Click here to email Rik Click here to email Rob
 
Rik tested cars in Arvidsjaur in 1997, so we returned to meet up with Per on our way South - it was different in Summer - no snow!
Welcome to Sweden.
Look out for the moose - they're big!
Arvidsjaur Church.
Rob, Per and Rik.
The Sami (Lapp) traditional houses.
Per takes a nap!
Following the Northern coast of Norway Southward, we followed fjords and stunning coastal roads.
Northern Norway farmland.
Water and mountains, just amazing.
Snow capped peaks all around.
The sun sparkled off the water.
Incredible rock formations.
You have to visit Norway at least once in your life!
Entering Norway our destination was Nordkapp, the World's most Northerly connected road, and Europe's Northernmost point.
Norge - Norway.
Famous for fishing and dried fish.
Fantastic scenery.

Nordkapp, Europe's Northernmost mainland point.

Rik at Nordkapp.
The globe is now associated with Nordkapp.
Finland is famous for it's lakes, all 64,000 of them! We rode through the district and into the Arctic Circle to see Santa Claus!
The lake waters are crystal clear.
Perfect boat recreation areas.
Crossing the Arctic Circle again.
Having repaired the bikes, it was time to go for a spin around Helsinki, taking in the sunshine and enjoying an ice cream!
Janina and Jari feeding their desert stomachs!
Helsinki harbour was very relaxing in the sun.
The boys are back on the road!
Arriving back into the EU through Finland - onto Helsinki where we can effect some repairs to the bikes with Jari and Pekka.
Back into the EU after more than 3 years away.
BBQ with Jari and the family.
Rob, Jari and Pekka at the workshop.
Our workshop for a couple of days.
Jari and Pekka.
Jari and family - our fantastic hosts!
Into St. Petersburg, the Venice of Russia - an absolute jewel of a city, incredible architecture and arts. We met up with Steve & Svetlana again.
The Hermitage - full of impressive arts.
Statue over the arch leading into the square.
Steve and Svetlana.
The illumination of the bridges at night.
St. Petersburg's Cathedral next to the canals.

Peterhoff - Peter the Great's Summer Palace.

Svetlana was our Russian tour guide!
Hundred's of fountains adorn the grounds.
Spectacular onion domes.
The metro in St Petersburg are works of art!
Marble covered pillars - hardly London's underground.
Russia's Soviet styled apartment blocks.
An extension to the Hermitage,
The fabulous canals.
Peter and Paul Fortress.
The Hermitage.
Leonardo De Vinci painting.
Impressive tiled floor.
Svetlana catches Steve on film!
Vincent Van Gogh.
Matisse.
Moscow was our first taste of normality for 10 days, and offered us our first shower in as many days..... heaven, just heaven!
Our Soviet apartment block.
Russia's history museum.
The shopping centre on Red Square.
Lenin's mausoleum.
St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square.
Looking back over Red Square.
The Kremlin's high walls.
Beautiful statues and waterfalls.
These beers are tasting very good tonight!
Back into Russia, and we cross the Europe/Asia border in the Urals.
Yes that says Russia, only in Cyrillic language.
The Russian gates holding us out.
Stunning snow capped mountains.
At the Europe / Asia border.
The European chicken and Asian dragon.
Rob spreads his legs across continents.
Leaving Ulaan Baataar, we had many off road miles and challenges to come before we reached the Russian border again. Adventure!
One last taste of the Chinggis beer before the off.
An ovoo - good luck charms for the travellers.
This is the main road - Mongolia's M52!
Mongolian horses relaxing on the plains.
Some temples up on the hills.
A ger camp alone on the steppe.
Yaks enjoying the grass.
Parked up for the night.
Rob catches up on his diary.
A Mongolian ger camp.
Rivers were always a concern on a bike.
The typical interest from the Mongolians.
The herdsman tending his animals.
Bringing the animals off the mountain to the lowland.
We bumped into 5 UK bikers in Mongolia.
Rob makes some new friends.
Rik finds the sand tough going.
And the Mongolian Police want a look!
Following the main road.. where is it?!
Giselle clocks over the 100,000 mile mark.
The locals are always friendly and interested.
Shaping bikers of the future!
And bikers of the past!
The camels wandering the desert landscape.
Rob cooking up some lunch.
The empty roads - there's no-one around for miles.
Rik's bike frame splits in half on both sides.
Contemplating the bodges that could be possible.
Tyre levers and zip ties - lots of them!
Still only halfway through Western Mongolia.
This sand doesn't look too pleasant - poor clutches.
And then a single random tree!
Rob takes a dip to refresh after days on the road.
Finally entering town at the end of the day.
Rik relaxes on the moon.
Rob's lost his bike.....
Pure remoteness - truly stunning.
Time for a quick photo and to enjoy the views.
Asking the camel herder for directions.
Now into the mountains and back to gravel.
The Mongolians travel wherever they can.
The roads start to improve again.
Phase one of the Russia to Finland leg involved a long stretch from Vladivostok to Ulan Baataar in Mongolia - lots of gravel roads!
The typical Russian building quality!
Russia's fantastic scenery.
Entering Khabarovsk.
Fork seal repairs for Rob on the side of the road.
New brake pads for Rik in the petrol station.
Sunshine and rain clouds at the same time.
Rough camping with the mosquitoes.
Another fine breakfast cafe stop in Far Eastern Russia.
Some new friends at the petrol stop.
The long open roads.
Inquisitive Ruskies stop for a chat.
The typical rural smallholding setup.
The impressive Cathedral in Chita.
A pink granite statue of Lenin in Chita.
Chita's Lenin Square.
A cold and windy Lake Baikal.
The Russian's version of the combi van!
Time for bliny (pancakes) at another roadside cafe.
The Russians use rocket launchers to build bridges.
The Mongolian border looking back into Russia.
Entering Ulaan Baataar, Mongolia's capital.
Sakhalin Square, Ulaan Baataar.
New investment is creating modern buildings.
One of Mongolia's only statues.
Click here to find out more about the GS-911 BMW diagnostic interface. Click here to see our sponsor's website