3600 km on Northern Roads

3 weeks, 3 countries: 

Sweden, Norway and Finland. 

Travelling 3600 km in a motor home giving us the freedom to move at our speed. The only timer being the vehicle's tanks that required a refill or emptying every couple of days. 

Thanks to the "allemansrätten" and the advantage of traveling off season we could pretty much overnight anywhere. I'd personally consider this one of the highlights of the trip. Almost every night we had an awesome spot next to a river, lake, fjord or even a waterfall. Many spots were surrounded by trees, with little light pollution and mostly total quiet. What else would you need for a good night sleep...

That is, if we slept.  There was reason not to. The Northern lights! Hell yeah! We did see them, not only once.

They came in different shapes and intensities and yes, the camera does see them better than the human eye. However, if they were strong enough or moved quickly, you would see them with your bare eyes. Even if they were covered by some clouds you could tell they were there because the night was as bright as during full moon.  

The best encounters were when they showed like dancing ribbons.

During daytime the Northern scenery was a sight for sore eyes.  

... Endless roads winding through forests showing their warm Indian summer colors. 

... Lakes in different shades of blue and green mirroring their surroundings. 

... Sugar coated mountains towering over the fjords. 

... Picturesque wooden houses making the Scandinavian look perfect. 

...The low position of the sun bathing the landscape in soft lighting during most of the daytime. 

Let's talk about the hikes and walks... even though, to be honest, in most cases the more appropriate expression would have been "parcours". Over rocks and roots, avoiding wet, swampy underground. We couldn't finish the hike to Husfjellet as even the wooden piers were covered by muddy water. After only a few hundred meters, the Phyhäjoenpolku trail was cut off as it was completely under water. I am glad we took off our shoes, got our feet wet and continued because then we had the trail all to ourselves and were lucky to have a beautiful reindeer encounter where we could watch them graze through the woods at a leisurely speed and close proximity.

 

The best hikes were: Prinskullen as well as Soldalen in Sweden and Hesten in Norway offering marvelous views. But in the end, each one of the walks made spending time outdoors worthwhile. 

Were there any downsides on this trip?  Well, there are two things that come to my mind. 

First, the temperatures that most of time did not reach the double digits and the wind which added to the chill factor. However, the Merino wool socks and thermal clothes kept us warm. 

Second, the prices for food and gas, especially in Norway. To get an idea: you get 1 liter of oat milk in Germany for roughly 1 Euro. In Norway,  the cheapest brand cost 2,25 Euro. 

Finally, my overall conclusion: I looooved the peace and quiet. You simply cannot not be relaxed up there. So good.

Just to remember, the list of hikes we did: Prinskullen (Sarek NP SE), Soldalen (Stora Sjöfallets NP SE), Aurora Sky Station (Abisko, SE), Kungsleden (Abisko NP SE), Luossavaara (Kiruna SE), Åndervatnet (Senja NO), Utsikten (Senja NO), Husfjellet (Senja NO), Hesten (Senja NO), Gorsa Bridge NO, Fosselvfossen NO, Orvvosfossen NO, Kirkeporten NO, Särkitunturi FI, Phyhäjoenpolku FI, Varkaankurunpolku FI, Pirunkurun ponnistus FI