Hardroll Hallelujah......Finline 2006

7-7-06 / 17-7-06

At the 7th of july I went with Astrid to Finland, to join the 15th Finlinetour.

First I stayed 2 days in Helsinki. A really nice city. We hired some bikes and cycled through the town. At the end of the day we met Bart en Jan who also joined the Finlinetour.

At sundaymorning we take a plane togehter with Edda and fly to Ivalo. From there another 200 km to Nuorgam with the postbus ;-) After a relax sauna and swimming in the river we went to sleep early so we could get up early to meet the others.

The others arrived at mondaymorning in Nuorgam, after a busride from 20 hours!!! After breakfast the bus drove to the Artic Circle, where some people tryed the Artic Ocean.
There the tour started (for some people) the rest started in Nuorgam (and some people ended here after trying a new breaktechnik ;-)
From Nuorgam to Utsjoki, about 45 km....
But what a 45 km......
Really bad surface and many, many hills.
It feels like 100 km.
After the sauna a good dinner and some applecider...

Tuesday, the hardest skatingday.... was I glad that it was raining. Many people didn't skate (or not the whole part),so I didn't. Starting a new tradition... and walking for 31 km ;-)
Respect for those who skated the whole distance, about 92 km from Utsjoki to Karigasniemi in that bad weather..
The applecider later on the evening was oke again. And after this singing all: noenoeka noenoeka leyla ( Anne ???)
Some skaters went to Norway at midnight.

Wednesday from Karigasniemi to Muotkanruoktu... and I really start to like skating overthere. I got used to the hills and really like the Down Hills. It is not nescecary to go to the Tilburg Kermis now ;-) After 43 km we reached our campingplace were we finally eat the Rendier Meatballs..
In the evening grilling the sausages in the Tippi.. and again applecider.. and now we learned: leyla leu layla....layla leu leyla

Thursday we started a little later for the tour to Inari. Not so many hills anymore and a better surface. A beautifull cinery with al the lakes. Also some rendiers walked across the street.
After 56 km we reached our hotel in Inari.
In the evening a nice boottour to a little island in the lake of Inari.
And again ( is it already boring?) applecider.......

Friday already the last skatingday.
From Inari through Ivalo to Saariselka.
Good surface, but a really big hill at the end of the tour. We climbed from 120 mtr to 420 mtr....and again raining and some hail.
But we reached the top of Kaunispa..

And than the VIP sauna all together.
Did you try 9 people in a bubblebath... it is possible..

After the special dinner with all the speeches to the one and only disco in Saariselka... but they only played tango's;-(
But we were very lucky to found another place were they have good music and we could dance.

Saturday the rest was leaving at 13.00 o'clock to go back with the bus to Helsinkie. We stayed together with Hanno another night in Saariselka. In the afternoon we go for a hike in National Park. A really nice tour.

At sunday after the illegal breakfast ;-) we went to Kaunispa but this time not on skates, but walking. In the evening we fly back to Helsinki.

At monday shopping in Helsinki and arranged things for Astrid's stay for another three weeks in Helsinki. In the evening I flyed home and after the terrible traintravel (as usual) I arrived at 20.30 home.

A really heavy, but wonderfull week..

See you all next time somewhere on wheels ;-)