A LONG DAYS DRIVE...

Thursday 16th June 2016

The 180 mile drive to SKIBOTN should have been easy and scenic and the first half was only marred by the almost continual roadworks as the E6 is apparently being upgraded. The scenery was beautiful,the sun shone but the roadworks were a nightmare. And then after we climbed up the mountain side we ran into a different weather system amongst the low clouds. The sun disappeared for the rest of the day and we had a lot of rain. Tantalisingly, the occasional snow cloud peaks could be glimpsed high above us but the clear blue waters of the fjords turned to slate grey.
Still, we've been incredibly lucky so far so mustn't grumble.
SKIBOTN is not particularly pretty on a damp & cloudy day, but after losing at cards for the first time in 3 weeks.....although no money has changed hands for many a day....
I hiked up the hillside behind us with Reg&Vee to find a cache near a waterfall. The GPS said 0.8 miles but forgot to point out that it was 0.8 upwards as the crow flew. The round trip was just under 3 miles but as it had stopped raining it was almost pleasant and the waterfall at HENGEN quite majestic. A day trip to TROMSO by coach tomorrow.

THE FALLS AT HENGE. ...

A steep hike with Reg&Vee to find a Geocache above the town of SKIBOTN

5000 yr.old rock art

WEIRD HORIZON AT NORDKAPP

JUST GETS BETTER......

Wednesday 15th June 2016
The sun still shines.....

Tuesday 14th June 2016

Left the camp at SKIPSFJORDEN,  stopped at HONNINGSVAG for restocking at the supermarket that sells everything then drove back 100kms to RUSSENES  (there is only one road) before splitting off towards TROMSO.  Easy road with great views, weather cloudy and overcast but sun arrived as we arrived at ALTA, our home for the next 2 nights. Largest town in the north, on the ALTA fjord and a pleasant campsite. Fairly disharmonious evening meeting over arrangements for next nights group meal which means we all have to drive to the hotel, it being too far to walk and cycling not a good option.... things got heated and several underlying currents surfaced...

Wednesday 16th June 2016

Cracking day, cracking weather,lot of boxes ticked. I decided the best thing to do re the meal fiasco, was to go out in the van all day then park at the hotel to avoid all the palaver.
So first to KATJORD  and the Tirpitz museum which was well worth a detour as Mr.Michelin used to say. The German north Atlantic fleet was based in the ALTA fjord and the Tirpitz was targeted and then sunk in the Kaafjord, having never seen a naval battle. Jolly good little private  museum,  very nice owner who chatted a lot and an informative film narrated by Ludovic Kennedy. Lunch by the fjord where the Tirpitz was sunk, next to remains of German gun defences.
Then onto the ALTA  Museum which is mainly open air, and which has 00's of rock carvings between 3-6000 years old. Took the whole afternoon to walk the 2 miles through a stunning landscape at the foot of the fjord with vista's of snow capped mountains. The sun shone and it was a beautiful and interesting setting. The indoor museum was also top notch, inluding the rest rooms housed n the underground bomb shelter which all public buildings had to install up to 1980 someting.  Although now not required to be built those already built must be maintained and Norway has space for 50% of its 5m. population in these shelters.....so when the tanks roll, head to Norway.
Back to ALTA and park at hotel and walk to city centre to see the magnificent cathedral....the organist was practising and at 17.30 we were the only ones there so it was a bit magical. Located the last ATM for days for cash as Norway really is expensive......2 teas in a cafe costs £9
Nice evening meal, good fresh food but not remarkable.

WOW !!!!...WHAT A NIGHT TO EXPERIENCE. .....something to tell the grandchildren

MSunday 12th June 2016

Wow ....where to start? Firstly it was worth the boring drive 10 times over. It was everything we had hoped for and more and we were blown away by the experience. Box ticked.

We left RUSSENES campsite at Older fjord fairly late as it was a short drive to SKIPSFJORDEN, Nr HONNINGSVAG, only 100kms and no point getting there before midday. The route was teriffic, and included our first taste of Norwegian road tunnels. The first one,the Nordkapp tunnel  takes us onto the island, and is 7km long and dimly lit. 2 way traffic,  watch out for cyclists and reindeer sheltering. Not very wide and many motorhome on the move of all sizes.
Everyone agreed that this was unpleasant. The other long one of 4 kms, the HONNINGSVAG tunnel was much better lit with a centre line and white lined edges. Several smaller tunnels all OK apart from transition sunlight to darkness. Bu we survived and reached "campsite" around 14.30.  I use the word campsite in inverted commas as it is a large asphalt car park with electricity boxes and dodgy connections.  Good showers in  hut . At 16.00, Codi & Jacqui povide an appetiser of hot soup and ham on rye bread (high we helped prepare long with others ) and at 18.00 we set off in convoy as the tickets for the entrance to the Nordkapp facilties for all of us have to be purchased by Codi when we arrive. The 25 km drive is spectacular.  Rugged, savage mountains and hillsides, steep drops to lakes, snow in abundance, herds of reindeer roaming and views of the sea beyond . The road winds and snakes, up and down through the mountains and the line of 22 motorhomes strung out over about 3/4 mile looked wonderful . We arrived at Nordkapp about 18.30 to find it incredibly full of motorhomes,coaches,motorbikes etc although the parking area is huge and the parking is random (lots of Germans of course) so it seemed fuller than it was. The weather was distinctly cold, around 2°, windy and the cloud was heavy with occasional short showers. We parked, on ramps as the ground sloped, silver screens on to help as much as possible.  No electricity of course so everything on gas. We all went straight to the iconic globe sculpture for a group photo which was taken about 19.20
At 20.00 we went with Reg&V, D&M to meet  very jolly German couple called Michael & Marion, who Reg had discovered had been  holding a geocaching event which finished at midnight Saturday but was happy to extend it by 24 hours when he heard we would be there on sunday. So we took lots of pictures, swapped lots of Trackable and generally did things that most people reading  this haven't a clue what I'm talking about........
Back to the van at 21.00 for dinner and to warm up.
We roamed the site a bit. Lots of very interesting things like the children's coins, and the centre is a fantastic building to explore. As we were getting ready to go out again around 23.30 to be there at midnight, the sun suddenly broke the clouds magnificently. We rushed to the globe and the area was heaving with humanity. Many people arrive by coach from cruise ships for a couple of hours then leave straight after midnight. With the sun shining brilliantly the atmosphere was electric as midnight approached. ...lt was like new years Eve.  At the stroke of midnight you could hear the  sound of thousands of shutters clicking , mine included, and people were laughing,kissing,shaking hands and slapping each other on the back...
Our friend Michael told us that this was his 5th visit and the first time he had actually seen the sun fully at midnight, so it really is the luck of the draw.
Codi & Jacqui produced boxes of wine and we all shouted happy new year and grinned like children...
Next a spot of geocaching  (sorry, but I'm  becoming hooked) then we explored the centre which is like an iceberg with much of it below in the rock. A long tunnel goes down to sea level and in it there is a cinema with a fabulous wraparound screen showing the northern lights and Norwegian life; a cave of lights with a 4 seasons son et lumiere which was mind blowing; a museum to the king of Thailand who I visited in 1907; tableaux depicting the history of Nordkapp;  and a small chapel.
We finally headed back to the van at 01.30 after a truly amazing....and I use the word with no apologies. ...experience.  It made the whole trip.
And we didn't freeze to death overnight.

Monday 13th June 2016

Did not rise early. Had breakfast under blue skies and sunhine and the sea as calm as a mill pond.  The low clouds on the horizon were reflected in a bizarre way. The crowds had all long gone so we explored more underground.  Unfortunately the viewing platform at sea level was closed as it is still packed with snow and ice. So I joined the The Royal North Cape Club, membership no. 46727, which means I can visit for free for life and use the club lounge. All the money from membership goes to the Nordkapp community which seemed like a good cause and I have a very impressive certificate to hang on my wall.
We left around 11.30 after city went back and bought yet another polo shirt, and went to SKARSVAG, the most northerly fishing village in Europe,  and hiked over fells to find the Kirksporten, a large arch like Durdle Door in Dorset. Glorious sunshine,freezing wind, stunning views.

MIDNIGHT IN NORDKAPP

IT'S REALLY COOL IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. ....

Saturday 11th June 2016

They said that Norway was different and they were right. As soon as we had crossed the border (customs officers having signally failed to search us let alone uncover the contraband alcohol being illegally imported, which means we should have brought more) the scenery changed dramatically  and suddenly  we were looking at mountains, snow, glaciers and clear blue skies. The drive from INARI to OLDER FJORD was absolutely stunning and made up for 2 weeks of Swedish trees. The weather couldn't have been better, following the snows of Thursday and we are camped on the waterline with views to die for.
We stopped on the way at a place near LAKSELV which had been the site of the largest German hospital in northern Europe during Ww2 servicing casualties on the Russian front. When they retreated in 1944 in response to the advancing Russian army they adpopted the same scorched earth policy as in Finland and destroyed the whole complex by firing and blowing it up. What remained has been left and never touched and remains as a testament . I only discovered it's existence through looking for caches along the road, and one had been placed here with a brief history of the site,so we stopped to have a look and find the cache. Whilst all the buildings were flattened, much of their contents still lie rusting and it is a very moving place to walk around.....
The campsite is overflowing, and has many chalets for the coach parties heading to NORDKAPP......the road doesn't go anywhere else and virtually every vehicle is a Motorhome or coach.
Climbed the hill behind the campsite after dinner to log another cache and the views were 360° stunning.
We shall be in the campsite at HONNINGSVAG early afternoon on Sunday  and the plan is to leave there at 18.00 to drive the 15km together to NORDKAPP.
Hopefully we will congregate around 19.00 for a group photo at the Globe so if you wish to see us, log into the Nordkapp webcam and you can rewind it back until you find us. We will have a 24 hr ticket so I do not intend returning to the campsite until we have to. If the sun isn't visible on Sunday night because of clouds we will stay through Monday night as well. Being there at midnight is the norm but the sunset/sunrise optimum timing is between 01.15 and 02.15 so I shall hope to get photos around then.  Greatly looking forward to this,  hope the weather stays like it is now.

RUSSENES 2

RUSSENES CAMPING.....OLDER FJORD, NORWAY

11th June 2016

About 100 miles south of NORDKAPP and the sun is shining and the snow glistens on the mountain tops

INARI LAKE .....10th June 2016....11.30pm

Just had a superb meal at the local hotel with D&M, REG&V and Codi & Jaqui.  We all had the reindeer steaks which were excellent.  Not like venison, but better than a fillet steak, very tender and succulent.  Jolly good company and great conversation on important matters affecting Europe.

INARI LAKESIDE......QUICK DIP AFTER A SAUNA ?

Summer in Lapland

Eskimo Nell...

WHO'S BRIGHT IDEA WAS THIS?

Thursday 9th June 2016

We know the forecast was snow but we all laughed and said it'll be flurries in the rain.....didn't expect a full scale blizzard,minus 1° and snow everywhere. The electrics on the site are iffy and kept tripping as everyone turned on everything they could. The forecast said winds of 20mph but they were stronger than that and from the NNE the windchill  factor made it feel like -4.
But we survived the night and at 10.15 put on every bit of clothing to brave the elements for a visit to the reindeer farm..there was a certain amount of hysteria in the jocularity on the bus as the snow got thicker, was settling on the hillsides and the windscreen was covered in ice.....
The GF got her wish to see what the landscape looked like in winter......but wished she hadn't.
We even dug out the waterproof over - trousers,  bought 10 years ago for emergencies, stored in a locker and never used.
This reindeer farm was v.interesting and we stoically went into the woods to feed them despite horizontal freezing snow. The talk on Sami life and culture was good, the tea and coffee round the open fire in wooden teepee - like house very welcome.  We then had lunch at the local hotel which was so good that nearly  everyone has booked to eat there on Friday night...apparently the reindeer steaks are renowned.
By 2pm the snow turned to rain and then stopped as the temperature rose to 3° and a weak sun appeared though the wind had not abated.  We walked to a local museum, saw a presentation on the northern lights and an excellent  explanation of the ecology, culture, climate and history of Lapland. Very good displays and photography although a mite wordy for some tastes. Short walk back to the campsite where we are assured the electrics will work if we all exercise restraint......

Bloody Hell ...it's snowing

ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.......

Wednesday 8th June 2016

When I said that the drive to ARVIDSJAUR was the last of the long drives I had missed that today's drive to INARI was 205 miles. This was going to be the first scenic road that we drove but with 100% cloud cover about 20ft. above the trees,driving rain and a fierce NNE wind we saw nothing. The wind at INARI is off the lake (Finland 's largest) and is coming at 20mph from the North Pole. It is very old and snow forecast from 23.00 tonight. And who forgot to pack the snow chains ?. Fortunately we are here for 3 days and it should clear up by Saturday but tonight will be interesting as we are 2 ft from the waters edge and the waves are splashing the van now. As I struggled to get the silver screens on the velcro tab securing them round the door mirror ripped off and needs stitching back. Some gaffer tape now holds them in place.
We also failed to spot any herds of reindeer for which this road has an unwanted reputation for reindeer motor accident fatalities.... our notes state quite explicitly that killing reindeer is illegal and if you do, the first thing you have to do is ring the police to report yourself before phoning any other agency. Apparently there are 5000 reindeer killed by motorists annually as they sleep on the roads for warmth.....which is why all local cars have 3 or 4 spotlights on a bumper bar to pick up the eye reflections during darkness.
So we are now approximately 200 miles above the Arctic Circle and the scenery is still bloody trees except the lakes are bigger and the last 20 miles from IVALO was hillier and twister.
We stopped at a roadside craft shop and I bought a little handmade ethical thingy for all the Bowdidge males which will be revealed in July.  Bet you can't wait and you'll never guess......
Anyway we're off to yet another reindeer farm tomorrow. ...I don't know why, bu it includes lunch which may be a reindeer steak.....
We are just 50km from the Russian border (actually passed a signpost to Murmansk ) and have been warned that there is no border post at Nellim,   a pretty Lap  village worth visiting but driving on past the village is likely to cause an incident. We have albeit out of date Russian visas which cost a lot of money and I'm very tempted to try and get my money's worth......

FINLAND,FINLAND ,FINLAND, THE COUNTRY WHERE I WANT TO BE

Tuesday 7th.June 2016

Actually, Monty Python got it right,  and it's very nice. ROVANIEMI is trying very hard to be a nice place in the middle of nowhere on the road to the end of Europe &  I suspect  the work/life balance is good here. I can be sniffy about Santa Park but it makes a lot of people happy and gives a lot of work to locals and brings in much income. I calmed down after the GF and I went to the Arktikum, the museum of Lapland, which had excellent displays on the history of the Laps, the indigenous Sami people, the story of the role of Finland in Ww2 when they appear to have been shafted by everyone , and was one the best museums we've visited. The city, which by a strange quirk is the largest in Europe, was rebuilt after the war having been completely destroyed by a German scorched earth policy, is a very pleasant place.
We restocked at Lidls today as from tomorrow we are heading into the far north and trading posts will be few and far between for the next 2 weeks.  I'm looking forward to it immensely, even though we have a couple of days of bad weather forecast, including snow on Thursday.........

GOODBYE SWEDEN.....HELLO FINLAND

Monday 6th June 2016
Finally we leave Sweden, pausing only to divest ourselves of Swedish Krona at a fuel station that took cash rather than a card as the currency is changing and we are warned not to take notes out of the country after 30th June as it may be a problem exchanging them and we won't be home till July.
Sweden  never figured on my list of place to go and so has not disappointed......actually it has.....I think it may be the most boring place we've ever been and I shall  certainly never return....a weekend break in Stockholm  is about 2 days too long......driving is so tedious - easy but boring.
So today e crossed into Finland .......actualy nd guess what? ......it was just  like sweden but a it run down. Nice campsite on river
Then they ruined the day by taking us on a coach excursion  to Santa Land followed by a cultural visit to the reindeer farm and a traditional crossing the Artic Circle ceremony dreamed up by some marketing whizz kid to part tourists from their euros. And today is the first day of real 24 hour daylight when the sun never dips below the horizon......I'm sitting here at 23.15 and the sun is still well above trees.
Won another 2€ and were paid on time....it's like shooting fish in a barrel.

AN AUTHENTIC CULTURAL EXPERIENCE. ....NOT

Even more reindeer. ...

CROSSING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE AT SANTA LAND. ...DON'T SAY A WORD

After the Sami ceremony for crossing the Arctic circle

Do you feel stupid or what....

MORE RAIN, DEAR....?

Saturday 4th . June  2016
Actually the sun just keeps shining on us. Reindeer herd sitting by the road just for Margaret who had failed so far to take any reindeer photos....the GF thought they were cows and was commenting on how few bovines we had seen. There was even a white one which are lucky and you make a wish. To LULEÀ via the rapids at STORFORSEN which are higher, longest,biggest in Scandinavia, Europe, the world depending on which publicity you read. They are however spectacular and well worth the detour. We also visited the Lappstaden village of original wooden church cottages, still used several times a year.
Campsite at luleà pleasant enough on river but  a bit out of town. D&M for dinner, win again and eventually get the 2€. Soon be able to afford a bottle of beer.

Sunday 5th June 2016
At leisure. We cycle with others to nearby wooden church village...older and biggest...for National Day cultural celebration. Buy honey for 120 krona, twice the price of England and 4 times that of andalucia and have bbq skewers. V tasty. Give up on culture after exhibition of line dancing to rock n roll and cycle back. Got lost going and lost returning, only rescued by other waifs and strays unable to read map......actually map was OK,  just no signs on the paths.
Tomorrow we'll cross the Artic Circle, temperature still holding up around the 12-13° and the sun still shines.

IT'S A WEIRD THING.....

I love this 24 hour daylight thing.
Others have a problem  with it but I love sitting here at 23.30 in broad daylight...glass of wine, Art Blakey on the music system, looking at the view down the estuary to the sea whilst all around are cocooned in their mobile homes with all the blinds drawn trying to keep the light out.
I couldn't live here of course because the other side of the coin is 24 hour night-time which would drive me to suicide....I've  always thought that and having experienced the 24 hour daylight I know it's true...I want to go out now and walk about doing things but it's nearly midnight and everybody  else has gone to bed so shhhh!! Actually  I might be a bit pissed (I won at cards tonight (2€) but the  money hasn't changed. hands yet but we'll give them 24 hours before I go public)
It's midnight and 100% daylight.  I'm going to bed.

IS THAT RAIN,DEAR?....NO,IT'S JUST A REINDEER

3rd June 2016

Thursday
At leisure in SOLLEFTEÅ. An uninteresting town but nice riverside parks with cycle tracks. The weather has been gorgeous since last Saturday with temps in the mid - high 20's and clear blue skies.....still light at 23.30 or 02.30.....but we're getting further north and snow forecast at Nordkapp this weekend. The scenery has improved...but not a lot. There are so many pine trees but when we pass a lake, the water is a beautiful deep blue. Passing lakes often but the trees are endless, lots of pine and silver birch. We had a nice cycle ride along the river,round an island and through the town. Have had a rear/brake light go on the Thule bike carrier. They are a Swedish company but can I find a replacement. ....clear bulbs a plenty but this is red and nobody sells them. Have resorted to a clear bulb and red marker pen and emailing Thule HO.  They sent me to a dealer in the town who sold the same rack as mine (2 other people have similar racks which also have red bulbs)but they looked blank even though the raks on sale had the identical bulbs. I toured all the auto garages with no result. Have sent strongly worded email to Thule threatening Twitter/Facebook/YouTube exposure ...as if I knew how to.
Nice dinner in the camp restaurant at very reasonable price apart from the GF'S glass of wine which was nearly the same price as her dinner......I am being very well behaved and not drinking before driving days as the limit is so low as to be nil. Well nearly every driving day.

Friday
Last of the long drives, 230 miles to ARVIDSJAUR. Passed a sign saying Nordkapp 1021kms but we are going by a more circuitous route via the Swedish coast and Finland.
Weather still cloudless blue skies but temp dropped to 13. It'll be cold tonight.
And having signally failed to see a Moose we saw 2 herds of reindeer including some young and a calf that ran across the road in front of me....I thought it was a goat kid at first until we spotted the adults in the ditch at the side of the road...very hard to see as we had been warned. Unable to stop for photo with cars behind but managed a few shots of the larger herd we saw later disappearing in the woods. We are now off the motoways/dual carriageways on A/B roads and with the lack of towns,habitation and traffic progress is very good and the 230 miles was much easier than had been anticipated looking at the map. Reg&V are very helpful re the Geocaching and the Travel Bug I picked up in Stockholm is now progressing northward with reports of its progress. It started in Ile De France in October 2015 with a goal of getting to Buxton in Australia. So far it has travelled over 3000 miles through 125 stages.
Lost at cards but evened up the score by only paying 2 Krona so now up just the 2€ over 13 days.

STENO CAMPSITE..10.15 pm

TYRED OUT......

STENO,Sweden

TYRED AND EMOTIONAL. ....2 DAYS OF TRAUMA AND A SWEDISH BLOWOUT.

Wed 1st.june 2016

Tuesday
The day started well with more lovely sunshine and a forecast of 24° but then I hit the roadworks  where they had left something like a triple sleeping  policeman, 12" high at 20mph.
Derek who was following said I  went 4ft in the air. The resulting return to earth shook us rigid and I was convinced that major damage was done. Happily the only casualties were the cycle rack number plate which is now attached with cable ties, and the clothes racks in the shower which dislodged their contents onto the floor......the the GF decided to turn on the electrics, incl the water pump, and as the falling clothes had caught he shower handle,  pulling it on,  she managed to subject a lot of clothes to a shower.......been here before.  Shutting everything down limited the damage to a mere wetting rather than a soaking.....hey ho.
No major damage was evident, although the cycle rack must have been subject o an incredible  force and was worrying ......
Rest of the day was another monotonous drive, no elks, until 30 miles from STENO the landscape changed dramatically and the campsite was a joy........on a lake, lovely scenery,  just what we came for.....could have stayed here for 2 days rather than Stockholm. .....
Wednesday
Another bright and sunny morning.......
I was in front on an undulating,scenic road,  unlike the last 10 days, when I realised that Derek  was not appearing in my mirrors.  Pulled over to wait and when they didn't appear after 5 mins, turned back. ....just as the phone rang to say that they had had a blow out and where sitting on the road behind us. Others had stopped when they saw them and a lot of others  from our group  and other motorhomers on the road slowed down to offer assistance which was heartwarming to say the least. We contacted the Swedish breakdown service and the AA in France who were brilliant in coordinating events and liased with the Swedes to set up an account of £1000 credit to cover the cost of recovery which was likely to cost 5000 SEK, about £500....so top marks to Safeguard Ins (our insurers too) and the AA. The rescue truck arrived in about 2 hours, removed the the wheel and to D to a depot for a new tyre ...1300 SEK or £120..
Luckily, D had stopped before the tyre completely left the rim otherwise the resulting flailing would have removed a large chunk of plastic bodywork and maybe damaged the shock absorbers. So we sat on the E4 amongst very heavy traffic for another hour until they returned .
Setting off in high spirits, in 2 km we discovered the E4 to be completely shut down due to a major accident so another frustrating delay and then the Tomtom figured a way round that all the locals knew anyway.....so single track road with 45 tonne lorries in each direction....hey ho.

So our 3 hour drive became an 8 hour drive. Everybody was fantastic and D&M entertained all  and sundry to say thank you. Excellent campsite at SOLLEFTEÅ,again lakeside.

Played bridge last night and lost but refused to part with any money on principle.....so still ahead, and with the prices around here it's just as well.

Lunch Al fresco......

Not the best place to stop......

Oops!!!