We all hunkered down in Basil’s warm interior as the drizzle set in at Santa Clause’s Village overnight. As we looked out through wet and misty windows we felt sorry for the people who had paid good money to come on holiday and stay in one of the cottages or hotel. Maybe it is a little more magical when it’s covered in snow. We were not sad to say goodbye this morning.
We headed further north on the Arctic Highway. The usual immaculate Finnish roads cutting a swathe through unbroken forest. Basil was interrupted on his journey several times by small herds of Reindeer on the road, including, for the first time, mature males with magnificent antlers. They behave very much like sheep except they are perhaps less easily intimidated by vehicles. The herd wanders nonchalantly along or across the road and then, confused, they usually scatter on both sides of the highway, often leaving mother and calf separated with the risk that one or the other will run back in front of the traffic to be reunited before it is safe.
Basil brought to a halt on the Arctic Highway
The main north south traffic in northern Finland has now all converged on this one major road. One consequence is that probably one in four vehicles is a caravan or a motorhome. Since it is the custom in Finland for both motorhomers and caravaners to wave to each other as they pass I am in danger of suffering from repetitive strain injury having raised my hand in salute well over a hundred times today.
The landscape is slowly changing. Trees are getting smaller and more sparse, presumably in reaction to the fiercer winters. We have also experience a few treeless mores on the higher ground. In last few miles today we have driven over some real inclines and for the first time in Finland the terrain could be described as hilly.
We first tried stopping for the night in Finland’s most northerly ski resort but the overnight parking spaces were all full. A few miles further on we have found a layby (68.782862, 27.408751), well off the road, next the rocky shoreline of one of the huge northern lakes. The only downside is that we are at a bit of an angle so care will have to be taken in the preparation of dinner to ensure nothing rolls off the chopping board or table!
One of Basil’s most picturesque overnight spots
My app which tells me about sunrise and sunset tells me that we are now far enough north that the sun will not set tonight. Unfortunately we have unbroken cloud so we will not experience the midnight sun, but with luck we should do in the next two weeks.
Our lake tonight
I have, not surprisingly, been thinking about the cost of Basil’s service yesterday and in particular the seemingly ludicrous prices of some fairly standard parts like oil and filters. One thing has struck me about something the service agent said to me after the service, which was that the engine was now protected down to minus 40 degrees celsius. I suspect that Basil has been serviced for an arctic winter and possibly special filters, oil etc are required, hence the cost. It’s no consolation since the coldest Basil is likely to see this winter in the UK is minus 5 and I also wonder if these components will work as well as standard ones at plus 30 degrees if we go to southern Europe next year?