The Adventure Starts Now
After gallivanting around the Lofoten Islands, it was time to crack on with this piece of GPS art! Completing the top of the ‘P’ required another full circle. We were set to travel through the northern most regions of Norway, Finland and Sweden. Setting off from Bjerkvik, just north of Narvik, we knew it wasn’t the last time we’d see this arctic village. The route would take us up to Alta, across to Kaamanen (Finland) down and around through Kangos (Sweden) and back to Bjervik.
The top of the ‘P’
The Final Leg North
Fjords
100 km out from Alta
Fjord camping
The road to Alta
Information sign on the shores of Altafjord
Entering Alta around lunchtime, we decided to pull over for a bite to eat and a stroll along Altafjord. Refreshed and raring to go, it was time to set off on the final leg of our journey north. We headed on a northeast bearing towards Olderfjord – the northernmost point of our European adventure! At this point, we were nearly 3500 km north of where we started: London.
Olderfjord sits at the junction of the European route E06 and European route E69. On arrival, we turned right began heading towards the Finnish border. This move signalled the end of our journey north. The long journey south had begun…
Entering Finland
Entering Finland!
As we crossed into Finland, the landscape changed from mountains and fjords to lakes and forest. Our first night in Finland was spent on the edge of a beautiful lake. We went for an Arctic forest run, inspected a reindeer research facility and enjoyed the most wonderful ‘almost sunset’ (the sun didn’t actually set). We encountered no one.
Drone shot of our surroundings in Northern Finland
Our camp from above
Our camp from the side
The ‘almost sunset’
Waking up in a thunderous downpour, we whistled up some Weetabix and embarked on the long drive back to Bjerkvik . The border between Finland and Sweden was one of the highlights. There is an absolutely stunning view from the bridge spanning the two countries over the Muonionjoki river.
Border between Finland and Sweden over the Muonionjoki River
As the afternoon wore on, and the sun thought about setting, we finally crossed the border back into Norway. 45 minutes later, I found myself wearily turning the GPS off for the night. After a 1500 km adventure around the northernmost regions of Norway, Sweden and Finland, we were back where we started.
GPS tracker showing the complete loop
Let's Finish this
The next morning, I decided I wanted to drive all day until the P was complete. To incentivise myself, I booked a hotel in Kajaani (Finland) for that night. if we made the 847 km journey, there would be a non-refundable room with en suite sauna waiting for us. After 3 weeks sleeping in the van, washing in lakes and eating tinned food – this was a real carrot.
Booking complete
Final GPS log
Celebration
To celebrate the completion of our first word (‘STOP’), we got up early the following day, checked out of our hotel, and drove all the way to Helsinki for a night on the tiles. The drive took roughly 6 hours but was relatively stress-free – it wasn’t long before we were in location and ready for a couple of cold ones in the capital!
The route to Helsinki
Helsinki didn’t disappoint. We met a couple of friends and charged straight to The Clarion Hotel Sky Bar. Overlooking the lively summer streets below whilst sipping a refreshing pint was particularly pleasant. Once night fell, we continued on to a couple of local nightspots for more well-earned revelry after weeks on the road. Next stop, Tallinn.
Image courtesy of Nordic Choice Hotels
I can only imagine how stunning the landscape is. 😊