Monday, August 06, 2007
Finally - to Finland!
OK. Onto the real meat and potatoes here:
We arrived in Helsinki a week ago and spent the first few days sorting out bikes, train and bus tickets.
As I write this we are in Rovaniemi, having taken the train up from Helsinki yesterday, and we will be on the bus to Nuorgam - 3km south of the Norweigan border (the starting point of our bike ride) this afternoon.
All the buses and trains were pretty easy to organise through the travel agent in Loviisa (the town nearest to my Uncle's place where we have been staying). The bikes took a little longer - for me anyway.
The day we walked into the bike shop someone had just brought in a fairly new 2nd hand ladies bike that fitted mum perfectly, so she was sorted out in about 5 minutes flat. The problem for me was that the store didn't do much trade in 2nd hand stuff - and the owner wasn't overly keen on selling me a new bike and buying it back in a month's time.
In the interim we checked out the 2nd hand bike store in town, with very little success.
By the time we went back to the original store, the owner had arranged for me to rent his brother's bike for the duration of the trip. The upshot of this is that our bike costs came in waaay under budget - thanks in part to luck and also the downright helpfulness that the Finns seem to have in spades.
We also managed to get some saddle packs and all the associated paraphenalia that we required - buying it all in the one store helped greatly, as we got a good discount on everything as well.
I also took the time to map out a rough course, and predict that we can knock this over in 24 days and still only have to spend 3 or at the most 4 hours a day on the bike. Since being here, I have been thinking that this could be done in a fortnight, but mum wanted a relaxing holiday, not a Tour de Finland, so I guess I might have to hold off on that idea until I'm willing to come back and do it again on my own.
I must say, I am absolutely loving it here. The days that literally do not end, the people, the setting (we have been staying in a cabin, by the bay in Southern Finland - surrounded by forest) is all just brilliant. I never really had much of a Finnish identity, despite the passport that I carry, but in just a few short days I am also feeling like I'm 'home' in a sense. I am seriously thinking of putting some money together over the next few years to get a place here so that I can visit more regularly without having to rely on the rellies.
Now, as far as the bike ride goes - we are ready, packed and start tomorrow morning with a leisurely 50km from Nuorgam down to Utsjoki. Should be a good warm up for the 1500 or so kilometers to come!
We arrived in Helsinki a week ago and spent the first few days sorting out bikes, train and bus tickets.
As I write this we are in Rovaniemi, having taken the train up from Helsinki yesterday, and we will be on the bus to Nuorgam - 3km south of the Norweigan border (the starting point of our bike ride) this afternoon.
All the buses and trains were pretty easy to organise through the travel agent in Loviisa (the town nearest to my Uncle's place where we have been staying). The bikes took a little longer - for me anyway.
The day we walked into the bike shop someone had just brought in a fairly new 2nd hand ladies bike that fitted mum perfectly, so she was sorted out in about 5 minutes flat. The problem for me was that the store didn't do much trade in 2nd hand stuff - and the owner wasn't overly keen on selling me a new bike and buying it back in a month's time.
In the interim we checked out the 2nd hand bike store in town, with very little success.
By the time we went back to the original store, the owner had arranged for me to rent his brother's bike for the duration of the trip. The upshot of this is that our bike costs came in waaay under budget - thanks in part to luck and also the downright helpfulness that the Finns seem to have in spades.
We also managed to get some saddle packs and all the associated paraphenalia that we required - buying it all in the one store helped greatly, as we got a good discount on everything as well.
I also took the time to map out a rough course, and predict that we can knock this over in 24 days and still only have to spend 3 or at the most 4 hours a day on the bike. Since being here, I have been thinking that this could be done in a fortnight, but mum wanted a relaxing holiday, not a Tour de Finland, so I guess I might have to hold off on that idea until I'm willing to come back and do it again on my own.
I must say, I am absolutely loving it here. The days that literally do not end, the people, the setting (we have been staying in a cabin, by the bay in Southern Finland - surrounded by forest) is all just brilliant. I never really had much of a Finnish identity, despite the passport that I carry, but in just a few short days I am also feeling like I'm 'home' in a sense. I am seriously thinking of putting some money together over the next few years to get a place here so that I can visit more regularly without having to rely on the rellies.
Now, as far as the bike ride goes - we are ready, packed and start tomorrow morning with a leisurely 50km from Nuorgam down to Utsjoki. Should be a good warm up for the 1500 or so kilometers to come!
# posted by Nils @ 6:32 PM 
