Ivalo - Norway, through northern Finland
This morning it is much cooler then yesterday. Halfway to Inari we pass Karhunpesäkivi (don't ask us how to pronounce that, we have no idea), Bear-stone in English. After climbing a few hundred metres (well, it's a wooden flight of stairs) we arrive at a huge rock. A load of tourists walk before us and we wait patiently for them to leave.
A big cavity has been made inside the rock where prehistoric men used to make sacrifices to the gods. Several people can stand within the cavity. Of course we want to go in, but we have to wait some time before the group of tourists has gone.
It is still early, so we don't drive straight towards Karasjok in Norway, but follow the E75 until Utsjoki in North-Finland. Along the road we pass some Samen settlements.
Of course we also meet some tourist-Samen along the way, but they don't have much visitors. Most tourists have taken the direct way to Norway, more to the south and we seldom meet any traffic on both sides of the road. The area is getting more inhospitable and we see more and more hills and even real mountains. We like it here!
We like woods very much, but woods in a combination with hills, mountains, creeks and waterfalls make up the best landscape for us. Finland surely has some charm and we like the nature in the north, but we are a bit disappointed in the mentality of the people (at least, the ones we encountered); most of them were quite rude, but probably there is a very good explanation for that, we don't know. We have had fun here, but we long to cross the river and enter Norway.The weather changes all the time, today: sometimes it pours, then the sun shines again, all in a few minutes. But in the distance, above Norway, we see more blue and clear skies.
At Utsjoki we cross a bridge over the river Tana and then we are in Norway, the final country of our Scandinavia trip. Also the country where we spend the longest time. But first to the north, to the Nordkapp (North-Cape). At Utsjoki in Northern-Finland we finally cross the border with Norway, while more and more rain pours from the sky. The road is winding and desolate, but we enjoy the changing landscape: finally we see more hills and even mountains covered with snow, and twisting roads. Approaching Karasjok, the sky becomes clearer and sometimes we can even see the sun. We feel we are now in the most beautiful of all four Scandinavian countries, if only for the presence of mountains.
Halfway the road to Karasjok we halt at a parking lot for a picnic and although we liked Finland very much, we like this place even better. In Karasjok we take a quick look at the parliament building of the Sami, near the open-air museum about the Mountain- and River-Sami. But soon we go on, further to the north.
This island is one of the summer residences of the herds of reindeer and the first herd we encounter consists of almost 100 animals. From now on, so we decide, we won't stop for every reindeer we see to take a picture. We also see the first big waterfalls on this trip and probably it will be the same as with the reindeer: after having seen a hundred of them we will probably stop photographing them.
The road on the east coast of the island is very small and quite bad. The bus to the right drove a little too fast and lost its bumper. A traffic jam of at least 30 minutes is the consequence.
From sealevel we rise to substantial heights and descend again to the coast. Sometimes the sun is shining overwhelmingly and suddenly we are covered by a thick cloud of fog. It is a treacherous island, for sure.
In the village Honningsvåg we take a walk through the centre and have a snack (€ 8 for a sausage). Because the sun is still shining regularly and the weather forecast is predicting bad weather, we decide to drive on to the North Cape immediately. We can always return at midnight if we want to.
The road from Honningsvåg to the North Cape is very spectacular and we take a lot of pictures while we are driving. And our minds keep thinking we are in Scotland, the sceneries are so alike.
The sceneries remain fantastic until we finally arrive at the North Cape where some idiot has put an ugly mega-million building and we have to pay almost € 60 to get in.
We have learned from many other people there is not much interesting to see at this place. Everything is included, the girl at the ticket office tells us, but apparently not the coffee which costs several Euros. Well, one can walk around for free, there is a exhibition and a movie about this place, all for free. An let's not forget the free toilets!
We have come here since we are in the neighbourhood and when will we ever have another opportunity to visit the place?. We like the nature on this island much better than the North Cape itself, but when you are around, you have to visit this place. But the real most northern place of Europe is not here: that takes a walk of 18 km. and our desire to see that point isn't big enough.
On the extreme north (at least, accesible by road) of Europe we watch the polar seas, a disconsolate and hopeless view. And it is very chilly with the wind.
But at least we have been there, as our photographs can prove. But we don't want to stay another day here, it's not worth it.
At 9 at night we leave and since the entrance ticket is valid for 2 days we hope our Dutch neighbours are still on the camping, so we can give them the ticket and we can share the costs. This high entrance fee is really not worth the place.
And they are still there, they will go around midnight to the North Cape. If it works, it saves us all € 30! While the wind is ranting and raving outside and the sun keeps shining we decide to leave for Alta tomorrow because we think there is more to see there for us than here on this island.
© Teije and Elisabeth 2000 - 2012
Travel through Europe and Africa
with Elisabeth and Teije