TRAVEL IN FINLAND BY MOTORHOME

This daily log gives an account of our 1,500-mile motorhome journey through Finland.

After winter and early spring in Greece, we left the UK in mid-May 2006 and travelled 1,650 miles via France, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary for a 5-week, 1,000-mile journey in Romania. In mid-July we left Romania to travel a further 1,500 miles to Finland via eastern Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and the Baltic Republics of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. We entered Finland by ferry from Tallinn (Estonia), arriving in Helsinki on 4 August 2006.

Our plan is to enjoy some of Finland's 187,888 lakes, its limitless forest (covering 70% of the land area) and glimpses of its 180,000 islands! Our bicycles have been dusted off, the tyres blown up to 80 psi and they (if not us) are ready for the quiet roads and gravel tracks. We hope to visit Russia as well as the easternmost point of the mainland EU, roam north of the Arctic Circle and get up close to reindeer and moose. Our eventual return to the UK may be through Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Holland.

To see how we got on and discover what we actually did, read on!

Distances are given in miles; heights in feet; and costs in Euros. 1 mile = 1.6 km; 1 foot = 0.3 metres and, at present, 1 Euro = about 0.7 Pounds Sterling. The current exchange rate for each non-Euro country is given in the log. The daily rate quoted for campsites generally includes an electrical hook-up.

A Table of Distances, Fuel and Costs for the journey from Romania to Finland will be included at the end of this journey.

To read about the journey from Romania to Finland, click: To Finland July 2006

To see more images of our journey north through Finland, click: Images of Finland

To read the continuation log, click: Finland to Norway: September 2006

A fine dry day, with just 26 miles in Estonia to complete our journey through the Baltic Republics. On the outskirts of Tallinn we passed the Hotel Peoleo, on the right of the highway, still offering caravan parking. We had camped there in 1999 but its proximity to the capital made it expensive.

Finding our way round the Tallinn ring road to the ferry port, it helped to know that Sadam = 'harbour' on the very few signs. There was plenty of space to stop around Terminal A – paying by the hour at the nearest car park, or on a large area of rough ground further away, where we joined a few other motorhomes. No-one came by to collect a fee, just a couple of women selling tablecloths.

We had booked the Eckero Line ferry for tomorrow afternoon but were pleased to find there was space on today's sailing (a surprise, with only one crossing a day.) Tickets safely issued (Visa card accepted, though not over the phone), we walked up into the walled Old Town in search of a meal. We had explored Estonia's capital city and port back in 1999, when it had a great deal more charm! Now it has been restored into the setting for a historical pageant, with bored student postcard-sellers in medieval dress. The many tourists were Finns on day or weekend trips, in search of cheap food and, mainly, drink. (Silja, Tallink and Viking Lines also run several ferries a day – we found Eckero the least expensive. Details on www.eckeroline.fi.)

We did enjoy a walk up Toompea (the hill over which the Old Town tumbles) and the 'daily special' lunch in Molly Malone's Irish pub, overlooking the central Town Hall Square. Chicken, rice, salad and orange juice cost less than ₤5 for two, eaten in a quiet cool bar (most customers sat outside), with a gentle background of Irish music, watched over by photographs of Yeats and James Joyce. Perhaps Tallinn isn't so bad after all!

The crossing was perfectly calm and we docked on time at 9.30 pm (still daylight, of course), a few miles west of Helsinki centre. Sadly, there was no parking at the terminal, just a swift exit into the mayhem of Friday night traffic (like arriving at an English port). We crossed Finland's capital, pushing our way along its extensive waterfront and through the competitors in a classic car convention. Perhaps we should have entered, to get a parking place! We finally escaped onto the E75 (road 4) and headed north towards Lahti. Visit www.hel.fi/tourism for more Helsinki info.

We passed the turning for Vuosaari (for Camping Rastila, 8 miles north-east of Helsinki, open all year, well-signed), knowing that it would be crowded and expensive (and on a previous visit we had taken the 20-minute Metro ride from there to explore Helsinki). Continuing up the beautifully smooth motorway, we stopped after 42 Finnish miles for a quiet night at the first service station we reached, near Mantsala.

Finland is very easy for driving, with no motorway tolls, clear signs, diesel at a reasonable 70 pence/litre, and since 2002 the currency is the Euro! The language is admittedly impossible but most Finns speak excellent English, in order to communicate with any of their neighbours.

Staying on E75 north for 30 miles to Lahti (which means 'bay'), we turned off for the culture shock of an affluent shopping mall – returning to western Europe after more than 2 months among the delights and deprivations of former Iron Curtain countries. Eastern Europe is catching up, especially those countries now in the EU, but Scandinavia is another class! At the DIY superstore we found a good saw and proper glue, in the hypermarket the quality of the fresh food was beyond the Romanian imagination. Nor were prices any higher than in, for example, Germany or France. Only imported food seemed expensive.

Lahti is a modern town, a winter sports centre on a lake (it's difficult not to be on a lake, with 187,888 lakes covering 10% of the country). Incredibly, forest covers another 70%. Turning east on road 12 for 40 miles, we came to Kouvola, with an excellent campsite 3 miles past the centre. Obviously, it is set in forest on the edge of a lake. The fee of €24 came down to €22 on production of our Camping Card International (we could have bought a Scandinavian Camping Card, price €6 for one year, to get the same discount.) For this, we got a quiet place under the birch and pine trees, with full-power hook-up, good water, a proper ground-level dump point and first-class facilities (including a kitchen with free electric cookers).

We had a Sunday rest day here, to catch up with motorhome repairs, laundry, emails and letter-writing. On the lake (warm enough for swimming) we saw whooper swans as well as various ducks. The trees are just starting to turn colour - the first weekend in August is the end of the season, with autumn round the corner. Temperatures reach 80 F in the daytime, with cool light nights – just perfect.

7 August   92 miles  KOUVOLA to SAVITAIPALE, Finland   Karhurinteen Loma Camping  €19.00

An easy drive east for 53 miles on road 6 to Lappeenranta, capital of South Karelia. It is Finland's largest inland port, at the south end of Saimaa, the country's biggest lake. The Russian border, only 12 miles away, is crossed by the Saimaa Canal, linking the lake to the Baltic Sea at the Russian port of Vyborg.

We found a large free car park near the passenger harbour on the lake and walked up into the town to enquire about the day-trips to Vyborg, which cruise along the canal and return by coach (or vice versa). The Saimaan Matkaverkko company which runs these tours also arranges the day-visa for EU citizens, taking 2 days, included in the fare. Our passports were photocopied, payment made, and we shall visit Russia on Thursday!

Lappeenranta's campsite, at the Huhtiniemi Tourist Resort (by the lake, a couple of miles west of the centre) proved to be big and commercial, in an urban setting. Instead, we headed north-west on the narrow road 408, through forest and over lakes. One of the island campsites near Taipalsaari had closed yesterday (summer over on 6 August!) but at Savitaipale we found a peaceful little private campsite with cabins and a café – on a lake surrounded by silver birch and pines. So calm, the trees absorbing any breath of wind.

A peaceful break, writing, website updating, printing letters for Margaret's family, baking (pizzas and a chocolate/walnut cake). On the shore of Lake Kuolimo, our campsite houses the traditionally built wooden Church Longboat, in its beautifully crafted boathouse built of solid tree-trunks. At one time, such boats were rowed round a lake to collect the congregation on Sundays. Now they are launched for special occasions – we have seen one taking to the water in Sweden, the crew in local costume, a splendid sight. Rapakivi church in Savitaipale (1924) is built of granite (unusual – most are wooden in this area).

We enjoyed a cycle ride of 20 miles or so on the first afternoon, on quiet forest roads south-west towards Tuohikotti. Next morning another 20-mile ride north, past Partakoski, surprised us with the remains of the Karnakoski Fortress, part of a chain of Swedish forts built in the 1790's in south-east Finland, as the threat from Russia increased.

On the road by 6 am to return to Lappeenranta and the free parking area near the passenger harbour. After check-in at 7.30 am it was all aboard the 'Carelia', a splendid river launch carrying about 50 passengers, although it could hold up to 4 times that number. She had a small duty-free shop, currency exchange and large restaurant on the lower deck, indoor lounge and café/bar on the deck above, and outdoor seating above that. We did buy some roubles (at 30 to the Euro) but found little to spend them on in Vyborg!

The cruise began at 8 am with a short passage along Lake Saimaa to the canal entrance. We sat up top, talking to an interesting young couple, Damian and Sirpa, who live in Oxford, though Sirpa is Finnish - over on holiday visiting her family in Joensuu. It was fascinating to get a first-hand insight into the Finnish way of life, to ask about the winter and the darkness. With a dry cold and a twilight magnified by the snow, we were assured that it was preferable to a damp grey English winter! The short summer of May through July is glorious (this year hotter than average) and schools re-open after the first weekend in August. The only other British on board were the Smiths, who were motorhoming towards Helsinki and the Baltic Republics, reversing the route we'd just taken. The coincidence didn't end there, as they had retired from University and FE teaching in Sheffield and Huddersfield, though our paths had never crossed before!

The first 23 km of the Saimaa Canal are in Finland (with 3 locks), the final 20 km (and 5 locks) cross Russia, though the area is leased from Russia and the whole canal is maintained by Finland. The fall is from 76 m at Lake Saimaa to sea level at the Gulf of Finland. A narrow canal (58 km long with 28 small locks) was first opened in 1856, when Finland was a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire. Work to enlarge it was interrupted by WWII. The construction of the present canal, with impressively large locks taking cargo boats up to 2,500 tonnes, was finished in 1968. Enough of the history lesson, relayed on the tannoy and detailed on handouts - it was a fascinating voyage, the canal sometimes widening into a series of linked lakes, always in dense woods. Smoke on the horizon was dismissed as 'Russian forest fires'.

We shared the water with some goods traffic (wood and ore), a few private yachts, and shorter passenger trips sailing as far as the first lock at Malkia. Since the boat was far from full, there was just one sitting to dine and the 'entertainment' was limited to a young man playing an accordion in the lounge, with the Finns joining in the singing. It was a super experience, very well organised, with an excellent lunch buffet. The basic price of €15.50 included salads, bread, chicken and vegetables, water and coffee. We upgraded (an extra €6.50) to have reindeer fillet instead of chicken, plus a raspberry cheesecake dessert. It was well worth it, absolutely delicious, as Russia glided past!

We docked at Vyborg at 1.30 pm (or 2.30 Russian time), were checked through passport control in a few minutes, then given a 30-minute coach tour of the town. After a couple of hours freedom, we met again at Hotel Druzhba for a coach ride back to Lappeenranta, departing at 4.45 pm (or 5.45). It was stressed that anyone missing the bus would somehow have to get themselves to St Petersburg to obtain a full visa before they could exit Russia! We were at the hotel by 4.30 pm, relaxing over a pot of good Russian tea – we've been to St Petersburg before, when it was Leningrad!

Vyborg, once the capital of Karelia, was Finland's second largest city and port when it was lost to Russia at the end of WWII, along with much of eastern Karelia. It was sad for us to see the ruins of the churches and the unloved architecture, including the library designed by Alvar Aalto (Finland's leading 20thC architect) in 1935. How much sadder it must be for Finns, especially those whose families were evacuated by Stalin.

The harbour is overlooked by Vyborg Castle, built on a little island in 1293 by the Swedes, who ruled until 1710. The castle is now open as a museum, with a tower to climb. We had a look at the indoor (produce) and outdoor (non-food) markets, intending to buy a Russian nesting doll but sadly they were cheap and flimsy (made in China?). We checked out the Toy Shop and the Alisa Department Store, hoping for better quality, but they had none at all!

Our town map also marked the Linen and Porcelain Shops, Prospekt Lenin ('a popular shopping street') and Globus Market – it seems most tourists come to shop. We took in the atmosphere, remarking on the absence of buskers and beggars compared with our visit to Leningrad in 1999. The people were poorly dressed, the cars were still Ladas, but there was plenty of food on sale and we were told that the population of 78,000 have work in the construction and wood processing industries, as well as the shipyard.

Tourism has barely started. We visited the Orthodox Church (1789), which is undergoing much-needed restoration. It was the only church that remained in use through the Communist years, when no spending on church building was allowed. And of course we photographed the huge statue of Lenin in the city's Red Square – one of the few left standing in the former USSR.

By road, it is less than 40 miles from Vyborg back to Lappeenranta. On our comfortable coach it took over 2 hours – a good time, we were told! The delay was at the border, with no less than 5 separate passport checks before exiting Russia – some by a guard coming along the bus, some involving everyone getting out to form a line (in alphabetical order, using the Cyrillic alphabet!) Good fun. One more check-point to enter Finland (and the EU) after the no-man's land, and we were on our way. A new faster road and frontier station have been built by the Finns, still unfinished on the Russian side.

By 7 pm the passengers had been dropped at their various hotels and we were returned to the harbour. It had been a long fascinating day. Those who opted to go by coach and return on the boat had an even longer one, as we watched it dock at 9.30 pm.

These trips are run by Saimaan Matkaverkko from mid-May to early September, details at www.saimaatravel.fi. They can be extended to visit St Petersburg or even Moscow, by train from Vyborg, for which a full visa is needed. Our visit cost €59 each, including day-visa, ship out, sightseeing tour in Vyborg and coach back. Lunch (and shopping) extra!

More time in Lappeenranta, posting letters and looking round the Fortress Hill (Linnoitus) above the harbour. The 17thC fort built by the Swedes surrendered to Russia in 1741 after the Battle of Lappeenranta and became part of the fortification line (with Vyborg) defending St Petersburg. The oldest surviving buildings (1778) are the Guard House (now a Cavalry Museum) and Commandant's House (South Karelian Museum). Two of the three barracks built in 1798 house an art gallery, the third is converted into private dwellings, as is the old hospital. The former Officers' Club has become a café/art gallery, another barracks is a craft workshop, another, which became a prison, is now a sports hall. This historic area does have the oldest Orthodox church in Finland (1785 and still in business) plus wonderful views from the ramparts over Lake Saimaa. A pass can be bought for all the museums and guided summer afternoon walks round the Linnoitus are available.

We were actually more impressed by the structure of the Sandcastles at the far end of the harbour! Finland's annual sand-sculpture competition is held here in June (tons of fine sand being brought in) and the magnificently crafted results are left standing until the winter washes them away. The area is freely open to view and this year's theme is the EU, with an Eiffel Tower for France, Leaning Tower for Italy, Acropolis for Greece, etc. GB has a policeman with helmet!

Having photographed these attractions, we were back on road 6, the Via Karelia, heading north-east. We stopped for lunch after 32 miles near the dam at Imatrankoski, a couple of miles from Imatra. Koski means 'rapids' but the raging torrent on the River Vuoksi was harnessed for hydroelectricity in 1929. Now the dammed river is only allowed to flow freely for a 'Sound and Light Show' at certain times on summer nights!

After another 70 miles, just before the town of Kesalahti, we saw a lovely campsite behind a restaurant on the left, on a peaceful lake, for a very reasonable €12 (including International Camping Card discount). We had a lazy evening watching TV (2 channels and British programmes are popular, with Finnish subtitles). We watched the chef Gordon Ramsay sorting out a French restaurant in Inverness, but drew the line at 'Emmerdale Farm'!

Still heading north on road 6, with a good weather forecast and the temperature above 20 degrees C, all the traffic was coming south - the school holidays which started in May end this weekend. After 58 miles we turned left across the Pielisjoki River into Joensu, capital of Northern Karelia, with a modern university and shopping centre. Finding little of interest (and no free parking) we didn't linger. We turned east on road 74 for 45 miles to Ilomantsi, pausing for lunch and a fill of diesel (at around €1.00 a litre) on the way. We discovered that the automatic pumps (for credit card or bank notes) do not recognise 'foreign' cards, though the assistant inside the filling station was able to process one.

The small town of Ilomantsi is at the centre of Finland's most eastern and most Orthodox municipality, in the heart of the Karelian wilderness. It claims the oldest Christian parish in the country (Orthodox, established in the 15thC) and also the most snow cover in the country, lasting from November to April. We collected a pile of free maps and leaflets from the Tourist Office (inside the supermarket) and made our way to the lakeside, where there are 2 splendid churches, both still in use. The large wooden Lutheran church (1796) looked plain from the outside but its interior walls were colourfully painted with about a hundred angels. The Finnish Orthodox Church of St Elias (1891) has a more impressive exterior, with green roof and domes but felt severe, with none of the charm of Greek Orthodox churches inside. Over the road, a path led past the Iljala Orthodox Meeting Centre and down to the shore, where there is a little Orthodox cemetery under the trees.

East again on the minor (but sealed) road 5004 for Mohko. There is a turning for a campsite about 8 miles along (one mile off the road) but the Reception was closed. We decided to continue to Mohko, with good memories of the campsite by the river there, run by a friendly old couple. In the autumn of 1999 we had cycled from there to the easternmost point of the EU, at the Russian border on Lake Virmajarvi (an 80-mile round trip, mostly on forest tracks). Sadly, the neglected campsite was now in the hands of a more taciturn character and we encountered our first mosquitoes on the overgrown riverside.

Later, we discovered that the campsite owner/manager had spent 20 years as a Finnish spy-catcher, mainly based in Los Angeles. He had bought the campsite in order to get away from it all – and had succeeded!

The 125-mile River Koitajoki , popular with anglers and canoeists, rises in nearby Russia, flows onto Finnish land for 12 miles then turns back across the border, re-emerging further south here at Mohko. Its dark humus-rich waters mostly meander between sandy banks, linking small lakes, but with 3 stretches of rapids. The primeval wetland and forest is crossed by gravel ridge formations (Eskers) from the last Ice Age and there are several long-distance hiking trails. Visit www.outdoors.fi or www.travel.fi  or www.kareliaexpert.fi for more on Finland's Great Outdoors – and bring insect repellent!

After an hour or two on the internet, we moved off the campground and onto the free car park by the Mohko Ironworks Museum. This tiny forest village, just 8 miles from the Russian border, was once the site of a huge iron-ore-processing works founded in 1849. There is even a narrow canal, dug in 1872 to take the ore and timber out, and an old grounded canal boat, used as a café. The museum is open during the summer but the outdoor industrial remains stay all year!

After lunch we had a 16-mile cycle ride along the gravel road which ends abruptly with a barrier and a large Red Hand sign at the Russian border zone. The Ilomantsi area was the scene of Finland's Winter War (1939) and Continuation War (1944) with Russia. Here, in the final 2 weeks in August 1944, the Russians were turned back to concentrate on the German front, abandoning their idea of 'socialising' Finland along with the Baltics, Poland and the other countries which fell behind their Iron Curtain. At a couple of places along our track, the hastily dug trenches, foxholes and ammunition shelters of the Finnish soldiers have been restored and labelled. We looked for German manufacturers' labels on the ancient and cart wheeled artillery pieces.

Then we drove back to Ilomantsi (15 miles) and turned north on road 522 to Hattuvaara. At Lehtovaara, 12 miles along, we recognised the junction with the forest track from Mohko – the route we had cycled back in 1999. It is another 13 miles to Hattuvaara, the nearest village to the easternmost point of Finland (and the mainland EU). The settlement has one shop and Finland's oldest Orthodox tsasouna (tiny wooden church from the 1720's).

The dominant building is the tall Taistelijan Talo or Heroes' House, built of grey stone and wood, designed as a tribute to Finland's war veterans and to those who rebuilt an independent country after the Battles of Ilomantsi. It has a good cafe/restaurant and a WWII museum, both indoors and out. It also sells souvenirs and diplomas for visiting the Easternmost Point, 12 miles distant, and arranges group tours. Permission to stay on the large car park for 2 nights was freely given, with the optional bonus of an electric hook-up for €5 – done! We had a peaceful evening, with just a flock of White Wagtails and a pair of the more unusual Yellow Wagtails for company and we felt very safe, knowing the Border Guard Post was just next door.

14 August  At HATTUVAARA, Finland   Heroes' House Car Park

We needed permission in order to enter the 2-mile wide Finnish/Russian border zone in the forest, to access the easternmost point of the EU at Lake Virmajarvi. A 24-hour Frontier Zone Permit is issued (free of charge) by applying in person with passport at the Border Guard Station next to the Heroes' House, open 8 am-4 pm weekdays, which we did. On summer weekends the Heroes' House will arrange one, for a fee.

Suitably equipped with our permit, ham and cheese sandwiches, orange juice and chocolate bars, we set off mid-morning to cycle the 25-mile round trip. Half a mile along the road, past the little church, there is a right turn opposite the village shop onto a gravel road, mysteriously signposted with various Finnish words like Ita-piste (= East Point), none of which mention EU or Virmajarvi!

It was a perfect day, warm and dry with no wind or traffic. Despite starting and finishing at around 600 ft, the newly strewn gravel track was strenuously hilly, crossing the ridges in the dense birch and pine forest. We saw a red squirrel and surprised a couple of huge dark birds (male Capercaillie?) which went crashing through the trees, but we met none of the larger mammals rumoured to live here (elk, brown bear, wolf or beaver). Humankind was also scarce but there are ghosts.

Along the early part of the way, near a marked trek called the 'Fighters Trail', are several WWII battle locations, foxholes and memorials. About 13,000 Finnish troops were deployed in the area between here and Ilomantsi in July-August 1944, a continuation of the battlefield we visited yesterday. After 10 miles we reached the barrier, with a stern warning sign 'No Entry Without Permit' for the final 2.5 miles of track through the border zone. The road ends at a parking area, then a short footpath to a wooden marker erected by Ilomantsi Rotary Club on the shore of Virmajarvi, opposite a tiny island on which the actual border posts (blue and white for Finland, red and green for Russia) can be seen. This border was defined in the Moscow Treaty of 1940 after the Winter War, and marks the easternmost point of Finland, Europe and the Mainland EU. (It did apply to the whole EU until Cyprus joined.) Just as we were experiencing the extreme remoteness of the place, a motorbike arrived from Berlin!

We thought the border permits were a formality (when we rode here 8 years ago, no-one checked them) but today, as we were deep in travellers' tales with the young German, a burly but friendly border guard strolled up to check our permit and to question our new friend at length about his presence without one! All ended amicably (he was instructed to report to the Border Guard Station posthumously) and we retreated one mile back down the track to the 'Bear Paw Hut', a comfortable log-house and picnic area, for lunch.

On the way back, we passed a group of boisterous young Dutch people. They didn't have a border permit and didn't drive into the border area, but they did remind us of a western phenomenon, not seen by us for many a month - using the countryside solely for play and for amusement. They seemed very out of place.

Arriving back in Hattuvaara for a welcome ice cream at the village store, we were content to stay for a second free night, still with a good electrical hook-up.

Turning north-west (we couldn't go any further east!), we drove 60 miles to Lieksa on road 522, still signed as the 'Via Karelia', raising dust on a long stretch of it still unsealed. In Lieksa we visited the Spar supermarket and the bank, where we tried to change our remaining Russian roubles back into Euros. We had missed our chance in Lappeenranta and Joensu (never coinciding with bank opening hours). The assistant phoned ahead for us and found that it was possible at Salla, north of the Arctic Circle near a Russian border crossing. We hope to make it!

The main road 73 continued north-west, with a splendid layby (in a forest by a lake) for lunch after 26 miles. It was just another 10 miles to Hyvarila, a couple of miles before Nurmes. There's a large tourist centre along the shore of Lake Pielinen, with golf course, ski jump, hotel, youth hostel, cabins and an excellent camping area - spacious and quiet with all the facilities, including free sauna, free internet (in the hotel) and every third night free of charge. So here we are for at least 3 days, on Finland's sixth largest lake!

16/20 August   At NURMES   Hyvarila Tourist Centre/Camping

The weather is still warm, in the 70's F, but the overcast sky and occasional showers hint at autumn – Ruska in Finnish - and the silver birch are ready to turn colour. 'Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' indeed, as the forest floor is studded with bilberries and lingenberries and the rowan trees are laden scarlet. The commonest birds here are white wagtails, with the occasional thrush, all due to head south.

We enjoyed a few peaceful days on this well-equipped site, writing, baking, mending and cleaning, with the odd neighbour coming and going: a couple of Finnish motorhomes (usually with a husky dog or two), a Swedish caravan and a German campervan (the enigmatic 'James Cook Westfalia'. What does that mean?)

We cycled into Nurmes via the 'Bomba Village', a Karelian theme place on the lake between Hyvarila and the town, supposedly a recreation of a typical Karelian village (with hotel, restaurant, outdoor theatre and activities). It seemed to be closed – enough said! The town itself had genuine character, with tree-lined streets of 19thC wooden houses. The cemetery around a wooden church, on the edge of the forest overlooking the lake, has a War Memorial area with the graves of those killed in the Winter War (1939) and the Continuation War (1941-45). They are beautifully kept – and not, of course, by the CWG as Finland was not an ally.

The forest roads tempted us out on the bicycles for 2 rides, each 20 miles or so, reminding us again that Finland is far from flat! These gravel tracks roll over the Eskers, the gravel ridges between the many lakes, so that from our base at 330 ft, our profiles went from 200 ft minimum to 670 ft max.

We stayed long enough to make full use of the laundry, free internet and excellent kitchen (plenty of baking without using our precious gas – LPG not available in Finland) – and we got 2 'free' nights (just paying the €3 electricity charge for those). Altogether, a very good campsite.

21 August  135 miles  NURMES to SUOMUSSALMI, Finland   Kiantajarvi Camping €14.50

After restocking at Eurospar in Nurmes (large free car parks, ideal for motorhomes, are the norm at shopping centres), we drove 50 miles north on road 75 to Kuhmo, lunching on the way in a rest area – yes, in a forest, by a lake! Weather warm and bright.

Kuhmo is home of the Kalevala (Finland's epic work of mythology, written in the 19thC, by which JRR Tolkien was inspired). We bypassed the Kalevala Village (with hotel and campsite) - a theme park where we could have seen a re-creation of the cabin in which Kalevala composer, the doctor Elias Lonnrot, worked.

Ever northwards, now on the narrow forest-lined 912 (still called Via Karelia though technically we have left the region). About 100 miles from Nurmes we saw our first reindeer of the year, a lone animal crossing the road, pursued by a gang of French photographers from the car which screeched to a halt in front. Must be their first time in Finland – we know they will be plentiful as we approach Lapland!

The 912 swung west for its final 10 miles, ending at Suomussalmi. About 3 miles before the town we saw a simple campsite on the right, tucked into the forest 650 ft up, on the shore of lake Kiantajarvi (jarvi = lake). As well as hens, geese, a wasps' nest (in the Ladies!) and a donkey, there was a herd of semi-domesticated reindeer wandering on and off the site, the stags holding their curiously branching antlers high. (The females also have antlers, albeit smaller, and the young were beginning to sprout them – unique among deer, apparently.) It was delightful to photograph them in the low sun of early evening as they grazed the forest floor, poised on furry-white splayed hoofs.

The campsite is also a berry pickers' weighing station, some of the workers staying in the cabins and caravans. We learnt that the season has been underway for 3 weeks, with many Russians (and other nationalities) coming to harvest them. The commercially viable fruits are cloudberries (the most valuable), lingenberries, bilberries and crowberries. It's big business, with a free leaflet produced by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, available in several European languages. There is a similar booklet on fungi but, in our ignorance, we won't take that risk! We did pick lingenberries on our last visit to Lapland and still remember the delicious jam and pies. (Lingenberry sauce is traditionally served with reindeer meat, but don't tell the children!)

For more information on harvest times, picking instructions and accommodation, visit the Arctic Flavours Association on www.arctic-flavours.fi.

Driving the 3 miles into Suomussalmi, we found there was a free car park for caravans and lorries, with Euro-in-the-slot hook-ups, which we could have used for the night! Next time we shall know.

In the town we finally managed to change the Roubles left from the day in Vyborg, at a very poor exchange rate (and the Russians would gladly have accepted Euros – something else we'll know next time!) The sports shop had an end-of-summer sale with good half-price sandals and Merrell boots, so we are shod for the foreseeable future. Our third visit was to the Library, which didn't open until noon but offered hi-speed broadband internet, free of charge. We had a terminal each and worked for 2 hours.

Back on the road, we returned past the campsite and across the end of the lake on a fine bridge, east on the 912 then north on the narrow scenic forest-lined 843, weaving its way between a myriad lakes, parallel with the Russian border 5-10 miles away. The trees grow less tall as we progress northwards and roaming reindeer more frequent.

After about 60 miles, through the fishing and trekking centre along the Hossa River and Lake, we passed 3 campsites, the second being off to the left by the Visitor Centre. The Centre had a café and the usual info and ran the Karhunkainalo Camping. Sadly, the Punk behind the counter couldn't interrupt his phone call to attend to Reception duties, we tired of waiting and decided to move on.

Our road swung west to rejoin road 5 (E63) 35 miles later, where we turned north. Soon (about 10 miles before Kuusamo) we spotted a caravan sign at a new hotel/restaurant on the right. The place was run by a friendly Dutch woman, who offered peaceful parking with hook-up by the lake and the use of sauna/bathroom inside the hotel, all for €14.00!

10 miles up the E63 to a big roundabout (unusual here) - welcome to Kuusamo, a huge shopping centre with the feel of a new frontier town, serving a wide area. (The village was once a German command centre, blown up by their retreating troops when the Soviet army entered the town in 1944.)

We gathered more info at the Bear's Paw Tourist Centre but didn't linger over their free internet, as it had no accessible USB port. We did buy a half-price National Park tee-shirt each, depicting an Arctic Tern. Tourist Centres are generally good here, with toilets, café and shop as well as the usual displays and info. Kuusamo had several supermarkets, including our favourite Lidl, where we restocked and found a bargain set of bicycle tools in a case, including some Barry had long needed.

Continuing up the E63/5/Via Karelia for 20 miles, we came to the ski centre of Ruka. Perhaps these places look better under snow (early November to mid-May), but in summer they are simply ugly, the ski-runs a blight on the hillside. We turned off to investigate the resort, its slopes and lifts marring both sides of Ruka Fell. Following caravan park signs, we drove round to Ita (East) Ruka on the far side and found the site near the ski lifts, with reindeer dozing in the warm sand. A vast parking area with hook-ups (not live) and a new facilities block (locked) welcomed us. The restaurant/shop called Reception was closed, with a notice on the door informing caravanners to check in at the Information Centre in West Ruka, several hilly miles back! Nor did it give prices. Visit www.ruka.fi for more on the ski resort.

We retraced our route to the main road and found a friendlier place about 3 miles further north along the E63, a simple campsite down a short track on the right. On the side of Viipusjarvi, we are still at over 800 ft, having descended from 1,227 ft in Ruka. We shared the grass between forest and lake with a lone reindeer and spent a quiet afternoon reading and writing.

After 4 miles north, we left the E63 (which swings north-west to Rovaniemi) and followed road 950 (still the Via Karelia). We entered Lapland 15 miles further on, at Oulanka, and photographed the Lappi sign, on the edge of the Oulanka National Park, which covers a wide area as far east as the Russian border zone. It was 5 miles to the next landmark, the Arctic Circle - Napapiiri – at latitude 66 degrees 31' N. The Visitor Centre at Hautajaarvi village had the Polar Circle sign, hanging from a dead tree. Noting the mileage, we found we had covered 5,000 miles since leaving Cheltenham in May, so an oil change is due!

A few more miles of quiet road with plenty of forest reindeer, then a sign for the Salla Reindeer Park or Poropuisto. Curious, we parked to investigate and found a café/souvenir shop (from reindeer skin slippers at alarming prices to cheap toys). For €5 each, we could have followed an outdoor nature trail to a lake and seen a demo of reindeer husbandry, but we were happy to find our own. See www.sallareindeerpark.fi.

About 6 miles before the town of Salla, the scars of another ski station marked the fell at Sallatunturi. Past 2 hotels with caravan signs, we continued into Salla to check out the Visitor Centre and Library (both had free internet, but no USB port access – the very idea!) Nor was there any other camping place, so we turned back to Sallatunturi (tunturi = Fell) and the first caravan park. It had the negative atmosphere created by barriers, keys for facilities and metered electricity – ski centres change the environment in more ways than one. Visit www.sallatunturi.fi

The original Old Salla on Lake Kuola now lies in Russia. After the border was changed at the end of WW2, the inhabitants were resettled in scattered villages around the Salla region, being promoted by a beautifully illustrated Tourist Office leaflet as the 'Vital Villages Salla Tour'.

Inside the Arctic Circle, the Northern Lights Aurora Borealis (the local word means 'Fox Fire'), can be seen, especially on clear winter nights and around the equinoxes. They were seen for the first time this summer at about midnight on 21-22 Aug (though not by us). More on this fascinating part of the world on www.laplandfinland.com

25 August   94 miles   SALLATUNTURI to VUOSTIMA, Finland   Kuukiurun Lomakyla Camping   €13.50 (+ Shower €1)

We drove 6 miles into Salla, shopped while waiting for the Library to open at 11 am, then worked on emails and website for 2 hours, with a free terminal each.

After lunch we left the motorhome on the central car park (by the Tourist Office) and cycled 12 miles, back to Sallatunturi in a freshening head wind, with a swifter return. We passed a preserved stretch of the Salpalinja Defence Line, built in 1940-41 by 35,000 men along Finland's eastern border, from the Gulf of Finland to North Salla. Constructed of huge stones, the line was never used as the Soviet attack was stopped in 1944 before reaching it.

Back in the motorhome, we droved 12 miles north-east on road 82 through Kelloselka village. Just 2.5 miles before a new border crossing into Russia, we turned north on road 965 to Kotala village, where there is another section of the Salpalinja Line and a Memorial to 7 civilians killed by post-war land-mine explosions. Here the road ended on our GPS but in fact it continued north-west – a narrow strip of traffic-free bitumen, the low sunlight casting long tree shadows across it like bars. Fine reindeer stood looking at us in the middle of the road – stags beginning to lose the velvet from their antlers, revealing hard bone, while mothers fed their young. At 600 ft the peaty brown lakes are still bordered in birch and fir trees, progressively shorter and thinner. The Arctic tundra lies to our north with views of higher fells on the horizon.

After 50 miles at Kuosku we passed another War Memorial and 7 miles later, where the road divides at Savukoski, the northern end of the Salpalinja Line. Both villages have campsite signs. We stayed on the 965, south-west following the wide river Kemijoki (joki = river), the trees beginning to give way to open bog-land. 30 miles from Kuosku we met the E63 (highway 5) and turned south for 14 miles, following the Kemijoki to the village of Vuostimo (nearly half-way to Kemijarvi, on its lake).

We were pleased to find the small simple campsite/café/mini-golf on the left of the main road was still in business (only listed in an old Caravan Club guide).

26 August   59 miles  VUOSTIMA to SODANKYLA, Finland    Nilimella Camping €16.50

From Vuostimo we took the minor road 962, north-west beneath the Pyha and Luosto Fells. After 13 miles, by the bare hillside of the Pyha ski-field, we turned right along the side of Pyhajarvi to check out 2 campsites. The first was a bleak caravan parking area at a ski hotel, asking an unbelievable €32 per night (a cottage was only €50)! The second, 'Lapin Orava' at the top end of the little lake, was mainly cabins and a café, with no level ground and a surly reception (though the price was friendlier at €15, with every fifth night free). Not attracted to either of these, we turned back and continued along the 962.

Pyha-Luosto is the area between the Pyha and Luosto Fells, about 15 miles apart, at over 1,700 ft. Each has been turned into a ski-field, complete with an artificial 'village'. Mid-way, we passed the Pyha-Luosto Husky and Reindeer Park (presentations at 2 pm daily, €12 each), closely followed by Europe's last working amethyst mine at Lampivaara (another €12 each – opening hours from the amethyst shop in Luosto). About 12 miles after Luosto we joined highway 4 (E75 from Rovaniemi) for 10 miles north to Sodankyla. Just east of the town centre, across the Kitinen River, is a large well-equipped municipal campsite, with hostel, cabins and a few privately hedged pitches.

On the way, the foot-operated parking brake stopped working. The main ratchet which operates the 'Push On, Push Off' pedal still worked, but the pedal went right down to the floor without pulling on the cable. Either the mechanism by which the cable is gripped had failed, or the cable itself had broken.

Arriving at the campsite, Barry immediately removed the pedal mechanism, which fits awkwardly on the extreme left of the floor of the cab. It turned out that there was a second ratchet mechanism whose pawl had become disengaged – in fact, it had turned right round with its spring hanging loose. The whole mechanism did not come apart, but it was possible to coax things back into their appointed place. The brake now appears to work but time will tell. Whatever caused it to fail (perhaps worn parts) may happen again! We are keeping a chock ready.

27/28 August  At SODANKYLA, Finland   Nilimella Camping

It was a short walk over the bridge into the small town, a service centre for a huge thinly populated area of eastern Lapland. We had a free but unproductive internet session in the Library: access was only to the MSN search engine which, by definition, could not come up with the admin side of our website! We also collected information at the Tourist Office – with the most helpful staff so far in Finland, searching out leaflets and making phone calls about camping and accommodation to help us plan a possible cycle tour.

The sights of the town include a bronze statue 'The Reindeer and the Lapp' (reminding us of Garrison Keillor's Statue of the Unknown Norwegian in Lake Woebegone!) There are also 2 churches, beautifully sited by the broad Kitinen River with the cemetery between them. The New Church (1859) built of stone looked impressive from the outside, but the small wooden Old Church of 1689 was open (with a school party visiting) and was inspiring in its solid simplicity. Built entirely of rough-hewn hand-sawn timbers, including the pews, pulpit and altar, the only decoration was an early 18thC painting of the Last Supper. A pair of vases made of birch-bark stood on the altar, filled with leaves. The children took turns to kneel on the floorboards in front of the altar – not praying but peering through the cracks with a torch! Their teacher explained that an 18thC minister had laid the mummified body of his 2-week old baby there, below the floor, and we saw for ourselves the tiny upturned face resembling a porcelain doll.

Back at the campsite, we caught up with the usual domestic tasks of cleaning, laundry, correspondence and baking, as well as processing our writing and photographs. Barry re-attached a small home-made shoe rack to the wall, near the door. Romanian roads still take their toll! 2 extra-large cans of WD40 were emptied on and under the engine, transmission and other vulnerable parts on the chassis, including the LPG tank and pipes and the hot water and hot air systems. This is a regular feature of maintenance which keeps rust at bay.

A major computing task was the loading of 33 images to go with the article on motorhoming in Tunisia, all recently sent by our good friends, Jane and George Swindail. They spent 7 weeks in that challenging country last Christmas and have written an excellent account and guide, with a map. To see it, click: Swindails in Tunisia.

Another query via our website concerned that thorny perennial: 'How do you get vehicle registration and insurance without a permanent UK residential address?' Must be our top Frequently-Asked-Question, closely followed by questions about gas.

29 August   61 miles   SODANKYLA to VUOSTIMO, Finland   Kuukiurun Lomakyla Camping €13.50 (+ Shower €1)

Before leaving Sodankyla we posted letters, raided the bank and shopped at a variety of stores. One had a big sign proclaiming itself 'The Northest Lidl-Store in the World' (in English, better German, Swedish, Finnish and Russian). A question we put to the Tourist Office – where is there a public phone? – received a simple answer: there are none! That explains why the very few phone boxes we've found in Finland have been out of service. In the country with the highest mobile phone usage in the world (and home to Nokia), they have been pretty well discontinued (except perhaps in major cities). Our quest for some lightweight tent pegs was equally futile, with 3 refusals from the sports/outdoor shops. We decided to try the larger town of Kemijarvi.

We drove south, back to Vuostimo, this time on highway 5 – quieter than any minor lane in most of Europe! Steering round reindeer and along the Kemi River, we returned to our previous campsite to find it deserted, but settled in anyway. The owners came back in the evening, by which time it was pouring with rain. The summer weather is cooling down.

After heavy rain all night, we drove south on highway 5 through showers to Kemijarvi. This town is at the top end of the large lake formed by the broad Kemi River before it turns west for Rovaniemi (Santa's home on the Arctic Circle). It is also the north-eastern terminus of the railway line from Helsinki via Rovaniemi (which takes bicycles – we met a pair of Swiss cyclists in Sodankyla who had come by train from Basel as far as Kemijarvi). The campsite is on the lakeside (it could hardly miss!), next to a Hostel/B+B, a very short walk from the town centre.

After lunch we walked into town, had an hour's free internet in the library (part of the Cultural Centre) and visited the stone church with its military cemetery (mainly 1944). And yes, one of the 2 sports shops had a few thin tent pegs – we've mislaid ours, needed if we decide on a cycle tour.

After a morning's work (computing, sorting our tent-camping gear and making lemonade and cakes), fuelled by beans on toast, we braved the cold north wind and overcast sky for a cycle ride.

We soon warmed up, riding north through the quiet hills on the east side of the Kemi River through Kostamo, then circling back. The roads were mostly asphalt, with a few miles of gravel. The only wildlife we saw was a red squirrel, stocking up for winter!

To see the continuation log, click: In Finland: September 2006