Tuesday 16th June - Back to Sweden

Landed on my feet again last night. The place I had was called Blueberry Inn and I booked it in advance but when the satnav started taking into an admittedly nice housing scheme, but a housing scheme all the same, I began to panic slightly. Then I saw this and I wondered....

But in fact – while the name was a bit of a liberty – the “room” was a very nice bedsit with kitchen, shower, washing machine etc. I think it was a converted garage but it was run by a young couple obviously trying to supplement their income. It was great and they were so obliging and friendly.

Tell you what though, as well as affecting the relative speed of the earth I think being in the Arctic Circle – I’m now just out of it, it’s about 5 miles up the road – affects gravity. I’m finding it really hard to lift the bike and climb on to it – something is pulling me down, strange.

Didn’t have any plans today other than to make a place called Avidsjaur, the old Swedish Lap capital. So just set off south westerly.

Sometimes no plans are the best plans because ended up being a great day.

You know how I've said everything is pristine in this part of the world, well this even goes down to the bus shelters....

and their choice of garden features ....  

During the morning I rode through Finland and then the afternoon Sweden and there was a marked difference in the enjoyment factor. I haven’t seen enough of Finland to be fair but today whilst the countryside was beautiful in its way – all forests and lakes – you could actually see nothing but the forests, they were too thick to see through – going on for mile after mile on long straight roads.

Another thing I hadn't realised until I researched for this trip is how young independent Finland is. It was during his chaotic past part of Russia and didn't become an independent republic until 1917 ish.

The Finns are a bit touchy about their alliances as I found out when asking a guide at the Siida museum about it.  The museum had four large walls covered with a time map from millions of years BC to the present day and it was detailed. But 1914 to 1918 Zilch. Apparently the populace were split between support for the Germans and Russians - for you scholars who know more about this I apologise for my ignorance  but it is interesting how we - and I mean I - assume the nice guys were on our side.

This plaque on the road just outside Rovaniemi  was interesting too.

  

 It was great riding though the sun was out and absolutely no traffic. Now I know Finland IS in the EEC so my argument doesn’t quite hold but I say again where have we gone wrong. There was no traffic, it was a B road but they were repairing it in several places – again by ripping it up totally  – and 2 of the vehicles I did see where tractors mowing the verge!

Crossing over the river Torne – honest, though bigger than the one near us - into Sweden and the change was almost instant.

 Still forests and lakes but the forests weren’t quite as thick .... 

                                                             .... they were mostly birch and there were hills so you got those panoramic” views.

I know I said yesterday I wouldn’t bore you with facts from the museum but I am really surprised that as you get further north and the terrain and weather get worse the fir trees die out and the birch take over – didn’t realise that, oh I know you knew Roger!

Looking for somewhere to eat I went into a town and came across this church in Overtornea.

 It was built in 1617 can you believe and is apparently quite important being one of the best-preserved 17th century wooden churches in Sweden.  Now, bear in mind I’m well off the tourist track now so when I went in and a young lady sprang up and said Hello I was a bit surprised. Her job was the church guide! Did she have many visitors? No, but would I like to hear the audio. Yes please. Then, through speakers hung from the ceiling came a detailed, but badly pronounced history of the church in English – I’m not criticising, my Swedish hasn’t improved over the last 2 weeks. Bizarre.

However, I then asked her what the very elaborate building next door to the church was and she looked out of the window as though she had not noticed it before. No, she didn’t know what it was.  Reading later – and obviously looking - it was the bell tower. I think she relies too much on the technology!

I did find lunch, a buffet in a Thai restaurant for a fiver – great bargins I’m finding! The guy who owned the restaurant with his wife was keen that I look around the area. He offered me directions to an Ostrich farm 250 km odd away, a moose farm 30km away and a tractor museum 6km down the road. Now, where do you think I went? Correct.

But even if you don’t like tractors quite as much as I do – and I know few do – you would have loved the experience of this place. It looked less a tractor museum and more a tractor graveyard. 

 

Except the deceased weren’t!  There must have been a couple of hundred and as I looked around the owner/collector/nutter came up to me and assured me that most actually ran. Don’t believe it – no, I didn’t either so he proceeded to show me.

I saw that all had batteries and new wiring etc which in itself must have cost a small fortune. Tyres though weren’t a priority ...

 – well they didn’t go far. 

BUT start they did. Amazing.

This thing was a single cylinder jobby that he didn’t even get on, just let run backwards and forwards by hitting the gear lever. 

Sorry – I know I’ve lost all my female followers and half the male but the guy’s enthusiasm was amazing. And there were motor bikes

 – gone to heaven – what!

Getting on the road again Sweden got even more beautiful. I was surprise at the number of really wide – 150 yard plus – rivers I crossed.

 Saw more reindeer but as promised no more pictures.

Then on to Arvidsjaur in Swedish Lapland. 

 And to end where I came in – lucky again – this place is wonderful – brand new and so very cheap. 

Has a bar and does breakfast – sorted.

Night night.....