On day 2, we said farewell to the charming town of Vadsø and drove down the Varanger peninsula and west towards Olderfjord. On the way, we checked out the historical churches in Nesseby and Tana, got stuck in deep snow, and saw both wild and domesticated reindeer. After miles and miles on snowy roads and fjord coastlines, we reached Olderfjord Tourist Center, where we stayed for the night. It was low tide, so we enjoyed a quiet walk in the quite frozen bay.
Here’s our route for the entire trip, c/o Google Maps:
We started the day with a beautiful sunrise in Vadsø. We filled up the gas and bought some fresh, warm buns from the gas station. I admire the honesty of the cashier. (Do we still say cash-ier, when Norway is pretty much cashless?) We were looking at cold sandwiches, and she pointed out that those were made yesterday. So we picked up some newly cooked buns instead.
One last look at Vadsø before we took off:
Vadsø left a wonderful impression, with its charming coast and the kind and honest people, not to mention the warm sun that kisses it night and day!
We told ourselves we would check out the church in Nesseby, so that’s our first stop for the day. The church was completed in 1858 and is one of the oldest buildings in the Varanger peninsula. We were welcomed by a mystical sunrise, complete with the misty, foggy vibe over the sea! It was definitely lovely, and my captures do not do justice to how it was experienced by us at that moment.
It was freezing cold, but I really appreciated that memorable sunrise:
Our next (quick) stop was Tana, which is also a popular town/municipality in the region. Sitting by the Tana river, the main town has only about 700 inhabitants. Tana river, which means “big river” or deatnu in Samisk, is Norway’s 3rd longest, and farther east, it forms the border between Norway and Finland. On our last day in the region, we stayed on the Finnish side of the river. But before that, we were headed westward. we crossed the new Tana bridge, which was opened in 2020.
Tana church was a beautiful part of the trip. It was opened in 1964, and can accommodate 300 people. I wanted to see the interior, but like most buildings in the region, it was closed for the winter season. Facing the church was an art installation named “Endringer”, which literally means changes. It was meant to commemorate the town’s efforts to rise up and rebuild the structures destroyed by WWII.
Then, we drove along road 98 – in a journey which involved amazing landscapes and the Tana fjord! All respect to the snow plowers – just look at those dry roads! By the time we reached the last three photos below, I was already crying because I couldn’t contain the beauty of the place. Or I was just too emotional, drowning in hormones. LOL.
Now, the thing about winter in Finnmark is that you should be aware of parking spots and viewing platforms which are not cleared of snow! It was too late for my dear husband to turn around when I said, don’t stop, we’ll get stuck! And so, we got stuck on a viewing cliff — but alas! It was the perfect coincidence to have a local passing by. He didn’t have a shovel or a spade with him, but his strong fishing rope pulled our car out of the snow in no time! We were very lucky he was there to help us, perfect timing, and once again – our deep respect for the locals’ helpfulness! So the roadtrip could continue..
What followed was miles and miles of white, snowy landscape! Again, we were lucky to have a nice weather. If it was snowing, we would have to follow the kolonnekjøring, or driving in a column, led by a snow plow truck. Only cars with functioning fog and hazard lights, plenty of fuel, rope and shovel, torch, warm blanket, and food and drinks are allowed to do kolonnekjøring. If the weather is worse, the roads would be closed. Luckily for us, the weather had been cooperative.
On that stretch of road – no gas stations, no public toilets, barely any house! So, when we reached Ifjord, we stopped by the gas station and had some much-needed coffee break. Although it was late morning, the restaurant was still closed – but the nice lady let us in and use the loo, and sold us coffee. Yay! Coffee tastes so much better in winter. Outdoors.
More driving and we caught sight of Laksefjorden, the 3rd longest fjord in the Finnmark region. “Laks” is norweging for salmon, so I’m guessing they do a lot of fishing here?
And happiness – we saw some reindeer grazing in the snow!
Next, we have the Porsangerfjorden, where Olderfjord, our destination, flows out. Porsangerfjorden is the 4th longest fjord in Norway, with a length of 120 kms. Beautiful fjord with floating ice bits in early April.
Another reindeer sighting:
Roadtrips are amazing, if you remember to stop, stretch, breathe and appreciate our planet.
We reached Olderfjord by early afternoon. We checked out the Tourist Center, where the reception was, and I bought some postcards. I booked a cabin, but it was still occupied, so were transferred to a big apartment with a little balcony. I had some time to nap, and in the evening, we went for a walk.
Now, what is it with men and pebbles? 😜 My guy likes searching for special pebbles. It was lowtide, so we scoured the floors of Olderfjord.
I really enjoyed that walk, which was more like a photowalk for me, pebble search for him. 🙂 My hands were frozen, but I couldn’t help but take as much photo memories as possible. So, that’s how we spent our Day 2 in Finnmark. ALL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON THIS BLOG ARE MINE. 🙂 #spreadloveandpositivevibes
PinayOdyssey 
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