Finnish Lapland, coming back from Cape North

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A trip on the light, water and .... salmon!
A trip to Norway, Finland and Sweden in the summer does not ever sleep, or almost. Indeed it is difficult to go to bed at midnight when the sun is just down and is still illuminated a day.
We can define this journey as a race overview of the spectacular Norwegian coast that certainly deserve a more detailed visit. The time has forced us to a long trip from Oslo to North Cape along the Norwegian fjords and the Lofoten islands, reaching the main city in Norway, and then fall through the Finnish Lapland and Sweden with a quick visit to Stockholm and again in Oslo for the return to Italy.
In 12 days we covered 6463 km, consumed 391 liters of gasoline and took 12 ferries. A thermal excursion of about 22 º (28 º to 6 º Stockholm and head north) and almost 288 hours of light, a few thousand lakes and a few kilo of salmon.
For a description of the party in Norway Norway see "From Oslo to North Cape"
28 July 2008, Monday
Skarvag (North Cape) - Rovaniemi (Finland) 735 km, temperature 8 °, cloudy, sun.
Risveglio always surrounded by the blanket of clouds, the view over the cliffs at Cape North will be for the next. We decided then to leave to the south, since most North can not, or you can reach the true northernmost point of Europe, which strangely is not North Cape, but another leader within walking distance with a 9 km trek . Abandon the island of Magaroya, again, the toll for the tunnel and many groups of reindeer on the road. The sun begins to appear Laknes toward the southern tip of the Gulf of Porsangen. We wonder if North Cape is a will all spells, but girandoci north, large Nuvoloni on the horizon seem to give us the answer. We continue on the E6 to Karasjok, where leave to point towards the Finnish border. In the town of Karasjok Lapp visit the museum, although it will be far more interesting to visit the museum in Inari Sami of Finland. We are now in Finnish Lapland, the clouds have completely disappeared, the speed limit is increased to 100 km per hour, the long straight wavy bordered by lakes and the ubiquitous reindeer allow us to quickly reach Inari, located on the lake where we visit Anar l ' Sami interesting museum. Will then continue to Rovaniemi, our destination for today. A few km before arriving in Rovaniemi you cross the Arctic Circle or "napapiiri" in Finnish and is located right here Santa Klaus Village, the famous village of Santa Claus. It is now 23h00 and the stroll in the square in front of the office of Santa Claus from which you spread Christmas melodies. Rovaniemi reach and find a room at City Hotel (70 euro) in the heart of Rovaniemi. After the prohibitive prices in Norway, Finland seems to us a country economicissimo.


29 July 2008, Tuesday
Rovaniemi (Finland) - Stockholm 1200 km, temperature 19 º, serene.
We should leave immediately for the 1200 Stockholm recital km that separate us, but the curiosity of a visit to Santa Klaus Village is more powerful than us, and then head for the north and we're back to the village. Now all the structures are open, the mail with a letterine Tuttti of the children from the world, the office of Santa Claus, the path a bit gloomy in the polar night and dulcis in fundo at the main, we are faced with Dad Christmas, this just not the expected. Let the reminiscences of childhood and we strive towards Stockholm. A long path between the lakes and pine forests. We are along the Baltic Sea, the temperature is raised significantly, we are now around 20 degrees, the Swedish children splash in the sea. The most interesting part of the E $ is surely the one between Örnsköldsvik and Sundsvall. Around 22 fire-red sunsets. Stockholm to reach the 23 and in the blink of an eye is the Haga Kristineberg Hotel (850 SEK), which we had booked via the Internet.