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Thursday 16/06/2011 Kilpisjarvi to Ornskoldsvik 167388- 167989 = 601 miles
Early session
I'm awake at 05:00. I'm fed up with all this bloody daylight now. I haven't had any darkness since
Sunday (and there wasn't much then). Anyway, I've done what I came to do; I've seen the midnight sun. My plan from this point was to drive leisurely down through Finland, taking in Helsinki. Then Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, before catching a ferry to Germany and heading home. The problem with the car has spoiled that plan. Stopping at night is not too much of a problem. All I have to do is find a pull-in with a slope. More of a problem is getting diesel. It's not easy finding a petrol station on a slope! The main difficulty is going to be getting on and off ferries. I decide to head for home as fast as I can. I decide to not worry about which way just yet as I have to do the 300 miles back to Tornio whichever route I chose. So I set off south. I spot a petrol station on a slope about 08:30, so I fill up with diesel and take a short break to consider my options. It's either retrace my route through Sweden or through Finland to Helsinki then ferry to Germany. I decide on the Sweden option because my confidence is returning in 405, which is still running smoothly once started, and I'm concerned about getting on and off the ferries on the Helsinki route.
09:45
I have to stop for a rest. I'm in Sweden now on the E4. I've already done 312 miles and I haven't eaten yet. There's no chance of cooking in this lay-by, so I have a can of tuna and some cheese biscuits and climb in the back for a kip. The rain wakes me at midday. The rain didn't last long, so I'm off driving again. There's not much to report here. I did mention that the E4 through Sweden was boring didn't I.
19:00
I'm getting very tired now and I start pulling in to various lay-bys and pull-ins looking for a good slope. Third time lucky and I stop for the night. However on closer inspection the slope isn't that good. I'll need a push in the morning. Still I'm not moving now, I've done 600 miles today and that's enough.
I get out the cooker and have rice with Mexican chilli. It's a good job there's a toilet nearby; enough said!
I start to consider what options I have from this point on. My first decision is getting from Sweden to Denmark. There's the bridge/tunnel, which costs EUR40, or the ferry, which is approx EUR20. I decide on the bridge/tunnel, as I won't have to stop the engine. I also decide to get the ferry from Denmark (Esjberg) to England(Harwich) rather than go through Europe to Dunkirk. This also avoids the ferry from Denmark (Rodby) to Germany (Puttgarden).
I must just mention the toilet facilities at this pull-in. You must remember that I'm in a truck pull-in somewhere in the middle of Sweden and there's no charge for stopping here. The cleaner comes out twice a day to power-wash the cubicles and when you go inside a light switches on automatically and a heater comes on to keep you warm. The like of this I've never seen in Britain!!
To pass the evening I decide to read the manual for the new camera that I'm using. I don't learn much except how to have the date and time displayed on the pictures. I also get the 405's handbook out and discover that the tank capacity is 70 litres. I look at the log and discover I'm doing about 10 miles to a litre. So that means I have 700 miles cruising on a full tank. I decide I can go 500 miles after a fuel stop before I need to stop again. This certainly takes the pressure off a bit.
- comments
Jean robinson Love the bit about find a slope everytime you stop - not always possible. It sounds like the loos are better that Harrods.