Time for a New Nordic Adventure | Arctic Tour 2024 [1/14]

Our summer vacation had finally started after months of waiting. We had left our home in Vagnhärad on Friday evening. Our first stop was a meeting with Susann’s parents on the Åland Islands for the first leg of the journey. We were looking forward to a new Nordic adventure in their motorhome. The main target had been set for the Arctic, a destination that promised a long and exciting trip. Exactly where it would take us was still unknown. Only a general direction had been chosen so far, and that was north. Join us on the first of fourteen posts as our adventure begins!

Returning to the Åland Islands, a familiar destination from some of our past travels, felt like the perfect start to our trip. Afterall, this is where Susann grew up and where Little A has her grandparents. This autonomous, demilitarized, and Swedish-speaking region of Finland is situated in the Baltic Sea at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia. The archipelago consists of several thousand islands and serves as a popular summer destination. It is known for its scenic coastal landscapes, cycling routes, and maritime history. Its unique political status grants it its own parliament and flag. Mariehamn is the capital and largest town of the region, acting as the main hub for the ferries that connect Åland with both Sweden and mainland Finland.

Setting off from the Åland Islands

It was the middle of June, just a week before Midsummer’s Eve, when we headed towards the harbor at Hummelvik. There are several ways to get from Åland to the Finnish mainland. The most economical for us this time was the series of ferries that navigate through the archipelago. This option included two main ferries for our route. The first was from Hummelvik on Vårdö to Torsholma on Brändö. The second ferry was from Åva on Brändö to the harbor at Osnäs. We had booked an early morning ferry from Hummelvik, which meant leaving at 4 a.m. to make the departure.

We could only pre-book one of the ferries in advance, so we had to hope for a spot on the second one. Both ferries depart several times per day, but the crossing can still take a long time. Getting to Torsholma on Brändö turned out to be easy this morning. We spent the ride across mostly sleeping as the ferry Alfågeln made several stops. The ferry did, however, arrive a few minutes late. This delay gave us very little margin to catch the next ferry, which was leaving from a harbor on the other side of Brändö. A race across the islands began to hopefully get onboard without having to spend hours waiting. The ferry M/S Ådan was about to close its gates when we arrived just five minutes before departure, and as the last vehicle on board, we could finally relax again.

Lunch Break in Masku

Arriving at the harbor in Osnäs, we had a short drive and another small car ferry before reaching the mainland of Finland. We landed near the village of Kustavi. From here, we knew several thousands of kilometers were ahead of us on our journey north. For now, however, it was a time for rest as Little A and I slept in the motorhome. We eventually reached Masku, a small administrative center just north of the city of Turku, which was to be our lunch stop. A good thing when traveling with a motorhome is the convenience of having a kitchen. This allowed us to cook a proper meal instead of stopping at a fast-food restaurant, saving both time and money.

Masku is a municipality in the Southwest Finland region, located in the immediate vicinity of the major city of Turku. The area is characterized by a mix of residential zones, commercial services, and surrounding agricultural land. Its history is tied to the development of the wider Turku region, with several medieval stone churches in the municipality that stand as a testament to its long history of settlement. In the modern era, it serves as a service center and a commuter town for people working in Turku. Its location on the main road network makes it a convenient stopping point for travelers heading north along the coast of Finland.

Northbound to Sastamala

From Masku, our drive north began in earnest. We had set our target on a campsite in Tuuri, which was still a few hours’ drive to the northeast. We were spending many hours in the motorhome at this point, but Little A was happy. She had plenty of new pencils and coloring books, as well as other smaller crafts, that she was working on to pass the time. Our first proper stop was in the town of Sastamala. This town is located along the river Kokemäenjoki and is just to the east of Tampere.

While the rest of our group wanted to go to the Prisma supermarket here, I instead took my bike to explore the town. The cycle tour of Sastamala took me through the center towards the river. It was a calm day with the rain hanging in the air. The views across the river were still pleasant to enjoy. The Tyrvää Church looked almost like a small castle on the other side of the water. The rest of the town was hidden by the vegetation along the shore. I did eventually join up with the motorhome again at the parking lot of the Prisma supermarket. Once everyone was back, we continued north, as it was still a long drive to Tuuri.

The Shopping Madness of Tuuri

Tuuri is a very small village located a few kilometers to the east of the town of Alavus. It is, however, home to what it claims is the largest department store in Finland: the Keskisen Kyläkauppa. The shopping center here was actually one of the reasons why we were heading to this specific location. The concept is in some ways comparable with Gekås in Ullared, a destination that all Swedes probably know. The main difference we found, however, was the price; I was surprised that it was so expensive here. It seems that Finland has become an expensive country, where even imported goods can be a lot cheaper in Sweden.

Let’s say that we did not do much shopping this evening. Instead, we sat down for a pizza buffet before going back to the campsite. The shopping center actually has an adjoining campsite, which was our destination for the night. The campsite itself was quite basic, but it was cheap and had what we needed. The entire complex, with its bright lights and large, decorative facades, felt like a small piece of Las Vegas dropped into the middle of the Finnish forest. It was certainly a unique and unexpected experience.

A Morning Bike Ride to Alavus

I slept quite long the next morning and woke up first when Susann’s father had already taken the bike for a short sightseeing trip. Even though he had already been out, he joined me for a new exploration of the area. While the others in our group prepared themselves for the day, we headed out on our bikes to the nearby town of Alavus. This was a journey of about seven kilometers one way, along a pleasant country road.

Alavus is the seat of the local municipality that Tuuri is a part of. It is also where many of the main public services are located. That does not mean that this is a large town, as it is a small Finnish town. Our exploration was mostly of the countryside road on our way there and back. It was a sunny day, and we mostly just enjoyed being out in the fresh air. Once we were back at the campsite, it was just a matter of packing everything up and moving the motorhome. Little A still had one thing to do before we could leave, and that was to play in the large indoor play area.

The Nordic Adventure Continues North

With all the morning activities, including a final look around the shops, it took us until after lunch before we were able to get back on the road. We were now ready to continue our journey north. This marked the end of the first chapter of our long trip through Finland. It was going to be several more long drives ahead of us as we pushed towards the Arctic Circle. There would also be plenty of new sights to see along the way. For me, it was going to be a possibility to see more of Finland, a country that I had only seen small parts of during earlier trips. Join us in the next part of this new Nordic Adventure!

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