DAY 08 - a new country, an island and the most important person in the car

we leave abisko in the morning and cross the border at riksgränsen - it's both sepp's and my first time in norway. the scenery around the border is alpine, rugged, a little bleak, and the weather isn't too great either; clouds hanging low, some drizzle, and wind. very soon we come across the first genuinely norwegian troll at some roadside café - which, unfortunately, is closed.

eventually we get to the coast and, for the first time, drive along a fiord, then across the bridge into narvik. it looks like those postcards you may have seen somewhere, a typical northern town, with red, yellow, blue houses that look cosy and inviting. a little less inviting are the prices - norway is terribly expensive, even when you come from sweden, which isn't exactly cheap. still, after a walk, and a stop at the tourist information, we have to get some food. we find out that we are 3159 km from vienna and discuss whether to go up fagernesfjellen by cable car, but it is cloudy, and the mountain top is actually shrouded in mist, so we decide against it, and are happy to have saved lots of money. ;)


a long way from home!

instead of staying in the neighbourhood, we drive on across a peninsula, towards hinnøya, norway's largest island, part of the vesterålen islands. the scenery is gorgeous - and with bends in the road not only the scenery changes, but also the light, the sky, the mood. mjaestic mountains rise from the water, rugged, forbidding, often snow-covered, or their peaks hidden behind heavy clouds.

we drive north on hinnøya, to harstad, which actually has a greater population than narvik! we find a little campsite near the water and set up the tent. for some reason i am very tired that day, and i feel cold and grumpy. the only thing that can make me happy is sepp's declaration that i am the most important person in the car - and who am i to argue with that?

after a trip to the supermarket for bare essentials we do the laundry, i take a nap, and then we cook us some dinner and enjoy the warmth of the kitchen before going to bed.

day 08 photos