Author: malyoga

Another amazing journey, through rolling hills, wide valleys and the odd mountain pass took us further south and into Fiordland.  We were based in Te Anau, a thriving little town (population 3000) on a lake of the same name.  Huge choice of restaurants, cafes and shops with lots of opportunities for tours of the local fiords. 

Milford Sound:  Setting off very early to avoid queues of traffic, I enjoyed the challenge of driving the winding road up and over two mountain passes, as well as through a long, narrow, one-way tunnel to arrive at the ‘cruise’ terminal.  Those of you who have followed our travels may remember that we visited Milford Sound last year on our cruise – we managed to get into it just after an enormous storm had gone through – hence all the waterfalls were full.  This year, they are having drought conditions in Fiordland and many of the rivers and waterfalls have all but dried up!  However, absolutely perfect weather greeted us, as we cruised the sound once again – this time with sunshine glinting on the water, and the wonderfully high mountains towering above us.  It’s an awesome place!

Doubtful Sound:  Named ‘Doubtful’ by Captain James Cook in 1770 (he was unsure it was navigable), this fiord is impossible to get to by land.  From Te Anau, we took a 25 min bus ride to Lake Manipuri, then a 45 min boat ride across the lake to a tiny, isolated jetty at West Arm.  From here, we took a further 50 min bus ride, along a dirt road through the bush to Deep Cove on the edge of Doubtful Sound.  Quite the journey!

I should explain here that this dirt road was built to aid the construction of New Zealand’s biggest hydro electric station.  Construction began in 1964 – it took 8 years and 1800 men to build it under extremely difficult circumstances.  The generating units were built 200 metres BELOW the surface of Lake Manipuri, chiselling into a granite mountain!  A ten-kilometre tailrace tunnel was excavated to take the water out of the station and into Doubtful Sound.  A second tunnel was completed in 2002 which brought the station up to its full capacity.  Workers were housed in makeshift temporary accommodation in the bush, all of which has been totally cleared away.  However, the road now serves another purpose in that it brings tourists (in their thousands!) to Doubtful Sound. 

Cruising Doubtful Sound is an absolute joy because there are relatively few people there!  The silence adds to the atmosphere.  Again, we were blessed with good weather, and the views were as magical as ever. 

There is an island across the mouth of the fiord from the Tasman Sea, making the entrance very narrow. This explains not only Captain Cook’s assessment, but also clarifies why we didn’t enter Doubtful last year on Borealis, during those westerly storms. 

Stewart Island:  Thirty kilometres south of the mainland is New Zealand’s third largest island.  Again, we were thankful for calm, sunny weather for the hour’s ferry crossing of the Foveaux Strait.  More than 80% of the island is National Park, whilst the tiny population of 400 residents live in and around Oban.  Our travel agent (Audley Travel) excelled themselves with the Stewart Island accommodation!  Just look at the views from our bedroom across the Paterson Inlet!! 

We enjoyed a guided tour of Ulva Island which is almost predator free.  It was fascinating to learn about, and be standing in, primeval forest which has never been disturbed.  We heard and then saw five different endemic birds – the local robin being the only one who was easy to photograph!  These birds have never had predators, hence do not know how to protect themselves.  Norway rats have managed to find their way on to the island (by swimming the 800 metres from the main island) and are being actively eradicated as we speak! 

Several times, we were entertained by the island’s ONE taxi driver – Greg, is fifth generation Stewart Islander.  He knows EVERYONE, where everyone lives, and the intricate history of the place.  During a two-hour tour with him, we were taken to the furthest outreaches of the 28 kms of road, up and down steep, narrow drives and shown every magnificent view – helped by marvellous weather!

A late evening wildlife boat tour took us around the some of the smaller islands where we spotted seals and yellow-eyed penguins before disembarking us in Little Glory Cove.  Armed with tiny torches and with firm instructions to stay silent and close to each other, we set off into the forest following our guide.  After an hour, we finally saw two of the many thousands of Brown Kiwis who live on the island!  No photos I’m afraid – taking photos in the dark has never been my forte.  But it was a wonderful experience to see these protected birds foraging in the dead of night, amongst the undergrowth.  Much bigger than I had imagined, with very strong legs which they use to fight with, and the amazing long beak which has nostrils at the end of it.  It’s their sense of smell which helps them locate insects for food. 

Our visit to Stewart Island will be remembered for the Brown Kiwis! 

Long straight roads across the valleys, interrupted by plenty of single lane suspension bridges, along with curvaceous mountain passes led us briefly back to the coast at Bruce Bay.  A tiny beach side kiosk was doing a roaring trade with many sorts of coffee and freshly made homemade cakes and biscuits  (made by local villagers). 

We turned inland heading south-east – the mountains and scenery were just stunning – all helped by brilliant weather.  Towns which look quite big on the map, are tiny – 300 inhabitants and most of those live on distant farmsteads!  Having negotiated yet another very windy mountain pass, we arrived at the blue waters of Lake Wanaka.  More marvellous views as we drove the length of the valley beside this 26 mile lake, to the town of Wanaka – population just over 12,000.  A bustling town with lots of cafes and restaurants, plenty of boating activities and a craft market. 

A 25 minute speedboat trip down the lake (320 metres deep!)  took us to Mou Waho (The Outer Island) – an uninhabited island, where our tour guide led us up a challenging climb of 178 metres to the summit for more fantastic views.  The native bush on this island was fascinating – did you know there is a Manuka tree AND a Kanuka tree?  Manuka honey, of course, is known for its healing properties, whereas Kanuka honey is “just good honey” according to our guide!  A mountain top lake (rain-filled) called Arethusa Pool made for some good photos, before we began our descent (always worse on the knees than the ascent!)  back to the boat. 

Queenstown:  Driving south from Wanaka, took us through Cardrona where we enjoyed coffee at an ancient hotel (1860’s gold rush)  before heading up and over the Crown Range Mountains, and down to Queenstown – population 24,000.

Nestled beside Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is a VERY busy tourist destination – all sorts of lake activities area on offer.  Local ski resorts keep the town busy through the winter as well. A very long beach keeps the sunbathers happy  – very few of them venture into the chilly glacial waters.  Queenstown gardens provide lots of walks under tall trees, interspersed with beautiful flower beds and fountains – yes, more roses to keep me happy! 

Huge excitement today, as we enjoyed a Jet Boat ride across the lake, and up a winding river into the wilderness. Absolutely thrilling to skim across the water at high speed,  whizzing around corners and then squeal with delight at the odd 360 degree turn on the spot – showering all of us with water!  The beautiful blue skies, and snow covered mountains made the photos spectacular.  A real charge of adrenalin, with the bonus of being in such an idyllic place.     

We move on tomorrow to Fiordland – more later . . . .

Some of you have queried the 16 hr flight from Dubai to Sydney – it’s listed as being just under 15 hrs.  However, our departure was delayed, thanks to two passengers deciding that they were NOT flying, so their baggage had to be removed from the plane.  That meant we were late into Sydney and had to sit on the tarmac for 50 minutes waiting for a gate to be free!!  16 hrs in total!

Christchurch to Hokitika  – Our transfer from hotel to train station was made all the more pleasant with a very helpful and informative driver who accompanied us all the way to our carriage, having made sure our luggage was safely stowed.  This particular driver – a lady! – was a crystal geek, hence we got on very well! 

The Tranzalpine train travels west from coast to coast over 223 km, across the flat Canterbury plains, which are dotted with remote farmsteads before rising a little into the foothills of the Southern Alps.  Huge glacial river beds are crossed by many precipitous bridges.  Mind boggling to think that there has been a pass through these mountains since the 1800’s – the gold rush being the initial motivation, closely followed by coal and timber in the early 1900’s.   Arthur’s Pass is the highest settlement in NZ at 900m.  One of the world’s longest tunnels – Otira tunnel at 8.5 km in length – aids the slow descent through the forests and valleys towards Greymouth on the coast of the Tasman Sea.

We collected our nice, roomy car from the station, and headed south along the only coastal road (Route 6 for those of you following on a map!) . Lots of lush mixed forest kept us company, along with the pounding waves of the ocean.

The converted Fire Station in Hokitika where we stayed deserves a mention.  One of the best places we’ve EVER stayed, this ‘boutique apartment’ was beautifully designed  – a blend of contemporary and heritage – each room named after a fire chief.  Absolutely everything provided, making a very comfortable and enjoyable stay.  The beach was 100m away – good for long bracing walks AND my morning run! 

Hokitika was founded as a gold-mining settlement in 1864.  It is on a wild stretch of coastline, that has claimed many a ship in its time.  These days it is known for its driftwood-littered beach – regular competitions are held for driftwood sculptures.  The town is also awash with highly prized Pounamu, or greenstone – jade to you and me!  Sadly, due to luggage weight restrictions, not to mention the dwindling bank card, I had to settle for a pair of earrings!

Franz Josef is further south within the Westland National Park.  Glorious shorts and T-shirt weather accompanied us through more lush forests, but also lots of flat scrubby land, intercepted with wide glacial riverbeds coming down from the mountains which serve as a continual back drop.  Tiny towns (including one called Ross!) pop up infrequently, hence coffee and a loo need a bit of forward planning!

Franz Josef boasts its own glacier.  One of many along the Southern Alps, this one is closer to sea level than most.  A prebooked helicopter trip up to the glacier was sadly cancelled as the notorious cloud (in Maori, New Zealand is called Aotearoa which is often translated as “the land of the long white cloud”) decided to sit on the mountain at the wrong moment!  However, there are lots of local walks which give wonderful views of this rapidly diminishing spectacle. The clouds lifted later in the day to help with the photos!  Note the swaths of scarlet across the mountains – the Rata tree is in flower.  Reminds me of the purple hue across Scottish hills . . .

This journey gets better by the day, and there is lots to tell you.  I’ll send another entry within the next couple of days  – don’t want to overload you!

Birmingham (UK) to Christchurch (New Zealand)

Hello Dear Followers – yes, Peter & Marilyn are travelling again!.  New Zealand has been on our bucket list for some time, so we decided to bite the bullet!   There was a LOT of flying  (not good for our carbon footprint, I know!) as we made our way to the other side of the globe.   Emirates treated us well  . . . .  Birmingham to Dubai, a seven-hour flight . . .  A quick transfer through Dubai airport (which is like a small city!) where we boarded an Airbus A380 (600 passengers!)  for the sixteen-hour (yes 16!) flight to Sydney, Australia.  We were lucky enough to fly Premium Economy – what a joy! Comfy seats with extra leg room, great food and lovely service.  Only one step up from economy but so worth it! 

We chose to stopover for two nights in Sydney  a) because we love the city and b) to give our bodies a chance to recuperate a little from jet lag.  Glorious summer weather (28C), along with seeing our dear friends who flew down from Queensland to spend the time with us, made our visit to Sydney as good as ever.  We enjoyed the Botanical Gardens once again – such a joy to see summer flowers and lush greenery after the miserable grey UK winter.

 

During the evenings we joined the happy crowds around Darling Harbour, luxuriating in the balmy warmth over a meal.  By sheer fluke, our visit coincided with Australia Day, and we were delighted to share a traditional Ozzie barbecue with our goddaughter and her family in the suburbs.  It was a real treat, mate! 

Christchurch.  We finally landed in New Zealand after a further three hour flight from Sydney.   Christchurch is NZ’s second largest city with a population of 390,000.  As most of you will remember, the city centre and surrounds were badly hit by an earthquake in 2010, with aftershocks lasting into 2011.   Rebuilding is still going on, both business and residential, the aim being to regrow the city to a population of nearer 900,000.  There are very few tower blocks, and all new builds are being built to withstand earthquakes. 

Christchurch is known as ‘the garden city’ with its 1200 green areas  – beautiful parks full of colour and fountains, along with the meandering River Avon add to its charm.  Vintage tramcars trundle around the city passing many heritage buildings.

 

The city feels unmistakeably British – not surprising really, as it was founded by 750 Brits (all approved by the Church of England) who arrived on four ships, having endured 99 days of ghastly conditions at sea from Gravesend in 1850.  They proceeded to develop the land around the river.  One hundred and seventy-five years later it’s thriving and working hard to regain its notoriety and importance.

We move on tomorrow  – could I remind those of you who have not yet subscribed to the blog . . .it is very easy to subscribe – just follow the link on the right hand side of my blog, where it asks you to enter your email address.  You will NOT be inundated with emails (I promise!).  But when you subscribe, you will receive an email with my latest entry whenever I publish one  (approximately every 4-6 days) .  This saves you having to remember to check the blog – and we all know how bad our memories are these days!!  

Heading south-west from Stockholm, we headed for Lake Vänern – the largest lake in Sweden.  Covering an area of nearly 2,200 square miles, it spreads over three provinces and stretches for 140 km in length.  We enjoyed a stop near the northern end at Karlstad – beautiful beaches beyond the trees with water extending as far as the eye could see. 

Driving south down the western side of the lake we encountered some challenging narrow, windy back roads, but so worth doing when we encountered views like this . . .

At one stage I pulled into the end of a farm track to allow a couple of cars to pass us  – and there were “Eric and Rosa” (I decided to call them)  sitting in splendour looking out for the milk tanker each day!

We had a night at Håverud campsite, so that the canal geek in the passenger seat could have a look at the aqueduct, inaugurated in 1868. It is only 32.5 metres long and is just a long steel duct, recently renovated for the tourism industry.  What makes it unique is the combination of road, rail and canal all bridging the river gorge in a space of about 50 meters. The aqueduct was crucial in completing the Dalsland Canal.  There are 12 km of navigable channels between many lakes which make up a 250 km stretch of waterway going from Lake Stora Le  to Lake Vänern.  There is a 66m height difference which is covered by 31 locks.    Reputed to be one of the most beautiful waterways in the world, it is now frequented by leisure boats. 

In the south-east corner of the lake is an area known as Kinneviken, which includes Kållandsö Island.  Here we stayed on an idyllic campsite, 3 km off the main roads, in the trees and 200m from the lake.  It was so peaceful, we decided to stay on for a few nights to walk and chill out.  After such an adventure, it was bliss to just stop and enjoy the quiet.  The weather was NOT the best, but we managed to walk between showers. 

Läckö Slott (Lacko Castle) was cleverly built in the 1600s on a steep cliff and surrounded on three sides by water, at the northeast edge of Kållandsö Island.    It was the brainchild of a highly esteemed Bishop, to defend his huge diocese.  Since then, it has had a checkered history, but more recently has been taken over by the government for tourism.  Our guided tour included only 6 of the 250 rooms in the castle – most of the furniture and fittings have been removed over the years.  It is now painted in the original Baroque style. 

Gothenburg  (Göteborg) sits on the west coast of Sweden, due east of the northern tip of Denmark.  An easy bus ride took us into the city, from our campsite in one of the suburbs.  Sweden’s second largest city has a marvellous ‘young’ vibe to it.  The 23 foot Poseidon Statue (the Sea God) is considered a fitting figure to watch over this seaside city.  Well regarded in the past for its ship building industry, these days the city is known for the Volvo car industry and its vibrant night life.  Some thirty-four percent (34% ) of the population was born outside the country or has at least one parent born abroad. 

The Old Town (HAGA) is full of lovely street cafes and little artisan shops.  The original cinnamon bun is said to come from here!  Huge dinner plate size ‘pull and share’ buns draw in the crowds. 

Enormous shopping centres dominate the city centre (one mall has 200 shops!).  These centres are teeming with people at all times of the day and night – and everyone is carrying shopping purchases.  There’s certainly no recession in Sweden! 

We catch the ferry from Malmo this evening to begin our homeward journey.  Given that we will retrace our steps following the same route through Germany and The Netherlands to Hook of Holland for the ferry to Harwich, I will end this particular holiday blog here. 

Heading South East, the vistas opened up to much more farming. The farmers have been very busy collecting sileage which will be food for their animals when they are kept indoors during the snowy winters.

The majority of country dwellings in Sweden are red wooden houses, with white framed windows – these have become a symbol of Swedish pastoral life.    The red paint originates from a copper mine (now defunct)  in Falun  – hence is known as Falu red.  Both iron and copper dust are used to make up the paint. Their fungifying properties help to preserve the wood. The bonus is that homeowners only need to brush off the loose pigment and dirt before reapplying the paint. (no laborious paint stripping and sanding necessary) 

  We were so looking forward to reaching the east coast and seeing the sea – our campsite was in Ljusne, where we discovered that a series of little inlets and islands are characteristic of this coast.  The water is brackish, and it’s rare to get a clear view straight out to sea.  We spent a pleasant two days exploring the area on foot and relaxing in the sunshine.

Moving down the coast to Harghamn (meaning Harg port), our campsite was right by a little beach and jetty.  After so many nights of standing in the cold, hoping to see some movement in the sky, we FINALLY SAW THE NORTHERN LIGHTS!  Now, don’t get excited – it is still too warm (they say), and we are too far south, to see a panoramic, colourful show – just a green glow which flashed across the sky from time to time.  (we still need to do the threatened trip to Iceland to see them properly!) The few photos I took were hopeless – you’ll have to wait until next time!

As we approached Stockholm, we enjoyed a visit with some Swedish friends who we met during our RTW cruise.  Living on the archipelago just north of Stockholm,  they enjoy all the benefits of being by the sea – the essential sauna (every Swedish house has one!) by the jetty, along with a wonderful BBQ area and a boat (of course) which takes them out to a little cabin on an island for summer visits.  The house has been passed down through the generations and been modernized and extended over the years.  We were treated to a typical Swedish lunch of locally caught perch (it’s a fish!) cooked in butter and dill, with potatoes and salad – followed by home baked cinnamon buns.  What more could we ask for?!

And so to Stockholm!  We’d prebooked a campsite here which is perfectly situated for access to the city.  We walked EVERYWHERE.  There are cycle and walking routes universally on all fourteen of the islands that make up Stockholm.

The old town, Gamla Stan, wowed us with its narrow streets, colourful buildings and pretty little squares.  Wide tree-lined avenues are interspersed with a multitude of parks, everything beautifully kept and with cafes and restaurants spilling out onto the pavements at every turn.  Stockholmers are “outdoor people” – they walk, cycle and use their boats during the summer.  The city parks are set up with ice skating rinks and cross country skiing routes for the winter. 

Coffee and cake (more cinnamon buns!) is the norm! And EVERYONE spills out of their offices and shops and into the pavement cafes for light supper and drinks from 5pm.  I suspect that ALL the locals are making the most of any sunshine before the long dark winter days begin.

The Royal Palace is ENORMOUS and palatial (as it should be!).  We managed to catch an organ recital in the cathedral, allowing us time to stare in awe at the ornate Royal pews!  We were blown away by the Vasa Museum.  The Vasa is a 17^th century ship, built to what was a very high standard in its day, with literally hundreds of amazing carvings all of which gave the message of Sweden and its King being a very powerful.  Sadly, it sank on its maiden voyage only a few hundred yards from the dock!   Three hundred and thirty three years later (yes! 333 yrs!)  it was found, salvaged from the seabed and a museum was built around it.  98% of what we see today is the original  – very impressive, particularly for the military chappy in my midst! 

At the risk of making some of you cringe, MY favourite museum was the ABBA museum!  We are booked to see the ABBA voyage show in London very soon.  We knew that they’d won Eurovision with Waterloo – a song which was forever playing in the local pub we frequently visited when we were first married.  What we hadn’t realized was that Eurovision had been held in Brighton AND that it was on the very night of our wedding!  As with every Scandinavian Museum we have visited, it was VERY well interpreted, with so much information, and great fun too!  

We set off tomorrow to explore over to the west coast and down to Gothenburg  – more later. 

Continuing to head south through Moskosel and Arvidsjaur, still enjoying the many lakes and beautiful landscapes.

It’s always a bonus to find a campsite that offers a good walk to stretch the legs – Hotings Campsite had a nature walk which took us across a causeway in the middle of the lake and then through the woods.  An old hunters hut still exists along with a ‘pine-cone’ loo!

Sunsets have been marvellous throughout – but we’ve had some heavy downpours as well. 

We decided to explore part of the Wilderness Road (well written up in the Lonely Planet guide) from Storuman out to Gaddete.  More beautiful views, and fantastic roads alongside the many lakes. 

We did a quick flit into Norway just to say “I’ve been there too!”  Unfortunately, in this particular corner of Norway, the roads are narrow and bumpy, and there were no nice ‘pull offs’ where we had been hoping to park overnight.  In the end, we found a spot off the very quiet road, beside the trees, and made do.  Sunset was good there too! 

The first vehicle to come past in the morning was the ‘snowpole’ lorry.  Very clever machine which drill a hole in the ground and drops the pole in.  These poles are obviously removed for the summer months so that the verges can be cut.  (how to keep your roadmen in employment all year round!) 

As you can imagine, some campsites have been much better than others.  Back in Sweden we headed south east to Gallo where we stopped for a couple of nights.  Nice quiet site on a lake (of course!) and with a lovely walk 435metres up what is normally a ski slope – good views at the top.

However the real thrill was following a challenging path through the trees to a mountain tarn. What a beautiful discovery.  Wonderful reflections on the tarn, but also the provision of a BBQ hut, complete with logs, axe, matches, firelighters and a grill pan.  If you had the energy to cart everything up the mountain, you could have a brilliant family BBQ there!  There was also a very nice bench outside, facing south, where we sat and enjoyed our flask of coffee.

Lunch stops have been a joy – Peter studies Google Earth to find a good spot.  Mostly regular picnic sites, which are often beside a rushing river, or a lake.

Finding a ‘nature place’ (naturplats) is a bonus – these are normally down a narrow track and well off the road.  A quiet lake with rapids at both ends along with some fantastic skies was today’s treat. 

I’ve mentioned before how marvellous the roads have been  – after 2700 miles of driving, (90% of which I have done, due to Peter’s eye complaint) we were brought down to earth today as we came upon 30 km of road works!  VERY bumpy gravel road, deep gravel in places and VERY dusty.    After 15 km we came across the lorries actually working.  No indication was given as to where I was to drive – they just carried on, as I drove around them!  Eventually there was a section with traffic lights, where cars have to wait to be escorted through –  we had joined two other cars by then – heavy traffic for us!  Our journey took much longer than expected, but Molly seems to have survived unscathed. . .

Heading for the Baltic Coast and then south to Stockholm over the next week – until then . . . .

We crossed the Finland/Sweden border at Pello and headed north-west.  The roads have wider verges, but are becoming increasingly bumpy due to ‘frost heave’ .  I have to be extra vigilant with stowing things away in Molly, as everything gets shaken up!   We passed through many tiny hamlets, most of which seemed to have red wooden houses.  Drivers need their wits about them, as the reindeer still persist in prancing across the road! 

Kiruna sits on the 67^th parallel and was a ‘must stop’ for us to top up our LPG – we have a refillable tank, and LPG is not sold in Finland!  The town proved to be fascinating.  It is home to Europe’s largest iron mine, founded in the early 1900’s.  Enormous terraces of slag surround the entire area – in several places these are now used as ski slopes! 

However, due to years of mining, the town is sinking, hence many buildings are being moved.  A friendly lady in the book shop  (Him indoors, has to buy a map wherever we are!) gave us a map showing the future moving plans.  Huge sections have already been moved  – a brand new centre, with up-to-the-minute shops and offices – a fantastic Town Hall – in the round – which had a very good model showing the proposed moves.

  Everyone is given ample compensation for a new house or apartment – and they all accept the move because the mine brings so much employment and business to the area.  Apparently the church, which is very large, is to be moved IN ONE PIECE to its new position shortly – worth watching out for on Swedish news or on You Tube! The campsite on the edge of town was attached to a hotel which served a very nice supper – Arctic Char (very like salmon) and Reindeer meat were enjoyed!

 It was whilst shopping in Kiruna – chatting to the very friendly chap on the till in the supermarket.  “Wow! You’re a long way from home!  Why drive all this way?”  My answer is always that we love touring and discovering new places, but that we’ve come this far north in the hope of seeing the Northern Lights.  Great guffaws of laughter from both the cashier and the chap in the queue behind me  “You won’t see the Northern Lights!  It’s far too warm – and there’s too much cloud around – Come back in November!” they said.   

Feeling somewhat deflated, we decided to head further north anyway,  to the Abisko National Park – known to be a particularly beautiful area.  We were not disappointed.  Lakes, rivers and mountains combined with glorious autumn colour make this place a real gem.  Only 30 km from the Norwegian border, it sits on latitude 68.4 and is a mecca for skiing in the winter.  We enjoyed a 25-minute ride up a mountain on the ski lift, made all the better by good weather with barely any wind.  Splendid views from the top.

A well-marked 5km walk alongside the rushing Abisko river, through spectacular yellow mountain birch, gave us a good dose of ‘forest bathing’ – and some great photos! 

Heading south, we broke our journey in both Gallivare and Jokmokk.  We were fascinated to find out about the Sami people, who were the original inhabitants of this area (i.e. Lapland)  At the end of the Ice Age, the reindeer followed the retreating ice sheet from central Europe, northwards to Scandinavia.  Humans adapted to the ways of the reindeer and followed.  (A similar movement took place in North America, where reindeer are called Caribou.)  As in all places where settlers have had to adapt to modern day life, the Sami feel a little put out.  In Gallivare, a memorial statue dedicated to the Sami culture reads “Mine was the land in the past – preserve my people in the future” 

Jokkmokk has an excellent museum devoted to the history and culture of the Sami people.  Judiciously laid out, with excellent interpretation, this little treasure has won many awards.  Two things stood out for me – the brightly coloured traditional costumes, with their different patterns and colour depending on what area of Lapland they come from.  Also, the multitude of crafts – originally everything had a use, these days things are made to pass on the expertise through the generations.    Intricate designs are beautifully woven into bands, worn as belts or hat bands.  Many things were embellished using pewter thread – imagine the painstaking work involved!

We are now just south of the Arctic Circle.  Did you know that the position of the Arctic Circle is defined by the inclination of the earth’s axis, which varies under the influence of the sun, the moon and the planets?  In other words, it is always moving  VERY slowly northwards and southwards   – who knew? 

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Kuhmo was our next stop, a small town, about 80 km from the Russian border.  We enjoyed a two night stay here, in another idyllic campsite ‘beside the lake, beneath the trees’.

This area was devastated by the Winter War which took place between Nov 1939 and March 1940, when Russia invaded Finland.    A museum has been built and is run by the local council in honour of the thousands of local people who lost their lives.  Excellent photographs with good English translation, show the true horrors of war. . . . . all displayed in a very modern building which blends into the countryside. Indeed any war is ghastly, as is summed up in the words of Uuno Tarkki  “War is not a heroic story.  It is a physical and mental struggle for your own and the enemy’s life in awful conditions”.  Never a truer word . . . .

Gorgeous sunny weather encouraged us to walk out along a spit where we found a peaceful little beach.  The silence was ‘deafening’  – no bird song, no traffic, no wind – utter peace . . . .until we were rudely interrupted by the Finnish Airforce doing an afternoon training run straight down the lake in front of us – F18’s for anyone who wishes to know!

Continuing north, we needed to stretch our legs, so drove across some islands which necessitated using bridges, causeways and another ferry, before stopping for a walk in open woodland where there were plenty of lingonberries – the locals eat these like a blueberry. 

Small farmsteads appear in the middle of the bush – such a lot of effort must have gone into clearing these areas to produce arable land. 

Instead of watching out for moose (a very common road sign here), we are now watching out for reindeer!  We’ve seen several on the side of the road –  they don’t seem to be spooked when  a huge lorry or a motorhome invades their quiet space.  (No chance of getting a photo from a moving vehicle)

We could tell that we were approaching civilization again when the traffic began to increase as we approached Rovaneimi, the capital of Lapland.  The campsite here was fairly busy – perhaps with locals taking advantage of the weekend?

  It bucketed with rain through the night, and the temperature dropped – this IS Lapland after all!  The Arktikum museum gives very good coverage of life in the Arctic over thousands of years of history.  Rovaneimi is a very modern town (mostly apartment blocks) having been rebuilt after the Germans destroyed 90% of the buildings in 1944.   We were pleased to visit the Lutheran church, also destroyed by the Germans, but rebuilt in 1950.  It has a huge altar fresco (14 m x 11 m) which took our breath away.

We crossed the Arctic Circle today (another tick for the bucket list!) and just HAD to visit Santa Claus village!  All the usual souvenir ‘tat’ that you would imagine, but fun to do, and made all the better with such friendly Finnish staff.   We had an interesting chat to a chap in his 30’s, who confirmed that conscription is very much still the norm here – one year at the age of 18, and then a two-week refresher course every two years.  27,000 conscripts are trained every year.  Makes you think . . . . . .

We’re now on the Finland/Sweden border at Pello, on the river Tornio, having driven north-west from Rovaneimi.  The autumn colours are much more advanced up here, and we are expecting the temperature to plunge tonight.

  Fingers crossed that we see some Northern Lights whilst we’re up in this area. 

Within moments of leaving Helsinki, we entered the ‘real Finland’ – the land of trees and lakes.  It is SO LIKE Canada that I feel quite at home.  Easy to drive, long straight roads with no traffic.  Very strict speed restrictions though – it’s just as well we have seven weeks for this adventure, you can’t go anywhere in a hurry! (unless you wish to drive on motorways) 

Timber is the main industry – huge logging lorries are prevalent on the road. Trees here are mainly of three types – Pine, Spruce and Silver Birch.  Silver Birch is the national tree.  Rowan trees are also common and are considered a ‘sacred tree’.  There are lakes everywhere – large and small – often with a few cottages in the trees on the lake edge.  Most houses are built of wood – and presumably well insulated against the harsh winters.

Yesterday’s thrill was a visit to a rock face, with 7000 yr old rock paintings.  This involved a fairly challenging 3 mile walk, over a rooted and stoney path, through the woods.

 We enjoyed beautiful reflections over the lake before reaching the very ancient site.

Estimated to have been painted in 3000 – 2500 BC, it is remarkable how clear some of the paintings are.  This is apparently due to a naturally forming thin layer of silicon dioxide on the rock surface  (who knew?).  The paint itself was made up of iron oxide (which come from rocks), blood, animal fat and birds eggs.  The paintings included animals, people and hands.  The meaning of the paintings is, as yet, unknown but it is assumed they were, in some way, sacred. 

Savonlinna is a pretty little town in the eastern lake region which boasts a 15^th century castle.  We were pleased to take a free one-hour tour with a very informative guide, who led us up many challenging, uneven and narrow steps to various towers, balconies and courtyards. 

Apparently the ‘summer season’ is now over in Finland!  Kiddies have gone back to school, and many cafes and restaurants are closed.  However, we found a little hotel/restaurant run by a Finnish lady with her British husband (the chef).  Imagine our amazement, when we discovered that his mother used to live in North Road, Ross on Wye!!  (it’s a small world) Our campsite put on a huge firework display last night to celebrate the ‘end of season’.  They remain open for another month but are very quiet (a bonus for us!)   

For those of you following us on Google Maps . . . . . today we headed north from Savonlinna, via Enonkioski (where we caught a little ferry across the lake). 

We stopped at one of many National Parks and enjoyed a ‘nature walk’ through the woods to the lake – absolutely beautiful with the sun glinting on the water.

We continued north-east towards Liperi, and then avoided Joensuu by travelling on more scenic back roads to reach our campsite near Koli. Yet another idyllic site, in the trees, next to a lake.  What more could a girl want??