This is our account of a holiday in the campervan from May 20th to July 21st 2004 that started at Bergen in Norway to North Cape via the Lofoten islands. This took us about four weeks.
From North Cape we dived down into Sweden and eventually crossed the Oresund bridge at Malmo into Denmark. Easy driving through Germany and Holland to Rotterdam led us back home. The holiday took 61 days and we covered 6300 miles. We used Fjord Line from Newcastle to Bergen and P&O Line from Rotterdam to Hull. This page covers Bergen to North Cape. See the Sweden page for the return journey.
chris.jackson@zen.co.uk
Clicking on the images will take you to the gallery.
Picture 1 is
the view that first greets the visitor to Bergen.
The pleasant harbour is full of boats, both fishing and pleasure, ringed
by typical brightly painted old wooden houses. Behind the town are steeply
wooded
hills
that can be reached by the town's funicular railway.
For a little more detail, go to the About Bergen page.
It's a splendid town though the Norwegians call it a city, with lots of interesting shops, galleries, museums and restaurants. It also has an 'interesting' one way system to keep one amused. A bit like our city of Sheffield in that respect. From the top of the funicular it's possible to see most of the city and the archipelago of small rocky islets. We spent a couple of nights at Lone Camping, a delightful site a few miles outside of Bergen on the 580.
Bergen to Voss
After a day exploring the town we set off along the route 7 and highway 13 to the ski resort of Voss, which, though not unpleasant is not at its best in the drizzle and without snow. Routes in Norway seem to be a combination of different bits of road and can be confusing at first. This section of route 7 included the road with no number along the side of the scenic Hardangerfjord, or it would have been, had it stopped raining. In Voss, on impulse we booked a trip on the 'Norway in a Nutshell' trip. This is a popular (though not in late May) circular excursion that takes all day. The first part of the rail journey is on the Oslo to Bergen railway. At Myrdal one changes trains to the Flamsbana (Flåmsbana). This famous non-rack railway zigzags 864m down into the Flam (Flåm) valley. The line took 20 years to construct and includes 20 tunnels, 18 of which were excavated by hand. The track is the steepest non rack railway in the world with and average incline of 1:18 (5.5%). Amazing, how did they dig steeply angled tunnels with hairpin bends in them? Picture 2, just one of the many waterfalls. Click to notice the water Noeroyfjordnymph whose siren calls have lured many a nutsheller to his doom.
From Flom the next leg is a 2 hour boat trip along the Noeroyfjord (Noerøyfjord) which narrows down to 250m at one point. The fjord was lined with enormous waterfalls from the adjacent snow capped mountains rising to 1800m. After the first 5 stunning waterfalls we became quite blasé about them. At the end of the fjord was the small village of Gudvangen where we caught the bus back to Voss by the scenic route. Picture 3, approaching the end of the fjord at Gudvangen.
Voss to Geiranger
There were two options north from Voss, the E16 and then continuing on route 13 looked to be the pretty route, but continuing along the E16 meant that we would travel the world's longest road tunnel at 24.5 km (15miles). Not to be missed. Tunnels and ferries are a way of life in Norway, tunnels are generally free, ferries are not, so expect to pay £8-£12, more if you are over 6m long. So the tunnel it was and it took some 20 minutes to complete. Once out of the tunnel, the road veered north, we crossed the Ardalsfjorden by ferry (3) and continued towards the immense sprawling glacier the Jostedalsbreen where it almost clips one of its arms. This was a beautiful area with tremendous views at every turn of the road; warm sun, blue sky and nobody there. Compare and contrast with the Rhone valley! Picture 4, there we are with the glacier above us.
At Byrkjelo we left the E39 and followed the 15, gradually gaining altitude via a series of tunnels up to the snow line at about 950m. Here, a small road on the left led over a pass to Geiranger. The road had only just been opened but a recent snow slide meant that we could only just squeeze through. A couple of larger Hymers and a coach watched with interest but thought better of it and waited for the snow plough. Picture 5, that's us and the snow slide. Eventually the road descended by endless zigzags to the village of Geiranger and the perfect campsite at the head of the fjord. It was an idyllic spot, a bit touristy and I suspect quite busy in the high season. Large boats (QE2 on occasions) and tourist boats of day trippers made regular landfall at the pier. However, the sun kept shining and the site was 3/4 empty.
Geiranger to Andalsnes (Åndalsnes)
Almost endless zigzags lead out of the deep cleft of Geiranger Fjorden, over high and bleak terrain down to the ferry from Eidsdal to Linge. From Linge, we'd hoped to take the Trollstigen pass down to Andalsnes but we were a day too early and it wasn't open. Consequently, we had a long trip round the peninsula, pleasant but we would have preferred the pass. Andalsnes is a pleasant but undistinguished town of about 8000 inhabitants, its attraction for us was its proximity to the splendid Romsdal area of mountains. We camped south of the town at the pleasant campsite of Andalsnes Camping and Motel at a bend in the river. The weather just got better and better and we completed two quite long walks in the area. Picture 7 is Suzy with the Troll wall (Trollveggen), the highest vertical wall in Europe (1800m) in the background. Picture 6 is the waterfall that passes underneath the road over the Trollstigen. Click and it's just possible to make out the bridge. Another good day out consisted of taking the campervan up the narrow toll road from Isfjorden to the car park at Venjedal whence it is an easy scramble up onto the ridge. From here there are amazing views of the Trollveggen and most of the Romsdalen valley all the way down to Andalsnes.
Picture 8, a telephoto shot looking down the valley. The campsite is on the bend in the river by the footbridge. Andalsnes behind.
Andalsnes to Trondheim and the Grip trip
Still hot and sunny, we moved on in the campervan, taking a minor excursion to view a 13c stave church at Rodven (Rødven), for which Norway is justifiably famous (9). Unfortunately it was only open for 6 weeks during the July and August so we couldn't look around the interior. Right, there it is. The name 'stave' does not refer to the props on the outside but its method of construction. The modern church is in the background.
Back on the main 64 we took the ferry from Afarnes to Solsnes (Sølsnes) and then the Atlantic Highway via the small town of Bud, the locals told us that the highway was at its best when the waves were breaking over it. Even so it was splendid scenery with the little road linking lots of small islands. We camped near Kristiansund and lured by pictures in the local tourist office booked for a trip to the island of Grip (10 and 11) some 14km from the coast. There are no permanent residents on the island, only holiday accommodation but people had lived there for many past centuries relying on fish for survival. Records in the 15c stave church on the island emphasize the hashness of living there and refer to many deaths and destruction of houses in great storms of 1796 and 1804. It's still a beautiful island with brightly painted houses and a famous lighthouse all set amongst 80 islets and skerries.
From Kristiansund it was necessary to backtrack for a few miles as it's on an island, and then join the E39 which with just one ferry hop from Kanestraum to Halsonaustan took us all the way to Trondheim. Well not quite, just a few miles short of Trondheim we took the 707 to Flakk and its wonderful campsite sloping gently down to the sea. A bus service from near the campsite allowed us to take a trip into the city and spend a day exploring. Particularly worth seeing were the cathedral, museum and art gallery. The waterside houses were also particularly attractive. On the E39 approaching Trondheim it's worth watching out for the toll points. Locals carry a pass in their car that gives them the green light. Tourists and strangers will probably need to make a manual payment. We're still anticipating a registered letter from the Trondheim authorities with a fine for non-payment!
Trondheim to the Lofoten Islands
All good things must come to and end I suppose and the first clouds in 2 weeks began to build up on the day we planned to move north again. Donald and Christine, friends that we made at Flakk were setting off on a multi day trip on the Hurtigrute, the ferry that plies its way up and down the fjords. We took the very convenient car ferry next to the campsite from Flakk to Rorvik (Rørvik) and followed the 720 along the side of Beitstatfjorden until we met the E6 near Steinkjer. From here, we stuck to the major E6 in increasingly wet and windy weather until we struck a campsite at the small town of Mosjoen (Mosjøen) where, along with several other storm bound camper vans we battened down the hatches and spent the night. From Mosjoen we continued up the E6 for supplies at Mo i Rana then cut out west to route 17 which clips the serrated western coastline all the way up to Bodo (Bodø) inside the arctic circle. This is a classic and stunningly beautiful leg, the sun shone and everywhere were crags and mountains dropping down into Caribbean blue seas dotted with rocky islets. This section involved 2 ferries, the first between Kilboghamn and Joktvik was quite long and it was on the boat that we crossed the arctic circle. The second from Agskaret to Forøy took us to a campsite at the side of the Fjord. We did some more walking from near here, one circuit which started between two road tunnel entrances at the mouth of the Fykanvatnet lake included what must have been 1000 wooden steps zigzagging up cliffs to mountain huts on the alps above. See 12.
Bodo (Bodø) (possibly pronounced booder) is the main sea port for setting off for the Lofoten islands, it also seemed to be the dental centre of the region with innumerable practitioners at every turn. This was fortuitous as I had developed an ulcer under a front tooth and had to have it removed. Gappy smiles from then on!
The car ferry to Moskenes on the Lofoten island took several hours and once disembarked we squeezed onto the rocky campsite at A (Å) at the end of the road. It may be a short name but we were never sure how to pronounce it. Pictures 13, 14 and 15) are typical pictures of the villages along the east side of Lofoten, I think this might be Reine. The scenery was unbelievable and it was quite possible to use up a whole roll of film whilst barely moving the feet. Left are some of the southern Lofoten islands; Vaeroy and Rost (Værøy and Røst) have roads and habitation but Vedoya and Storfjellet are mainly inhabited by birds.
The weather remained settled and Suzy and I completed a couple of excellent walks starting from the camp site at A. These involved exploring two of the valleys that ran inland from the coast. Picture 16 shows Suzy with the Djupfjorden down below after a walk past the lakes behind Sorvagen. The road crosses the narrow neck at the far end. The other walk was alongside the lake Agnatnet? from A and up to a col at around 400m with extensive views of mountains and sea in both directions. There are also a number of long distance footpaths on the island, privacy apart one can generally walk where one chooses, the going can be very rough however with deep vegetation and dwarf trees lower down, and steep terrain and rock higher up. Unsurprisingly, there is rock climbing to be had here.
Pictures 17-19, alpine type flowers grew almost down to sea level. Particularly common was the Dwarf Cornel Cornus suecica (right), Moss Campion Silene acaulis (centre) and Chickweed Wintergreen Trientalis europaea. We also found regular occurrence of Diapensia lapponica (left) which is only known in one location in the UK.
Lofoten Islands to Tromso
We moved north and as we did the weather gradually deteriorated. Attempts at making a day's walk were regularly thwarted by torrential showers and strong winds. One night at a campsite in the small town of Ramberg in hurricane force wind and rain I was convinced that the camper kept rocking over onto two wheels! The weather stayed poor for a few days as we pressed on along the E10 to Fiskebol where we took the ferry to Melbu. This is a long loop to avoid a mountain and though a long through tunnel is in progress it is not due to finish until 2007. This section of road passed through some very attractive scenery and pretty villages, rather spoiled by the weather. This section was memorable for the worst fish cakes that we had ever eaten. They didn't taste of fish, were very salty and seemed to be flavoured with nutmeg. A local speciality I suppose. The weather slowly improved as we followed the E10 to the E6 on the mainland, from Fossbakken we took the attractive route 84 which clings to the west coast line and led us once again to the E6 and then Tromso capital of the county of Troms, or so the locals would have it. It's a pleasant island town with lots of galleries and museums and an interesting arctic harbour, all linked to the mainland by a fine bridge, though we didn't really see it at its best. The weather was cold and drizzly and the campsite overcrowded with insufficient power points - a fan heater is an essential item up here.
Tromso to North Cape.
Onwards and upwards, well southwest actually, as its a 70km diversion to visit Tromso. At the small town of Nordkjosbotn we joined the E8 which heads into Finland and Sweden and the old faithful the E6 which was to take us towards North Cape. By now we were close to the top of Norway and our route to Alta, the next town was more like ENE. The scenery begins to change too and we crossed some vast expanses of tundra. Reindeer (20) were frequently encountered wandering across the road, though elk remained elusive. The Sami people are indigenous to this area and they were regularly seen tending the reindeer or selling souvenirs at the roadside. We stayed at one of their campsites on the side of the Langfjorden, some 80km from Alta. A lovely spot, friendly people and excellent facilities. The fjord was beautiful, left is an evening shot some 100m from the campsite. While we were in the area we walked close to the snout of the Oksfjordjokelen (Øksfjordjøkelen) glacier which was close by. It's a pleasant walk but I'm not sure about claims that it's the only glacier calving directly into the sea. Most of the ice at sea level looked like debris. Still, a lovely place.
Next day we drove towards Alta in beautiful weather, so clear it felt like one could reach out and touch the mountains. Close to Alta at Hjemmeluft on a beautiful site overlooking the sea is a Unesco world heritage site containing 5000 year old rock carvings (21). These were fascinating and appeared to tell stories or sagas about the people who lived here in that period. They almost certainly had religious significance too. Wooded walkways took the visitor around the most important carvings. For the most part they are detailed with brown paint to make them more visible. One of the sets definitely showed a space ship though Suzy reckoned it was a halibut. See also the wallpaper.
Pulling up the hill from Alta the trees thinned out to nothing and we didn't see many more until we entered Sweden on the way home. Everywhere was an endless brown moor occasionally broken by outcrops of ancient rock. At Nyland, we left the E6 to continue its relentless way to the Russian border and joined the E69, the road to North Cape. Rather than arrive at North Cape late afternoon we took the road to Havaysund and parked up for the night by the sea. This was June 20th and here we met our first mosquitoes. These were little more than a nuisance though I believe that in July and August they can be a problem.
Perfect weather again and the run along the east coast of the peninsula along Porsangen inlet was a delight at every turn, with sandy bays, cliffs and tunnels all above the bluest of blue seas. North cape is actually an island, not only that, it's not actually the most northern point of the island though it is possible to walk there. The most northerly point of mainland Europe is actually reserved for the nearby bleak and boggy peninsula of Nordkinn Halvoya which is just about joined to the mainland. Not many people know that. However, the downside of our objective was an expensive tunnel (£33 380Nok return) and a similarly expensive admission fee to the North Cape car park and the North Cape Hall complex. The only consolation was that we were allowed to park here overnight and come and go as we pleased for the next 2 days.
Like homing pigeons, the huge car park contained 50 or 60 campervans of all nationalities, many more plus a dozen huge coaches arrived as the clock crept towards midnight. Despite our best intentions we had arrived on midsummer's eve along with everyone else. The reason for the attraction remained elusive. The midnight sun had been shining on us since we crossed the arctic circle some weeks ago. Were there to be pagan rights performed? Were virgins to be defiled and flung over the cliffs? No, as midnight approached a cloud obligingly obscured the sun though and by 12.30 everyone was drifting back to there campervans and coaches. Picture 22, midnight at North Cape, midsummer's day 2004. Note the thin edge of the crowd and the North Cape globe, (23) Suzy at North Cape clutching our GPS. You can't read the display but it says 71° 10' 18". Three seconds short, I blame the Americans.
Don't get me wrong, it's an atmospheric place surrounded by cliffs dropping hundreds of feet into the sea. The Hall is tastefully designed and the displays in the underground passages are quite interesting but from the cafes, restaurants, bars and souvenir shops it is obviously a commercial operation designed to make money.
It's going to be a funny feeling driving south.
chris.jackson@zen.co.uk