Norway: Lofoten and the Atlantic coast
Two weeks after reaching the North Cape we made it to that other highlight of Northern Norway; the islands of Lofoten. This has been on our list for quite a while, and we guess it will stay on our list, as the weather was dreadful…
Lofoten islands
We were warned before that Norway gets quite a lot of rain, and even more so in September. And that was indeed the case. Still, Lofoten was beautiful, high rocky peaks, wild coasts, and beaches that look like they were transported straight from the Caribbean. We cycled the whole of the archipelago, the islands are connected by bridges and in one case a tunnel.
Wildcamping spots were hard to find; the locals are obviously fed up with all the camper vans parking everywhere, so there are plenty of “no camping” signs. For us cyclists it was a bit easier, so once we camped next to a hiking trail and the second night next to the main road in a field.
The classic way is to cycle all the way to the end of the scenic road to the village of Ä, then go back a few kilometers and take the ferry from Moskenes to Bodø on the main land. But the ferry had a heated waiting room. With toilets. And warm water. So we happily spend 2.5 hours there, instead of cycling 10 km more in the pouring rain. Pro-tip: check the ferry times a couple of days in advance. We took the ferry on a Sunday and there was only 1. Cyclists go on free though, which was a nice surprise, since it’s a 3 hour crossing.
So that was Lofoten for us. There were some dry spells and even a bit of sun, so we did take some pictures. But the Instagram-worthy shots have to wait till the next time we visit.
The Atlantic Coast
We reached the main land at Bodø late on Sunday, and with a fellow cyclist that we met on the ferry we found a cozy spot under a bridge. He also introduced us to the fascinating sport of dumpster diving; or checking the waste bins of supermarkets. We got enough chocolate bars, nuts and chips to keep us happy for the next few days. Basically, we turned full hobo. Please note that this practice is illegal in Norway, if you would like to try it…
We followed National Route number 1, or EuroVelo 1 for 3 more days. For camper vans this route is known as the 17, and it follows the coast closely. This makes for extremely beautiful, if not inefficient cycling, as there are many fjords and ferries. Some ferries go every hour, some only 4 times a day, but most are free! Apparently the views are amazing, but we would like to refer you to Google images, as we have not seen a single glimpse of the Svartisen glacier (the second largest glacier in Norway).
We did stop at the largest maelstrom in the world at Saltstraumen, but after that we would be in pouring rain, fog and happy to see a tunnel or ferry, as that would mean we would be dry for a bit. One night we slept in a waiting room for a ferry, continuing our hobo lifestyle.
We slowly made our way, and received many pitiful looks and random acts of kindness. When we stopped for breakfast after a night in a muddy field, a German camper couple saw us and invited us for coffee and breakfast. They had seen us on the road and thought we were crazy and in need of a hot drink (both true). The Straumdaltunnel closed down for construction work just when we got there, but they let us sit in their van, with the motor and heating running, until the tunnel opened again 1.5 hours later. They were even so kind to drive us through (sadly, this was our highlight of the day).
Our rain gear gave up, our shoes were waterlogged and we felt very sorry for ourselves. Getting into your wet clothing in the morning was the worst. The last straw was when we asked the crew of one ferry if he knew the weather forecast. His answer, after looking at us dripping all over the floor and offering us a coffee, was: “you really don’t want to know”. So that was it, we checked the forecast across the border in Sweden (cold but dry!) and went straight inland to Mo i Rana. Happy to report that after 2 days in Sweden we are dry again!
So that concludes our cycling in Norway, shorter than expected. It is beautiful, and we are happy with our first week of relative good weather here. Also the country is made for outdoor activities, both in summer and winter. The infrastructure that we know from Sweden and Finland is lacking (less shelters and covered picnic sites, or even toilets…). We will come back one day and travel the rest of the coast line, as there is still plenty left for us to see.
