Still Cycling South

The morning is dismal, with rain dripping from an endless gray sky. With the cold it is difficult to rip myself away from the warm log Sämi cabin. The 15 miles to Enontekio is painfully slow across an endless plateau in the chilly rain. At last the town comes, a smattering of sad buildings and end-of-season cabins that looked like they have seen better times. But there is one thing here that cheers my soul. A gas station, and that means warm coffee and donuts. I know I can get five miles out of a good donut. It also gives me a break to slip on my head warmer, winter cycling gloves and another layer under my parka; it's that cold. A few miles outside of Enontekio, heading west toward the Swedish border I am overtaken by two young Finnish men on bicycles. They are on a two week outing. Tommy, a chemistry student, speaks very good English. We cycle side-by-side, talking away for the next 10 miles while his buddy keeps a sharp lookout for cars. The conversation is like a energizing tonic. I hardly notice the miles that go by, or the hills. Tommy is curious about my bike. He thinks I am probably the first person ever to ride from bottom to the top of Finland, plus continue on to what he refers to as the North Sea, on a folding bike.

"If you stay here another few weeks you will see snow," he tells me. "Winter is coming. The birds are gone and the reindeer moss is no longer by the side of the road."

Tommy tells me he's off to Mexico City in a few months to continue his studies in Spanish. We part at the road junction. Tommy and his friend head north, up the left arm of Finland, while I turn south to Muonio, following the E8 which hugs the border with Sweden. I have now crossed Finland from east to west, as well as from north to south. By 6 pm I reach Muonio, having covered 65 miles. I rent a "hut" close to town. At 17 Euros it is a bargain. Shortly after I tuck in for dinner, the sky darkens and the rain falls. It continues all night.