Published: 23.11.2025
Today was a day of contrasts. We started in Umeå with perfect weather and ended in Finland in a sauna – and in a battle against tiny bloodsuckers. But let's take it step by step.
After yesterday's gray kilometers, the North showed its beautiful side today. The sky was bright blue, the temperatures summery warm. Our first stop led us to the Bjuröklubb Nature Reserve. A dreamlike patch of earth. The Baltic Sea lay perfectly calm before us – hard to believe that this is the same sea that hissed at us just two days ago near the chalk cliffs.
We decided to cover some distance and left the city of Luleå behind (just a quick pass-through) to veer inland. The road took us to Jokkfall, a powerful waterfall crashing through the forests. Here you can already feel: civilization is slowly yielding to wilderness.
The crossing into Finland at Kolari was completely uneventful. No traffic jams, no checks, just drive across. But beware: with the border comes the time change. Finland is one hour ahead of us (EET). Suddenly, the clock showed one hour later.
Upon arriving in Finland, we couldn’t resist the amazing weather: we stopped by a lonely highland lake. The water was refreshing, the sun was shining – a perfect swimming stop in the middle of nowhere.
We set up our camp at a Finnish campsite. And what is a must in Finland? Exactly: the sauna. It was a real experience. We chatted with a few Finnish kids who, half in English and half with gestures, introduced us to the secrets of sauna culture. For the kids, the heat is the most natural thing in the world. To cool off, we jumped straight into the adjacent river. The water was ice-cold, but after sweating, it was just right.
As relaxing as the evening in the sauna was, the night in the tent became challenging.
The Mosquito Plague: You hear horror stories about Finnish mosquitoes, but you only believe them when you’re there. As soon as we stood by the tent, we were surrounded. Hundreds. No, thousands. The 'normal' mosquito spray seemed to interest them more as a seasoning. It only helped to escape inside the tent.
Sleepless in Daylight: Now we were paying for not having solid walls today. The midnight sun is beautiful when you’re awake. But lying in a tent that’s lit up as if it’s 2 PM plays tricks on your mind.
So there we lay: Outside, the swarm of mosquitoes buzzed against the tent wall, inside it was bright as day, and we tried to find some sleep somehow. Welcome to the real adventure!
Daily Summary:
Highlight: Swimming in the perfectly calm highland lake & the original Finnish sauna.
Border: Uncomplicated at Kolari (+1 hour time loss!).
Challenge: Camping in daylight and mosquito alert.
Weather: Pure summer.
