JULY 2006
NORWAY-Baelstrand
Saturday
1st the day
started dull and cloudy, with some rain. We 
decided to cancel our proposed trip by boat and
bus up a fjord and onto the largest glacier in northern Europe.
Instead we continued slowly, mainly north, the sun arrived at noon to
give us some superb views. The boat trip was due to start at
noon. We ended up at Byrkjelo in hot sunshine. Sunday we went on
northwards, still in sunshine, with fjords, mountains and waterfalls,
as a backdrop, to end the day at Geiranger. On Monday now cloudy, we took
a fjord cruise along the Geiranger Fjord. Perhaps the weather
spoilt it a bit, but it was not really spectacular. The afternoon
was taken up with pottering. Tuesday started off in
cloud with the promise, unfulfilled, of rain, for our journey
north, the sun appeared after midday. We had decided not to visit
Runde Island, full of puffins and other birds, due to the weather and
the problems of getting there. Our camp was at Eresfjord. Wednesday on our journey
north, Howard saw two Dolphins/Porpoises, well just their backs and
dorsal fins. There was nothing else special that day. We
camped at Storen. Thursday
again we continued northwards to Trondheim where we had the air
suspension worked on and hopefully cured. The camp that night was
at Steinkjer. In a traffic jam Mervyn allowed a lady driver to
cross in front of him, and was blown a kiss. Friday we were still going
north, the mountains are more gentle and the scenery is more like The
Lake District or The Scottish Lowlands. We stopped at to camp
Trofors.
Saturday 8th started cloudy with, again, the promise of rain, the northward journey continued, in rain, to Storforshei. During the day we travelled through the fourth longest tunnel (8.6km) in Norway. Sunday was a rest day. We readied a shelf to fit and then painted it, worked on the cupboard fittings so that the tambour doors did not rub and changed the position of the water inlet. In the afternoon Mervyn edited his holiday film and Howard did his jigsaw. Monday started cloudy and we made an early start, 0800, continuing north. We drove up above the tree line to cross into the Arctic Circle at 0914. The drive continued northwards throughout the day, nearing the camp Howard misread the directions taking us through the fifth longest tunnel and back again, to camp at Innhavet, 110km south of Narvik. Tuesday our route took us on through Narvik to camp at Lapphaugen Turiststasjon, where we had an evening meal in the restaurant. Wednesday morning another early start, 0845. Ten minutes later we saw a Moose/Elk disappearing into the trees alongside the road, 750m in front of us. The day included a ferry crossing in the rain Howard stayed
below while Mervyn braved the elements.
In the afternoon we saw mountains with glaciers on the opposite side of
the fjord. Sea and ice!! We overnighted at Rotsund,
having found no sign of the camp we wanted. Thursday saw us continuing
north and east on a rainy day, to shop and stay at Alta. Howard
visited the Turpitz Museum. Friday continued showery,
who says the British Isles have all the rain? Just before lunch,
Mervyn stopped to film the scenery and we both ended up photographing a
small herd of Reindeer. The night’s camp was at Lakselv.
Saturday 15th the weather was dreadful, cloud and rain for most of the day. We drove alongside fjords and through mountains, well up to 300m. During the day we saw Reindeer, two herds and a family group. We also saw a black and white Bird with a bright orange beak, skimming low over the water. We arrived, to camp, at Gamvik, the most northerly point of mainland Europe. The trees we saw were almost all Silver Birches with patches of red-brown or
green moss between them. Alongside the
road were Bluebells, Large Snowdrops(?),and small yellow flowers.
At midnight the sky was clearer and we could see the sun behind a thin
layer of low cloud. Sunday
was a rest day. We fitted the shelf (see last Sunday), closed the tap
door in the shower compartment and fitted a safety net to Howard’s
bunk. Mervyn baked a carrot cake. Looking out at midnight
we saw that it was just as cloudy as the previous night. The
evening meal consisted of fresh caught fish, caught by our camp’s
owner. Monday
an early start, southwards for a change. During the day we saw
several herds of Reindeer. The weather was poor, overcast and
rainy. We continued on to Tana Bru, a bumpy site. At the
end of dinner Howard noticed a pool of water on the table and this lead
to finding three leaks. The roof and the two windows over
Howard’s bed, the bed was dry and two towels mopped up the water.
Tuesday the southwards
journey continued crossing into Finland after elevenses. During
the drive we saw thirty-one Reindeer, three small groups and the rest
in ones and twos. Inari was our camp for the night, fortunately
with only a little rain. Wednesday we tried to find
a repair shop without success. On to Sodankyla, seeing twenty six
Reindeer on the way, where a busy garage sold us some silicon and lent
us their climbing tower. We sealed the leaks, we hope. Thursday a rest day, a bit
of shopping and a small time (15min) on the library internet. Friday saw us driving
southwest to Torino on the Finland border with Sweden. During the
day we saw more (13) Reindeer.
Saturday 22nd took us across the border into Sweden, there were no formalities. We were driving westwards, in glorious sunshine, to a crowded camp at Lulea, and a very disturbed night. Sunday we drove round the Gulf Of Bothnia to Skelleftea and met our first full camp. At the second camp they put us on the waiting list, number 53. Deciding to drive inland we found a camp with space less than 5km away. A nice quiet camp so we took Monday as a rest day. Tuesday an early start driving inland, hoping to find less crowded camps. We passed through trees and more trees with occasional lakes to an uncrowded camp at Asele by a lake. Wednesday on southwards to camp at Lit just north of Ostersund, there is nothing really of note, trees, lakes and sunshine. Thursday south-eastwards to Ljusdal. Friday is summed up by trees, lakes, clouds and rain. Wednesday’s leak seal did not work but we checked in time to prevent a flood. We ended up in Uppsala, spending half an hour to find the camp.
Saturday 29th on to Stockholm after visiting the old town of Gamla Uppsala. Sunday Mervyn visited Stockholm while Howard finished his jigsaw. Monday we continued south westwards to Lake Vattern, to stop at Vadstena.
decided to cancel our proposed trip by boat and
bus up a fjord and onto the largest glacier in northern Europe.
Instead we continued slowly, mainly north, the sun arrived at noon to
give us some superb views. The boat trip was due to start at
noon. We ended up at Byrkjelo in hot sunshine. Sunday we went on
northwards, still in sunshine, with fjords, mountains and waterfalls,
as a backdrop, to end the day at Geiranger. On Monday now cloudy, we took
a fjord cruise along the Geiranger Fjord. Perhaps the weather
spoilt it a bit, but it was not really spectacular. The afternoon
was taken up with pottering. Tuesday started off in
cloud with the promise, unfulfilled, of rain, for our journey
north, the sun appeared after midday. We had decided not to visit
Runde Island, full of puffins and other birds, due to the weather and
the problems of getting there. Our camp was at Eresfjord. Wednesday on our journey
north, Howard saw two Dolphins/Porpoises, well just their backs and
dorsal fins. There was nothing else special that day. We
camped at Storen. Thursday
again we continued northwards to Trondheim where we had the air
suspension worked on and hopefully cured. The camp that night was
at Steinkjer. In a traffic jam Mervyn allowed a lady driver to
cross in front of him, and was blown a kiss. Friday we were still going
north, the mountains are more gentle and the scenery is more like The
Lake District or The Scottish Lowlands. We stopped at to camp
Trofors.Saturday 8th started cloudy with, again, the promise of rain, the northward journey continued, in rain, to Storforshei. During the day we travelled through the fourth longest tunnel (8.6km) in Norway. Sunday was a rest day. We readied a shelf to fit and then painted it, worked on the cupboard fittings so that the tambour doors did not rub and changed the position of the water inlet. In the afternoon Mervyn edited his holiday film and Howard did his jigsaw. Monday started cloudy and we made an early start, 0800, continuing north. We drove up above the tree line to cross into the Arctic Circle at 0914. The drive continued northwards throughout the day, nearing the camp Howard misread the directions taking us through the fifth longest tunnel and back again, to camp at Innhavet, 110km south of Narvik. Tuesday our route took us on through Narvik to camp at Lapphaugen Turiststasjon, where we had an evening meal in the restaurant. Wednesday morning another early start, 0845. Ten minutes later we saw a Moose/Elk disappearing into the trees alongside the road, 750m in front of us. The day included a ferry crossing in the rain Howard stayed
below while Mervyn braved the elements.
In the afternoon we saw mountains with glaciers on the opposite side of
the fjord. Sea and ice!! We overnighted at Rotsund,
having found no sign of the camp we wanted. Thursday saw us continuing
north and east on a rainy day, to shop and stay at Alta. Howard
visited the Turpitz Museum. Friday continued showery,
who says the British Isles have all the rain? Just before lunch,
Mervyn stopped to film the scenery and we both ended up photographing a
small herd of Reindeer. The night’s camp was at Lakselv.Saturday 15th the weather was dreadful, cloud and rain for most of the day. We drove alongside fjords and through mountains, well up to 300m. During the day we saw Reindeer, two herds and a family group. We also saw a black and white Bird with a bright orange beak, skimming low over the water. We arrived, to camp, at Gamvik, the most northerly point of mainland Europe. The trees we saw were almost all Silver Birches with patches of red-brown or
green moss between them. Alongside the
road were Bluebells, Large Snowdrops(?),and small yellow flowers.
At midnight the sky was clearer and we could see the sun behind a thin
layer of low cloud. Sunday
was a rest day. We fitted the shelf (see last Sunday), closed the tap
door in the shower compartment and fitted a safety net to Howard’s
bunk. Mervyn baked a carrot cake. Looking out at midnight
we saw that it was just as cloudy as the previous night. The
evening meal consisted of fresh caught fish, caught by our camp’s
owner. Monday
an early start, southwards for a change. During the day we saw
several herds of Reindeer. The weather was poor, overcast and
rainy. We continued on to Tana Bru, a bumpy site. At the
end of dinner Howard noticed a pool of water on the table and this lead
to finding three leaks. The roof and the two windows over
Howard’s bed, the bed was dry and two towels mopped up the water.
Tuesday the southwards
journey continued crossing into Finland after elevenses. During
the drive we saw thirty-one Reindeer, three small groups and the rest
in ones and twos. Inari was our camp for the night, fortunately
with only a little rain. Wednesday we tried to find
a repair shop without success. On to Sodankyla, seeing twenty six
Reindeer on the way, where a busy garage sold us some silicon and lent
us their climbing tower. We sealed the leaks, we hope. Thursday a rest day, a bit
of shopping and a small time (15min) on the library internet. Friday saw us driving
southwest to Torino on the Finland border with Sweden. During the
day we saw more (13) Reindeer.Saturday 22nd took us across the border into Sweden, there were no formalities. We were driving westwards, in glorious sunshine, to a crowded camp at Lulea, and a very disturbed night. Sunday we drove round the Gulf Of Bothnia to Skelleftea and met our first full camp. At the second camp they put us on the waiting list, number 53. Deciding to drive inland we found a camp with space less than 5km away. A nice quiet camp so we took Monday as a rest day. Tuesday an early start driving inland, hoping to find less crowded camps. We passed through trees and more trees with occasional lakes to an uncrowded camp at Asele by a lake. Wednesday on southwards to camp at Lit just north of Ostersund, there is nothing really of note, trees, lakes and sunshine. Thursday south-eastwards to Ljusdal. Friday is summed up by trees, lakes, clouds and rain. Wednesday’s leak seal did not work but we checked in time to prevent a flood. We ended up in Uppsala, spending half an hour to find the camp.
Saturday 29th on to Stockholm after visiting the old town of Gamla Uppsala. Sunday Mervyn visited Stockholm while Howard finished his jigsaw. Monday we continued south westwards to Lake Vattern, to stop at Vadstena.
SWEDEN-Vadstena