EU Part 5 Finland 1
Monday, 8 April 2019 3:43 pm
It’s Sunday so better visit the local Valjohka Church... closed !
It was built in 1932. Although we could not get inside a peak view reveals a strong red and blue interior against the unpainted woodwork. The red and blue are traditional colours of the local Sami peoples.
Photography can get you into trouble...
Could not get the church into a full frame so just thought I would walk over there and promptly broke through the surface into knee deep snow.
Snow is not cold until it starts to melt inside your shoes = cold and wet socks !
All morning we follow the Tana River valley and finally cross it at Utsjoki and the border into Finland.
Visited the Siida Museum about the Sami in the town of Inari - nicely presented.
Camp E77: Road side stop
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 133 metres
Temp: 0.4 *C
Today : 251 Kms
EU Total : 4,723 Kms
Monday 8th April 2019:
Another light show last night.
In the morning we know why is was cold.
Negative 14.0 *C this morning.
So cold the Canter refused to start.
Even inside negative 2.9*C
We waited for the sun to cast its rays over the vehicle and warm the truck until it was negative 7*C when with a struggle she turned over.
How these guys survive is incredible.
Hundreds of km’s much the same
Perhaps the most exciting thing we have seen for the last 2 days ( not nights ! )
Vanha Kirkko.
One of the few buildings in Lapland to survive the Nazis’s scorched-earth retreat in WWII.
Camp E78: Parking area for an army training airfield, or so we were told by the local forestry worker
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 235 metres
Temp: 0.9 *C
Today : 217 Kms
EU Total : 4,959 Kms
Water is still all frozen - bottled water is the GO !
Tuesday 9th April 2019:
Last nights vision.
‘Sunset on Pine’
An entire ‘city’ of retail shopping for all things Christmas and Santa.
Yes we even got sucked in ...
So this is our official picture with the REAL Santa !
And parked outside are his Reindeers, apparently Rudolph is on holidays, and according to Santa is down under with Skippy !
Camp E79: Picnic area overlooking lake
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 92 metres
Temp: -1.4 *C
Today : 403 Kms
EU Total : 5,362 Kms
Water is still all frozen - bottled water
Wednesday 10th April 2019:
Coffee in the Bell shop.
Snowing big time and the road is slippery with ice.
We see 2 accidents.
And some great off road toys .
Camp E80: Picnic area beside lake
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 99 metres
Temp: -1.1 *C
Today : 336 Kms
EU Total : 5,698 Kms
Got to throw some stones into the lake !
But they just bounce !
Thursday 11th April 2019:
Another cold night with temps below freezing.
Started to get warm during the day, thus the ice all over the vehicles started to melt.
Then mother nature changed her mind and froze it all up again.
Helsinki
Camp E81: Picnic area beside lake, and only 1 km from the centre of Helsinki
Cost: Nil
Altitude: 14 metres
Temp: +5 *C
Today : 211 Kms
EU Total : 5,909 Kms
Tomorrow we catch up with a guy I sold wheels to, for his Iveco some 4 years ago.
He has a rib boat tour company.