Tjeldsundbrua Camping, Evenskjer - 26 June 2018

Geoff

I went off for a stroll before breakfast to explore around our camperstop. Just a couple of hundred yards away, I followed a waterside path to a rocky tree covered promontory with views across the lake and back to the camperstop.

We then drove back the few miles to Abisko. The main reason (apart from making use of the loos at the visitor centre!) was for me to "dip my toe" in the Kungsleden trail, a world famous hiking trail that starts/ends at Abisko; the other end is some 270 miles south at Hemavan. I have ambitions of hiking it maybe next year. I walked along the first part of the trail alongside a torrent of a river. It was through woodland so I wasn't able to get out into open country. It was just a taster.

We then hit the road for the Norwegian border. The drive was lovely, the country green and a little barren but with many mountain birch. It became mountainous but then the rain started (and stayed with us for the rest of the day). Around the border it was quite bleak. There were quite large scatterings of what were probably holiday homes and places to rent but we didn't stop. 

The actual border post appeared to be unmanned. We followed the winding road gradually down towards Narvik. The scenery would have been much more impressive had the weather been better. Narvik itself had nothing to detain us so it was bypassed. Instead, we continued on the E10 for the Lofoten Islands. 

Approaching the turn off to the Lofotens, we joined a queue of stationary traffic. In view of the high winds, the bridge to the islands had been closed. We waited for maybe half an hour but, eventually, turned around and drove the short distance to Tjeldsundbrua Camping and booked in for the night which seemed a sensible decision. The lady on reception was very friendly and welcoming and the price was reasonable. It is a very nice site and we are looking out over the wide sea strait towards the Lofotens. So, a day that ended not as planned. 

Amanda

We were very fortunate to have lovely weather yesterday for the scenic drive along the E10. The blue skies had disappeared by evening, but the upside of the coolness is fewer mozzies and no struggle to get air into the camper.

We returned to Abisko for another visit to the Tourist Centre. It is a great place with a lovely exhibition of local nature and culture and a great feelgood factor - bustling with people with backpacks setting off on or just finishing the Kungsleden long distance walk. Geoff, of course, loved it and already has plans to return with backpack. He went off to walk a little way, and then we both walked down to view the magnificent gorge, with water tumbling at high force out of a man made tunnel through the mountainside, blasted in 1899.

Then off on the road to Norway. We got higher as we headed for the border - customs booths etc there but unmanned - and almost as we crossed the border the temperature seemed to drop and the landscape changed, We were now properly up in the mountains, all rock, and the wide straight open roads of Sweden are clearly behind us! I fear driving will not be so relaxing from now on. The roads here are already winding up,down and around the mountainsides. We bypassed Narvik. 

As we approached the suspension bridge which carries the only road across to the islands, we realised something was up. All traffic was at a standstill up ahead, there was no traffic on the bridge, and the only vehicles coming the other way were presumably ones which had turned round. The wind which had been growing in force for a while  was now really strong, rocking the camper (35 kph we later heard), and clearly the suspension bridge was closed to traffic. We would not have wanted to cross it anyway.

We probably waited there in the queue for about an hour, debating and researching, before turning around and dipping down to the seashore to a campsite, where we were warmly welcomed. We chose a pitch in as sheltered a position as possible, near some low buildings, and braved the gale and rain to get the electricity plugged in and the gas on. So we settled in the warm and dry with mugs of tea and excellent free wifi. We have a view up to the bridge, and could see when later the wind dropped and vehicles started to cross a few at a time, in only one direction at a time. In the lull we both made our way to the showers before supper I am pleased to say, because now the rain has started again, and it is blowing a gale. The large number of bikers who descended on the site earlier  - like the mozzies they hunt in packs over here - are nowhere in evidence, so must be hibernating in their little huts. We have spent the evening planning tomorrow to take account of the weather forecast - which is suggesting rain all day. 

We will be rocked to sleep.