Finland and North Cape - Page 4

Rovaniemi - Inari

On the quiet drive to Inari were very many reindeer on the road, for me at the beginning wonderful. At each reindeer was snapped, which happened in Lapland but every day, so that the euphoria subsided somewhat. Later I read, the relatively large number of reindeer near humans is due to the increasing heat also in Finland, because they are looking for fresh water: at the Stern, for example.

Arrived at the Uruniemi campground, the campground attendant led me to an exposed site at the Inarijärvi - lake, yuhhuu. There I also saw a Chemnitz license plate and was quickly in conversation with a woman who made a round trip with her two children in northern climes. Afterwards was again local inspection, it was a piece to run up to the place. On the way already again reindeer groups ran along the street, also in the place they moved around the houses. Inari is the heart of the Finnish Sami culture, here is a Sami cultural center, the Sami museum, even a Sami educational institute. There language, traditional handicraft and reindeer husbandry are taught. Back at the campground I experience the wonderful sunset at the Inarijärvi - lake with a beer.

Inari - North Cape

The day before, in conversation with the Chemnitz woman, I had already thought about how the trip would continue. There would still be so much to explore in Lapland, but the attraction to the North Cape was stronger. Now one is already so close, why then leave out. Especially since the weather, which was slowly getting sunnier and sunnier, promised midnight sun. Nevertheless there were still almost 400 km to cover, but it was more and more fun the more exciting the landscape became. At the beginning still on main roads, led a smaller road led in constant ups and downs through a wooded lonely area to the Norwegian border at Karigasniemi. Behind Lakselv one reaches the mountainous region of the Porsangerfjord. Up to the North Cape I followed the western shore of the fjord on an increasingly spectacular coastal road along the steep coast.

Through the almost 7 km long submarine North Cape Tunnel I reached the island of Magerøya, where the North Cape is located. At Honningsvåg it is still about 40 km to the cape. Here also the cruise ships moor with the cape visitors. In the early afternoon I was there, almost all parking spaces were occupied. But my mini camper fit still in a gap. There were partly again driving family homes around 🙂. It was worth it: sunny weather for hiking and exploring. Now I am according to Wiki 514 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle and about 2100 kilometers south of the North Pole. Of course, I first went to the globe to take a picture, then to the the North Cape Hall. A young man was playing a brilliant piece on the piano. In the northern ambience heartwarming.

Afterwards, in the basement, the wonderful movie was playing here: The North Cape. I watched it several times, whenever I came into the hall to warm up. Then I walked the peninsula a few kilometers along the steep rocky coast. After half an hour there was no tourist and no car in sight, relaxing. At the cape also begins the E1, a long-distance hiking trail, which should lead on about 8,000 km to Sicily. It runs through seven European states and, unlike most other trails, has a clear website for once.

In the evening I was a little tired from the ride and set my alarm clock for an hour before midnight. When I came out of the camper, I wondered at first where the crowds of people came from. Tens of buses had dumped tourists at the Cape, including probably from the cruise ships. And it was worth it for all, a mad panorama. The midnight sun in the scenery gave her best.