Trip Day 15 - Finland next

Tuesday August 22

7 am breakfast - 8 am vacate cabin - 9 am arrive Kirkenes and disembark

Our big suitcase was already gone so we vacated the cabin and went with our little hand luggage to breakfast. 

After that we stayed on the 4th deck and found a place there to wait it out.

Everything went fine and we are on our way to find the bus.

Stephen takes us on a bit of siteseeing in Kirkenes. There is a WWII cave and we have a 10:15 appointment with a local guide. 

Something went wrong and the guide didn't show up. Stephen has to call somebody and we walk just a bit to look at the statue of the Russian soldier monument. The German's occupied Norway for a long time and especially the north so they were happy when they finally got liberated by the Russian Allies. Understandably. 

We were waiting around so I might as well test my new knowledge about a photo feature. An Identification option. This is the "Common tansy" and it gives me a lot of other info.

 

The guide is here. An office error of the local guides. He apologizes nicely. And off we go.

People in this town had to suffer through many bombing alarms. About 2500 people can fit into this shelter. It was build because of the iron ore mines not too far away. After the war it was stabalized and readied for educational purposes even worth a movie.

It was cold and clamm but we got blankets when we were sitting on the benches. Of course I found the documentary very depressing. I thought of my parents and so many family members and friends who also had to go through things like this. We have to pray that the world improves and our children and grandchildren are spared things like this.

After this we wanted something hot to drink and toilets before we started a longer drive.

Stairs down to the toilettes but I loved the signs on the doors.

The one person coffee shop lady could not take care of everything so we took the coffee to go to enjoy in the bus.

Stephen pointed out that the landscape had changed. Yes. We are usually sitting in the bus but it is difficult to take nice photos.

Unfortunately at about 1 pm the bus was stopped for a routine paper check and something was missing. Stephen explains that Norway has a lot of rules and people are sticking to them without any arguing or problems. But mistakes can happen. Poor Stephen is sorting it out but we are stuck until another bus has arrived.

While waiting Stephen says that tourguides have to be prepared for everything and sends some chocolates around with the instructions for everybody to take 2. Ha-ha, he didn't really have to appease us but it sure was nice.

Finally we are crossing the border. No check point or so but we stop for a photo opportunity.

20 minutes later we arrive at our lunch place.

Salads, reindeer casserole, everything good.

I see this pretty fellow through the window but when I open the door to take a photo of him he comes closer fast. Ha-ha, took it through the window.

Dessert was pancake with heavy cream and different fruit toppings.

The lady in charge was outside to feed this reindeer. She told us that this female was old (14?) and had had 12 babies. She told us that she also was very greedy. When there was no more food and she wanted to walk away the reindeer would nip on her wobbly areas.

Obvious that wording cracked me up. Stephen happen to take this photo and e-mailed it to me with the words "having a good old belly laugh". Thanks!

Time to leave. Another one and a half hours to go. It's interesting though.

Betty saud on the other side of the bus aisle and tried to take some photos. She talked about a "sun dog" of which neither James nor I ever had heard about. And there it was. A dot next to the sun in rainbow colors. With the bus making slight turns left and right it kept moving out of camera sight every time I was ready and took probably 2 dozen impossible photos.  

Finally we had reached our stay for the next 2 nights. Stephen had "warned" us in the bus that it was not an ordinary hotel but that we would have cabins. 

At arrival the room keys were ready and we could go and have a look. Number 9 Isaak for us. 

I said to James that this looks like the yurt Helen had talked about a long time ago ... except it was not a tent. But it was very nice. I forgot to take a photo after we opened the drapes.

We didn't look to much right then because we wanted to go for a walk first. In front of the door I said that I needed to try the transportation out first. James took the photo. 

The breakfast/dinner place.

Dinner was buffet but very nice too. What a lovely room.

It was too early and the weather too nice to disappear already in the cabins so we wanted to go for a walk. Betty and Marc had the same idea. We went towards the horses. Betty is as fascinated by any kind of flower/plant like I am. Who gets to decide what is a weed and what a flower? So pretty.

That big horse was funny, a bit of a character. Betty wanted to take a photos of him when he managed to throw up a lot of hay and some landed on his buddy's head.

Almost back at the large hall we found this field of Lingonberries.

And behind the big house were a number of outdoor games one could play. I didn't do too badly when I tried this game.

And then it was time to go to bed. We left the drapes open because nobody can really see us but we decided it was nice to look out/up when in bed. It is a bit magical.

Night, night.