Eternal Spring

It's official: we've arrived in the Arctic! We crossed the Arctic Circle on June 10th in Finnish Lapland, and we're only just beginning to discover the extraordinary landscapes of Norway's fjords 馃槏.



The sun no longer sets at all, and it feels as though spring lasts forever. Since March 21st, the official first day of spring when we were in Romania, we've had the feeling that we're carrying spring along with us in our luggage. The lilacs and tulips that were blooming in early April in Hungary are still blooming in mid-June in Finland, 2,500 km farther north...


It feels a little strange, but it's also very pleasant. It's such a beautiful season, full of color and life 馃尭.

After leaving Lisa's place, we headed west and traveled along part of the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, which separates Finland and Sweden, before turning back inland for a while and then continuing farther and farther north...

Like its capital, Helsinki, Finland is beautiful—beautiful without being flashy, beautiful in its simplicity, pleasant and calming. There are forests and lakes everywhere, and it's easy to find idyllic spots to settle down, take a break, or spend the night.




J茅r么me has taken up fishing.


When man catch fish, man very happy 馃槀. He's getting better and the fish are getting bigger and bigger. We've even eaten a few of them.

Between fishing sessions, we still do a bit of sightseeing. We discovered Rauma and its charming wooden houses; Tampere in the rain, where we visited the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame and enjoyed a little sauna; and we stopped in Keuruu to admire its magnificent wooden church.


Then we continued to Oulu and Rovaniemi, with its Santa Claus Village where we went north of the North... 


Eventually, we reached the border between Finland and Norway, where we encountered some 100% local customs officers who seemed a little unusual to us 馃槀.


We saw a lot of reindeer along the way (though none with a red nose), as well as roe deers, elks, foxes, and mosquitoes—lots and lots of mosquitoes!! 馃槖.

And so here we are in the land of the fjords. If Finland delighted us with its beautiful nature presented in all its simplicity, Norway is flamboyant, spectacular, and already taking our breath away! Through its landscapes, of course,


but also with some colorful encounters...


It is also in Norway that we reached the northernmost point of our journey, just below the 70th parallel. From now on, our route will gradually lead us back toward France. But there are still many kilometers to travel before then and many wonderful encounters still to come. It's not over yet! Summer hasn't even started 馃榾. 


The map and photos: are here

Leave us a little comment if you'd like, and don't forget to sign your name otherwise we won't know who's writing to us!

J茅r么me and Sophie


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