Saturday 28 June

We are now in Sondankyla. Two days ago we sat in our nice warm cabin in Tankavaara, eating our breakfast, with bags packed, when it began to snow. Somehow staying an extra night seemed very attractive. We spent a pleasant day at the gold mining museum, which included a look at the history of gold mining throughout the world. What people will do to get it is just amazing. Now they even have underwater equipment to Hoover up the soil from the bottom of rivers and spend many hours scuba diving for it. We were also lured into the activity and spent an our with our hands in freezing water, panning. Surprisingly we got a few grains, which have been carefully transferred to small bottle of water and can be seen if you look closely. Tankavaara is also on the edge of a large nature reserve and had an interesting little museum about the region. That was where we discovered that we had been in Finland for 6 days without realising that there had been an hour's time change. It explained why everything seemed to close an hour early.

The extra day in Tankavaara meant that we did a long ride of 102 km yesterday. We were about to leave our hut with the cycles loaded when the snow began again. This time we just waited 15 minutes for it to stop and left to an icy wind but fortunately the road was good and reasonably flat, and the wind was behind us. Today we have a day off to catch up on washing, emails and anything else and to see something of the town. The weather is now supposed to warm up. The downside of that will be the mosquitoes and midges. We have so far been spared them most of the time. It's been so cold that the contents of our anti midge spray solidified.

From now onwards we turn East towards the Russian border and we are told that the road gets very hilly. Up to now we have we quite far from the border because of the wilderness and nature reserve. There have been a few dirt roads that we could have gone down but they all come to a dead end and then you have to cycle back again. So we gave them a miss.

Attempting to find gold

An alternative building material to wood. This house is made from empty bottles. Gold miners must have drunk a lot.

A walk in the nature reserve. 

Leaving our hut. It was still snowing.

Wednesday 25th June

Ivalo to Tankavaara 61km.

We have done a total of 372km (232 miles) since the start of this trail. Today was characterised by a very cold north wind. We were going South so benefited from it being behind us. It was cold though. We have been told that this is the coldest summer for 20 years. Last year it was 30 degrees at this time of year. At least we are not getting biting insects! We are now crossing a mountain range that is the watershed for water draining into the Arctic and now it is draining into the Baltic. We went through Saariselka, which is on the edge of a ski area. No snow now, but the trees were very sparse, so we must have been quite high up. 

Tankavaara was a gold prospecting place from the mid 1800s and again in the 1970s when the price of gold went up. Now there are people panning for gold as a hobby. It has also been developed as a tourist attraction with a rather good museum about gold mining and its history and a big mineral collection. You can also pan for gold if you don't mind the freezing water. There are apparently people still doing it in the winter, mainly Russians.  We could have camped here but a log cabin with a wood fire seemed much more attractive.

One more photo; Santa this time

The last photo following the previous post.  After the quiet road we joined a more busy one, the E75.  On a rest area, there was an interesting stall; outside it were Santas hanging on stgring in a number of contexts.  Here is one.of them

Photos from frist bit of Finland

Here are some for the psrt of our journey described in thre last post.

Starting with something in the supermarket just after the Norway - Finland border.  Then, the road on was very quiet and local animals crossed when they felt like it.  The next one is evening sun (there is no sunset at this tiem of year) in one of the campsites we stayed in.

 I will post these and then come back with one or two more; best to get things sent when the internet connectgion is variable.

Friday 20th June to Tuesday 23rd June

Friday:  Kirkenes to Neiden, low ebb day. Raining, strong cold wind against us. Started with a bit of downhill to a bridge. Large puddle where road joined the bridge. A coach overtook me fast just as I passed the puddle... Up 2 long, steepish hills. Had to walk up. At top there was a pleasant ride then a steep descent to a fjord, which we then followed for some distance, now with the wind behind us. Lots of up and down but nothing too steep and rain lessening. Stopped for lunch at a picnic lay-by. There was a sort of bus shelter with a bench that was at least out of the wind. Also a toilet that Tom said was called a VIP latrine in the trade (ventilated improved pit latrine). Clean dry and toilet paper, so no complaints. One more steep hill and we came down into Neiden with a camping hotel. Camping not an attractive idea but a room in their 'house' was cheap, had a bath, a radiator that gave the sound of gently running water all night, a toilet that flushed after Tom did some basic plumbing, a nice meal in the hotel and wonderfully thick light duvets to put over our sleepy bags. Plumbing totally forgiven, it was a great stay.

Saturday: Neiden (Norway) to Sevettijarvi (Finland).  Things looking up. Pleasant weather, sunny off and on and only a gentle breeze. Good cafe just before the border and a Supermarket just after that which Norwegians frequent as Finland is much cheaper than Norway. There was an excellent stock of English beer but could only find one Finnish, which we enjoyed. There was Finnsh cider as well, also good. Very little traffic after the supermarket but many more reindeer in the road. We saw no road kill, so presumably they survive modern life quite well. What they don't survive is the man made borders. The region is lived in but the Skolt Sami who traditionally fish and herd reindeer, who range over a large area, fought over by Norwegians, Finland and Russia, and probably Sweden. At the end of the last war those living where the new boundaries were moving had to choose between Finland or Russia. Most chose Finland but we're not able to get to their old lands, or relatives left behind till the end of the Cold War.  Another problem was that the Russians moved all those that were left far inland. wolves and bears who were predators of the reindeer then found it easier to cross into Finland for their food.  Campsite had a sauna, great after a day's cycling. The Rough Guide said that after your sauna you should rush taken to the nearest lake and jump in. We did not take this advice, even though we were beside a lake.

Sunday: Sevettijarvi to Hierajoen.  The latter is not a place as such just a campsite by a lake with a sauna. No we still didn't jump into the lake but we did have a sauna.  sevettijarvi had an interesting little museum about the Skolt Sami people. Also a trade store with a nice little cafe. We nearly missed all this as we expected it obvious along the road and cycled out of the place and had to go back. Things were off down dirt roads and we learnt the Finnish word 'kauppa' meaning a trade store. A pleasant day of cycling, passed lakes and forests of birch trees and conifers. Being more sunny the midges came out. Avon 'Skin So Soft' worked a treat till the nozzle blocked on the third use. Fortunately we had another. 

Monday: campsite in the middle of nowhere to Inari.  Slightly windier and a little rain. It's a shame that the wind is from the North, Arctic, or East, Russia. Both areas being rather cold, the wind can be icy, even if we were there only a week ago and it did not always seem that way, Continued along a road that had very little traffic and not so many deer till the end. It has been the same road most of the way and house numbering has been working down from the 10,000s. Actually I don't think there have been that number of houses. They seem to miss out chunks of numbers every so often. Half way (30kms) we turned left onto a slightly busier road, a car every 5 minutes instead of every 10.  Still gently up and down by lakes and forests. We have met one other cyclist since we left Norwy and that was yesterday. A man from Spanish Catelonia, cycling on his own. He stopped us because he was pleased to see other cyclists. We have found here that campsites are used by camper vans with the owners keeping to themselves. A GB one in a campsite spent the evening watching English TV. A waste of stunning scenery and that night there was the midnight sun. 

Inari has an excellent museum and is a cultural centre for the Sami people and their parliament. The museum had a lot about their life and also traced the arrival of people into the region from the last ice age and comparing it with what was happening in the rest of the world. Like many minority peoples their language was suppressed for many years, thus the translating of Donald Duck into Sami took precedence over the meeting between Reagan and Gorbachev. Also of interest was a display about the flora and fauna of the area throughout the seasons. I liked the way mice and other tiny mammals were able to sure to winter amongst the grass and moss under feet of snow, safe from the freezing temperatures and predators.  

We stayed in a campsite just on the way out of Inari, which was by the lake, a beautiful location and a wifi server that gave us total grief.  Tom's computer cannot be persuaded it is not still there, but maybe it will come out of its sulk sometime.  It gave endless trouble to us in other ways and we should really have turned our backs on it rather than get obsessed .....   But a good night, warmer in the tent with the reindeer pelt Tom had just bought. 

 Next day, Tuesday, we continued on the same road, the E75, to Ivalo.  Continued with scenery of endless woods and lakes. I sometimes think one can get a super-scenery overkill, but it has not come yet!  Now in Ivalo river camping.

Sorry about the lack of images.  For reasons of our resources, both human and equipment-related, we can't do these until the other computer comes out of its sulk.  and we are in a place with wifi.  These area are really remote!

We have had 2 days of good lunch stops, when just at the right moment there has been a picnic site with a Sami trade store serving food and souvenirs. No room to carry souvenirs but they are nice to look at.

Well, we left Honnigsvaag on Tuesday on the "Hurtigruten" boat to Kirkenes.  Hurtigruten are expensive and we were disappointed compared with our previous experience of them, but that is another story.  Kirkenes is one of two possible starting points for the Iron Curtain route, the other being a tiny village, called Gremse Jakobselv where the Norway/Russia border comes to the sea.  We saw Kirkenes (fascinating museum aboout World War 2, which just about obliterated the town; very moving on the suffering involved) and then took a cabin in a local campsite.  Next day (Thu 19 June), we cycled to  Gremse Jakobselv, since the bus does not run until July.  It is tiny, and seems the main population is people from many European nations in campervans.  But  ....

It is where we started the Iron curtain trail

We did a ceremony of putting our bike wheels in the sea.

After all, what else can you do in the circumstancces, and it is becoming traditional for people cycling between seas (our next one is the Gulf of Finland).  I did not mention before that the weather was atrocious, but the strong North wind drove us back, up over the mountains and realised its mistake and changed direction only when we were about half way back.  Near the border is a restricted area

and we saw watchtowers over on the Russian side (photography not allowed).  Then climbed out of the river valley that contains the border, and over the mountains.  The road went past a very old mountain

The sign reads "Norges eldste fjell".  The rock formations are fantastic.  But also these mountains are much more rounded and eroded than the ones further south. 

I am writing this on the next day, when we have cycled from our campsite near Kirkenes to Neiden, the last stopping point in Norway - Finland tomorrow.  The distance to and from Gremse Jakobselv was 118 km, or about 74 miles.  We never intended to start with such super-exertion and although our milage today was much less, we are wacked!

Tom

Tom did not do justice to the weather in his report above. Yesterday, on the way there the wind was strongly agianst us, up and down over mountains. That wouldn't have been too bad if it just kept to the wind. Those who are young at heart may remember the Raymond Briggs Father Christmas story, and the weather forecast as he prepares to go out on Christmas Eve, "rain, hail, sleet, snow, fog," we had it all except fog. We had to stop for the hail, it was just too painful. It had more or less stopped raining by the time we got to the coast, so had our picnic lunch sheltering on the beach. The weather forecast for us, incidentally had been light cloud and sun.

Katherine

Here are the photos mentioned in the last entry; not in that one for technical reasons.  This on is Nordkapp as seen on our walk.  The walk was to Knivskjelodden (razor shell point)

Here is the midnight sun seen from Nordkapp

and here it is seen from the campsite when we got back, actually at 0050.  However, the lack of reflection in the sea does mean it is "any old photo!

And here are some reindeer, seen at about 2am in our campsite (the building in the background is an hotel).

Nordkapp, the end of Europe and the wind

The debate is where is the furthest north point of Europe. North Cape was so named by an English sailor in the 1600s. Cooks ran their first package to tours there in the 1850s. The tourist were landed on a nearby beach and told to climb the 300 metre cliff. Package tourists were hardier in those days. In 1956 a road was built followed by tourist centre and so on. Now there is just a steady stream of coaches bringing people to view the further north point of Europe. Actually though the next headland is slightly further north but it doesn't have a cliff or a road. We attempted the 2 and a half hour walk over rough paths and snowdrifts. We are slow walkers so expected 3 hours. There was a strong north wind against us, sometimes it brought horizontal hail or snow, a few times the sun came out, but not for long. The route was marked with cairns but in a snow storm you had to be careful to get the right path. A party of Norwegian youth strode past and a couple came the other way. Towards the end the route went along the rocks by the sea and we couldn't find any more markers. It must have been about half a km before the end when we realised that we had been going for 4 hours and might be missing are onward bus and frankly were getting quite tired. Further we were not enjoying the battle against the wind and we had seen North Cape from below and had gone further north. We turned back and took two and three quarter hours to return. We could feel the wind blowing us along and, though the sun didn't come out for long, the visibility improved and we could see where we were going.

To some though, neither point should be considered the furthest north of Europe, because they are on an island, albeit connected by an under sea tunnel. There is a point onthe mainland that requires a 25km hike each way. We are not attempting it. Or Svalbard, the furthest north island off Norway. And we are not going there either. Right now we are on our way by boat to Kirkenes, where we start the Iron Curtain Cycle Trail, which in the end is what this trip and this blog are really about!

If I knew how to add photos to this blog from the iPad, I would put on the one of the North Cape (Nordkapp) and also one of reindeer at our camp site. We will attempt to put them on separately from Tom's computer. One day I might meet someone who can tell me how to do such things.

Katherine

A couple of photos, one from Alta, the other from the botanical garden in Tromso.  We actually went to these places in the other order but I am unsure how to get blogger to keep them in order!  We have lots more photos from both places.

Weather

Everywhere we have either caught the last day of the good weather or been told that it changed yesterday. Wednesday we arrived in Tromso to hot sunshine but a cold wind. We camped in a wood, so we're protected from the wind but out came the mosquitos. We had to cover ourselves with Avon 'Skin so Soft'. Dreadful name but it did seem to work. That night we went to a 1/2 hour midnight concert of classical music plus some Norwegian folk songs, soprano, cello and piano/organ. It was awfully good, in an ultra modern church, the Ishavskatedralen or Arctic Cathedral, made of high sections of triangular concrete and gives a feeling of an enormous icy peak. The 'east' wall, which we reckoned must have been south, was an entirely stained glass and the midnight sun shone through from the entirely glass opposite side. We came out at midnight and the sun hung there, where a sun shouldn't be, far too bright to look at, and well above the horizon although it was at the bottom of its circle, an amazing sight.

We woke in the morning to cold and rain.  But never mind, the sight of that midnight sun will last us for several days of rain. Then by bus to Alta, arriving at 10.30 pm, we had a 1/2 hour cycle ride to the campsite and found the reception still open. There was a cold wind but still the sun shone for us. Alta has ancient rock carvings done in several phases between 6000 and 2000 years ago. We saw similar ones in Sweden and South Norway on our North Sea Ride. We had planned a day there but found there was no onward bus on Saturday. So now we are at the North Cape, staying in a camp site in Skipsfjord, part way between Honningsvaag and the North Cape. And the weather. Last week the temperatures were up to 30. Today it is between 4 and 7. Cycling from the bus we had a strong cold North wind and for a few minutes hail. I feel just a little hard done by.

Today we had to acknowledge that 30 degrees is not the norm this far north. We set off to cycle the 26km to Nordkapp (North Cape) and struggled against a strong north wind bringing icy rain. You know the wind is really strong when you have to pedal hard in bottom gear when going downhill. This was not fun so we gave up and cycled into the small town Honningsvag, where we enjoyed a small museum and a meal of king crabs. The museum showed, among other things, the devastation of Northern Norway by Hitler's scorched earth policy in 1944. When people returned in 1945 only the church was left standing. The king crabs come courtesy of the Russians who introduced them into Northern Russia for food; they actually come from the Kamcatcha peninsular; they are spreading West. They have migrated to Norway. Perhaps the Orkneys will be getting them next. They were good.

The weather forecast for tomorrow and Monday are equally bad. I thnk we will be taking the bus.

Katherine

Lofoten Islands to Tromso

The Lofoten Islands were characterised by cloud and light drizzle. Some rock climbers said the temperature had been 23 degrees a few days ago and too hot for rock climbing. Not too hot for me, a shame we missed it. We cycled 8 km to a camp site by the sea and encountered the first hill we had to push up, mainly because we were unfit and getting breathless. The campsite was in an idyllic location and never mind the mist. Occasionally it lifted a little to reveal yet more mountains and rocky peaks behind. Art galleries and a rather good aquatic museum with an amazing range arctic species of fish, kept us occupied till it was time for the boat onwards to Tromso. 

So far one puncture from going over a sharp piece of metal. The tube of glue in th puncture repair kit had dried out but fortunately we had a spare tyre and we're able to buy more puncture repair glue in Svolvaer.

Now on the boat. It acts as both public transport and a tourist boat. Excellent breakfast and our 'inside' cabin turned out to have a porthole looking out onto the life boats and beyond.  Took advantage of facilities to get clothes washed. The washroom in our cabin had underfloor heating, so we laid out the clothes on the floor.

Last night at around 11.30 pm they did a tourist diversion into a famously dramatic fjord, the Trollfjord. The boat could only just fit in and there was one place where it could just turn round. On either side rose high rocky peaks, with snow on the more sheltered ledges. It was not dark but cloudy so no midnight sun. In the campsite the previous night I went to the loo at 1.30 am and the birds were making quite a racket. Was this the dawn chorus? One gull took exception to my presence and did a series of dives at me veering off at the last minute.

Time to leave our cabin now. The clouds have lifted and the sun is shining. It's just so beautiful.

This was Wednesday 11th.

The iron curtain bit still to come.  As our entries to this blog show, we are anyway enjoying the Norway bit very much, and getting through a fair-ish amount of money.  But a lack of photos.  Here are two, one a Viking ship in Oslo, the other a river view in Trondheim.

In Bodo

Spectacular train journey from Trondheim to Bodo, over two mountain passes, with snow on the mountains. Over the second pass the snow was at train level. The land was boggy heathland where the snow had melted, or should one call it tundra at this stage? Then down to the valley with rushing streams over rocks and waterfalls coming from caves in the rocks. Arrived at Bodo in the early evening and treated ourselves to the luxury of a hut at the campsite, as it wasn't much more expensive. hot water and an electric ring all in our little room.

We are now on a 'hurtigbaat' to Svolvaer, on the Lofoten Islands. We are going past the shoreline with a chain of rocky, montainous islands, with spectacular scenery of mountains and fjords, as well as tiny islands of just a lump of rock covered in moss or lichen. There is still snow on the mountains and today there is low cloud, which gives quite a mysterious feel if not quite the breathtaking scenery of the tourist pictures.

To add to Katherine's last post, here are a couple of photo's from Tronheim cathedral.  The first is what appears to be an organist's grave in the churchyard and the second is the West Front of the cathedral with a brass band performing (which you can just see)..

Indidentally, Katherine has been pointing out numerous spelling mistakes in my last submission.  I accept them.

Tom

On Northwards

We spent a pleasant day in Trondheim, impressive cathedral and museums, plus a hill we had to walk up. We are still not fit enough! Tomorrow we take an early train to Bodo, and cross the Article Circle. Hopefully the weather will remain good for camping. We have enjoyed the luxury of two nights in a hotel, to catch up on clothes washing and sort out bags.

Gregorian chant

This evenoing we went off in search of bicycle inner tubes (forgot to buy spares for "just in case" before) and supper.  We walked past the cathedral, which of course was closed, and at a side entrance was a sign saying "vespers".  So we went in.  A small side chapel, about 10 people there and two priestly sort of characters in red cassocks.  We were given a book with the text, all in Norwegian opf course, with plainsong musical notation.  Of it went with a cantopr leading and everyone joining in for the choral bits.  We even managed a bit, even understanding what is the the "heilige aand" (the aa should be a with a small circle above).  It was actually moving and a very good experience.

Supper was reindeer stew and fish soup.

Tom

From Oslo to Trondheim

We are still on the tourist part of this trip, making our way up to the very north of Norway. Yesterday was wet in Oslo, not just wet, torrential. Fine in museums but got drenched going between them. Spent a thoroughly enjoyable evening with Anne, who we had met on our previous trip. She now lives in wonderfully quirky flat in an old part of Oslo. For those of you who felt we were whimpish taking bikes on the bus back to the campsite, we did cycle of the hill twice and it wasn't as bad as we thought.

Up at 5.15 this morning to get an early train to Trondheim. The journey took most of the day and went over a mountain pass at over 1000 metres.  We were surrounded by snow on the mountains and bleak boggy moorland, which reminded Tom of Rannoch Moor in Scotland.  I wondered if I had enough warm clothes for this journey.  Then down to the valley on the other side, sunshine, pleasant green valleys and as we drew into Trondheim, people sunbathing in a park.  It was hot. As hot as Oslo on our first day.

No capsite here, so we are in a hotel with working wifi and a working shower.  We paid for both in the campsite but wifi didn't work at all and the showersmade their own choice whether to give you hot or cold water.

Katherine

Lavatorial splendour. 
When we were in the Oslo tourist board place, I asked where the toilet was, and was told to go in the town hall, opposite.  The approach was suitably grand, past "haute relief" panels of aspects of Norse mythology, which seems to have included a tree of life.  Into the town hall itself, through a very large hall to the garderobe; down stairs and into the Gents; across a large ante-chanber then one is there.  The urinals are impressive and made by Johnsons of Stoke-on-Trent.  It was a privilege to be there, and useful.

Tom

Still in Oslo enjoying tourism and the many museums.  Still trying, unsuccessfully, to follow up my lost iPad. I need access to lots of iApps to get the information they need. But my iPad is lost and we have not been able to download anything helpful into Windows. Yesterday was beautiful weather so we were able to spread out and sort out our rather hurried and seemingly random packing. We find we have 3 sets of tent pegs (Chris one of them is yours). Well I'm sure extra pegs may come in handy but they are all extra weight to carry round.  Came into a rather jolly bar/restaurant for a beer and to connect to wifi and ended with an excellent meal. Just don't translate Krona to Pounds or the taste might be spoiled.

Now in Norway

I know nothing about the ipad adventures Katherine and Kellie put into earlier posts.  This is a very dull progress report until there is more of real gritty interest to add.  There will be spelling errors because the spell check is for Norwegian Language and I can't be bothered to follow up all the red underlines; I am using a computer free service in Oslo tourist information.  (It is interesting to nsee which Words are common to the same language)

So, we arrived yesterday minus one bike.  But it followed us on the Next flight one 2 hours later, so we waited at the airport until it did.  Then reset pedals, handlebars and åpumped up.  Late by this time, so took the train to Oslo centre (and found we get half  price as oldies); had intended to cycle.  Bus to camp site, as it was getting more late.  You can put a bike on to an ordinary bus here, and this one was astonishingly crowded but no-on seemed to mind our bikes!  Then, or a bit beforehand, catastrophe (not sure of the spelling of that word, but it is not spelled this was in Norwegian).  Katherine's newly acquited ipad was not with us as it had been left on the plane.  We actually realised this at the airport and went to lost property there, but (so far) to no avail.  One consequence is that there will be no photos on this blog until we resolve a few technical issues.  A download cable from Our camera to the new PC I brough would do this fine.  Who knows?

Now in Oslo centre and whiling away good tourist time doing emails and this blog at the tourist info centre.   So will stop and resume later.

Tom

 

Now trying photos

Still learning about iPads

This is trying to write a blog when stuck in a tent in a blizzard, so no access to the internet and then be able to post it when rescued.  No we are not in Norway yet. Just got as far as Twickenham where my sister lives  Tomorrow we take a very early train to Staines and then cycle 4.5 miles to the airport.  Let's see if this now will post.  Sorry it is a boring post. Things will improve after tomorrow.

I have bought an iPad to be able to write blogs but don't know how to use it.  Too old for it to be 'intuitive' so am having a lesson. Kellie says to write that she is the best.  I'll agree if I manage to write anything tomorrow.