The Pea Project – Part 3: Improvised, Not Perfect

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                     The paint wasn’t even properly dry and we carried straight on. Interior build. For now we skipped insulation completely. Same with a roof vent and side windows — mainly because of time, not because we suddenly decided we don’t need them. Quite the opposite. But for the first trip they weren’t life-or-death items. At that moment, two things were non-negotiable: a bed and a kitchen. Let’s start with the bed. Somewhere, there was a slatted bed base lying around. Naturally not one that fit the van. But it was far too big for its new job — which made it the perfect starting point. Four hours of sawing, drilling and swearing later, everything fit that previously… didn’t. What was still missing was the mattress. And that turned out to be less trivial than expected. Because the bed isn’t a standard size, we had to improvise. A custom mattress will come later — once we’ve given the whole “bed concept” the green li...
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Arctic Adventure – Part 1: When You Gamble with Your Life

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Nordkapp Arctic Adventure
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Arctic Adventure — A Winter Drive to Nordkapp!

The Plan

Having a plan in life isn’t difficult.
Actually doing it, though… that’s a different sport entirely.

Having a stupid idea is even easier.
But pulling it off?
Definitely not easy.

So — is the idea of driving to Nordkapp in winter really that stupid?
The idea itself, maybe not.
But doing it in a classic car?
That’s a different league. A completely different postcode.

For some people it’s simply daft. For others it’s brave, or “special”.
And the timing I chose was special too:
New Year’s Eve at Nordkapp.

To be honest, this idea had been living in my head for years.
Only the part where you actually do it never quite happened.

Until 2016 — when it almost did.
Everything was prepared and planned to perfection…
except for the engine failure two weeks before departure.

So once again it was:
“Next year, then!”

And next year, it actually happened.

I did it.
We did it.

We spent New Year’s Eve at Nordkapp.
2017 into 2018.

The Preparations

Originally, the plan was to “conquer” Nordkapp once again in the FSO Polonez.
A car from Poland’s communist past.
The very same car I’ve already used to travel through almost 30 countries in Europe.

If I’d gone alone, I would have done exactly that.
The Polonez would have been on the road again.

But things changed.

Changed in the sense that my partner suddenly wanted to come along.
Honestly, I never expected a woman to volunteer for something like this.

Four weeks before the start of this icy adventure, she simply said:
“I’m coming.”

A pretty clear statement, I’d say.

At first, I had my doubts.
Why would she want to join me for thousands of kilometres through ice and snow, in darkness and cold?
Is this some kind of bravery test?
Or — even worse — pre-booked relationship therapy?

She had my respect immediately — and my full attention on top. 😊
Maybe that was the real reason.

All well and good… but can this possibly go well?

Then I saw her first

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