Drive to the Arctic Circle in a Fiat 500

[supplyguy]

Photos: http://www3.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumb ... =snapfish/

Drive to the Arctic Circle in a Fiat 500

My “bucket list” drive to the Arctic Circle from Oslo, Norway began so sluggishly that for the first two hours on the road I was convinced I had made a horrible mistake and regretted the attempt. I flew into Oslo late the night before, slept a little too late the next day, picked up the rental car even later, and was still tired and already discouraged when I hit the E6 motorway in the rain around 11 am, in a traffic jam. The GPS predicted 16 hours and Google Earth 15 hours for the 600 mile journey north, suggesting a 3am arrival in Mo I Rana, my destination just south of the Arctic Circle. But driving long distances is not unlike running marathons, my other hobby, and I was determined to cover as much distance as safely as I could, and sleep in the car if need be, in order to achieve my long time goal of driving to the Arctic Circle. I just didn’t know whether this would be a two day, three day, or heaven forbid, four day-I’m going-to-miss-my-flight round trip adventure.

My companion for the three day trip was a surprisingly likable 2009 Fiat 500 from Avis. I reserved the cheapest car possible to not break the bank on this whim of a trip, and had concerns about folding my six foot four 230 pound body into a micro-car. I considered an upgrade at the counter, and yet a VW Polo seemed hardly expansive enough to justify the expense, so I stuck with the littler red Fiat 500. I’m so glad I did.

The route that seemed most logical was the E6 motorway from Oslo to Trondheim via Dombas, and continuing due north to Mo I Rana. With it’s “E” designation, I presumed the E6 to be a European highway that would move me along the fastest, despite Norway’s restrictive 90 kph (55 mph) speed limit almost nationwide. I was hugely disappointed, especially since I live in Germany now and appreciate the distances that can be covered on a modern highway. The E6 was a two lane, rolling, and winding rural road with few shoulders, and few straightaways of more than a quarter mile to pass campers and trucks. And it was raining. And more than once I had to stop for cows in the road. And I was crawling along in a convoy topping out at 40 mph for the first two hours.

The scenery was very Pacific Northwest, with mountains and evergreens, waterfalls cascading hundreds of feet down along the Lagen River. Spectacular scenery. Breathtaking. All the adjectives that also mean “I’m not looking at the road and the upcoming curves!” But the Fiat 500 proved to be a nimble, enthusiastic co-conspirator in maximizing opportunities to pass, and maintain spirited, high, mostly legal speeds through the river valleys and over the hills. Mine was a 1.3 liter, 94 HP matched with a five speed manual transmission, and when I could keep the revs up, the car had spunk. Weighing only 2,160 pounds (think about it – I added over 10% additional ballast all by myself!) the car was quick, and handled so well I would never had guessed it was based on the Panda econobox.

The congestion passed about two hours into the trip, and for the next six hours I snaked through the valley, passed when I could, and got into a rhythm. With a thermos full of hotel coffee, bottles of water, a box of pop tarts and bag of chocolates, I kept myself refueled. For the first time I tried an audiobook; Stieg Larsen’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, (seemed appropriate to go Scandinavian), and for all of the drive north and part way back, it was a satisfying but not distracting way to pass the time. The Fiat 500 was equipped with the latest MP3 Microsoft connectivity, and the sound system was excellent, although I could never figure out the controls. The menu system in the dash gave me usable information on range, distance, and an alert (that I quickly cancelled) if I exceeded a designated speed limit. I spent way too much time looking for the switch to open the sunroof, eventually realizing it was a glass roof that did not open. It did have a nice sunscreen to protect me after the rain and clouds lifted.

Stopping in Trondheim after seven hours to refuel, stretch, and have a proper meal of cold tuna, fig newtons, and Red Bull, I felt some satisfaction that momentum was gathering, and I could sustain the pace and the passing and the twisty roads well into the night if I had to. The car has a 35 liter gas tank, about 9.25 gallons, and I had used not even three quarters to cover the 300 miles to Trondheim. Good thing – according to the automobile club Norwegian gas prices are the highest in Europe at $6.21 per gallon. This was not going to be a cheap trip.

Thirty miles north of Trondheim the spooky radar cameras became extinct and did not surface again. Traffic dwindled, and sometimes I drove 20-30 minutes at a time without having to overtake a truck or a car. Rowing through the gears, and using all the road (when visibility safely allowed), I was able to keep the Fiat 500 in the 55-65 mph zone for four hours straight. Seventy came once or twice but felt near the edge. It was one of the most exhilarating, white knuckle, adrenaline in the shorts stretches of driving I have ever done. Any idea that this trip was the wrong thing to do vanished here. The car was balanced, responsive, and never felt overextended mechanically to my thrashing through the turns. Yes, my crush on this tiny red Italian was spiraling into a romance.

At midnight I stopped about 45 miles south of Mo I Rana, my chosen layup point. I stopped to have a beer and a cigar beside a lake and to take in the midnight sun, the likes of which I had never seen. What a spectacle. I marveled at a farmer plowing his field in a tractor at midnight, snapped some photos of me and the Fiat, and got back on the road to finish the first day’s journey. Finally, I arrived in Mo I Rana about 1am, only 14 hours after setting off from Oslo and 1-2 hours less than my techno-aids had predicted. I was pleased. I cruised the town that felt eerily post-apocalyptic. It was broad daylight, and I was the only one moving about. The last man on earth.

With the help of an airline eye mask I managed a good six hours of sleep, although when I got up in the night to do what aging men must, I giggled at the midday sun shining through my hotel window at 4 am. How do these people do it? I refueled the Fiat (another $60 in gas) and refilled the thermos with honest to God 7/11 coffee (we don’t have these in Germany – I so miss them), and headed north to find the Arctic Circle Center. I never got over seeing the GPS read that a destination was only 40 miles away and yet was projected to take an hour plus to get there, always thinking I could do better and always being reintroduced to travel at 50 mph.

Contrary to popular belief and my childhood globe, there is no dotted line crossing the road at 66 degrees 33 minutes 44 second north of the equator. The terrain changes, becoming more rocky and almost no trees, and the easiest way for a real outdoorsman to recognize one has crossed the Arctic Circle…..is to follow the signs to the Polarsirkelen Arctic Circle Tourist Pavilion. Here one can get “I was here” photos taken (I did), eat reindeer stew, buy souvenirs, and take in the memorials to World War II losses. While it was in the sixties during the drive up it was in the low fifties and windy and chilly. I donned running shorts and a windbreaker and found a trail to do my symbolic and obligatory run above the Arctic Circle, dutifully recorded on my Garmin GPS running watch for posterity and bragging rights, even though pretty much no one is interested.

Back in the hotel I gave in to a two hour nap, and wandered down to the Big Horn Steakhouse adjacent to the hotel for my first sit down meal in 36 hours. The web says the Big Horn is the northernmost restaurant in the world, but I am skeptical. Refreshed and $75 poorer, I cruise the town and stop by the river to enjoy the midnight sun again – much brighter and like broad daylight than the night before just 40 miles south. Another celebratory cigar and a beer, and so wishing my wife and kids could see this. Very special place. But I remember I have to drive 600 miles back to Oslo in the morning, and hit the sack about 2 am.

I check out of the hotel and get an early start the next morning, topping off the thermos, stocking up on muffins, cold Diet Cokes, and cans of Pringles (God bless America!) at the gas station. Unlike my first leg two days prior, it is sunny and I’m enjoying the uncongested leg to Trondheim with four or five hours of enthusiastic driving and not a care in the world.

I know this Fiat 500 well by now. I know when it has the oomph to pass and when it doesn’t. These drives are miles and hours on end of split decisions on whether we can pass or not, and if we can will we take one car, two cars, or both and the Winnebago too? (How can they afford the gas for those behemoths?!). What if someone comes around the bend at us now…will we be able to ease back into the lane? What if someone comes out of a driveway and is only looking left? Most drivers are helpful and we signal to each other when passing is possible and when it is not. Some seem annoyed at being passed by this large man in a very small car.

When not in awe at the scenery, or avoiding head on flaming crashes, I was pleasantly surprised at the classic American cars on the Norwegian roads. Sixties era Mercury Monterey’s, two 1970’s Mustang Mach I’s, more than a few Corvettes, an Olds Delta 88 from wayback, a few 1980’s Trans Ams complete with mullet bearing drivers, and a 1967 Ford Thunderbird with a wedding party on the way to the church. Suburbans were plentiful and probably a necessity in many parts of northern Norway in the winter, and I enjoyed being passed by a low riding 1990’s era Chevy pickup truck with flames on the hood after he clearly was not amused by being passed by me.

I make it 300 miles to Trondheim non-stop, refuel, and experiment with a bacon wrapped wiener for lunch since I can eat it and drive. The pit stop is less than 10 minutes and back on the road. On the trip north from Oslo to Trondheim my GPS kept insisting I leave the E6 and follow some unknown road, which I ignored. Before heading south I studied the map and the GPS in detail, and saw that if I split from the E6 and took motorway 3 from Ulsberg to Oslo, I might shave nearly an hour from my drive back. I pondered the pros and cons of leaving the E6, and I make a calculated decision 50 meters from the crossroads – the slowly moving sedan I had been following forever and unable to pass continues on the E6 – I turn left on the 3.

What a wise decision. Although at first I have to climb and descend a mountain, an hour later I’m following the Glomma River through a much wider valley, with oh my goodness mearly half mile straightaways at times! Higher speeds, easier passing, still swerving and twisting enough to keep it fun in the curves, and I’m watching the GPS bit by bit recalculate my return time from a 10pm arrival in Oslo to 8:30pm – stunning. Sure enough, I arrive back at my hotel at the airport in under 11 hours! (Actually 10:51 to cover 935 km / 580 miles) Of course, I wish I had taken this road northbound, but there’s something satisfying about taking the designated way for 14 hours, and returning on the improvised three hour faster route.

I take stock of me. Fifty years old, tall and large, and absolutely unfatigued or cramped after spending all that time behind the wheel of this 7 ½ by 5 feet car. The driver’s seat was slightly elevated, like a PT Cruiser, and the leg room was adequate, even with 10,000 clutch shifts. The seat was soft and comfortable, and although it did not look conformed for spirited driving I never felt like slipping away. I usually shift my weight and rearrange my legs and lean this way and that when uncomfortable in much larger cars. Never happened in this magical little Fiat 500.
I wonder if I could I own a Fiat 500. Certainly for every day use for two, it would be a comfortable car for commuting or long distance treks. The Fiat 500 Abarth selling here in Europe has I think 170 hp – making it a real feisty little beast. The base model is certainly is thrifty with fuel. Flipside - the back seats have no room, and the trunk is for gym bags only. Fold down the back seats if you need to bring a suitcase. The dash controls were not self-intuitive. But I didn’t read a manual. And I have no idea what these will sell for in the US next year, whether they will be reliable, or whether Fiat will be able to sustain itself yet again. The Fiat 500 will be a cute alternative to the VW Beetle and BMW Mini for those looking for that. In the end, I am not secure enough to own this little red car.

I take stock of the Fiat 500. We covered almost 2,400 km / 1,450 miles, in a little more than two full days of driving. She drank 130 liters of fuel, about 34 gallons. I’m stunned at the roughly 40 mpg consumption given the terrain, the thrashing of gears, and hard acceleration needed for hours to make the run. I walk around the car at the last pit stop and see she’s covered in bug splatter. I get back in to remove the trash and food and feel ashamed at the condition this little Fiat 500 is in. I want to wash a rental car and maybe change the oil for the first time. Instead I give her a hug and return her to Avis. We had a good time.

[rlux4]

What a great story! Very well told also.
Thank you very much for sharing this and brightening our days.
Ron

[NSDave]

What a great adventure, and well written too. Thanks for sharing it with us. Thumbs up to you for being able to scratch one off of your 'bucket list'. Awesome work.

[mdrburchette]

Awesome story and great pics! It makes me think the new 500 and I can actually get along.

[baltobernie]

A terrific read of a great adventure!

Maybe that's what Fiat North America should do ... unleash a bunch of 500's into the rental market! That would certainly give them some exposure. I can see it now; six wide going into the Callahan Tunnel, each determined not to miss his flight from Logan

[Snoopy]

Nice story...
Years ago iam in norway with a Fiat Uno.
Christoph (red Fiat 500 driver )

[supplyguy]

Yours had cooler wheels - or I would sweat it's the same car!

[Snoopy]

Your one was a "Lounge" with white inside, my one ist a "Sport" with black Sportseats, 195/45 16 (normal 185/55 15) and 3cm lowered...

[supplyguy]

Then yours was way "cooler" than mine!

[mdrburchette]

The one I ordered is red......and that's all I know.