What’s an hour between friends anyway?

Getting away from Rovaniemi is a bit of an epic. First I head south by train to Kemi and from there I hop on a bus to the Finnish-Swedish border where I’ve got exactly 5 mins to transfer to a bus headed for Luleå.

I reach the border at 11:35. The exact time my next bus leaves. Damn.. I’m on the Swedish side at least so that’s country 29 ticked off if nothing else. Just as I’m contemplating an adventure around the giant blue building that houses an IKEA opposite the bus station to fill up the 5 hours until the next bus, a voice besides me asks if I need help. It’s a bus driver waiting for her departure time. I explain I’m trying to get to Luleå and she tells me the bus leaves at 11:35 Swedish time. It takes me a moment to realise my ticket arrival time is in Finnish time which is two hours ahead of the UK. Sweden is only one. I’ve gained an hour and while I’ve got nothing better to do with it than hang around a bus station, I couldn’t be happier.

I eventually reach Luleå. I’m here for just a night before I head towards the finish line in Norway on an early train tomorrow.Read more