NORWEGIAN GOOD!

Reindeer, rock art and a route that takes her across Norway's most northerly reaches provide Vicki Lacy with an inspirational journey

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We were rumbling along the single-track road in our motorhome in rather excited trepidation. Big signs, posted at regular intervals along the riverbank, warned us of the consequences of entering the water.

The river marked the Norwegian-Russian border, and we envisaged Russian soldiers with their binoculars trained on us at that very moment, waiting for us to step one millimetre out of line.

A tad melodramatic! In truth, we continued to the end of the road, at the northeasternmost point of Norway, and spent the night there without incident, the stormy Barents Sea pounding the rocky shoreline our only disturbance.

Despite the presence of several other ’vans, it felt like being at the end of the world – the perfect start to our Norwegian adventure. We first visited Norway two years ago, but only reached as far north as the Lofoten Islands, so we were looking forward to exploring its northern landscapes.

Earlier that day, we’d left Finland and crossed the border into Norway, stopping to buy groceries and research somewhere to stay overnight.

The small settlement of Grense Jakobselv, near the Russian border, captured our imagination, despite being a round trip of over 100km in the wrong direction. We took the opportunity to explore our surroundings the next morning.

The stone-built King Oscar II chapel nearby was constructed in 1869 as a place of worship, but also to serve as a border marker. Russian fishing boats frequently strayed out of their own waters, leading to tensions with the Norwegians. The chapel’s spire provided a clearly visible marker for boats out at sea.

Leaving Grense Jakobselv, we drove west, then pivoted east to join the beautiful Varanger Scenic Route. It was a fantastic introduction to Finnmark, Norway’s most northerly county.

Finding Finnmark