The Wonders of Finnmark

Waking up with a view of the Arctic Ocean from the front seat of my camper van was quite a treat. I watched in awe as a family with small children braved the 45° F (7° C) temperature to eat their intricate morning spread in the great outdoors. I, feeling somewhat inferior, although also feeling warm, enjoyed coffee with the sun beaming in on me. What a great place to start a new day.

After I walked around and admired the area one last time, I decided it was time to check off a very important item- the Arctic Ocean polar plunge.

Where the pilgrimage to the north ends. Looking north into the Arctic Ocean.

I had planned to jump in the Arctic Ocean at Nordkapp but clearly, this turned out not to be an option! I had to drive south to achieve my goal and had decided that as long as I got into the ocean at the first reasonable opportunity, it would still count. I made my way to Skarsvåg, a very charming fishing village just south of Nordkapp. After parking, I changed into my suit, wrapped myself in a towel, and set off to a location that would hopefully be out of view of any human eyes. Instead, I walked around for 45 minutes and decided it was also not a safe place to polar plunge. Though I could easily get in, between the mossy and uneven borders, I may not get out!

So, I changed once again and headed to the nearby No rth Cape Restaurant (mentioned in my Norwegian Food post). On a sign outside they boasted Fish and Chips! Deciding that sounded like a perfect meal I headed in. Not seeing fish and chips on the menu, I opted for the homemade fish cakes and potato salad. It was very good and as I left I glanced back at their sign, still confused that fish and chips were not on the menu. And there, clear as day I saw what the sign really said: Fishing Trips!. Yep. That happened.

Back in my camper and heading south I stopped again as soon as I saw a good opportunity to get into the ocean. Perhaps in an act of desperation, I ended up parking on the side of the road and possibly trespassing on private property to achieve my goal.

For those of you who would say “pictures or it did not happen” I did record a video but won’t dare post that! For the sake of proof, I will offer this screenshot from the video that I believe accurately communicates how pleasant it was. And perhaps as Karma for trespassing, I did manage to bang up one foot very badly as I slipped on the rocks trying to get out. Though unbearably filled with mishaps I did accomplish my goal and it felt great!

Knowing I have a trip planned to Antarctica in January I simply could not pass up the opportunity to jump into the North and South Poles within seven months. Fingers crossed that I can take the Antarctic plunge as well. Hopefully, at a bare minimum, it will go more smoothly!

Another wonder of Finnmark, the northernmost region of Norway, was the reindeer! I did not just see a few reindeer, I saw hundreds of them.

Crossing the main road just a few kilometers south of Nordkapp.

My first reindeer spotting was actually well south of Alta. My eyes caught movement crossing the road far enough away that it just resembled two brown blurs, one smaller than the other. I could not register what I had seen until crossing the threshold of where it had passed and viewing enough of the rear that it finally clicked. My first reindeer spotting! Very exciting.

From that point on the volume of reindeer I would see increased as I headed north. By the time I was just short of Nordkapp, there were entire hillsides of them. I had also gotten quite accustomed to their bizarre preference for traveling via the paved road. Time and time again a lineup of vehicles would be bogged down at 2 miles an hour following a reindeer (or many reindeer!) walking down the centerline, choosing the path of least resistance. No one honked. No one got annoyed- not even the delivery trucks that probably dealt with it daily! It seemed like a well-accepted reality of driving in Finnmark. Surprisingly and thankfully, I saw no evidence that any reindeer had perished due to a vehicle encounter. Perhaps the 24 hours of daylight and speed limits generally of 50 mph (80 kph) have something to do with that.

Cow and Calf- interestingly reindeer share their terminology with cows, not deer.

Taken through my vehicle window just a few kilometers south of Norkapp.

Another road crossing near Nordkapp. A proud beast.

Lessons from: The Wonders of Finnmark

Before reindeer spotting starts in earnest, as you head north, you will see dozens of signs warning of them. Don’t get frustrated if you have yet to spot any, you will!
You may not see any moose despite the same number of signs warning of their crossing. I saw zero moose in Norway. 😦
The terrain at Norkapp does not allow for polar plunges, unfortunately, but it is still very worth making the long journey to see it for yourself.

Something interesting: Fun facts about reindeer

Reindeer and caribou are the same species and are part of the deer family. In Europe, they are called reindeer whether wild or domesticated. In North America, they are called caribou when wild and reindeer when domesticated.

Both males and females grow antlers. In proportion to their body size, they have the largest and heaviest antlers of all living deer species.

Reindeer are covered in hair from the tip of their nose to the bottom of their hooves. The hairy hooves allow for a better grip on snow and ice. The hairy nose not only keeps its nose warm but also warms the air before it enters the lungs.

An adult eats an average of 9 to 18 pounds (4 to 8 kg) of vegetation a day consisting of mosses, herbs, ferns, grasses, and small shoots from shrubs and trees. In the winter they rely on lichen and fungi, digging through the snow with their hooves for access.

In 1823, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas‘ was published. This was the first time eight flying reindeer were identified by name.

A look behind the curtain.

I park at Nordkapp, change into my suit with a smile on my face, walk in the brisk air to the continental edge, and plunge into the Arctic Ocean, gasping at the feel of the freezing water, but also exhilarated by it. What an accomplishment! This was the fantasy. The reality was, of course, much different. During my time in Norway, the play between fantasy and reality became a foundational part of my experience and ultimately led to the theme of this blog.

Boarding the flight to Oslo, I had no idea what to expect but had created an image of how things might play out based on a combination of factors which included photographs and YouTube videos I had seen, as well as my experiences traveling elsewhere in Europe, and traveling solo in a camper.

What I learned on my journey as fantasy inevitably rolled into reality time and time again was that when I was able to eliminate the planning part, I also eliminated the expectation or the fantasy, and what I was left with was an experience that was free to unfold without any judgment or mental guardrails in place on my part. My role became more of an observer of what was, as opposed to being constrained to what I thought it should be. I found this to be an exceptional approach to getting to know new places with the most tolerant of mindsets, which allowed for much more patience and greater appreciation for what I was experiencing.

And as an added bonus the stories originating from the reality of what transpired inevitably translate into a more exciting, much more relatable, and comical version than my fantasies could ever have conjured up!