Day18: Rovaniemi  16C
Each evening when I've signed off I remember that I have never mentioned how extraordinarily comfortable the beds and bedding are. If they can do it so consistently in every one of the hotels throughout all Nordic countries, why can't everyone else achieve the same standard? They are all the things that our beds advertise but simply do not achieve.

So away we went on our 550km journey through the straightest flattest woodiest countryside we have ever experienced.All the way down the highway are signs warning care of moose yet not one did we sight. Not a single bird nor animal and very very few people. Every 2km there was an abandoned, desolate house and barns. Every 10-30 km was an inhabited house but not a soul in sight.

We stopped at a little town called Oulu for lunch and people were there. By then the sun had appeared and the temperature risen to 23C. There was an old market place selling sardines, herring, salmon in a wide variety of large very glutenous rye buns. By now we have a collection of foods from the various hotel breakfasts so we can select from those.

To relieve the endless journey our tour guide played "Secret Garden" a delightful compilation from the Irish group and then later some tango music. Apparently the Finns are up with the Argentians in their love of tango dancing. Neither Norwegians nor Swedes sing but although Finns do not speak, they do sing especially at the start of the crayfishing season when they hold a major song festival accompanied by crayfish, beer and schnapps.  Then they rush off to their traditional saunas to end the celebrations.

To lift our spirits later in the afternoon, the coach stopped on the edge of yet another of the 100,000 lakes where we staggered out to taste the coveted Cloudberry liqueur. Very yum. Peter didn't like it so I had his.

We were extremely relieved to be delivered to yet another Scandic hotel and enjoy their buffet dinner. That has been the longest stretch on the road but we are promised a much more interesting day tomorrow.