Overland to Scandinavia and more! Spring 2017

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Scandinavia and more!
Spring 2017

Preview

With the back of the ‘TinTent’ now fully repaired and fully serviced, and my pair of ‘itchy feet’, we are off on the tour mentioned above, which has taken around 4 months to put together.

This time however we are including a mini cruise to St Petersburg, which is a city we have wanted to see for some time and the cruise starts in Helsinki while ‘Flamenco Red’ and the ‘TinTent’ are taking a short rest/vacation, and staying there as we ‘cruise’ over the Baltic Sea for about 48 hours in St Petersburg!

After which and our return we then set off on the next stage that takes us from Helsinki in Finland across the Baltic Sea into Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania as we continue South to Poland and a trip on a strange Canal, where we are invited to ‘Go Sailing Over the Grass’ then over to Gdansk also in Poland, for a look around this famous city, but more about that a bit later!

Here is the route to our most Northerly point which is a small village at the top of the Lofoten Islands in Norway, while at the moment there are still some places on the way there that are experiencing temperatures at night of down to -12C and the daytimes are sometimes ‘Snowy’!
‘Thermal Vest & Longjohns’ were the first items to be packed after I saw the weather along the way! Trust me!!!…….



This is the side trip ‘Cruise’ to St Petersburg which we hope is not too ‘lumpy’!.....



While this is the route after getting back to Helsinki then the Ferry across to Tallinn and the route back home via the Baltic States……



I will mention that a significant number of the places we will be stopping at, do not have any Internet or Wi-Fi access so updates will not be as frequent as previous travel blogs.

So if you are up for it then come and join us once again in the ‘Third Seat’ of our Swedish Tug ‘Flamenco Red’ as we trundle along.
You are more than welcome and we hope you enjoy the tour!

[ssicarman]

Looking forward to the trip.

Sure hope that the weather gets warmer real fast for you.

[XCovlov70]

Looking forward to the trip.

Sure hope that the weather gets warmer real fast for you.

Thanks ssicarman!

I am also fingers crossed for a weather improvement as I only posses 1 pair of Thermal's!!!

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Scandinavia and more!
Spring 2017

Rydaholm/Furen to Askersund

Off we went from Skeda Strand for the 155mile trip to Askersund initially along the roads alongside the lake and through the forest……



With some nice houses as we went and before we got back on the E4 main route……





As we went along the E4 we saw these piles of tree logs and branches that have been taken out of the forest but not sure why they have the cover over the top unless it is to stop any snow from making the wood really wet as it collects and then melts……



Not sure if these are special ‘mushrooms’.....



As we then come to the outskirts of Jönköping……



We take the ring road around the city and pass this very large building on our left which is the Energy Centre……



As we then came off the ring road to go into a branch of Lidl which is near that church in the next picture to get some groceries but the parking was rather full, with no space that we could pull into so we turned around and got back on the ring road!......



Passing this rather large wooden ‘person’ at the side of the E4!......



As the E4 goes north alongside a very large lake that stretches from Jönköping right up to Askersund……



With this ruined castle on the lakeside.…..



As we made a short stop for a comfort break and a coffee we see what looks like a LARGE ‘Potato’ in the centre of the traffic island!......



Then passing through another small village as we came onto the road number 50 we see this object at the side of the road with a model of a person trying to push it along!……



WOW! This looks nice……



Then it’s a bit more nice open clear road……





Then in the distance is the town of Askersund.....



As we pull into Askersund City Camp we get the last pitch available as we did not realise that this weekend is a holiday in Sweden!…..



After we got set up and went and got the groceries we saw around 20 other campers roll up to be disappointed as the site was full!

Facilities here include in the price: HOT Showers, EHU, Wi-Fi, Kitchen with full cooking facilities.
The showers have heated floors and piped Internet Country & Western Music which makes Line Dancing in the shower something new!.....

Tomorrow we are off to ‘explore the town’…….

[XCovlov70]

Just got to our next halt which was supposed to be an ' Free stay Aires' on a dockside, but it turns out that the Boat Club have grabbed it and are now charging NOK180/night (€21 or £16)! But at least they have an Internet connection so I can git goin with the updates again

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Scandinavia and more!
Spring 2017

Bleik to the middle of nowhere!

Time once again to move on, so off we go onto a non-major road to go back down the other side of this land spit from Bleik to a place I found on Google Earth which looked rather nice and peaceful!......

No it wasn’t this nice little island in the middle of a frozen lake!......











The view across to where we were……



As we come into the village of Nordmela we see this large fish processing plant out by the harbour……



With these large wooden racks on the opposite side that looked like they were for drying Cod Fish to be sent to Portugal as Bacalhau……



Having found somewhere to park, which was on the forecourt of the garage in Nordmela we set off for a visit to the Fish Processing plant……



The view back to the village……



The wooden racks were huge……



While it wasn’t the Cod Fish hanging up drying out……



But the Cod Fish Heads which are destined for Africa and Fish Soup……



While the dried out heads are then moved to a shed for packing……



The harbour with the small fishing fleet some of whom were still out fishing……



Making our way back to the garage we decided on having a coffee, went inside and asked for the coffees and went to pay to be told that ‘Today is a celebration for us here as we won a Norwegian Prize for the best kept village, so today the coffee and cake is free’ WOW!……
(Sorry, I took a bite of my piece of cake before taking the picture and it was delicious)



After remembering our manners and saying ‘Thank you’ to the ladies in the café we got back on the road ……



Then not much further on and we came to the place I found on Google Earth……



Except for the odd vehicle going past it really was a case of:

‘Come and listen to the Thunder of the Silence’……





But no sunset as the Sun disappeared behind a mountain at around 21:30hrs while the ‘daylight’ was still there at 01:30hrs this morning!

Moving on again tomorrow!......

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Scandinavia and more!
Spring 2017

After leaving Iin Sillat Motel & Camping we get a couple of hours in Oulo as we make our way South

Interesting for me to make a return to Oulu as it was the first city outside Helsinki that I went to a long time ago and it hasn’t changed much!.......
The first building that I remembered was this one down on the water front as it is the Theatre and the shape is rather strange, which was the trigger!......



In this channel there used to be a couple of twin mast sailing boats that had been converted to restaurants but they have gone, still they were expensive or at least the food was!.....



Looking across the water towards the Waterfront Market……



Then the other way to the large Hotel……



The ‘City Street Cleaners’ get Bikes with Trailers & Baskets on the back for the garbage that is collected……



OK! Be nice!......



Some of the old waterfront buildings which have now been converted into café’s or restaurants……



The front entrance to the Waterfront Market, with the ‘Fat Jolly Policeman’ outside……



Inside the Market……







The ‘Fat Jolly Policeman’ who existed in real life and kept a check on the vehicles on Market Days……



Strolling up into the town centre……

















While this ‘structure’ seems to ring a bell as the starting point for a Car Rally as each car shot off a ramp that was connected as it started the race!......



Just to the right of the stone ball that rides on a cushion of water is a Café that serves a cake that is reputed to be the oldest recipe in Finland. The cake is made up of Apple, Sponge, Cream and a Meringue top coat and served with a Vanilla sauce……









Original old wooden buildings down along the waterfront……







Then it was back on the road to our next overnight halt!......

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Scandinavia and more!
Spring 2017

South Wales (UK) to France

As the trip down to the Eurotunnel Train has been covered many times before, then the only bit unless something dramatic turns up, is crossing over the Second Severn River Crossing and NOT having to pay a toll to ‘Exit Stage Left’ over the Bridge, and out of Wales!



Once out of Wales we enter the first ‘Foreign Country’!...



After a couple of hours we then come to the M25 that is the ‘Freeway’ that circles London and I am glad we were going the anticlockwise way today as we saw the nose to tail stack of vehicles going clockwise!....



Next stop after a quick bite to eat at Chobham Services on the M25 was at the Eurotunnel Check-In……



Then around 1 hour later we were making our way down to the train and getting onboard, but at least the time allowed me to change over the headlight settings for driving on the ‘wrong side of the road’!...



As we went into the Terminal we spotted a display that was headed up as the picture below…….



I must admit that the answer seemed rather simple: “You go in one end, and come out the other, and you don’t get wet!”

Then we are out and having got off the train we head off onto the ‘Exit Road’…….



While we then heads off to a right slip road and the very large shopping and fuel fill up area called Cite Europe that also has an Aires that you can spend the night in…..



As we make our way around to firstly the fuel station we are passed by these two rather nice open topped sports cars! Very nice but no room for the luggage and our 11Kg of Porridge required for this trip!





That though completed the 1st Stage of this trip, while the next one is one of the longest we have travelled in a day as we normally try to make a limit of 250 Miles but as tomorrow is a Sunday and a lot of the Heavy Goods Vehicles cannot travel then we are travelling for 340 miles…..
So it’s an EARLY Start!......

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Scandinavia and more!
Spring 2017

France to Germany

06:30hrs this morning, just as daylight is beginning to come out and we are off on the 340 Miles to the town of Bramsche and the campsite called Waldwinkel, and as we got on the road and put a few miles behind us that wonderful ‘Pink Glow’ started to appear in front of us called SUNRISE!……







With the last one for today as it started to get a lot brighter……



While being ‘Sunday’ we found that when we pulled into a Service Area to try and get breakfast all the long parking slots were occupied with the ‘Sunday Stationery Trucks’ which cannot travel unless they have a special or perishable load!...



Water tower…….(I know it looks like the 'Leaning Tower of Pisa' but it was the camera, the tower was upright!!)



Sports or concert arena!



The entrance to the Kennedy Tunnel in Antwerp, Belgium…..



As we get back out in the countryside the weather brightens up a bit, but we were not to know that it wouldn’t last!.....



High Tech Campus, Eindhoven. The slim ‘black strips’ looked a bit like small Solar Panels……



Don’t see many of these combinations on the road these days…..



Then we ran into the rain, which lasted for a bit of time while the temperature dropped quite considerably……



While shortly after and the final ‘Are we there yet?’ we turned off the Autobahn having travelled through 3 countries (France, Belgium & Netherlands) and ended up in the 4th (Germany) to take a minor road and then a ‘track’ up a hill…..



To finally arrive at Camping Waldwinkel…..





While across the road in the opposite field we see these two ‘little fellas’ that look a bit like ‘Highland Cattle’ but a lot smaller…..



Long day, so time for a nice coffee and see what happens tomorrow as we have 2 nights here......

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Scandinavia and more!
Spring 2017

A day in Askersund

To go ‘exploring’ you really need a map and this was ours as the town is not that large ……



While down at the water’s edge this was the view looking towards the town……



Then looking down the lake from the City Centre Campsite……



After turning around on the pontoon this was the view looking back into the campsite with the church that was built in 1600 up on the little hill behind the campsite……



We then made our way into the church grounds and saw that the main roof and spire had wooden tiles on the roof, while the semi-circular rear section of the church had a copper clad roof.....





The old Rikstelephone Kiosk by the water now has another use……



It’s an extension of the Library with a few free books that you can swap or help yourself to something to read!......



The main road over the water into the town centre!......



As we go across the bridge and take in the view ‘upriver’……



Then looking from the lake side of the river across to the campsite…...



As we then turn right and head down the quayside on the opposite side to the campsite!......



We come to this metal statue of a small boat trapped in a very rough section of water! The plaque that was attached to the base was only in Swedish and the Tourist Information Office could not provide any information on it which was a shame!……



Quayside residences……



Again we find this very large rock mounted on a concrete base which we can make out from the plaque on the base has come from a Mine that is around 20km away. Not being able to translate any further we ask again at the Tourist Information Office (TIO) and they cannot explain anything about it!
At this point we asked the ‘TIO’ to consider adding to their City Information booklet some details of these items and their history as they are clearly part of the history of the town……



Nice house with a very nice view from the ‘Tower’ on its corner……



A very old house in the town possibly the oldest with the grass roof.....



Spring is coming albeit a bit late up here this year!…..



Askersund Bus Station!.....



The town used to have a railway running through it and was ‘connected’ by train to these other stations……



This is the old railway station……



That has now been converted into an 80’s style Café, and inside it looks superb!…….



Complete with a ‘Juke Box’!......



While on the ‘Menu’ is ‘Pitty Panna’ which in Sweden is like ‘Fish & Chips’ in the UK and this was delicious!.....



Next was a visit to the brand new ‘Bibliotek’ that is also the new home of the ‘TIO’ where we spoke to the lady about the lack of information and asked her to submit it as a suggestion which she agreed to…….



While in front of the Bibliotek is this large block of stone with a hole in the middle and if you are in the right position the small statue of the ‘Swimmer’ fits in nicely!......



Then heading back towards the town centre……



Past the water tower which was up on a small hill……



Then past the school which had the year 1905 over the entrance door, while the Mobile Communications Masts were added to the roof a few years later!......



Another church but this one had clay tiles on the roof……



One of the houses in the older part of the town……



While outside the Kommune building is this rather interesting piece of metalwork……



The one ‘Factory’ in the town that used to produce soft drinks but is now a Galvanising Plant……



The town square……



With its fountain up at the top, and the water was running!......



While not far away as the town is growing, then new houses are being built very close to the lakeside……



Today started off quite cold but has warmed up although a cold wind has introduced a ‘chill factor’ while tomorrow is supposed to be better, and we have been advised of an ‘Event’ tomorrow evening that we will make our way over to have a look, but more of that tomorrow!......