This blog post describes the content of the video, which you can see below:
In this video, we have an astonishing encounter in the high north of Norway after we pick up a hitchhiker on our way to the unofficial North Cape.
Waterfalls in Skaidi
We start our vlog in Skaidi, where we left off the last vlog because of horrible weather. Near the camping are some stunning waterfalls and after all the rain they flow frantically. And so we go exploring on one of the drier days.
The waterfall is like a step, going down and down. But a little bit higher up the mountain, there is another waterfall. It’s slippery while walking but a nice hike with great views.
After four days of rain, we finally have a break and get some sun. And we are so happy about it. We chill and relax and just soak up the sun.
The next day we set our destination for Slettness, recommended to us by an experienced traveller while we were still in Sweden. This would be quite a drive, and we knew it would take us two days to get there.
Picking up a hitchhiker
On the second stint of our trip, we pick up a hitchhiker that needs to be close to the village of Slettness, at Kjøllefjord. He is a doctor who works in the facilities up there and needs to return after travelling (there is a plane strike, and he has trouble getting home).
We have a great chat with him about the world, how sometimes we all want bigger and better all the time when maybe we shouldn’t and don’t need to and a lot of other interesting conversations. And then we get to talking about how Natalie helps creative entrepreneurs with their marketing, and he mentions that a Ukrainian/Russian artist is living in his town, and he would love for us to meet. And so instead of driving to Slettness, we drive to Kjøllefjord first.
Igor Filippov
As we walk in the door, we see so many amazing artworks about the arctic, the sea or Norwegian legends and stories. We get to meet Igor and hear more about his story. Igor Filippov is an artist from Russia who lived in Charkov, Ukraine, for years and now resides in Kjøllefjord, Norway. He makes his paintings using bold, expressive brushstrokes. The paintings are amazing, and we are astounded to see some very colourful paintings next to very dark ones, really depicting the topics well. Igor also tells us he loves to etch.
He takes us to his atelier to show us the etching process, using the drawing of a mosquito. After showing us this delicate process, he gives us the etch as a gift. So thoughtful!
And then he invites us to lunch in his small kitchen, where we have to try out King Crab. We have no clue how to open this delicious food so Igor has to show us. After a while, Marten figures it out and can do it as well.
Slettness – The unofficial north cape
After our fabulous detour in Kjøllefjord, we take the road to Slettness once more. Every road we take has ‘kolonnetider’, times that there is a convoy with a snowplough in winter. We have just learned that in winter, you can’t drive on the roads because of the snow this high north unless it has just been ploughed. And at some times, it might not even be possible to plough, and all traffic is done by snowmobile.
We arrive in Slettness, while it is very very windy. We take a nice walk through nature before setting down for the night. The next day we take another walk through the nature reserve.
Slettnes is sometimes called the “unofficial North Cape” because it is located very close to the northernmost point of mainland Europe, the North Cape plateau. The North Cape is a popular tourist destination that is known for its stunning views of the Arctic Ocean and its midnight sun phenomenon. And while the North Cape is on a separate island, although seen as part of the mainland, Slettness is on the mainland and, therefore, sometimes considered the real most northern point of Europe. And while Slettnes may not have the same international recognition as the North Cape, it is a popular destination for tourists looking for a more intimate and authentic experience of the Arctic North, just as our traveller friend told us about.
More hitchhikers
On our way back, we pick up two hitchhikers. Since there are almost no facilities out here, picking up hitchhikers is the only way they can get where they want/need to go.
These two are travelling from Finland and Canada and wanted to see how far north (and back) they could get in 3 weeks, starting from Helsinki. And they came all the way up north!
Next week we are visiting the real North Cape
Pin this:
