Yep, one never knows, what one gets:

who is interested, where I've been this summer, can have a look here at Pokka, one of my favorite places in Finland. ;)

My grandma told me today, she saw the transmission yesterday, I found it on internet: here it is!

http://www.ardmediathek.de/ard/servlet/content/1300132

Time to make this story finished...

Finland changed my life. somehow it is finland, who started the changes that I'm planning at the moment. I don't want to return to my life before that experience (even if still not everything is perfect - life will never be perfect :)

I learned a lot (not only in Finland, but also related to Finland), I'm going to use this new knowledge. I know now, everything is possible. It's just up to me.

I'm already planning my next summer holidays... with much more liberties than I took in Finland. Maybe this time I'll see the solar eclipse.

So stay tuned! within the beginning of July I will restart my blog: another titel, another region, other pictures, other stories. But still me, my bike and my tent.
(At least those are the plans today, but you'll never know, what you will get.)

koerndl

---- END ----

For all those, who didn't receive the Postcard, here the quiz:

Choose: true/false:

1. I really saw the solar eclipse!
2. I reached the northcape without foreign help (=train, bus, etc.)
3. Against all announcement I HAD to get off my bike to push it, because it was that steep.
4. I already know more than 100 finnish words
5. I was more than 90 % of the time in Finnland.

"Guesstimation" =Schätzfrage:
How many reindeers and mooses did I see until the northcape?


The answers:
1. false
as everybody told me: there were too much clouds.
As Itold everybody: I expected that and wasn't disappointed.
2. true.
I'm glad, that I didn't take the train right at Helsinki as some people proposed me to do ;)
3. false
me? getting off the bike? never!
4. true
and with the numbers it's even 200 words... :)
5. false
31 days = 100 %
3,1 days = 10 % = 3 days, 2 hours, 24 mins
As I was 3 days and approx. 17 h in Norway, i spend more than 10 % in Norway, and therefore less then 90 % in Finnland.

Guesstimation: 192 reindeers (without the two, that I ate...)

Time to say thank you to...

... those who did believe in me
... those who didn't believe in me (so I had to proove ;o)
... my bike which did the whole trip without breakdown.
... my body, which did the whole trip without gross problems
... my Grandma for the warm and cuddly sleeping bag - the best piece of equipment I had with me.
... my Mom for my sense of orientation.
... my Dad for the necessary tools.
... Gerd, who would have gone with me if it had been possible.
... Christoph for: "It's not rain, it's just wet sunshine..."
... Mathieu for prepairing me "something hot to drink" on northcape
... Kari for some intresting facts on living in Lapland
... Linnéa for walking with me the streets of Helsinki
... David for telling me stories of life in Helsinki
... Karl Fazer for consoling my mind ;o)
... Finland to let me feel that I'm alive
... "The Tunnel": Now I know I can do if I want to.
... my equipment which worked fine even if I didn't check before.

and last but not least
... my feet for not stinking.

While travelling I nearly always was whistling some songs, that came to my mind. Sometimes because of what happend, sometimes because of what I was thinking, sometimes from another one, sometimes just for no reason...

The song, that accompanied me most of the time was
Wise Guys - Jetzt ist Sommer (Summer is now)

for all those who don't know this song: The refrain says:

Jetzt ist Sommer, egal ob du schwitzt oder frierst,
Sommer ist, was in deinem Kopf passiert [...],
Sommer ist, wenn man trotzdem lacht.
[...]
Ich drücke auf den kleinen grünen Knopf und die Sonne geht an in meinem Kopf

Summer is now, no matter if you are freezing or sweating,
summer is, what happens in your mind[...],
summer is, when you laugh even though
[...]
I just press the small green button and sun is shining in my head

Other songs:
Jovanotti: Io so, che non sono solo anche quando sono solo - e rido, e piango.
Red hot chili peppers: Perfect weather (while raining...)
Thanks one more to Winnie for the "wet sunshine"
??? - It's just per-er-er-er-er-erfect
Hooters - I'm alive!!!
Voices unlimited - Homeless
??? - Don't worry, be happy
??? - You can get it if you really want
??? - Raindrops keep falling on my head (also while raining ;o)
Avril Lavigne - Everything changes (when you turn around)
Noir Désir - Le vent nous portera

And some more I didn't write in my notepad

The most of them really tell something about the trip, don't you think as well?

As I have now LOTS of times to manage my blog you can see, that some things have changed.

On the left side there is now a menu, where you can find the "Diary", including stories and pictures of the trip. "Greetings while travelling" are short stories that I wrote home while I was on my trip. "Miscellaneous" contains all thoughts around the trip, gathering around in my mind. There will be some updates, however, also now.

Just beneath the menu there are some news about updates (you can see here that I updatet the FAQ's yesterday, for example)

So, hope you enjoy the stories and photos,
kÖrndl

In the post "Music on my Mind" there was just the title, but somehow this song was so true...

Avril Lavigne - Everything Changes (when you turn around)

What was the moment, when I turned around? Yes, right.

What changed in this moment? So many things...

Travelling changed completely.
Until August 1st, I always had to go. I had to make 100 km per day, so I could see the solar eclipse. I don't want to say, that it was difficult, or a burden (Last). It was just like this. After that I was much more free what to do or not to do. I did 100 km per day as well, but it was different.
I didn't have to take the direct line, I could go just where I wanted, and do some "detours" just for going with the ferry in the lake Oulu. I just could stop one campsite ealier than I planned.
My thoughts about traveling changed as well: It was much more relaxing than before.

Weather changed.
Going northwards I had fine weather (yes of course, there was rain as well, but at all it was quite warm). Now it's cold. At the beginning of August, I thought, it was because of beeing so northern. but I realized, autumn started in Finnland. It got really cold...

My fitness changed.
Of course.

Somehow I changed.
That didn't happen just from one day to the other, but I changed. I felt much more relaxed about my life than before. Hey, I just crossed whole Finland, and somehow it is a great feeling. I always said, that I'm not ambitious... No, absolutely not, right...? I learned some things about me. It was a good opportunity, traveling alone nearly all the time.


(quoting my trip diary with some additions)

Only for me I was sitting at the lakesite and enjoyed the Sunset. Marvellous! The waves of the lake are dabbeling and carry away many thoughts.
Only for me I had this plenty of time and I really enjoyed it.
Really just for me.
I didn't wish noone at my side.

(quoting my trip diary)

People always ask the same things, so I decided to start a FAQ:

Q: Did you have some special preparations for your trip?
A: Errr... Physical preparations? I decided to do this two weeks before leaving. So... guess! My "special training" were the first days, in which 130 km were exhausting, and I had to travel for the whole day... Today I did 130 km just from Midday to 7 pm.
I tried to prepare the best way up to northcape, but that's all.

Q: Why are you travelling to the north cape by bike?
A: Why? I wanted to see the solar eclipse the first of august...
Why by bike? As I'm alone, it would be too expensive going by car there...

Q: And you are travelling this all alone?
A: Yes. For some reasons. some of them I realizes only today.
first: who gets 4,5 weeks of holidays in middle of July/August?
second: Who is so crazy going by bike to the Northcape?
third: I didn't realize, but I needed the time to be alone. Now Me, Myself and Angelika found together... I'm happy again.

Q: have you ever done something like this before?
A: Actually... no. Last year I wantet to go from Vienna to Lake Attersee, but I didn't even manage those three days. I just took the train back home on the first day...

Q: How can you motivate youself?
A: on the way to the northcape it was always: You want to see the solar eclipse? so, then go!
Now I don't have the solar eclipse, but I like travelling by bike... And now, when I don't have to care about distances, I do more Kilometers with less effort.

Q: Aren't you afraid?
A: Afraid? Afraid of what?
Q: Hm, don't know...
A: So do I.

Q: And can you repair your bike?
A: For "standard"-break downs like a bursted tube I have all necessary tools (special thanks to Dad) and skills. I even managed to repair my air pump. Ya, I'm keen on Do-it-Yourself... and while working as waitress I had the nick-name MacGyver: Having a solution for every problem.

Q: Isn't it boring, travelling alone?
A: No, it's not. It was just perfect, I had lots of time to think about some things. And this was necessary. There were only few moments, in which I had preferred to have company, e.g. at Oulu.
And travelling alone is the best opportunity to meet other people (you were perfectly right, Winnie!)

(To be continued...)

Someone: Where are you from?
I: From Austria
S: Ah, thats why you have a KTM-Bike!
(For all who don't know: KTM is an Austrian Company...)


S: You have a bear bell on your bike? are you afraid of bears?
I: No, I'm not, but my parents are...


At Pokka, Lappland:
I: Do you own reindeers?
Kari: Of course. We are in Lapland...


Calling at home:
I: So beautiful, all the light, even late in the evening!
Papa: Yes, but when I was in Spain, it was quite the same. For that you didn't have to go sooo far!
(no comment...)