But this year was different. Due to the pandemic, travelling had become more complicated and moving by plane was no longer an option for us. But this wouldn’t mean much for our journey, since we shared only one desire: to seek freedom and rediscover the contact with nature, an experience which we had so sorely missed for such a long time. We wanted to escape, to get away from crowded cities, hotels with restrictions, restaurants with limited seatings... and all the mess we had all been living through for the past year. Hence:
For an -itinerary perfectionist- like me, it was pure utopia. I had always organized everything in detail so as not to waste a single minute of time, and now I was leaving with no idea what to do or where to go, and in a van for the first time. Overcoming limits, however, is part of every explorer’s desires, so we were ready for this challenge!
Thus began the search for the right vehicle. We opted for a van Adria Twin 640 SLX with an amazing orange exterior color that made us absolutely crazy for it! Being our first time in a van we chose a manageable vehicle that could satisfy our need for freedom without compromise in terms of size. The model we chose has wide spaces inside, lots of storage space and a very generous bathroom.
On August 6th, we picked up our amazing wheeled-house in Slovenia and immediately set off on our on-the-road journey. In 3 weeks we covered 10,000 km in total, travelling through Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark.
With Sweden it was love at first sight and it will forever be our first true immersion into the world of free camping. The lights, the reflections, the atmosphere here are magical. Every evening we found a beautiful spot by the sea or lake where we could enjoy the sunset, warmed up by the fire pit, breathing fresh air and enjoying a perfect sense of harmony with the surrounding landscape.
In Lapland, the forests get thicker and the roads less crowded. Car traffic gives way to reindeer traffic. These are very curious and peaceful animals, but when they cross the road they can become a real danger. It actually seems that the roads belong to them and not to the vehicles! Useful tip if you’re planning a trip there: drive carefully and be patient!
Norway from north to south is always wonderful, but the Finnmark area and the last 100km to the North Cape are pure spectacle. The road skirts the sea, and at every turn there are breathtaking views, passing from imposing fjords to almost deserted shorelines. The silence of this almost unreal environment is broken only by the sound of the wind, which increases more and more as you approach the destination, as does the excitement of arriving at the symbolic place for any adventurer: Nordkapp.
The Lofoten archipelago represents one of the most incredible naturalistic attractions of the globe. This puzzle of islands is the Eden of the Arctic Circle. We wanted to deeply explore each island and therefore decided to stop for many days. The landscape was breathtaking: huge fjords with sharp walls overlooking the ‘Caribbean’ seas. We wanted to take a dip in those crystal-clear waters but the cold temperatures forced us to change our mind.
We crossed intangible boundaries by crossing the Arctic Circle in Jokkmokk and made it to the end of the world by reaching another major milestone, the North Cape. We spent sub-zero nights in Finnmark in the comfort of our heated van. We climbed sheer mountains at Flakstadøya in the Lofoten Islands. We fished for cod and mackerel at Averøy in the Norwegian fjords. We ate Kraftkar, the world’s best cheese ever, on a small farm in Nordmøre. We dreamed of diving into the crystal clear yet frozen sea of many Scandinavian beaches.
Every night we would stop and park wherever we wanted, and witnessed breathtaking sunrises, sunsets and million-dollar views.
An unparalleled feeling of freedom and gratitude that only free camping can provide. A long and exciting escape that gave us the opportunity to discover the slow and simply travelling. The kind of travelling where you have to let it go, trust the road and open up to all the beautiful things it will offer you. And be sure it will be way better than you planned.
Passionate about travel and nature, Elisabetta and Alessandro live in Udine, in the north-east of Italy.
Elisabetta Bin, 30yo, work as Art Director in a communication agency and Alessandro Passon, 32yo, is a young entrepreneur in the automotive sector.
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