For their latest video, Patrick, Orla and Lewie set off on Europe’s most talked-about road trip. The North Cape, as its name suggests, is the northernmost point of mainland Europe and draws visitors from Europe. Was it epic? Lewie and the Rover say, hell yeah. Was it beautiful? Lewie and the Rover say, absolutely. But… was it a little overrated? Watch their latest video and scroll down to read a Q&A with the overlanding family to discover for yourself.
After spending so much time in Africa, how did it feel touring Europe?
To be honest, at first we were happy. Amazing supermarkets, food and everything is so organised. But after a few days, the things we liked became the biggest negatives. Everything is so organised. Wild camping is prohibited in a lot of places, off-roading is not allowed most of the time, and there is almost nowhere you can be all on your own.
What were the biggest differences you noticed right away when arriving in Norway?
Norway is structured and well-maintained, and public facilities, like toilets next to the road, are really clean. Being out in nature is very much encouraged. There are so many hiking trails and viewing platforms along the roads.
The Northern Cape route is iconic. What made you choose this path, and did it live up to the hype?
It is really popular, maybe a little too popular. It’s pretty crowded because you don’t need a 4×4 vehicle to go there. Offroading is not allowed, and while wild camping is, you sometimes battle to find a spot because it’s so crowded.
But…
Even then, Norway is special. The scenery is amazing. And it’s one of our favourite destinations to date!
Your camera gear broke down mid-video. What went wrong, and how did you handle it on the road?
We have lost so much gear on the road. Filters, drones, our axe, a shovel, our JBL speaker box (and the list goes on…). We think that since we use everything so much and so frequently under such harsh conditions, a certain amount of gear is either going to break or get lost. Or maybe the losing part is just us? For the filter, luckily we could buy a new one in the next big city. That’s the advantage of travelling in Europe. It’s much easier to repair or replace items than in Central Asia or west Africa.
How has your setup evolved since Africa and what gear are you especially loving?
The ModCAP has changed our lives travelling full-time. We can now confidently say we have a home on wheels. We’ve had temperatures up to 47 degrees in Senegal and below 0 in Norway. We could have benefitted from a diesel heater in the lower temperatures, but that’s an upgrade that’s still on our list. We didn’t actually do any changes to our setup since Africa. Apart from a dropdown table we made from a cutting board. And we added a pump and a filter to the ModCAP Water Tank, so that we always have potable water. The 50L tank keeps us going for 3-4 days.
What was it like driving those quiet mountain roads with barely another soul in sight?
It is amazing. Off-roading in Norway is not allowed. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have a beautiful drive. The tourist board of Norway has made 16 national scenic routes, and they are stunning!
Your drone shots are world class. Did you scout locations in advance, or was it more of a “fly when the moment feels right” approach?
Thank you! A combination of both, we have a series of shots in our mind that have become a part of our signature and we repeat them in every video. But always check local drone regulations. Especially since there are a lot of drone rules in Europe.
What was your favourite spot, and did you get that iconic midnight sun experience?
Camping in Lofoten was a dream, but a different kind of dream when it comes to wild camping. We quickly realised there is not a lot of space and there are a lot of people travelling there, so we just stayed at normal campsites. That said, we still had a great time. There are some nice campgrounds with modern and clean facilities. And the midnight sun is indeed an experience we will never forget. It’s so magical but it also messed with our circadian rhythms, we just didn’t feel the urge to go to sleep partly because of our body but also because we didn’t want to miss the beautiful colours. So we were in a constant jet lag going to sleep at 4am and waking just before noon.
You met up with Northfolk Overlanding in Norway. How did that connection happen?
This was amazing! Learning about Norwegian Culture, eating local food, BBQ, are the best memories. It’s the amazing overland community, we got in touch via Instagram long before our Norway trip and our paths happened to cross at the right moment. They were adventuring in the same area and we decided to meet up!
Lewie might just be the luckiest dog in the world. How did he enjoy this most recent part of your journey?
When we say “hike!?” he gets extremely excited. Even if he sees us packing the bags, his food and water, he gets crazy. And if it is a hike with a lot of jumping, water crossings and especially long distances, he is at his happiest.
We saw you learned how to cook over fire, South African braai-style. How did it compare to what you’re used to?
We’re used to nothing because we’re really bad cooks. Orla is vegetarian, but I love meat and eating a good steak is heaven. I think we have to come over to SA and finally learn how to prepare some proper meat!
After this leg of the trip, what’s one thing that surprised you most about Scandinavia?
We had very high expectations of Scandinavia from all the stories we’ve heard. We had never been there before this trip, but we were very surprised and our expectations were exceeded. The mountains, fjords, midnight sun, cinnamon buns, hospitality were all better than we’d ever imagined they would be! On the other hand the amount of people also exceeded our expectations. We knew that it’s a popular destination, but still we where a bit overwhelmed sometimes with the amount of tourists on the road. Also, it’s still very cold and rainy even in summer haha!