Sunday 21 August 2016

Norway

Notodden picnic spot, Wednesday 31st August.


We have a house meeting over breakfast.   We know there are waIks to do in this area so we could hang around and play however our store cupboards are running dry.  We are fine for alcohol but its food we are running out of and we know that our money will go much further in Sweden.  We discuss Oslo, there are a couple of galleys we would love to go too but we have learnt that city aren't as much fun on a budget.  We know Oslo will be very expensive and there are other cities we do want to visit.


The conclusion of our meeting is that sadly we are going to leave Norway and head for Sweden.     

But we have a long way to go to get there.



The area we are in was isolated from many Norweigans for a long time so a lot of the culture of Norway, folk songs, storys, housebuilding survives here.  Whilst the rest of Norway was scared of coming into this region it was the only area that didn't burn women alledged to be witches. So we like it.

even the houses are gnarly around here

Hamish drives for hour after hour through a typical alpine type environment: huge pine trees, ski lodges with baby lodges attached (which we assume to be saunas), huge log stores, the occasional village selling reindeer hide and reindeer meat, long  dark forested areas in between.





One of the villages has a motor home services, not signposted at all, but Alastair had read info on a tourist board at our overnight stop. We top up with water.


Around lunchtime we arrive at what seems to be a bit of a shopping centre with tourist information.   We check out the Spar.  It is possibly the best stocked shop we have seen in Norway selling: H.P. sauce, earl grey tea and, for us, houmus. Hurrah!  They also sell beetroot (not in a jar); the first time we have seen any but at £5 for a small packet we decide we can live without it for now.   Alastair discovers Punk IPA and Lindt sea salt chocolate.   We leave with bananas, houmous and cows milk.  Three items for £10.  

In tourist information Alastair collects leaflets about the walking round here for 'when we come back'.  He loves this area more than the fjords.



It's just so empty of people in the Summer.  In winter it is a popular ski destination.  Lisa is just thrilled we are talking about coming back one day.  Let's hope we are lucky enough.    There is good wifi here.   So we charge the laptop and get a couple of jobs done that are outstanding.  Alastair is still amazed we haven't had 4G since leaving the UK.  BT all is forgiven!


Back on the road for more hours of driving through the same alpine environment.   The houses here have a wooden building in their gardens that are bigger upstairs and some of the houses are built in the same style.  Snow probably covers the first floor in Winter.

roadworks require serious roadworks
even the big trucks shed their tracks

About 4pm Hamish has had enough for the day and arrives in Notodden, on the Telemark Canal.   There are: people, cars, houses and lots of them.  It's a bit overwhelming after hours of trees.

H overlooking Nottoden

There is an aire but it's 150 nok and we resent spending it.  We have everything we need and about 500nok left which we plan to spend on petrol before we leave .  So H sets off to find an alternative.

the view

There is a road, off the main road, that hugs the lake.  At the head of it there is a picnic spot with views across the town and the lake.   We decide to stay here for the night.  The road is a bit busier than we had hoped but its free.

last night's view back over Nottoden

After falling asleep Lisa does what Alastair calls her 'superwoman' impression.  Puts her arms directly up in front of her and starts to sit up. Alastair stops her.  Obviously she remembers none of this. 


Mountainside layby by the Hardangervidda National Park, Tuesday 30th August


Our beautiful view has gone.   We can see an eider duck wandering around in the fjord by Hamish but nothing else.  It's raining heavily and we are in a cloud.   It's just Hamish, the motor homes next to us and the four that have crammed in by the pier as the spaces had gone.  So we head back up to the Sandfossen falls for breakfast where H can be on his own with the rain and the river. When it rains here it is extremely wet and you can see just about 20 metres.  l suppose it is where all these lochs and fjords come from.

Alastair downloads an audio tourist guide that also shows photos on his phone, he was very pleased with himself 'look we didn't even have to come here.'



After breakfast we do jobs first.  So we find a recycling point as our recycling is overflowing.  Then a service point to fill up on water etc.  Finally we can set off.




these photos give you a smidgin of an idea of the conditions

 Initially H returns along the road we travelled yesterday.

can hardly see the waterfalls for the rain and mist

The advantage of being in a cloud is that Alastair can't see the drop.  The disadvantage is that he can't see the road.  One of the highlights of this route was a beautiful bridge.  Well we went across it but we couldn't see it.   It's the first time that we have been able to see more in the tunnels than on the roads.




The other highlight of this route are the spectacular waterfalls, which are spectacular, being fed by copious quantities of RAIN.

rusty iron chic

We stop to take photos of a particularly spectacular waterfall with designer viewing platform in rusty iron.  We get as wet as if we'd walked under it.

Thirsty- someone has a sense of humour.

like standing under a waterfall

like standing next to a waterfall

the view

another waterfall

a river
more river

a different river

road and river

a different waterfall


road twists by a river


As we drive away a guy was Nordic skiing along the road.   Nordic walking is big across the last few countries we have visited.   It involves walking with two walking poles and has dedicated pathways.  This guy had the poles and skis on wheels. Could have made do with water skis!

We arrive at Saulda which had been our proposed overnight spot as it had a beautiful view of the fjord.   We have lunch hoping that the weather will clear up but we still can't see the fjord.  It is grey and miserable and we cannot see the point of hanging around.   This is such a shame as it is our last fjord stop. 





Saulda- miserable today



Never mind we have the next, and last, section of the tourist route to go.   Alastair had read this was the valley route; well we may have had a view of the valley but very quickly the road became one of those single track roads that hugs the edge of the cliff and don't forget visibility remains very poor and its raining.   Oh joy!    

terrifying road ahead 

The road becomes another terrifying, looping, white knuckle ride.

house with hairy roof
H seldom gets out of third gear (often in second) as he climbs higher and higher with cliffs on one side and drops obscured by the mist on the other.









The road ahead is often obscured by clouds.





H holds his breath round every bend, hoping that nothing arrives from the opposite direction.











There is only room for one.









H must have a guardian angel because the only times vehicles are oncoming are on the rare occasions we could just about pass each other.








At one point, completely randomly, there are three speed bumps!   We laughed hysterically.





what vertiginous drop?

Then out of the gloom appears a temporary bridge, with sides of blue canvas, crossing a gorge.   H isn't sure it is wide enough.   But he is two thirds of the way along the route and going back is not an option. The bridge vanishes into the mist.

see- we weren't exagerating



He cannot even see if it arrives at the other side!  Hamish breathes in.  We stop breathing too.   He goes for it in first gear and makes it safely across.  Hamish our Hero!!  

The fog begins to lift as H get. to the other side of the mountains.



hurrah- great visibility (in comparison)



We feel brave enough to start filming the drive now, as sheep appear in the road and refuse to budge.  We have to drive around one!  The road gets a wee bit wider. 

Eventually H reaches a main road; the E134 to Oslo.    A quick stop to see the famous church at Rodal and back on the road to find an overnight spot.

local style of stacked church- traditional and very woody


There are some roadworks through a long (2km?) tunnel.  H follows the escort car and we blink as we emerge into snow kissed mountains overlooking a Iochan and a Iayby.   H pulls in.  He has had enough for one day.


A huge bird flies across the lake as we get out of H.   Judging by the white on its tail we suspect its a rough legged buzzard, common to these parts but a first for us, we decided to stay.

our view for the night

As H. cooled we felt the temperature begin to drop and we dug out socks and fleeces, we think we are above 3000ft.    Exhausted by the days exertions Alastair starts to read the Independent.   There is an article on Norway.   In the area we are now in over 300 deer died last Friday in a lightning strike, horrifying.  

yes that is snow
teepee life at the snow line in august
An information point informs us that round here are deer, elk, wolves and bears!   We are in true wilderness and we suspect those road signs we have been seeing since we arrived are warnings of 'elk' not moose.  Sorry we have never seen neither. 

Although we are on a busy road it quickly quietens down and we are left on our own with the wilderness and Hamish the Hero for protection.

ere be dragons

Sands, by Sandsfjord, Monday 29th August


We awake to beautiful views at Ardalsfjord.





and drove to the marina at Hjelmsandvagen for breakfast.   Then as Hamish spots ferry coming he races round to the port for a quick ferry crossing heading towards Sand (103 NOK).

on the ferry!
view up a fjord from the ferry
destination- tiny village

The road is, as usual, one of those wibbly, wobbly ones (nothing like the Southern road) but Alastair had to concentrate.

wibbly
wobbly
wibbly
wobbly
wibbly- or was it wobbly?
definitely wobbly

We arrive in Sand and park up with a couple of other motorhomes overlooking the fjord.  We get the end spot so apart from behind us our view is of water and fjord; just beautiful.

Sand

Slightly disconcerting when you can only see sea from the windows and you begin to sway.   Just need an eagle to appear.   We decide straightaway this will be our home tonight.

local bathing spot- lots are provided, but no one is ever swimming. 

 Fishing is big here.  It is probably because it seems so easy.  No need for bait.  Just a spinner and within 30 minutes three or four fish.  At breakfast we met some Germans who had caught fish for tea.  When we arrive our neighbours are catching and killing fish.  They leave with their haul to be replaced by more people fishing.

see H in the background

Our freezer meals have been great but needing a bit of variety we go to the co-op.  A slightly bigger vegetable selection here but pricy (£2:50 for a few spring onions) and apart from soya milk definitely no vegan stuff like houmous; just like France then!   So we give that a miss.  Our lunchtime salad is reduced to salad, cucumber and tomatoes.   The fridge can remain depleted.  We just get a few essentials. .. £10.


After lunch we walk about a mile through the village to one of the main attractions in the area.  The Hose bra Bridge is a pedestrian bridge built over the Sandfossen falls.   The river is huge and a major salmon route (good luck to them surviving round here).  In the early 1900s the English came and introduced sport salmon fishing to Norway, apparently 20 kilo salmon were common, nearly as long as a man!  A few of them including a Lord or two are buried round here.  I guess the salmon fought back.

it's a Bridge!
so it is- from the other direction
rusted iron chic will always get you an award around here

The pedestrian bridge was built for walkers and is built of iron and steel and it won a prize for best bridge in 2014.  It looks prettier in the photos as it's lit in the Winter.   Impressively as you walk through it becomes grated so you have a weird experience seeing the river roaring beneath.  Alastair got jelly legs.

jelly legs!




We go back to Hamish to enjoy our beautiful view and enjoy the luxury of an afternoon kip as we both feel a bit jaded, this may end up belng our most beautiful spot.   We have some wifi here and miraculously Alastair is able to add the Denmark photos to the blog.

As the evening wears on the clouds disappear and we have beautiful blue skys and gorgeous views of the fjord.  We spend the evening listening to our audio book and manage to stay awake till 9:15pm, a late night for us these days.

H has an excellent view
so does Lisa
Just as we fall asleep the rain starts falling.

Apparently at some point Lisa sits up, opens the blind on H's skylight and looks around but no banging on the ceiling or shouting.   Around 5am she shares her nightmare with Alastair about us having to dive into a mini and drive cos the devil was on the roof.  We do worry about her.

We both fall asleep again and have our best nights sleep in a while, Lisa sleeps till 8:30am.



Ardalfjord. Sunday 28th August



We do some stupid things sometimes, although to be fair to us it's because we can't plan days ahead or even a day ahead. So today's plan is to climb pulpit rock (Preikestollen): a major tourist attraction for this area, which has featured in the Vikings TV series. It rises as a sheer rock tower 604m above the Lysefjorden offering ridiculously spectacular views of a norwegian fjord and all the way across to Stavanger. Four hours there and back. We are choosing to do it on a Sunday in August. For 2 people who try to avoid other people it's madness.

We are up, sandwiches made, arrive at the car park at the start of the track and set off on the walk by 9: 45am. The car park is already busy and initially we are passed by hoardes of people heading down with their tents, it is must have been like Glastonbury up there last night.

see the carpark in the background

Then we are overtaken, by the Japanese coachload, the Australian coachload, the ltalian, the Spanish and the American, are we the unfittest people on this waIk? We speculate that this might be a trip that people on the Cruise Liner in Stavanger harbour can choose.

may look empty
look again

views back towards Stavanger

Not sure what the rush is but people can't wait. At one point the path turns left but we stand on the right looking over a cliff to a pretty lochan. Five people push past us stopping abruptly when they realised it wasn't the path. Then when they spotted the view two of them just stood directly infront of us to take photos; how rude.



see the path below, which we were on 20mins ago.


Danger- of getting pushed off by the hasty.
getting there

We make the top in less than 2 hours so we can't be that slow. To reach the plateau there is a walk around a huge rock that is just too close to the edge for Alastair (scared of heights).

the route to the top- don't stray from the path!

 Jelly legs make an appearance and Lisa helps him to reach the safety of the plateau. As far back from the edge as he can manage.

Lysefjord.




Yep- it is a long way down.
There are more people and selfy sticks on the top than we have seen in a while. Then someone gets his drone out, presumably to film the views. People are racing to get nearest to the edge for the best photo which is making Alastair very worried.

lots of people
and more keep arriving
some more
 We didn't see it but five people base jumped from the top. Probably because they wanted to be first down.

Safely away from the edge.

The views are incredible. It's a cloudy day so there is a bit of a haze over the mountains but we have a great view of Lysefjord.

We eat our sandwiches and set off. There are hundreds of people still coming up and in most places we can all pass each other but there are sections when a little patience is required. At one point you have to traverse a ledge across a cliff about 8 feet high. Alastair was in front, Lisa following, two people were at the top waiting to come down but then a woman came around them, couldn't wait and started to come down the ledge. Exasperated Lisa put her arm out, physically stopping the woman, she had to wait.



 Alastair decided it was time to get off the mountain before we have a path rage incident.



We know we sound very English but some people were just lovely and they weren't English, they were just nice.







more on their way up


such stuff are nightmares

We made it safely back down without further incidents and had a look at the hotel that has views over the lake.



It cost 150 K to leave the car park and we stopped at a layby to get a much needed shower before heading off to find our overnight stop.

We stopped at Arda, heading just off the main road to find an amazing spot overlooking Ardalfjord, a beautiful, quiet spot.






Stavanger to Tau, Saturday 27th August.


Blue sky, hooray we can get some washing in. We treat ourselves to veggie sausage, mushroom and baked beans for breakfast, well we'd. saved all of our food for Norway, we' Il be a stone heavier by the time we leave!

H awaits ferry
After a relaxing start we get a bit of a scurry on to try to get the 9:45 ferry out of Stavanger to be on our way before the marathon starts. We nip to the co-op for basics, cows and soya milk, orange juice, bread and a bit of salad, £17!

Bye bye Stavanger.

We are in the ferry queue, paying on the boat (257 NOK) and in our overnight stop in Tau within an hour. Most people on the ferry were dressed in lycra clearly we hadn't got the Memo.

love their stone tables.
beautiful views back towards stavanger.

And whats the first thing you do when you are in a Marina with beautiful views of sea and fjords? Clean! Wild camping is great but you can only be parked up, no getting chairs out, hanging out washing etc. It's 150 NOK to stop here but with all the services and a legitimate space we can get sorted. Hamish is given a bit of a clean inside, clothes are washed and Alastair takes apart the fridge which has been leaking water.

Tau

At some point 2 Norweigan motor homes arrived and H. volunteered to let them sit together. As we were sitting down with an apertif one of the Norweigans turned up with a bottle of brandy and 2 plastic glasses to say thank you.





Stavanger, Friday 26th August.


We woke to another grey day but our third free night, highly ironically, Norway has proved to be our cheapest country so far.

After breakfast we head towards Stavanger via a Statoil which has services for H. The water does work at this one so we quickly get showers before filling up with water. At the service point a lorry has helpfully parked opposite while he read his paper which meant that when we pulled the route was completely blocked. A queue inevitably built up but with our water pipes out there wasn't much we could do and thankfully people waited patiently while we filled up.

As we drove towards the city the rain started and while we parked to try to find our overnight stop Hamish rocked in the wind and it bucketed it down. The street was wrong on our overnight stops app (it is proving to be slightly unreliable) so Alastair donned his waterproofs and braved the weather to find our spot.

the petroleum museum

We pulled into our car park 75k for 24 hours and we decided to get lunch first. In this weather we are craving comfort food. We have a toaster for H. but we need a hookup So we rarely bring it these days as Alastair needs the cupboard space for his clothes as he only has 2, Lisa claiming the rest. We don't have an oven so chip butty's are out as are beans on toast. Lisa resorts to a crisp sandwich which hits the spot.

Stavanger- bridges, water, ferries- lots of ferries.

By the time we have finished lunch the rain has stopped so we wrap up and venture out to find tourist infomation. The Stavanger marathon is on tomorrow so there are lots of lycra clad people milling about.

Old town


 Its a grey day but we stick it out to see the old town, beautiful clapboard houses from the 1800s.

Traditional wharfside houses with pointy bit to winch up goods.

 There are some pretty boats in harbour.







Pretty boats.

 So Alastair is in his element, there is also a block of flats that turns a to be a cruise ship. We sit on the first floor of the stylishly built concert hall and watch the comings and goings.

Ferry to the Lysefjord- specially for Lisa.
More ferries.
We also walked around the beautiful Koncerthouse, which was weirdly tourist free.











the very gothic cathedral

cathedral entrance

The most amazing thing about Stavanger is its street art, 60 ft paintings, a huge teddy bear with a pot of paint writing TOY, or a boy pulling down paper revealing paintings of animals.




English adds style here.





Not quite Banksy but amazing.




Our initial plan was to stay here another night because its cheap and to get some rest but back at H. Alastair starts going through the leaflets we had picked up. Coming to Norway was very much Lisas request and we came on the agreement that we wouldn't head North, Lisa agreed. Looking through the leaflets got Alastair excited as 'the tourist route' has clearly marked walks with beautiful views, much more our sort of thing. So we are heading a bit further North, hooray!

The city is no longer appealing so tomorrow we head to Tau to chill before heading on.

Back at H. the rain chucks it down again as we eat our felafels and listen to a story drinking our wine box. Lisa was very proud that we had made it last 3 nights until Alastair reminded her it was a 3 litre box.


Sirevag Harbour. 25th August

It is grey and foggy.

We wake to a grey foggy morning and head out of our dragons lair and through the road tunnel.

Roads around here!
Entrance to the tunnel.

 Within about 10 minutes the scenery changes, initially getting closer to the sea then becoming flatter and more agricultural and driving became easy again. Whew!

We stop at a picnic spot for breakfast overlooking the sea but unlike the roads the weather has deteriorated. The fog has closed in and it has become muggy and midgy. Lisa has a genuine allergic reaction to insect bites and a general dislike of all things small, flying and without feathers. Lisa nips to the loo and, mid wee, notices a menagerie of flying insects on the walls. She wees faster and reaches for the loo roll. As it unrolls she is surprised by a gigantic moth! Insect Overload! She is out of there before even pulling her trousers up. Not even time for a drip dry! H is out of there burning tyres.

Along this stretch of coast are various tourist highlights, indicated by brown signs. H pulls in at the next one seeking some tourist entertainment in this gloomy weather. It is not quite raining. H parks and we set off through the trees.

Rock formations stick up all over the place.

Unusually there are no translations but we found ourselves in a WWII gun placement complete with a number of underground tunnels and lookouts. 

This one hides gun emplacements.

Built by the Germans in WWII they have lasted well. Alastair relives his childhood fascination with guns and planes. Thankfully it start to rain properly so we head back.



With the weather continuing to deteriorate we decide that today is a bit of a write off. There really is no point sight seeing if you can't see anything.




Looking for somewhere for lunch we happen upon a small fishing village, called Sirevag. H parks overlooking the quiet harbour. We relieve a boring afternoon doing various jobs.

Finally we receive an email from Denmark about our fine. It says there had been a sign several km's back on the big main road (E 18) saying 'no overnight parking' in this area. So they had assessed our appeal and rejected it. It was worth a try and in a funny way their response vindicates us: there was no sign, it was miles back and it was our fault for not seeing it. Three years of wild camping and our first fine, outrageous. It is reassuring to know that local authority parking services are equally outrageous everywhere. (expletives deleted)

Sirvaig Harbour

Eventually we head off to find an overnight stop. After 20 minutes of checking out various places we decide we cannot do better and return to Sirevag harbour.

Sirvaig- see Hamish in the distance.

It's new budget day tomorrow. We overspent this week by £35 which is bloody amazing as we had a £60 fine. Very proud of us!

Lighthouse near Sirvaig.

A lovely quiet night watching people go back and forth in their little boats.


Helleren on the Jossingfjord. Wednesday 24th August.


oil rig by a road?
We wake up in a cloud, misty, drizzly weather and like the lorries we leave the layby to find somewhere for breakfast.











Water and statues.

10km further on we find a little picnic spot with toilets, which would have been a great howff for last night but you never know what is or isn't around the corner (which we don't).

By a wee aire.

as if!

 We need to get water today. We use the last of our water on showers which also helps with the evil smell emitting from the grey water tank (and our bodies). Then back on the road.

Great houses around here.
with Houses for their boats too- enough for one per household.
Moody Fjords.
wooden houses extended by adding random bits.

Within a few minutes Alastair curses again as the road returns to narrow and windy despite us having agreed to pay for tolls in the hope that money pays for less stress. It doesn't. After two full on days we are determined that today will be less full on.

H drives into a little town with an aire where we filled up on the required water. Then we try the supermarket just to see what is available. Supermarkets are great places to learn about another culture. It isn't as expensive as we had feared; UK-ish prices rather than German. A loaf costs just over £2 which is the only thing we buy. They even have vegan marg. We suspect the far North is much more pricey. Onward!





The road bends around beautiful lakes fringed with silver birch on one side and high cliffs the other and passes waterfalls that cascade beside and under us. Beautiful.

We find a picnic spot to stop and have a coffee. Onward!

Roads just disappear.

We drive vertically up on perilous roads; steeply down to a tiny village at the end of a fjord; back up and down again; around what appears to be a figure of eight on satnav; infinitely onward.

Around 1pm the road descends down to Helleren where we stop. Enough is enough!



Hamish stops on a large area of waste ground surrounded on 3 sides by towering, hulking great, forbidding, grey cliffs. He is at the bottom of Jossingfjord, or as spellchecker insists on calling it, 'Tossing' fjord.

Blue house, red house.

Helleren is the name of an overhanging lump of rock that gives sheller and underneath it are two wooden houses from 1800 with evidence of dwellings from much further back.

Inside

the back yard

The red house is closed for renovation. Both have been kept as close as possible to original. The hairs rise on the back of Lisa's neck as we step inside the beautifully rustic blue house. Alastair climbs up the ladder to the upstairs with doors to the bedroom.

Fresh water from the rocks.
Drying the washing underneath the overhang.

H likes our little spot. He parks away from the main parking area with trees between him and the wee houses.



Wooden signposts indicate walks from Helleran so we set off. We quickly discover that a Norweigan path isn't exactly a walk in the park. You take your life in your hands.

Overhang keeps you dry.
The first section is easy; a short pull out the car park onto the road at the point of a hairpin bend? This can't possibly be right. Lisa wants to return. As if these roads aren't bad enough seeing two people trekking along them taking up precious inches of road could be enough to make you drive off the edge. Alastair has gone stir crazy, which often results in over enthusiam and a wreckless approach to possible dangers. So we wait till we can hear nothing coming and dash round the hairpin bend and up the road to the next hairpin as quickly as we can. Here our path forks off up the mountain.

We scramble upwards over smooth but grippy 'anorthracite' rocks (ex magma apparently) and are rewarded with a spectacular view of the fjord, golden eagle included! Below us is a newly built viewing platform which is probably what the signpost had directed us to, although it looks like no one has taken that path in a very long time (not surprised). They don't do access for all around here.

View from the viewpoint.

We clamber back down onto the road. On our right the road disappears into a tunnel. To the left of the road a cycle track has been cut out of the rock. This was the very first mention of a cycle path that we had seen. Who would be mad enough to cycle this? Alastair wants to look. Lisa agrees (under duress).

Again we listen until we could hear nothing from the rock tunnel and hurry up the narrow road onto the cycle track. It is impressive, a rock monument with viewing points cut through the rock wall. Alastair couldn't go near the edge, below us a vertical drop.

Lisa enters the tunnel.

 Cleats had been drilled into both sides of the tunnel, there was a photo of people sleeping in hammocks hung from the cleats and a steel box with a combination lock containing hammocks! Who on earth would want to spend a night hung like a bat in a drafty tunnel?  Obviously a norwegian thing.

A Norwegian Thing.

 There is also a massive circular rock table with giant wooden benches next to one of the viewing points. Dinner with the Flintstones? Or possibly the local rock troll dining table?

Troll Table!

An information board tells the history of the construction of the road we are travelling on. It is nicknamed Norway's "wildest' road. No shit Sherlock! Lisa reassures Alastair that this means it can only get better further on.

Lisa admires the view.

We leapfrogged our way back in between traffic to the path down to H. and walk to the shore of the fjord. A family had popped down for their tea. Twenty minutes and several fish later they are off.

The eagle was still around. In June the Norweigan government voted to cull, by shooting, 200 golden eagles in Central and Northen Norway. This is because they take a few lambs, which the farmer is compensated for and some reindeer young. It seems a ridiculous overreaction and there are online petitions to protest.

We have a lovely quiet night in Hamish in our 'ere be dragons' environment.

Quiet night in Hellerun.


Near Lyngdal in a layby by a lake. Tuesday 23rd August.



 Kristiansund waterfront after the chain incident.

After breakfast we get the bikes off to go into town. Lisa's chain had come off, so there was some damage from Hamish's arguement with the speed bump after all. Alastair dons a latex glove (for the bike) and we are soon sorted.

Kristiansund Fortress
Fortress from the outside.
First job is to get some Norweigan cash. Again 'our bumble' has been incredibly helpful and we want to avoid paying by credit card . We find a bank draw some money and then get some change.

The city is right on the harbourside.

Second task is to see the cathedral. 90% of the worlds cranes may be in Dubai but the other 10% must be here. The whole city seems to be undergoing a renovation and the cathedral is blocked off by fences. The city is pretty, a mixture of wooden buildings, one held up by akros, classy boutique shops, an 'english pub' and coffee bar / bistros.

Cool fountains.



and they like sand sculptures.
and the more usual sort.


Back at Hamish we decide to fill up with LPG before we leave the city. We have one full bottle but we suspect it will be easier than trying to get it in the country. As we set off we see a bridge snaking across a huge cavern, Alastair hopes he doesn't to cross that. Our plan is to find an overnight spot by lunchtime as yesterday was a full on day.

We arrive at the garage that our app says sells LPG. They no longer do (obviously) but give us an address of a man who can at Stemmane 9, we set off.

Of course the route takes us across the bridge that Alastair didn't want to cross, then we were going through a tunnel ( claustrophobically long), then we had to execute this weird move crossing a motorway exit route and onto a roundabout, we just about made it as a car sped past us, all very (too) exciting.

We approach an industrial estate and pull up at number 9. Nothing. Lisa look around the back of a building and there is an LPG machine! Hoorah. It is one of those put your card in: "we'll take loads of money and then we' ll give you some back" types. Ah we know better than to do that! A man appears and tells Lisa we can pay in cash, and he does it all for us. Fantastic!

We decide to avoid the toll roads to our next destination. Our route initially took us past beautiful lakes and clapboard houses painted white or red. Then we saw a sign for Kristiansand where we had just come from so we had probably added 50 miles to our route going around the back of the city to avoid the main roads. In future we will pay the tolls but it did give us an amazing introduction to the country.

The road then became a dual carriageway, briefly as one lane is saved for taxis and buses, although there never are any in the lane. Zebra crossings are also speed bumps. Be warned! Alastair wonders what the point of that is, aren't you supposed to slow down before you hit the person on the zebra crossing? There are road signs warning that moose may be crossing. Hope they keep to the speed bump zebra (moose?) crossings.

very beautiful lochan

We stop for lunch and decide to head for a service point and find somewhere to stay for the night. The service point no longer has water but we empty the loo just in case. The weather has been scorching all day and there is a huge piece of waste ground near the petrol station overlooking the sea but camping is forbidden. So we press on.

view down a fjord

Now it gets interesting. The roads are hewn out of the rock and wind and climb with numerous switchback turns and narrow one car roads. As we go through tunnels, blasted from the rock, Alastair gets claustrophobic and he is also scared of heights. So he sweats on the windy roads, sweats in the tunnels and closes his eyes under the overhanging cliffs.

The road descends to a little village and a parking place is indicated but we work out that it's parking for the college and there are a lot of young people about. Rather than a ticket we would need to display our C.R.B's on the window. So we move on. The next spot is just for boat trailers. We get back on the windy road, moving on.



Due to the geology that the road cuts through there is no space for parking spots. We are getting tired and desperate. Lisa offers to drive but that is met with: 'You must be joking!'

Finally just before 5pm we get onto a main road and at the first layby we pull in. It's on a main road but we just need to stop. We have beautiful views of a lake, cliffs and a waterfall in the distance. Pretty Good. Four lorries join Hamish during the night. It's an early bed.


Albaek, Denmark to Kristiansand, Norway Monday 22nd August.


After a quiet night and an early bed we are woken at 6am by heavy rain. Alastair checks if there are any deer in our forest clearing as we have seen a lot of them dotted around, sadly we don't have a visit.

By the time we open H's blinds at 6:45am we have blue sky, we are off to Norway today!

We know from reading 'Our Bumble' that tolls on Norweigan roads can be confusing and invoices are sent home, great if we are there to pay them. So Alastair becomes engrossed in trying to sign up so we can check on line for tolls incurred. Meanwhile Lisa waits patiently for her breakfast.

According to Norway our postcode in the UK doesn't exist however Alastair does manage to register H. so he can check on-line for any tolls we incur. Then Alastair works out the nearest L.P.G. garage when we arrive, so only 7:30am and all of our jobs for the day are done!

We head to Aalbaek for breakfast and park up by the marina. A tiny fishing harbour with no tourists in sight.

Aalbaek Marina

We have most of a day to kill so decide to try again to visit the Rabjerg Mile. It was a good drive from the campsite so we would never have walked it in the time we had. It's an impressive sight, a huge sandbank 1km long that is over the years drifting from one coast to another. We walked through the sand and climbed the highest point from where we could see both coasts.







 Back at H we had lunch as it chucked it down, we were so lucky to miss that, we tried unsuccessfully to get a kip, it will be a long day.

Around 2pm we head towards the ferry planning to get petrol en route. The petrol pump is automated you have to pay by card and for that privilege it adds nearly 2% onto your bill, we carry on. The port is too expensive for diesel so we try for the next, that adds 2.5%, we carry on. Finally we relent and fill up with a 1.4% addition to the petrol price, which is 81.7 DK (about 95p per litre, so still cheaper than UK.)

Next job is to use the motor home services that we spotted on Saturday near tourist information. The area is accessed by a road that goes around the shops in the centre and at various points the road bends in so you can get inside the circle. We drove round about 3 times trying to get in, laughing as we passed the place we were aiming for again, finally we were in and able to do the usual, empty grey water and loo and fill up the water tank.

We parked up and made salad sandwiches (bread is usually excellent here) for the ferry, how good are we!

We are very excited now but tired. Very soon we can crash that crate of beer in the boot that we bought in Germany and eat all the food in the freezer! It feels like getting to Norway has been our goal, after this maybe we can slow down.

Our Cat awaits.

In the ferry queue, we are the only non German vehicle.

Leaving Helmskirk.

It's more of a cat than a ferry with 3 stories of parking for cars where they drive around up ramps like a multi story car park on land. (little things).



 We watch the coast of Denmark disappear and then go inside until we can see the Norweigan coast. The cat travels ridiculously fast dragging diesel fumes into the viewing deck, making it too unpleasant to stay outside.



Less than 2.5 hours later we arrive in Kristiansand. We brazenly drive through 'nothing to declare', Alastair is convinced if we get stopped they will never believe the alcohol is for personal use.

Approaching Kristiansund



As its now 8.30pm we head for a carpark within 3 km of the port. As we drove across a little bridge covered in flowers, up a steep narrow hillside obviously not suitable for m/h's it was one of those ' hold your breath and trust sat nav moments ". Then we saw the car park with a couple of motor homes in, as we drove towards it relieved to have arrived there was a speed bump, heavily disguised as the road, Hamish hit it with an almighty clatter, fingers crossed everything seems to have survived the bang ok.

We parked up. Then 3 other m/h's that had come off the ferry before us arrived after us, so we are obviously doing something right!

It costs 110k for the night, thankfully we can pay by card as we have no Norweigan cash yet.





Wired from the day we needed to walk and explore. Just below us down the hill was a little marina and a maritime museum. Back over the bridge we walked past some very swanky restaurants (the famous Fishmarket area?) and then decided to waIk back towards our little bridge and turn left along the harbour. Past a huge fountain chucking out huge amounts of water is the 17th century fort, a circular stone building and it was rocking. It can be hired out and there was a live band, fair play for a Monday night.

Worn out are walked back to H. for a beer and glass of wine before crashing.