Author: admin

St. Petersburg, North-West Russia, Russian Federation 25 July 2013 Take the tram through the town to the train and depart 1000hrs on the 220km/hr Allegro to St Petersburg. It’s like the German ICE train but a lot more sterile. Given a tray of meat platter and the reindeer tongue tickles my taste buds. Complete my… Read more

Helsinki, Southern Finland, Finland 24 July 2013 A very, very comfortable night on the train. The best sleeping carriage I’ve ever been on. Supremely quiet and fantastic suspension. So much so, that I struggle sometimes to determine if the train is moving or not. I forgot to mention that in the bar last night was… Read more

Overnight train to Helsinki, Southern Finland, Finland 23 July 2013 I’ve a whole day in Rovaniemi before my train departs this evening to Helsinki. Rovaniemi is famous for one thing……Santa Claus. There are two Santa Clause themed “attractions”. The original 1950s Santa Clause Village and the recent upstart, the Santa Park. As I have absolutely… Read more

Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland 22 July 2013 Despite an early night I’ve just drifted off to sleep when the cruise ship in port sounds its very loud fog horn at 0100hrs. Not once. Not twice. But three times. I finally stir from my pit at 0430hrs by my phone’s alarm and head down to reception to… Read more

Honningsvag, North Norway 21 July 2013 Tromso to Honningsvag by Wideroe aircraft. Arrive at Tromso airport (it’s a one X-ray unit type of airport) and am promptly pulled aside for a “random” check at the scanner. I’m always wary of “random” checks. I used to fly out of Birmingham airport every Monday morning for about… Read more

Tromso, Norway 20 July 2013 After meeting up with J&H for a quick coffee and catch up after 11 years, they leave for their flight and I wander into Oslo for lunch. I forego the smoked heart of elk and settle for something with a little less beat. Ring the taxi company in Honningsvag as… Read more

Oslo, Norway 19 July 2013 Ever since an airline lost my bag for a few days enroute to Brasil I have an aversion to checking bags in. I always try and wangle it as hand luggage and today is no exception. My rucksack, all 22kg of it and the size of a small child, is… Read more

Manchester, England, United Kingdom 18 July 2013 “Ay up me duck”, the bus driver said and I parted with £2.70 for a 20min journey on a hot and sticky bus which has a constant high pitched wailing noise emanating from the driver’s cabin. Changed at the new bus station and spent the trip to Chesterfield… Read more

Just in case you’re planning your own Cape to Cape trip…..a few practicalities Vaccinations required: Tetanus Polio Diptheria Hep A Hep B Typhoid Rabies Meningitis Yellow Fever Malaria tablets Visas required before travel (CIBT in London used for visa processing) Russia Belarus Tanzania Zambia Visas required on arrival Turkey Lebanon Jordan Egypt Sudan Ethiopia Kenya… Read more

After 6 months planning and preparation, various vaccinations and visas it seems like I’m on the final furlong before departing these shores with just one or two bits of the itinerary to finalise. Let’s hope it doesn’t all kick off in the Middle East. A BBC News report suggested that Lebanon could collapse into civil… Read more