Tuesday 9th June
Today is a day with no driving, we are free to visit the city or whatever. My first duty is to fix the bike rack. Fortunately, the manager of the site has given me a map with details of two caravan dealers and one large car accessory retailer. I decided to try the biggest caravan dealer first and was immediately in luck; there on the rack was the bracket that I needed. Cash handed over and the offending item was soon in my grubby little hand.
We had coffee when I got back and then walked into the city for some retail therapy. Following the visit to the shops we walked onto the Arktik Museum, which comprehensively told visitors all about Arctic life and it’s nature. There are film shows showing the Aurora Borealis and a time-lapsed film of a year in the Arctic. This is a large museum and really requires two days to make the most of it. There is a terrific amount of information that at times seems to be an overload.
Wednesday 10th June
Today we drive across the Arctic Circle and therefore enter the Land of the Midnight Sun. We shall not now see a sunset until 28th June when we cross south of the Arctic Circle again.
The drive from Rovaniemi to Inari is a long one; just over 200 miles, but the scenery and traffic-free roads make it easy. On the way we see several reindeer at the side of the road and at one time have to brake heavily to avoid one of the stupid animals that attempted to bolt across the road.
Before we arrive at Inari, we took a detour to the summit of one of Finland’s highest mountains (438 Metres), we would call it a hill. From a look-out platform at a geological triangulation point it is possible to see the Russian border. Russia is only about 40km from here, we have been advised that it is very easy to stray into Russia, but as we do not have visas it is very difficult to get back out.
The further North we travel, the more the scenery changes. The trees are becoming shorter and less of them as their growth is stunted by permafrost. Currently the permafrost is about 1 metre below the surface, but as we get closer to North Cape we shall come to full permafrost where trees cannot grow. The other change in the scenery is the number of lakes. Finland has in the region of 180,000 lakes, most of them in the northern part of the country.
The campsite at Inari is rustic to say the least with slightly crude facilities. The electric is only 6Amp and the water supply is interesting. We are right beside the water on the banks of Lake Inari, mosquitoes come free with your pitch.
Thursday 11th June
Today we have a coach trip to a Sami reindeer farm, where those that wish have the opportunity to get touchy feely with the reindeer and are invited to feed them. I decided to watch, but Val did feed the reindeer. Personally, I do not agree with petting farms of any type. Following the reindeer petting, we were invited into a traditional Sami building where we learnt more about the Sami culture and were treated to some traditional singing. On the return journey we were dropped at the local Hotel for lunch. The food was excellent as was the choice.
Following lunch we visited the Siida Museum, which is dedicated to further understanding of the Sami people and their lifestyle; and the flora and fauna in this hostile environment. There is an open-air exhibition, which shows the typical dwellings and associated buildings. Life is certainly very harsh in these parts.
There is a ferry boat on the lake which provides fast transport to outlying communities either on the banks or on some of the larger islands.
Friday 12th June
A very quiet day, just some shopping and then resting. A chance to recharge our bodily batteries. In the evening 15 of us visited the local restaurant for an excellent meal largely consisting of Reindeer steak. Having never tried Reindeer or even venison before I was very impressed. The meat was extremely tender with a rich, but not over-rich taste.
Saturday 13th June
We head closer to Northkapp today. Our journey took us across the border into Norway and onwards to Olderfjord. We were assured that as soon as we crossed into Norway the scenery would change and what a dramatic change. Suddenly there were hills and in the distance snow-capped mountains. Our first ever Fjord started about 50 miles north of the border and continues past where we are stopped right up to Nordkapp, another 75 miles. Although the scenery isn’t as dramatic as some of the more famous fjords, it is none the less a dramatic change from Finland. The vastness of the waterway is staggering.
Sunday 14th June
Today is the day for the final stage before the North Cape. We travelled from Olderfjord to NordKapp Camping just outside Honningsvag. We thought that we would never get there so stunning was the scenery. Around every bend was a new jaw-droppingly stunning vista. Every couple of kilometres we stopped to take more pictures. Waterfalls, Reindeer, snow capped hills, such was the variety of the views. This land is so vast and so wild.
We arrived at the site at lunchtime, giving us time to prepare for the raison d’etre of the trip; to visit North Cape. At first we took a walk up to the fresh water lake across the road from the site to view the associated waterfall and stream. Following that our tour guide, Jackie, fed us with her speciality home-made pea and ham soup accompanied by a Dutch dish of bacon on a malt bread. We were also honoured to be able to catch a glimpse of a White Tailed Fish Eagle as it soared above the site.
To get to the North Cape it was necessary for us to travel in convoy. The sight of 19 motorhomes and 3 cars travelling in convoy for about 15 miles was a sight to behold. Many passengers in vehicles travelling in the opposite direction were taking video and photos. On arrival at North Cape, Codi met us with our tickets to the centre. Four of us with motorhomes parked in a square ready to provide some degree of wind protection for the barbeque that we had planned for later. When I say planned, what I actually mean is that I mentioned my intention to have a barbeque to everyone else and many of the group decided to join in.
Our first duty was to gather at the Globe statue for a group photo; this then led to many individual photos to commemorate the event. Following that we were free to roam the site for a few hours before meeting up again at Midnight. The North Cape Centre is vast with many attractions; restaurants, cafes, film shows, souvenir shops etc. The photo opportunities outside are endless, and with the right weather and light conditions the effects are amazing. This is the furthest North it is possible to travel on the European Mainland, the fact that if you look directly North, the only thing between you and the North American Continent is an enormous block of ice, is awe inspiring. We met up again at Midnight as arranged in order to view the Sun at it’s most Northerly point in the day. Unfortunately, the cloud was just positioned to block the Sun at that time
Following that disappointment, we headed back to the assembled motorhomes for the aforesaid barbeque. By the time that we got going we had four barbeques running and almost the whole group had decided to stay and celebrate. The joy of the midnight sun is that we had daylight throughout. It was cold, dropping to around 7 C, but the wind had dropped and nobody seemed to notice. As guests of honour, we had invited Max and Stephanie, a couple that we had met at the site and that had cycled all the way to North Cape. Slowly people drifted away and at 02:45 it was time to call it a night. This impromptu celebration had been a great success.
As the ticket for the North Cape Centre is valid for 24 hours, many of us decided to spend the night on the spot.
Monday 15th June
Our day started, later than normal, on the North Cape centre. Following another trip around the centre we decided to take a slow ride back to the site. There were many photo opportunities on the way including one at a lake that was still thawing. A large piece of ice had broken from the main flow and had formed an iceberg in the middle of the lake. During the afternoon we took a walk into the hills behind the campsite and were able to view the many unique varieties of plants that grow in this fragile, hostile environment.
To sum up, our trip to the North Cape was very emotional for us, fulfilling an ambition that went back so many years. These two days were very special and exceeded all expectations that we had.