It is eternal spring in Scandinavia, at least while we are here. The flowers are in bloom, the grass is fresh green. There are wild strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and chanterelles in abundance. Strawberries in the fields, later carrots, peas, cucumbers, cabbage, many types of grain. Sweet cherries, apples. The length of daylight in summer makes the difference, say the locals. Rainy hours are rare, at least where we travel. Mosquitoes and mosquito bites are annoying. Fortunately, the number is limited near the lake. The fresh breeze drives the beasts away.
Scandinavia, the perfect place for the high season, when the tourist resorts in the rest of Europe are overflowing. We are never afraid of being robbed. Payment is often based on trust. The fun only stops with alcohol which is restrictive and highly taxed. Different in each country, sometimes not on Sunday, sometimes not after 8 p.m., sometimes not before 9 a.m., not in the supermarkets, not at the self-checkouts. In Vinmonopolet (N), System Bolaget (S), in Alko (F).
Composting toilet replaces water closet and saves a lot of resources, such as good water. In Turku, a multi-apartment building will be built soon without water closets.
Scandinavia is clean. There is no garbage or cigarette butts on the street, in the bushes or in the forest. Sweden is the world recycling champion and even recycles Norway’s waste. And they are already saving on packaging.
Finnish national parks have saunas that everyone is welcomed to light themselves. The super alternative to a shower. Two courses, a dip in the Baltic Sea in between and we feel clean and fresh.
The public sauna is the counterpart to former bathing establishments such as Goseridebad in Hanover and Luisabad in Marburg.
Lekande Barn – children playing or Barnen Lekker – children playing, is the most common street sign in Scandinavia. Scandinavia needs no prohibition signs and few mandatory signs. Even the campsites get by with very few signs. Everyone knows the (unwritten) rules.
Swedish is like Dutch, we understand some of the written language. In Finland, the national languages are Finnish and Swedish. Bilingual on all signs, even on police cars.
Sometimes even in four languages: Finnish, Swedish, Russian and English. If there are no pictograms, we sometimes do not understand anything.
In Norway, the stores are called Kiwi, Rema 1000, Spar or Coop. In Sweden there is usually ICA, sometimes Coop, Xtra. In Finland it is simple, there is the S-Supermarket and the K-Supermarket.
Two months in Scandinavia, 4000 kilometers by bike, great summer weather, lots of lovely people and a moose in our luggage. We experienced and enjoyed wild camping and had other wonderful new experiences.
We are saving the tip to cycle up the ‘Arctic Post Road‘ for our next trip to Norway with a return journey through Finland to Helsinki.