Tonight's co-ordinates - 68.26844°N 14.15954°E
Geoff
Geoff
This morning, we drove back over the bridge to Stokmarknes and followed road 82. Here, I was able to stop and snap a wonderful view of the beautiful bridge we crossed yesterday on the approach to Stokmarknes.
We followed the road around the south of the island of Hadseløya to the little town of Melbu, where we joined the queue for the ferry to take us to Fiskebøl, a journey time of 45 minutes. It was a delightful ride, with mountains looming ahead and around. It helped that the weather was much improved on yesterday's. We stopped for lunch in a rest area a few minutes away from the ferry, looking out across an inlet with mountains on the other side. When I call these "mountains", I'm not sure that I'm being absolutely correct. They aren't hills and they aren't necessarily what I would normally regard as mountains. What they are is quite high, usually wooded, steep sided mounds that I would say are much bigger than hills. Actually, I've just looked up the definition of mountain and it's "a large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level; a large steep hill". Yes, we've got mountains here!
We made our way to Svolvær where we boughth a few things. Moving on, we stopped in a rest area for a brew and to think about where we might overnight. We keyed in a few sets of co-ordinates into the satnav that we gleaned from our camperstop directory, an app and our trusty Pocket Earth on the iPad. The first we reached was unsuitable as being too close to dwellings but the second proved to be fine. Just two (maybe room for three at a pinch) spaces in a little area dropping down from the road and overlooking a sizeable inlet from the sea. One other van was already here but left after a couple of hours so we are on our own. No facilities but it's free.
Behind our camper is a large blue goods container. A van came not long after we arrived and the driver took something from the container and drove away. Much later, he came back and, although I wasn't giving it my full attention, there seemed to emerge from the container a couple of men with suitcases who then got into the van and it drove away. Rather odd.
We made our way to Svolvær where we boughth a few things. Moving on, we stopped in a rest area for a brew and to think about where we might overnight. We keyed in a few sets of co-ordinates into the satnav that we gleaned from our camperstop directory, an app and our trusty Pocket Earth on the iPad. The first we reached was unsuitable as being too close to dwellings but the second proved to be fine. Just two (maybe room for three at a pinch) spaces in a little area dropping down from the road and overlooking a sizeable inlet from the sea. One other van was already here but left after a couple of hours so we are on our own. No facilities but it's free.
Behind our camper is a large blue goods container. A van came not long after we arrived and the driver took something from the container and drove away. Much later, he came back and, although I wasn't giving it my full attention, there seemed to emerge from the container a couple of men with suitcases who then got into the van and it drove away. Rather odd.
Amanda
Well, the delay was worth it. Not just because we had an interesting day yesterday despite the weather, but because we woke this morning to no rain and the promise of better weather to come. We also enjoyed free wi-if which eked out our phones' data allowances, and excellent shower and washing opportunities.
A quick drive on south down the main road brought us to Melbu to await the ferry over from Vesterålen to Lofoten. Geoff used the 30 minute wait well, visiting a local shop in a fruitless search for a replacement for an inexplicably lost Kindle charging lead, but finding instead a non-electric mozzie deterring device (Thermacell) recommended to us back in Sweden, on sale half-price, and then scuttling back as the ferry, Isle of White ferry sized, arrived. The weather was good enough to enjoy the 30 minute crossing out on deck - and well worth enduring numb faces! The approach to the Lofoten Islands is spectacular, the high jagged rocky peaks seeming to rise out of the sea. A promise of views to come for the rest of the day.
In Svolvær, a quick nip into Biltema for said lead was all that detained us, and a stop just before Kabelvag allowed us to walk around the outside of the "Kathedral" the second largest wooden church in Norway, and admire both it and the amazing view across the water. The quality of the light somehow creates the impression that the distant view is a computer graphic generated backdrop to the immediate view. Awe-inspiring.
It was then time to trek on in search of overnight parking. After a couple of detours to spots which proved unsuitable, we have found the one we are now settled in, a small gravelled area into which we dipped down just before one of the bridges which carry the E10. There was one, now two, other Bobils (as they call motorhomes here in Norway) here, and we are tucked pretty much out of sight of the roads. Oh, the second one has gone, and we have our view back in time for Geoff to get back from his walk. And now the first one is going, too!
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