Hi Rodrick, it really was a big reindeer!! We imagine what it must feel like to come face to face with an Elk! Really nice to hear you are enjoying the videos! Thanks for your comment and support. Sean and Emily seanandemilytravels.com/
Elks can have shoulder height of 220cm tall and weigh 700kg. Really a different kinda guys comparing to reindeer. Also elks run away from you, reindeer dont care :D @@SeanandEmily
I found your video today randomly. It was great to watch, even more because I drove the same roads in last august on my 850GS. Then at the 6:50 mark, I was astounded when I spotted myself standing at the Shell gas station next to my bike. I was freezing the night before and ended up overdressing the next morning. Had to take off the extra layers. Thinking back, I remember we passed each other on the road multiple times later during the day. I Had to stop here and there to check out the great scenery. Subscribed :)
Hi Jesse! Wow, what are the chances of that 😁 I bet you were not expecting that lol! Yeah the weather was warm that day once the sun came out. We are really glad you found this video and who knows you might even be in the other ones if we had the same route. Thanks for you comment and really glad to hear you enjoyed the video. Sean and Emily
Thank you so much for your kind words! Yeah we do indeed have a deep respect for the world and take nothing for granted. Thanks for your comments. Sean and Emily seanandemilytravels.com/
You're very welcome and thanks to you for your support with commenting. We really have enjoyed this trip! -it's been incredible. Thanks for watching Sean and Emily
Proper way of travelling. I would ride bicycle but I mean with the spirit, staying nights in cabin or tent and enjoying the views. This way you'll get to see, feel and even smell the environment. Just follow your nose, it's the best guide.
Hi, yea as much as we can see the benefits of bicycle travel a trip like this would not have been possible due to time. Motorcycle travel does however give you that same feeling of freedom and immerse you in the environment. ua-cam.com/video/oeuk_sXc8fg/v-deo.html
@@SeanandEmily Moose are twice as big, and weigh two, three, maybe four times more than the reindeer you saw by the road. Elks are the same size as these reindeer. There are not any elks in this area, but many deer and lots and moose, or we say in Norwegian, elg.
Thanks ever so much for your comment it's great to hear you enjoyed it! We hope you have enjoyed watching the rest of the series and we look forwards to hearing from you again. Sean and Emily
Thanks as always =). The size of those reindeers (it has been clarified that's what they were) was incredible and the antlers on these ones were amazing -such a majestic creature. Cheers Sean and Emily
Thanks Jeff! We appreciate your encouraging comments as always . Thanks for watching and we hope you enjoy the next part of the journey. Sean and Emily
Such a nice ride again and nice weather. I haven't driven that road between Karigasniemi and Utsjoki yet, but some day I will. I have been in the both ends of that road, but used a little different routes. As a beer drinker I like that you often taste some beer in the end of your videos. I always taste local beers too when I travel. BTW, I haven't mentioned in my previous comments that I travel around with a camper, but in summertime only.
Yeah a really nice ride that day! and loved the good weather 😊. I must say the Beer in the Nordic countries was really good!! and lots of choice. That's cool, the camper looks a great way to travel around Scandinavia and Finland, it must be so nice to just stop and have everything already setup, something we hope to try someday.
You guys are adorable with your elks and mooses 😂 I sleep in tent alot, but sometimes in a cabin aswell on my advetures. I bring handwarmers with me. One goes down by the feet in the sleepingbag and the other one by the chest area. They keep me warm even in 7 degrees celsius. Just love to follow your journey. 😊
hehe yeah the novelty of seeing them has not worn off, i think even if we lived there we would still stop lol. That's a good idea -once the hands and feet are cold it's hard to get warm again. Em's bottle is made form a material that can have hot water in so sometimes we fill it with hot water and put it in her sleeping bag =) -it's a multi use hot water bottle 😊 Thanks for watching and for your kind comments. Sean and Emily
You just passed Inari in this video. There is a famous wilderness church about a seven km north of the city, and my great, great grandfather built that church in early 1700s.
That was Another one. You are great😊 l have already started planning next year’s route. Follow the same as you, starting from Trondheim Norway to Helsinki Finland. Then ferry to Stockholm Sweden. You inspire me a lot😊
Thanks ever so much Johnny! We are so glad yo hear that you area enjoying them. That's really cool! -you will have a great time! If you need a map of our route (it's mostly accurate unless google changes the routes because of road closures) it can be found here: seanandemilytravels.com/the-heading-north-tour also the place names and places we stayed can be found in the descriptions of each video. Have fun planning your trip -sometimes it's just as exciting planning! Great to hear from you and thanks for watching Sean and Emily
Thanks Brian, but now we will be more confused with another animal to choose from 😁 It really was a great trip, missing it already! Thanks for your comment Sean and Emily
caribou is just the north american wild reindeer. those however are just domesticated reindeer that roam free everywhere in lapland. In fact each one is owned by someone. Elk (not to be confused with moose) we don't have in Finland
Hi Mike, nice to hear you have been enjoying the channel. Hope you had a great time in Norway -you must have been just in time before they closed the Trollstigen for the year. The entire Heading North Playlist was filmed late August and into September last year so Finland would have been the second week into September. Lots more videos on the way! Thanks for your support.
@@SeanandEmily yes, we were trollstigen the day it opened, we were very lucky as it was only open a couple of weeks I believe, and managed to get the obligatory t shirt and sticker. Finland next year hopefully. Cheers from Plymouth uk.
Smiling, the last videos you have been driven where I live, and actually you drove past our farm with just meters. That farm has been in our family for at least the last five hundred years, and the oldest building is from the 1600 hundred, still standing and the property is called the old church, but we don't want to advertise it.
@@SeanandEmily You only saw the modern part, but after my uncle died almost 25 years ago, there has been no farming there either, and what is hidden is all the old stuff which is now a holiday paradise for two families. A very exciting story that we don't want to reveal to the whole world, unfortunately, but that's how the world has become today. There was a church there, 500 years ago, burnt down by the Danish, we guess, with all the people inside, and that's why it's called "the old church". When you drive like that, you don't get all of those juicy stories, you just see trees, rocks and maybe some buildings, but that's how we all travel and if it's not mentioned in some travel books, then unfortunately there will be dangers just like that, then unfortunately it's just such. But on the other hand, if we were to catch all the stories on the road, we would never have come many miles from our homes. If there is a next time, I would suggest the far east and north of Norway, to a place called Hamningberg and Vardø, and the russian border east of Kirkenes. The road to Hamningberg is a real moon landscape, I think there is not a such landscape elsewhere on the earth where you can drive.
That's very true, there is so much to see and learn on travels that there is never enough time. We like to travel fast and see lots and then go back to specific places that made us want more. Hearing your stories has been great and we thank you for the extra details. Sean and Emily
@@SeanandEmily Of course I understand you and I'm also a traveler like you, even if I'm a history nerd, but I hope you've now gained some specific insight into an area you drove through, which looked like wasteland, but still lots of exciting history. Sometimes I take the time to answer someone and think it's a bit funny for me too, but I also take it as practice in writing English. Do you follow Itchy Boots? She is a world traveler and now in Nigeria. A few years ago, she took almost the same route as you up here to the north.
@protestagain I think history, travel and nature often all go together which is why Travel is so rewarding. Thanks for taking the time to share your insights! Yeah we watch Itchy boots when we can, she has done really well. i think this route North will stay one of our favorites for a long time.
Thanks again =), Yeah it was big surprise to see them in the town but then again that grass did seem very lush lol. But yeah you are right there wasn't much traffic going through town especially at that hour. Thanks for watching as always =) Sean and Emily
Yeah, i live there, and they are everywhere during summertime. We call them "city reindeer" because they are so friendly to people and they eat grass anywhere, even in the middle of the road with a lot of traffic.
@@Hartahim oh wow, such beautiful animals, their antlers look furry? Is this true? You live in a stunning part of the world, I live in the Midlands UK, it's like a giant carpark compared to Norway!! Thank you for the response 👍
@@Hinckley_Biker Yes! The antlers look furry at that time of the year. The antlers begin growing at the beginning of a year, and grow for the spring and summer. That fur is mostly blood vessels and nerves to help grow the antler and will progressively grow with the rest of the antlers. You happened to visit Lapland at the best time, because later during the year the reindeer will rub that fur off for the mating season. During that time reindeer will look a lot more fierce because of the partially removed fur and exposed antlers.
Believe it or not, you guys had dinner by the riverside. If you had taken some sand from the riverbed and washed it, there would very likely be some gold in it, perhaps a small ruby or sapphire and diamonds have also been found in the area. If you went "all in" one summer, you would probably manage to find enough gold for a ring and a ruby for this one - guaranteed in this area.
Wow!! Packing the bike up as we speak on a mission to make a ring! 😊 Seriously that’s really cool, we had no idea there were such resources there. Thanks for the information
@@SeanandEmily I think today there are +/- 25 people in the area who make a living panning for gold. Search for Sylvia van der Moer, very existing story
@@SeanandEmily In my necklace I have a gold nugget, yes a real one, might be as much gold there to make a small ring. They are very rare to find as big as the one I have, but they are there, waiting for you. My mother's uncle lived as a gold digger and he had a sapphire in his necklace, and twice he managed to lose it while drunk, but it was so big that it was impossible to trade it in Finland.
Fun fact: There are no wild reindeers in Lapland, they are all domesticated and all have owners (all marked). Reindeer meat has very little fat, so it's healthy and you can say ethical, too most of the year these guys run free in the wild.
Hi, we love a fun fact! 😎 Thanks for the Info, yeah i guess that's as ethical as it can get, nice to see them roaming around free and they all looked very healthy (although we still wont be eating them anytime soon 😊) Thanks for watching Sean and Emily
Another spectacular video! It looks like the reindeer were wearing collars and bells! This was a beautiful area of Finland, just wonderful! I looked like you were using the clutch tp shift, does the gear assist give your clutch hand a rest?
Hi john, thanks very much! Yeah apparently most of them are owned by the Sami people and they tag to know whose is whose. Yeah i use the clutch when riding relaxed - i find the quick shift works best when riding quick. Also when filming it's best to keep the bike as smooth as possible for stable and smooth footage and harsh acceleration makes it more difficult. On roads like this one doesn't have to change gear so often 😊 Thanks for watching Sean and Emily
Don't know for sure, but where you had lunch in the open, it may have been just a few meters away where German Nazis built an airfield that was bombed by the Soviets before it was put into service in 1944. Anyway, you passed the place and you can see the former airport on Google Maps.
Reindeer are that "big", but elk are larger. Elk are as big as a horse. If you meet an elk, don't stop. They can be aggressive, especially if you have a dog with you. 😁
Thanks for clarifying that =) We did not expect them to be that big, especially as the ones we had seen earlier on in the trip were a lot smaller. Good advice with the Elk! 😁 Thanks for watching Sean and Emily
What you thought was an elk or moose was an rein deer. Moose´s have different horns than rein deers have. And they are bigger weigh´s around 500-600 kg A rein deer doesn´t weigh that much. And the sami´s are famous for the handcrafted sami knifes or silver bracelett´s and their clothes
Hi Afiel. Thanks for the information, we were surprised as to how much reindeers deferrer in size form one part of the country to the next which is why we thought it was a different animal 😊 Yeah we saw a lot of the hand crafted items -we really liked the knives but they were too big for our travels. Very interesting to hear about the Sami people's culture. Thanks for your comment and we hope you have been enjoying the series. Sean and Emily
Yeah it's okay i guess 😉, haha Scandinavia and Finland are Awesome. We have had the best time ever riding around Norway, Sweden and Finland -it's such a special part of the world and probably the only place left in Europe where you can get some real peace and quiet. this won't be our last trip for sure! 😊
106 years ago, in 1917, civil war broke out in Finland between the whites and the reds. The Reds were of course communists and my grandfather, who lived in the far north of Finland, also wanted to participate in the war against the Reds. He walked to Oulu and from there he got a ride, but when he finally arrived at the war zone in and around Helsinki, the war was over. Then he had to hitch a ride by sea around Norway and north as far as Vardø in the far north east of the country. From there he wandered back home.
@@SeanandEmily He also became a well-known boat builder and in his older days he experienced that one of his boats was exhibited in The Museum of Modern Art. You drove past Inari, there you would have been received by another boat if you had visited the museum there, but this one was made by my uncle.
@@SeanandEmily In the house next door lives one of Finland's and Norway's most famous artists, she has, among other things, been commissioned to decorate the Norwegian Sami Parliament, but now also the new Norwegian Government Building. Her father, who came from that farm, became police chief in Helsinki, so it was a bit of a strange village. You drive past in 15 seconds, but a lot of history there. 20 years ago, that place was voted the most beautiful place in Finland in a photo contest in a magazine, strange, but that's how it is. Talks about nowhere, and that's nowhere.
@@SeanandEmily We are the Sami people, a borderless people who live in Norway, Sweden, Finland, as well as a little in Russia. Most people speak at least three languages, preferably more. A cousin of mine speaks fourteen. Although I am part owner of that farm, I have a Norwegian passport, but could live anywhere in that area.
As several others have already explained, all animals in your video are reindeer - not elk or moose. They are easily recognised on their antlers - elks have very different antlers. Or no antlers at all (females). And they are MUCH bigger. This is a big bull in Telemark, Norway. You see the difference... :-) ua-cam.com/video/f8JPY8nmrSw/v-deo.html That said, it seems that the reindeer in Finland are larger than in Norway. The reason might be that the reindeer in northern Norway are all owned by the Sami people and are not domesticated - they are “half wild” and must feed themselves on whatever they are able to find. They migrate by instinct between the coast during the summer months, and the inland (the Finnmark plateau) during the winter where they must feed on the reindeer lichen, which is covered by snow so they have to dig down to find the food. These reindeer must survive in very harsh conditions and get smaller. You will find even smaller reindeer on the Svalbard archipelago, far north of the Norwegian mainland where the winter climate is even worse. The reason Finnish reindeer seems to be larger might be because it is easier to find food in the forests of Finland than on the arctic tundra in northern Norway. Best regards, Trond Ellingsen
Thanks for the information Trond! I think what confused us was the sheer size difference in the reindeer population which you have nicely explained 😊 It would have been fantastic to see an Elk or even a moose (i once saw a moose in Canada and it was huge!) Very interesting to learn about the Sami people and their traditions. Thanks again for your comment! Sean and Emily
@@SeanandEmily Just to add to the confusion - what you call Elk (Norwegian: "Elg") is the same animal as Americans call Moose (there are some minor genetical differences, but they look exactly the same). However, Americans use the word Elk on the animals we inn Norway call "Hjort", and you call "Deer". There are plenty of them on the Norwegian West Coast, and you will also find them in Scotland. Normally, an elk is not dangerous, they will always avoid contact with humans. This includes the large bulls, unless they feel threatened. But be aware of cows with a calf. They are very protective and might easily attack. If you see a lone calf, you can be sure the cow is close by. So, keep a good distance. Also, if you drive through a forest early in the morning or late in the evening, always have a look alongside the road, because these are the periods the animals move around from one place to another. Each year, we in Norway experience several hundred collisions between cars and elks, some with a fatal result for the driver. There have also been collisions between elk and MC, and they never end good. Drive carefully. I wish you a good and safe trip. Welcome back to Norway. Best regards, Trond Ellingsen
@@SeanandEmily some owners still mark their reindeers in the traditional way...... with a mark/shape cut in their ear.... every family has their own mark/shape so its easy to tell and pretty much impossible to change and claim sombodys animal as yours...... a system that has worked for centuries
That was a really big Reindeer, Elks/Mooses are even bigger. If you see one, you will know. Great videos👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Hi Rodrick, it really was a big reindeer!! We imagine what it must feel like to come face to face with an Elk! Really nice to hear you are enjoying the videos! Thanks for your comment and support.
Sean and Emily
seanandemilytravels.com/
Elks can have shoulder height of 220cm tall and weigh 700kg. Really a different kinda guys comparing to reindeer. Also elks run away from you, reindeer dont care :D @@SeanandEmily
@SK-nw4ig thanks for the info! Yeah those reindeers didn't seem to care at all lol
I have to say, I've seen bigger one, like it was actually huge. Well to be fair, my uncle owns like 500+ reindeer so I get to see more of them.
They're pretty chill, basically half tame or so, sometimes some of them let me pet them. (my uncle is a reindeer herder)@@SeanandEmily
I found your video today randomly. It was great to watch, even more because I drove the same roads in last august on my 850GS.
Then at the 6:50 mark, I was astounded when I spotted myself standing at the Shell gas station next to my bike. I was freezing the night before and ended up overdressing the next morning. Had to take off the extra layers.
Thinking back, I remember we passed each other on the road multiple times later during the day. I Had to stop here and there to check out the great scenery. Subscribed :)
Hi Jesse! Wow, what are the chances of that 😁 I bet you were not expecting that lol!
Yeah the weather was warm that day once the sun came out.
We are really glad you found this video and who knows you might even be in the other ones if we had the same route. Thanks for you comment and really glad to hear you enjoyed the video.
Sean and Emily
You are wonderful persons, full of appreciation and a deep respect for the world we are blessed to be living in....
Thank you so much for your kind words! Yeah we do indeed have a deep respect for the world and take nothing for granted.
Thanks for your comments.
Sean and Emily
seanandemilytravels.com/
Привет 🙋🏼♂️ Превосходное видео 👍🏻📹👏🏻🔝✅️🙂
Thank you!
@@SeanandEmily Пожалуйста 🙂🤝🏻
🦦Thanks for the video! Enjoy the trip!
You're very welcome and thanks to you for your support with commenting. We really have enjoyed this trip! -it's been incredible.
Thanks for watching
Sean and Emily
Ohh wow its beuatiful raods out there iblike your video GOD BLESS .❤❤
Hi, yeah so many beautiful roads on the heading north tour playlist! Thanks very much for watching. 😎👍🏻
Proper way of travelling. I would ride bicycle but I mean with the spirit, staying nights in cabin or tent and enjoying the views. This way you'll get to see, feel and even smell the environment. Just follow your nose, it's the best guide.
Hi, yea as much as we can see the benefits of bicycle travel a trip like this would not have been possible due to time. Motorcycle travel does however give you that same feeling of freedom and immerse you in the environment.
ua-cam.com/video/oeuk_sXc8fg/v-deo.html
😊 I’m sure of that
Thanks for the clarification.
I have learnt more about Reindeer, Elk and Moose this week than in a lifetime lol 😄
Those reindeers at ten minutes, they are not elks, but old male reindeers, and they are not afraid cars and people, and that's why they are so calm.
We couldn’t believe how big those reindeers got! They were beautiful 😊
@@SeanandEmily Moose are twice as big, and weigh two, three, maybe four times more than the reindeer you saw by the road. Elks are the same size as these reindeer. There are not any elks in this area, but many deer and lots and moose, or we say in Norwegian, elg.
For sure we didn’t any moose but those we would have known for sure! Saw one once in Canada and it was gigantic!!!!
Amazing video 👌 thanks for share 🤜🤛
Thanks ever so much for your comment it's great to hear you enjoyed it! We hope you have enjoyed watching the rest of the series and we look forwards to hearing from you again.
Sean and Emily
Another great video and what wildlife amazing and the size of the antlers wow ❤
Thanks as always =). The size of those reindeers (it has been clarified that's what they were) was incredible and the antlers on these ones were amazing -such a majestic creature.
Cheers
Sean and Emily
You were so lucky to have this nice weather!!!
Hi, yeah we really were -especially this late in the season 😊
Thanks for watching
Sean and Emily
Another incredible video guys very beautiful as always ride safe
Thanks Jeff! We appreciate your encouraging comments as always .
Thanks for watching and we hope you enjoy the next part of the journey.
Sean and Emily
Such a nice ride again and nice weather. I haven't driven that road between Karigasniemi and Utsjoki yet, but some day I will. I have been in the both ends of that road, but used a little different routes. As a beer drinker I like that you often taste some beer in the end of your videos. I always taste local beers too when I travel. BTW, I haven't mentioned in my previous comments that I travel around with a camper, but in summertime only.
Yeah a really nice ride that day! and loved the good weather 😊. I must say the Beer in the Nordic countries was really good!! and lots of choice.
That's cool, the camper looks a great way to travel around Scandinavia and Finland, it must be so nice to just stop and have everything already setup, something we hope to try someday.
You guys are adorable with your elks and mooses 😂
I sleep in tent alot, but sometimes in a cabin aswell on my advetures. I bring handwarmers with me. One goes down by the feet in the sleepingbag and the other one by the chest area. They keep me warm even in 7 degrees celsius. Just love to follow your journey. 😊
hehe yeah the novelty of seeing them has not worn off, i think even if we lived there we would still stop lol. That's a good idea -once the hands and feet are cold it's hard to get warm again. Em's bottle is made form a material that can have hot water in so sometimes we fill it with hot water and put it in her sleeping bag =) -it's a multi use hot water bottle 😊
Thanks for watching and for your kind comments.
Sean and Emily
You just passed Inari in this video. There is a famous wilderness church about a seven km north of the city, and my great, great grandfather built that church in early 1700s.
I just googled it, pity we didn’t have time to explore the area more! Your family must have live in this area for many generations.
Thanks
That was Another one. You are great😊 l have already started planning next year’s route. Follow the same as you, starting from Trondheim Norway to Helsinki Finland. Then ferry to Stockholm Sweden. You inspire me a lot😊
Thanks ever so much Johnny! We are so glad yo hear that you area enjoying them. That's really cool! -you will have a great time!
If you need a map of our route (it's mostly accurate unless google changes the routes because of road closures) it can be found here:
seanandemilytravels.com/the-heading-north-tour
also the place names and places we stayed can be found in the descriptions of each video.
Have fun planning your trip -sometimes it's just as exciting planning!
Great to hear from you and thanks for watching
Sean and Emily
A small hint. Keep the visor somewhat down, while driving. You don't want to lose your vision. All it takes, is 40km/h and a horsefly.
Yes a good idea =) Our secondary sun visor is good for having the main visor up and some nice air flow.
Ok. I thought that @14:30 in this video, you had no eye protection. My mistake!! All is well!!
actually there we did not lol but 99% of the time we do =)
Good Luck!! My father in law, lost sight of his other eye. Drove a moped 30km/h.
That's really bad luck. We've ridden in Excess of 100,000 km with no issues.
Looked like Caribou to me. Elk are enormous. What a great trip.
Thanks Brian, but now we will be more confused with another animal to choose from 😁
It really was a great trip, missing it already!
Thanks for your comment
Sean and Emily
caribou is just the north american wild reindeer. those however are just domesticated reindeer that roam free everywhere in lapland. In fact each one is owned by someone.
Elk (not to be confused with moose) we don't have in Finland
We don't have Caribous in Finland. Those were all reindeers.
You Both are so cute🥰🥰
Thanks Adric, happy to hear you are enjoying the channel. Thanks for watching.
Sean and Emily
seanandemilytravels.com/
Wonderfull scenery and roads. Never been there, but looks a lot like Sweden.😎👍
Yeah it did have a similar feeling to it and we enjoyed it just the same 😎
Sean and Emily
Great stuff! Followed you both a lot , and done trollstigen etc in june . What time of the year is this in Finland?
Keep the videos coming, excellent.
Hi Mike, nice to hear you have been enjoying the channel. Hope you had a great time in Norway -you must have been just in time before they closed the Trollstigen for the year.
The entire Heading North Playlist was filmed late August and into September last year so Finland would have been the second week into September. Lots more videos on the way! Thanks for your support.
@@SeanandEmily yes, we were trollstigen the day it opened, we were very lucky as it was only open a couple of weeks I believe, and managed to get the obligatory t shirt and sticker. Finland next year hopefully. Cheers from Plymouth uk.
Fantastic! great timing then and glad you avoided the rock fall! We enjoyed Finland but at times felt like it was indeed endless tress 😎👍
Smiling, the last videos you have been driven where I live, and actually you drove past our farm with just meters. That farm has been in our family for at least the last five hundred years, and the oldest building is from the 1600 hundred, still standing and the property is called the old church, but we don't want to advertise it.
Oh wow! I bet you didn’t expect to see this so close to home 😁
That’s really cool that the farm has remained in the family for so many generations 😊👍🏻
@@SeanandEmily You only saw the modern part, but after my uncle died almost 25 years ago, there has been no farming there either, and what is hidden is all the old stuff which is now a holiday paradise for two families. A very exciting story that we don't want to reveal to the whole world, unfortunately, but that's how the world has become today. There was a church there, 500 years ago, burnt down by the Danish, we guess, with all the people inside, and that's why it's called "the old church". When you drive like that, you don't get all of those juicy stories, you just see trees, rocks and maybe some buildings, but that's how we all travel and if it's not mentioned in some travel books, then unfortunately there will be dangers just like that, then unfortunately it's just such. But on the other hand, if we were to catch all the stories on the road, we would never have come many miles from our homes.
If there is a next time, I would suggest the far east and north of Norway, to a place called Hamningberg and Vardø, and the russian border east of Kirkenes. The road to Hamningberg is a real moon landscape, I think there is not a such landscape elsewhere on the earth where you can drive.
That's very true, there is so much to see and learn on travels that there is never enough time. We like to travel fast and see lots and then go back to specific places that made us want more. Hearing your stories has been great and we thank you for the extra details.
Sean and Emily
@@SeanandEmily Of course I understand you and I'm also a traveler like you, even if I'm a history nerd, but I hope you've now gained some specific insight into an area you drove through, which looked like wasteland, but still lots of exciting history. Sometimes I take the time to answer someone and think it's a bit funny for me too, but I also take it as practice in writing English. Do you follow Itchy Boots? She is a world traveler and now in Nigeria. A few years ago, she took almost the same route as you up here to the north.
@protestagain I think history, travel and nature often all go together which is why Travel is so rewarding. Thanks for taking the time to share your insights!
Yeah we watch Itchy boots when we can, she has done really well. i think this route North will stay one of our favorites for a long time.
Stunning footage of the reindeer, I was surprised how close they got to the town, maybe it's because it was so quiet?
Thanks again =), Yeah it was big surprise to see them in the town but then again that grass did seem very lush lol. But yeah you are right there wasn't much traffic going through town especially at that hour.
Thanks for watching as always =)
Sean and Emily
Yeah, i live there, and they are everywhere during summertime. We call them "city reindeer" because they are so friendly to people and they eat grass anywhere, even in the middle of the road with a lot of traffic.
@@Hartahim oh wow, such beautiful animals, their antlers look furry? Is this true? You live in a stunning part of the world, I live in the Midlands UK, it's like a giant carpark compared to Norway!! Thank you for the response 👍
@@Hinckley_Biker Yes! The antlers look furry at that time of the year. The antlers begin growing at the beginning of a year, and grow for the spring and summer. That fur is mostly blood vessels and nerves to help grow the antler and will progressively grow with the rest of the antlers. You happened to visit Lapland at the best time, because later during the year the reindeer will rub that fur off for the mating season. During that time reindeer will look a lot more fierce because of the partially removed fur and exposed antlers.
@@Hartahim Many thanks for the informative reply, much appreciated 👍
Believe it or not, you guys had dinner by the riverside. If you had taken some sand from the riverbed and washed it, there would very likely be some gold in it, perhaps a small ruby or sapphire and diamonds have also been found in the area. If you went "all in" one summer, you would probably manage to find enough gold for a ring and a ruby for this one - guaranteed in this area.
Wow!! Packing the bike up as we speak on a mission to make a ring! 😊
Seriously that’s really cool, we had no idea there were such resources there.
Thanks for the information
@@SeanandEmily I think today there are +/- 25 people in the area who make a living panning for gold. Search for Sylvia van der Moer, very existing story
@@SeanandEmily In my necklace I have a gold nugget, yes a real one, might be as much gold there to make a small ring. They are very rare to find as big as the one I have, but they are there, waiting for you. My mother's uncle lived as a gold digger and he had a sapphire in his necklace, and twice he managed to lose it while drunk, but it was so big that it was impossible to trade it in Finland.
Thanks amazing!! We would actually find that lots of fun!
Wow 😮 that’s so cool to have something like that from the region! Okay we are bringing some panning equipment on our next trip 😊
Fun fact: There are no wild reindeers in Lapland, they are all domesticated and all have owners (all marked). Reindeer meat has very little fat, so it's healthy and you can say ethical, too most of the year these guys run free in the wild.
Hi, we love a fun fact! 😎 Thanks for the Info, yeah i guess that's as ethical as it can get, nice to see them roaming around free and they all looked very healthy (although we still wont be eating them anytime soon 😊)
Thanks for watching
Sean and Emily
Another spectacular video! It looks like the reindeer were wearing collars and bells! This was a beautiful area of Finland, just wonderful! I looked like you were using the clutch tp shift, does the gear assist give your clutch hand a rest?
Hi john, thanks very much! Yeah apparently most of them are owned by the Sami people and they tag to know whose is whose.
Yeah i use the clutch when riding relaxed - i find the quick shift works best when riding quick. Also when filming it's best to keep the bike as smooth as possible for stable and smooth footage and harsh acceleration makes it more difficult. On roads like this one doesn't have to change gear so often 😊
Thanks for watching
Sean and Emily
Fazer is the best brand! Try also their very dark bread!
Thanks for the Tip Erik 😊 -some really great supermarkets in Finland with top quality food.
Thanks for watching
Sean and Emily
What you call an elk at 9:12 is a male reindeer.
We did ask him but he wouldn’t tell us 😂🤣
@@SeanandEmily Usually the reindeer is not that rude...
Border crossing from Norway to Finland is the most underwhelming travel experience you can have 😂
Haha 😆 i think you’re right. Gigantic welcome to Finland signs should be introduced 😁
😎💙👍
Thanks as always Roy 😎
Don't know for sure, but where you had lunch in the open, it may have been just a few meters away where German Nazis built an airfield that was bombed by the Soviets before it was put into service in 1944. Anyway, you passed the place and you can see the former airport on Google Maps.
That’s really interesting! Would have tried to see it if we had known. Thanks again 😎👍🏻
Reindeer are that "big", but elk are larger. Elk are as big as a horse. If you meet an elk, don't stop. They can be aggressive, especially if you have a dog with you. 😁
Thanks for clarifying that =) We did not expect them to be that big, especially as the ones we had seen earlier on in the trip were a lot smaller. Good advice with the Elk! 😁
Thanks for watching
Sean and Emily
Если вы видите такие знаки, значит, вы находитесь на расстоянии нескольких рек.😊
Hi Tom, thanks for watching and thanks for your comment 😊
Sean and Emily
MEGAPINT. Was that a reference to the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial? 🤣
Haha it sure was 😜😄
What you thought was an elk or moose was an rein deer. Moose´s have different horns than rein deers have. And they are bigger weigh´s around 500-600 kg A rein deer doesn´t weigh that much. And the sami´s are famous for the handcrafted sami knifes or silver bracelett´s and their clothes
Hi Afiel. Thanks for the information, we were surprised as to how much reindeers deferrer in size form one part of the country to the next which is why we thought it was a different animal 😊
Yeah we saw a lot of the hand crafted items -we really liked the knives but they were too big for our travels. Very interesting to hear about the Sami people's culture.
Thanks for your comment and we hope you have been enjoying the series.
Sean and Emily
I think you both must admit that Scandinavia is pretty awesome ?😏
Yeah it's okay i guess 😉, haha Scandinavia and Finland are Awesome. We have had the best time ever riding around Norway, Sweden and Finland -it's such a special part of the world and probably the only place left in Europe where you can get some real peace and quiet. this won't be our last trip for sure!
😊
@@SeanandEmily The feeling when you stop and turn off the engine , listening to the silence….ahhhh….
Yeah it's magic! especially when the only thing you can hear is the footsteps of a reindeer walking past! Unforgettable moments 😊
@@SeanandEmily Something to remember and a nice storytelling for the future kiddos 😉?
106 years ago, in 1917, civil war broke out in Finland between the whites and the reds. The Reds were of course communists and my grandfather, who lived in the far north of Finland, also wanted to participate in the war against the Reds. He walked to Oulu and from there he got a ride, but when he finally arrived at the war zone in and around Helsinki, the war was over. Then he had to hitch a ride by sea around Norway and north as far as Vardø in the far north east of the country. From there he wandered back home.
That’s a fascinating story, thanks for sharing that. Sounds like your grandad was the sort of guy with lots of interesting tales of his past.
😊👍🏻
@@SeanandEmily He also became a well-known boat builder and in his older days he experienced that one of his boats was exhibited in The Museum of Modern Art. You drove past Inari, there you would have been received by another boat if you had visited the museum there, but this one was made by my uncle.
Sounds like your family has a legacy throughout the area! 😊👍🏻
@@SeanandEmily In the house next door lives one of Finland's and Norway's most famous artists, she has, among other things, been commissioned to decorate the Norwegian Sami Parliament, but now also the new Norwegian Government Building. Her father, who came from that farm, became police chief in Helsinki, so it was a bit of a strange village. You drive past in 15 seconds, but a lot of history there. 20 years ago, that place was voted the most beautiful place in Finland in a photo contest in a magazine, strange, but that's how it is. Talks about nowhere, and that's nowhere.
@@SeanandEmily We are the Sami people, a borderless people who live in Norway, Sweden, Finland, as well as a little in Russia. Most people speak at least three languages, preferably more. A cousin of mine speaks fourteen. Although I am part owner of that farm, I have a Norwegian passport, but could live anywhere in that area.
As several others have already explained, all animals in your video are reindeer - not elk or moose. They are easily recognised on their antlers - elks have very different antlers. Or no antlers at all (females). And they are MUCH bigger. This is a big bull in Telemark, Norway. You see the difference... :-)
ua-cam.com/video/f8JPY8nmrSw/v-deo.html
That said, it seems that the reindeer in Finland are larger than in Norway. The reason might be that the reindeer in northern Norway are all owned by the Sami people and are not domesticated - they are “half wild” and must feed themselves on whatever they are able to find. They migrate by instinct between the coast during the summer months, and the inland (the Finnmark plateau) during the winter where they must feed on the reindeer lichen, which is covered by snow so they have to dig down to find the food. These reindeer must survive in very harsh conditions and get smaller. You will find even smaller reindeer on the Svalbard archipelago, far north of the Norwegian mainland where the winter climate is even worse.
The reason Finnish reindeer seems to be larger might be because it is easier to find food in the forests of Finland than on the arctic tundra in northern Norway. Best regards, Trond Ellingsen
Thanks for the information Trond! I think what confused us was the sheer size difference in the reindeer population which you have nicely explained 😊
It would have been fantastic to see an Elk or even a moose (i once saw a moose in Canada and it was huge!)
Very interesting to learn about the Sami people and their traditions.
Thanks again for your comment!
Sean and Emily
@@SeanandEmily Just to add to the confusion - what you call Elk (Norwegian: "Elg") is the same animal as Americans call Moose (there are some minor genetical differences, but they look exactly the same). However, Americans use the word Elk on the animals we inn Norway call "Hjort", and you call "Deer". There are plenty of them on the Norwegian West Coast, and you will also find them in Scotland.
Normally, an elk is not dangerous, they will always avoid contact with humans. This includes the large bulls, unless they feel threatened. But be aware of cows with a calf. They are very protective and might easily attack. If you see a lone calf, you can be sure the cow is close by. So, keep a good distance. Also, if you drive through a forest early in the morning or late in the evening, always have a look alongside the road, because these are the periods the animals move around from one place to another.
Each year, we in Norway experience several hundred collisions between cars and elks, some with a fatal result for the driver. There have also been collisions between elk and MC, and they never end good.
Drive carefully. I wish you a good and safe trip. Welcome back to Norway. Best regards, Trond Ellingsen
Thanks for the information! =)
Reindear. ;) Not Elk, not Moose.
Thanks!! We did not expect the reindeer to be that big lol -i don't know what our reaction would have been if we would have seen a moose lol 😁
You will never se an elk with a necklace. All the reindeers you se, are owned by the sami people.
Ahhhh that’s an easy way to remember. What about the ones without a collar or an ear tag? Are they wild ones?
@@SeanandEmilyI don't think you will se wild reindeers near a road, they are very shy. Some of the markings on the tame one can be hard to spot.
@@SeanandEmily some owners still mark their reindeers in the traditional way...... with a mark/shape cut in their ear.... every family has their own mark/shape so its easy to tell and pretty much impossible to change and claim sombodys animal as yours...... a system that has worked for centuries