PPR-12 06.04
Start: 07:00 Finish: 16:00
Total km., for day: 129
Woke at six and then hid under the cover until seven, was feeling lazy and it was cold and snowing. Not long after it started raining and by the time I hit the road it was bright and sunny?
Extended breakfast as had Brigitte on the phone with problems with software and her laptop. Couldn't help so wasn't todays flavour.
After that cleaned all camera gear and the van. Well the bits of the van I could get at, I’m too lazy and it’s too wet form to unpack the van. Only me to notice anyway.
Lovely long hot shower, filled up all canisters and bottles with drinking water and off we went.
Original plan was to look at the town quarter in which apparently the oldest preserved wooden buildings in Norway are to be found. Set of in their direction at 11:00, almost time to go back to bed, then off towards the coast again.
The buildings unfortunately did not excite and certainly not worth the effort of photographing them.
So as an alternative, I filled up with diesel again, don't like to let the tank get too much below half, and naturally had the obligatory cocoa.
Bumbled along at a sedentary rate, much to the annoyance of the working population. Bugger them methinks, their turn will come. Stopped just off the big cable suspension bridge over the inlet to the Botn and Leir fjords, quite impressive. There is a viewing point on the exit ramp on the Sandnessjøen side, camped here on our first trip.
Easy lunch, salmon, I really do have to suffer on this trip I’m sure you'll agree.😏
After that had a quick look at the town and a slow drive down to the ferry at Tjøtta, also sneaked out to Svinnes on the point in the hope of a good wild spot to overnight. No luck so backtracked to this spot going back the way I came on the edge of the fjord. Called it a day at 16:00, been walking on the edge of the fjord and enjoying both the air and the views. Fjords and snow capped mountains. Suffer suffer. Camped at N65°51’29” E12°25’55”.
Start: 07:00 Finish: 16:00
Total km., for day: 129
Woke at six and then hid under the cover until seven, was feeling lazy and it was cold and snowing. Not long after it started raining and by the time I hit the road it was bright and sunny?
Extended breakfast as had Brigitte on the phone with problems with software and her laptop. Couldn't help so wasn't todays flavour.
After that cleaned all camera gear and the van. Well the bits of the van I could get at, I’m too lazy and it’s too wet form to unpack the van. Only me to notice anyway.
Lovely long hot shower, filled up all canisters and bottles with drinking water and off we went.
Original plan was to look at the town quarter in which apparently the oldest preserved wooden buildings in Norway are to be found. Set of in their direction at 11:00, almost time to go back to bed, then off towards the coast again.
The buildings unfortunately did not excite and certainly not worth the effort of photographing them.
So as an alternative, I filled up with diesel again, don't like to let the tank get too much below half, and naturally had the obligatory cocoa.
Bumbled along at a sedentary rate, much to the annoyance of the working population. Bugger them methinks, their turn will come. Stopped just off the big cable suspension bridge over the inlet to the Botn and Leir fjords, quite impressive. There is a viewing point on the exit ramp on the Sandnessjøen side, camped here on our first trip.
Easy lunch, salmon, I really do have to suffer on this trip I’m sure you'll agree.😏
After that had a quick look at the town and a slow drive down to the ferry at Tjøtta, also sneaked out to Svinnes on the point in the hope of a good wild spot to overnight. No luck so backtracked to this spot going back the way I came on the edge of the fjord. Called it a day at 16:00, been walking on the edge of the fjord and enjoying both the air and the views. Fjords and snow capped mountains. Suffer suffer. Camped at N65°51’29” E12°25’55”.
iPhone snap
Just as a matter of interest and have covered a total of 3,369 km including my 129 of today.
Been giving my route a re-think and it will now probably go as follows:
From here slowly up to Fauske to visit another friend and move over to the Lofoten via Bodø.
Through the Lofoten, Vesterålen, around Andoya and out to Tromsø via Harstad. From Tromsø across and around Senja. Thats all definite. Then perhaps as far north as Alta but thats a bit iffy. Then either from there on a different route south closer to the Swedish boarder, through Narvick, back to Mosøjen. Re trace my route to the friends in Trondheim for a night before crossing over and head down south and into all the big fjords down there on the way home. Yes thats more or less it I think. It’s not cast in stone anyway.
PPR-13 07.04
Start: 06:00 Finish: 17:30
Total km., for day: 195,3
Bright and sunny to start with, then some snow followed by some rain, and now its just dull.
Just heard US has but some rockets down on Syria, can't say I disagree, apart from watch and release mega amounts of verbal hot air the rest of the world has looked on and let Assad, and Putin, get on with it. Unless of course our hot air has contributed to global warming. Which I believe A’h Trump says is not happening.
Had hoped that if I read a bit after breakfast the weather might cheer up but that does not look like happening. Which I did and was on my way at about 10:00, still snowing, and continued all the way to Sandnessjøen where I stopped and caught up with the news as I got a good connection outside of a supermarket. Also took the opportunity to catch up on the weather reports and they are predicting snow right through to Tuesday, so I decided to sit and wait bit to see how today develops. Plan was to get to Mo i Rana, which is the jumping off point for the drive over the Arctic Circle. The run over from Mo i Rans to Fauske, my destination for a couple of days is only 175 km., but can be quite hairy by snow storms and the road is frequently closed for long periods while enough vehicles gather to form a convoy. When there are, one drives through escorted and with a snowplow up front.
So as mentioned I’m in no rush, I’d rather camp a night on the ramp just 4 km., out of town than get caught somewhere naughty.
Finally decided to move on again at 13:35 as it was looking much more friendly. First off I went back the way I travelled in the morning to grab a couple of images I’d left out because of the crappy conditions. From there on my way to a small ferry which makes the journey more direct and quicker to Mo i Rana. However Murphy was out again and the ferry was out of service.
This prompted a complete change of plan as to get to Mo i Rana I would have to make a very long diversion. As I had passed a branch road on the way in which would put me on the route to pick up the ferry which crosses the Arctic Circle and leave the road crossing for the trip back. By then the conditions will hopefully have settled.
When I finally quit for the day at 17:30 at N66°19’10” E13°18’40” I’m only another 55km., to the ferry. Could have made it today but prefer to do it early and enjoy the scenery. Where I’m camped up is a large, prepared, rest area and I had it all to myself and there was no traffic.
PPR-14 08.04
Start: 05:50 Finish: 17:50
Total km., for day 358,7
Started so early, no breakfast etc., as I found out there are not too many sailings and the first is 08:30 and the next 14:30 so not much choice really. Was first one at the Ferry I was so early and had time to make breakfast before it sailed. At 09:08 sailed past the monument on the shore marking the circle.
Was going to take an easy drive along the coast to Fauske to get there by Monday but the weather change drastically for the worst, again, so I took a short cut through the valley to Rogan, which also turned out to be an adventure. Won’t go there or I’ll be in trouble with the family. Suffice it to say it was a blizzard all the way and when I hit the E6 I made to the Statoil Garage just south of Rogan, so much snow none of the bits that are frequently possible to find off the main drag are accessible.
Finally crashed at 21:30, absolutely nadgered.
Night was fairly disturbed as the truckers also use it for overnights and although they are Norwegen and should be used to it they all keep their motors running to heat the cabs, I’m fine with no heating and just my bedding. Not as if they were refrigerating transporters and had to keep them running. Got my ration of kip anyway.
PPR-15 09.04
Start: 07:00 Finish: 00:40 next day
Total km., for day: 181,2
Forced myself to lie a bit but was on the go by 07:00, bloody trucks, their motors were still running when I left. Skies cleared quite a bit and slushy rain is currently the order of the day, need to watch the roads.
By the time I hit the road the snowplow had cleared up and all was well. Into Fauske, quick cocoa and a check of tyre pressure, front down a little, have to keep an eye on that.
Quick look around town, found some internet but not for my blog, so after a catch up on the news did some local, mobile, sightseeing. Since leaving the overnight it has rained pretty heavily the whole time.
Sightseeing was all on "B" roads and quite interesting.
Complete change and will not meet up with Mette, maybe on the way back south. Went straight through to Bodø and caught the 21:00 ferry to Moskønes on the Lofoten. Put me ahead the “Eastrites” getting me out of their way, slowly make my way up through the chain now.
Ferry docked five minutes early and I was camped up at the same place as last year where I wee up snowed in. So much rain now there won't be any tonight. Says he.
N67°54’42” E13°04’30”.
