{"id":8179,"date":"2017-08-31T09:37:04","date_gmt":"2017-08-31T09:37:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/?p=8179"},"modified":"2019-05-23T06:56:13","modified_gmt":"2019-05-22T20:56:13","slug":"kokkola-finland-%f0%9f%87%ab%f0%9f%87%ae-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/?p=8179","title":{"rendered":"Kokkola, Finland 2017 \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><b>Travelled: 224 kilometres from Oulu to Kokkola in Finland.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Visited: Driving the E8, Kalajoki and Hiekkas\u00e5rkat<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Stayed: Kokkola centrum car-park, just a bin. <a href=\"https:\/\/goo.gl\/maps\/HjLPLMue91nQEWi79\">N63.84288, E23.13403<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>We had high hopes for Oulu. &nbsp;The Lonely Planet gave Oulu a big tick and driving through yesterday evening it looked very modern and interesting. &nbsp;Our overnight parking place was close to the centrum and good for all day parking. &nbsp;But we wake to heavy rain. &nbsp;It stops briefly, but starts again with a vengence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Oulu_weather_1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"960\"\/><figcaption>The weather is not looking too good, so &#8216;no Oulu for you&#8217;.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>We set off again heading south on the E6. &nbsp;The rain gets worse and worse, but we amble on at 90 kph. &nbsp;Suddenly the rain stops and the cloud breaks, within the hour its blue sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Kalajoki_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"825\" height=\"1100\"\/><figcaption>The weather has cleared by the time we reach Kalajoki. The church looks impressive so we stop for a leg stretch. &nbsp;Like the Swedish churches we saw earlier on our travels, the Finnish churches have these timber towers at the entrance to the church yard ?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Kalajoki_2.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>The church itself is a large and imposing structure, seemingly out of proportion with the village of Kalajoki. The graveyard is well tendered and has a tap in a convenient position so we help ourselves to a few litres.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Kalajoki_3.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Caste iron headstones are very common in Scandinavia and so are these bushes with the red berries.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Hiekkas\u00e5rk\u00e5t_1.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Its only a short drive from Kalajoki to the dunes of&nbsp;<span style=\"text-align: start; background-color: #ffffff;\">Hiekkas\u00e5rkat. &nbsp;According to the blurb this area is the home of the sport of nordic walking. &nbsp;It would appear however they don&#8217;t like getting their feet sandy as there are boardwalks leading in all directions.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Hiekkas\u00e5rkat_2.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Obviously a popular place in high season, the dunes along here have campsites every few hundred metres and some very nice condo style units. &nbsp;Despite the sunshine and temperatures in the mid-teens no one is in swimming.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Kokkola_1.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>We leave the beach and re-join the E6. The scenery is changing, more traditional farms line the highway and the villages are getting more substantial.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Kokkola_2.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>It&#8217;s late afternoon as we drive into Kokkola. This is the railway station in Kokkola by the way. &nbsp; &nbsp;Kokkola is a large coastal town on the Gulf of Bothnian.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Kokkola_3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"999\"\/><figcaption>Apart from wandering around the mall and taking in Kokkola, we are looking for an R-kioski. No it&#8217;s not the Russian Embassy, but a little shop similar to a 7\/11 that sell phone cards. &nbsp;Our Norwegian Telia sim has given up the ghost.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>We remember when getting a sim in the EU was a real drama. &nbsp;Provide your passport, fill in declarations and paying through the nose. &nbsp;In Finland it&#8217;s \u20ac24 for 10gb of 4G data including the sim, I stated my name is Bin Laden, no names required, said the young woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Kokkola_5.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>We head over to the marina looking for a spot for the night, finding an interesting memorial to a bunch of local boys who took on the English Navy and won.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/kokkola_7.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>We find this really nice spot on the marina, but after a couple of hours we work out its not for us. &nbsp;The local youth use it as a meeting place and after a couple of hours of cars and talking, we move back to a car-park close to town and enjoy a good night&#8217;s sleep.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael and Pam<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"bpp_credits\" style=\"clear: both; float: right; width: 200px; height: 70px; text-align: right;\"><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.blogpadpro.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"vertical-align: middle; font-size: 8pt; color: #999;\">Edited with BlogPad Pro<\/span><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"vertical-align: middle; padding-left: 5px;\" src=\"http:\/\/files.blogpadpro.com\/images\/speech-bubble.png\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\"><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Travelled: 224 kilometres from Oulu to Kokkola in Finland. Visited: Driving the E8, Kalajoki and Hiekkas\u00e5rkat Stayed: Kokkola centrum car-park, just a bin. N63.84288, E23.13403 We had high hopes for Oulu. &nbsp;The Lonely Planet gave Oulu a big tick and driving through yesterday evening it looked very modern and interesting. &nbsp;Our overnight parking place was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":8207,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[97],"class_list":{"0":"post-8179","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-finland","8":"tag-finnish-villages","9":"czr-hentry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8179"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8179\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18152,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8179\/revisions\/18152"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michaelandpamstravels.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}