With a scootmobile across the North Pole

I am Margreet Lagendijk (44, suffering from arthritis so condemned to a scootmobile and a wheelchair) and together with my husband Hans (45) I have made an exploring journey through Scandinavia with an Adria 502 UP and a Volkswagen Bus.

We left for Germany on July 19. We reached Puttgarden in the middle of the day and from there we took the ferry to Sweden. When showing my special parking ticket for disabled people we get a spot in the front row. We were asked where the disabled person is seated so we could get a spot next to the elevator.

On the Groncamping in Sakskobing our caravan is located near a rental bungalow. I am allowed to use it because of the adapted bathroom and toilet. The next morning we leave for Helsingborg, from where we will take the ferry to Sweden.

We have an overnight stay in Bullaren on the Bullarebygdens camping. The sanitary facilities are adapted but one has to pay for hot water which is freezing cold by the way. A downside for this otherwise beautiful campsite.

We continue our journey the next day to Idre, the Soralvens Fiske camping. We stayed there for 4 nights. This part of Sweden is truly beautiful with very nice nature. We counted 121 reindeers in just a couple of days.

After a magnificent route we arrive in Steinkjer. During our journey we saw a lot, mountains, the sea and a nature reserve. On July 25 we left for Norway. For one night we stay at a small but idyllic campsite.

The next day we drive to the arctic circle which we reach in the afternoon at about 4.30 o’clock. This was the real goal of our trip. It is wonderful to see, it looks like the surface of the moon. The mountaintops are still covered with a bit of snow but the skies are clear blue!

We stay in the Saltdal Turistcenter in Rokland for 2 days. A beautiful campsite with lots of facilities such as adapted sanitary facilities. For the first time in my life I ate reindeer meat (nothing special, it tastes a bit like hamburgers).

We visited the Saltstraumen. This is the largest strait of the world, with a lot of whirlpools because the water is squeezed in so hard. We take the bike and scootmobile to the end of the peninsula. It offers us a magnificent view with the Lofoten in the distance.

After several days we "dive" under the arctic circle again, reaching Harran, campsite Moa. We are alone on this campsite so we pick a nice spot under a tree. Moa has a cosy living room and a kitchen.

From Moa we go to a small town called Flakk, just below Trondheim. After a few easy going days we visit Trondheim. A fun town with ancient pile-houses.

We have nice whether every day and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. With the car we take Norways’ most touristic road, the Trollstigen. Once up you can still reach the waterfall. You have to climb and walk a little, so I took my scootmobile. Whahaha, visited the Trollstigen with the scootmobile, quite an experience I might say, but it was worth it! On August 2 we continue further to the South. We arrive at the Trollvegen campsite in Andalsnes.

On August 6 we leave Andalsnes for Stryn. The last campsite owner gave us the advice to go to Olden, nearby Stryn, which we do.

The advice was well taken: This is truly the most beautiful spot of the entire holiday. However, they did not fully understand the meaning of adapted sanitary facilities. The toilet for disabled people is upstairs. To get there you have to climb very steap steps. Followed by going through gravel and then just to see that there is only a toilet and a washingbowl. Luckily the caravan has a very good toilet, so I do not have to use the one on the campsite anymore. Worse things can happen and the view makes up for it. We are looking at several waterfalls and 2 ice gletsjers. What more can a person want? Good sanitary facilities one might say, but that is more ignorance than lack of good will.

I felt a bit of a winner, as I am sure you can imagine. Once up there, the beauty cannot be described or taken by a photograph. You should really see it for yourself, it is worth all the trouble. When being so close to a gletsjer you want to visit one. So we go to the Jostedalbreen. On arrival I wonder if I can get there with my own transportation but they have special little cars that take you up. After a lot of questioning and waiting a busload of italian tourists sneeks in before us so we have to wait for an other hour. We decide to try it with the scootmobile. If those small cars can get there... It is a pity I cannot show you the faces of the owners of the small cars but you can believe me when I say they were really surprised! The scootmobile was slower than walking at first but it made it all the way to the top, just as the little cars.

We also drive to the Gamele Strynvegen. A magnificent ride which we also took with our kids. First you get to a gigantic waterfall which can be reached with the scootmobile. The sun is shining but one does feel the freezing cold. This was the only time we needed a warm vest.

We also follow the Panoramicroad; why it is called that we soon understand. We see amazing sights! Again we reach a waterfall. It is a bit of a climb but you can get behind it!

Time flies when you’re having fun, we go to Bergen for our last days in Norway. We find a campsite just before the city: the Lone Camping. This campsite does have an adapted bathroom, but they forgot to adapt the way to it. All as well, now at least the toilet in the caravan is used!

Bergen is really the nicest town in Norway. We bought a so called "Bergen Card" for 48 hours. With it you can see all the attractions the city has to offer and you can use all public transportation facilities. We take the bus to the centre and enjoy every inch of Bergen.

Our Norway adventure is almost over. From Bergen we take the boat to Hirtshals in Denmark. A trip of 22 hours. Again near the elevator which we take to the 7th floor where our cabin is. A beautiful, fully adapted, outside cabin. Because we have such lovely wheather we see the sun go down from the sundeck. Once in Hirtshals, we immediately look for a campsite which we find in Silkeborg, campsite Gudenaens, near the centre with adapted sanitary facilities. After 31 days, 12 campsites, 4 countries and 6225 km we are back home again. I can tell you, also Scandinavia is a destination you can go to when you are in a wheelchair! We stay here for a couple of days and visit a.o. the "Himmelbjerget".

After one final stay in Weener-Ems, Germany, the holiday is truly over. The campsite is very simple but the party in the harbour makes up for everything.

Margreet Lagendijk