And then Norway happened: In Cod we believe

I'm beginning to wonder whether there is some force influencing my travel that tend to make all the planning and associated logistics start and flow right into place just a week before the real thing happens. But i must admit that i loved the way how a random take while flicking pages over this good Lonely Planet guide took us to a spectacular island in Northern Norway surrounded by mountains, fjords and islands in all directions. Tromso, is connected by picturesque roads to numerous villages with fishing being the major occupation of the yesteryears from where they coined the phrase, “In Cod we believe”. (Yes, Mr.RamantheB there was no typo there ;))

We flew in to Rovaniemi, the capital of the province of Lapland, to get closer to Santa “who really lives deep in Finnish Lapland in Korvatunturi (Ear Mountain)”, which i discovered here. But we had the privilege of meeting him at the Santa Claus village and official post office in Rovaniemmi, which made it easier for us to get started on the real adventure we were about to embark on and crossing the arctic circle and into what quite easily could be termed as “paradise land”.

To admit, i was quite nervous about the whole thing as i self assigned myself to be the one behind the wheel for this ~1500 Km drive across international borders spanning three days, considering the fact that this was my first drive over 100 kms in videsi land.
But nevertheless i always had the itch for adventure and exploration, and there i was taking delivery of our car that delivered in excess of 150 horses that empowered us to maintain an average speed in the whereabouts of early three digit figures for most of the trip. First destination was the western Finnish bordering city of Pello when we were cutting through what 'at this point of time' i would call boring lakes and countryside for the fact that what lay ahead of us was awe aspiring splendour for which two eyes were just not enough to admire.

The drive trough the snow peaked mountains, crystal clear and serene lakes alongside plush green meadows after the Finnish border, along Sweden and into Norway just took our breath away, the feeling which might be justified by the phrase, “The Journey is the Destination”
At this point i sign off leaving you to do all the imagination. Ah silly me, how can i forget to mention the whale safari where we cruised to the edge of the continental reef in the Baltic sea in search of sperm whales, seals and sea eagles.