austin
Well-Known Member
Bloody hell, has 10 days gone by already. It's a crap ride report this but it's the only one I have got.
So, now just in the north of Norway. Weather is good, it's warmed up a bit and not raining for now.
Since the last post from the coast of Lithuania we had 4 nights in Latvia. It was a nice country, fairly cheap, but well enough organised and some decent quiet roads through thick forest. Very flat though.
Estonia was a real surprise. Modern, up to date, very Western Europe in look and feel with prices about the same as UK. But seemed busy compared to Latvia. We had two nights in Tallin, one camping, one in a Spa hotel for spot of pampering in the wellness centre and Spa. Nice .
The boat to Helsinki was a revelation. Honestly our x-channel ferries are like out dated tubs from the 60s compared to the boat we went on. Bright, airy, a huge semi-open conservatory thing at the back for viewing, several bars, cafes and restaurants and two floors of duty free shopping all done in cool Scandi style. The Finns seem to come over in droves on a booze run to Latvia.
We took 5 days/4 nights to travel Finland north to south. Finland makes Germany look shabby and inefficient. It's great. The weather started with thunderstorms which cleared to a cold arctic blast with snow forecast and temperatures staying around 7-8c all day and "night". (There is no night now, and I mean no night, not a hint of dusk or anything). We have avoided the snow but not the cold. Once away from Helsinki the south of Finland is agricultural. Tidy red painted farms and the neatest fields of crops you will ever see. Traffic is mostly light but speed cameras at EVERY change of limit, and that's a lot as they often slow you for just a junction. Still it made for a relaxed run at an indicated60mph most of the way.
The Finns seemed to give up completely on Scandi style and coolness at the Arctic Circke village. It was vile with all the worst aspects of a motorway service station and a theme park combined. We stopped for about 2minutes and moved on. Once above the Arctic circle though things got even better. The forest took on that arctic look and the trees got progressively smaller and the forest thinner. We saw a couple of moose - big dangerous and unpredictable and lots of reindeer - not so big or dangerous but even more unpredictable and the biggest cause of accidents up here apparently. We could have had another night in Finland but decided to press onto Norway as we got an hour back and the temperature had risen to 12c.
And here we are.
Pics.....sorry still economical with the camera as I just can't be arssed to get it out of my pocket most of the time. Also, though it says a lot about the countryside we have passed through. It is nice enough, the houses look good, etc etc but no "wow that's amazing scenery" to stop us in our tracks. I think that will change in Norway.
A few from my phone...
Campsite by the sea in Latvia. It got busy and noisy later.
A sight we haven't seen for a week - sunset.
M/V MEGAStar
Campsite, well cabin we took on account of the thunderstorm as we checked in and the prospect of more to come. €25 to camp or €35 for a heated cabin. No brainer.
You might think this was a roast beef sandwich. I don't know what it was but a cow had not been near it.
Lunch in the woods
Some other photos on the camera which I haven't uploaded yet.
So, now just in the north of Norway. Weather is good, it's warmed up a bit and not raining for now.
Since the last post from the coast of Lithuania we had 4 nights in Latvia. It was a nice country, fairly cheap, but well enough organised and some decent quiet roads through thick forest. Very flat though.
Estonia was a real surprise. Modern, up to date, very Western Europe in look and feel with prices about the same as UK. But seemed busy compared to Latvia. We had two nights in Tallin, one camping, one in a Spa hotel for spot of pampering in the wellness centre and Spa. Nice .
The boat to Helsinki was a revelation. Honestly our x-channel ferries are like out dated tubs from the 60s compared to the boat we went on. Bright, airy, a huge semi-open conservatory thing at the back for viewing, several bars, cafes and restaurants and two floors of duty free shopping all done in cool Scandi style. The Finns seem to come over in droves on a booze run to Latvia.
We took 5 days/4 nights to travel Finland north to south. Finland makes Germany look shabby and inefficient. It's great. The weather started with thunderstorms which cleared to a cold arctic blast with snow forecast and temperatures staying around 7-8c all day and "night". (There is no night now, and I mean no night, not a hint of dusk or anything). We have avoided the snow but not the cold. Once away from Helsinki the south of Finland is agricultural. Tidy red painted farms and the neatest fields of crops you will ever see. Traffic is mostly light but speed cameras at EVERY change of limit, and that's a lot as they often slow you for just a junction. Still it made for a relaxed run at an indicated60mph most of the way.
The Finns seemed to give up completely on Scandi style and coolness at the Arctic Circke village. It was vile with all the worst aspects of a motorway service station and a theme park combined. We stopped for about 2minutes and moved on. Once above the Arctic circle though things got even better. The forest took on that arctic look and the trees got progressively smaller and the forest thinner. We saw a couple of moose - big dangerous and unpredictable and lots of reindeer - not so big or dangerous but even more unpredictable and the biggest cause of accidents up here apparently. We could have had another night in Finland but decided to press onto Norway as we got an hour back and the temperature had risen to 12c.
And here we are.
Pics.....sorry still economical with the camera as I just can't be arssed to get it out of my pocket most of the time. Also, though it says a lot about the countryside we have passed through. It is nice enough, the houses look good, etc etc but no "wow that's amazing scenery" to stop us in our tracks. I think that will change in Norway.
A few from my phone...
Campsite by the sea in Latvia. It got busy and noisy later.
A sight we haven't seen for a week - sunset.
M/V MEGAStar
Campsite, well cabin we took on account of the thunderstorm as we checked in and the prospect of more to come. €25 to camp or €35 for a heated cabin. No brainer.
You might think this was a roast beef sandwich. I don't know what it was but a cow had not been near it.
Lunch in the woods
Some other photos on the camera which I haven't uploaded yet.