Nord-Norway/North Cape

NORWAY (Norge): We cross the border into Norway at Riksgränsen in the mountains. Quickly registering the dog. Norway, here we come!! The clouds hang low, it's 6 degrees and there are patches of snow everywhere. The landscape changes dramatically after crossing the border (how does the landscape know that this is the border?). There are many patches of snow and not all houses are red anymore (what a shame). There are countless lakes and mountains as far as the eye can see. After endless switchbacks, we arrive in Narvik by a fjord. We are amazed by the great houses and bridges here. But we can't find a place to sleep here. We wander around and finally drive back up the mountain and find a place. A beautiful spot with a view of the fjord compensates us for the detour. It's 9 p.m. and the sun is still high in the sky. Slightly irritated and quite tired, we try to sleep, but it doesn't work. It's just too bright. The next morning, we continue north. We want to go to the Ovre Dividal National Park. Let's see if the national parks in Norway impress us as much as those in Sweden. We notice that the calmness on the road in Sweden has come to a sudden end. People are speeding like crazy here. The police are present and have radar traps at every other bend (and there are really many bends here). Countless waterfalls cascade down the mountainsides and fill the numerous lakes and fjords with crystal-clear meltwater. We cruise between the mountains heading north and look and marvel. The Ovre Dividal National Park turned out to be a complete disappointment. We had to drive endless kilometers on gravel roads to finally reach our destination somewhere in the middle of nowhere. We can't find any signposts or hiking signs. Then at the beginning: a rickety suspension bridge over the river without side railings. Impossible to cross with a dog. The weather gets worse - so does our mood. So back in the car. Fed up for today... and all the way back. This road was for nothing. Norway doesn't make it easy for us!! We want to go back to the coast. Find a place to sleep. The drivers are speeding and pushing (our Knut is not fast - no one in Sweden cared). The many curves shake up our dog in the back. The stress level of all three of us rises to the infinite. Then fog sets in. Kilian wants to go back to Sweden immediately. - But we have a goal. The North Cape. And that's in Norway. Frustrated, we finally go to bed. My dear Norway: you have to show us a bit more than you have so far to impress us!!

The next morning we wake up. The sky is clear. It's getting warmer (12 degrees at ten in the morning - hooray), and now we really see what a fantastic place we are at. Right by the water of the fjord. Surrounded by high mountains. What a great view. And there's free drinking water. We let our helper syndrome out and bridge a German and lend a Swiss our tool. Then we have breakfast and shower (finally) and start exploring Norway in a good mood. We cruise along the fjords heading north (there are many motorhomes here - especially Germans) and we can't stop marveling. Great colorful houses line our way, beautiful small beaches alternate. Small fishing villages with colorful boats are to be seen. And in the background, the huge mountains with snow on top. A great sight. We finally have 15 degrees again and the sun is shining from the sky - and we are happy in Knut. Norway is slowly making an effort!! In the hinterland, we visit the Kaffjordal Canyon and hike up the mountain (and how high and steep it is) to Gorsabrua (bridge). This is the second highest bridge in Norway (we didn't know that until then). After a two-hour really strenuous hike, suddenly this monster bridge appears. We are almost scared to death. Really? 150m high over the canyon. OH MY GOD! We got scared. So I go first (sweating), just don't look down and walk quickly... and then Kilian with Amy. (She tucked her tail in - she was scared too). Kilian had her firmly in his grip with the harness. There was a railing on the sides (fortunately), so no dog can fall down. But it was exciting. For all three of us. The next day we want to explore the canyon from below. We climb over a dry riverbed full of stones for a long time, further and further into the canyon. It gets narrower and narrower at the back and the last spot is only 5 meters wide. Suddenly rocks and stones fall down from above into the canyon. It makes a tremendous noise. Aha! We quickly retreat. We don't feel comfortable. On the way back, we meet a nice German couple who are still young at heart from Lüneburg Heath. They have been here before and turned back... because of these falling rocks. Later, those two (Wolfgang and Siggi) invite us for coffee. A nice afternoon chat in the motorhome with interesting facts about Norway (those two are old Scandinavia enthusiasts). Thanks for that Wolfgang and Siggi. Have a nice vacation.

We want to visit the Reisa National Park. (Again, nothing). Long journey on gravel road. And then only tours for 2, 3 or more days. Not for us. And just walking around in a 700 km2 forest area... not a good idea either. I have to say in praise that the Norwegians have built a small village with wooden huts in that little forest. Even a sauna was included. Kitchen, living and sleeping areas, barbecue areas... everything a long-term hiker desires. And all free to use. Not bad. We continue north and urgently need to go shopping. Wow. That's no fun in Norway. We go from gasping to fainting. 4.50 for a small deformed cauliflower. Sausage, cheese, sweets... unaffordable. Chips 4 euros. I can't believe it. Sweden was already expensive (about 30% more expensive than at home)... but Norway tops it all. At least twice as expensive as at home. So for the next few weeks, it's still budget food. Basic groceries and simple meals. - It must be said that nothing can be grown up here. No agriculture is possible, no livestock farming (except for reindeer and sheep). So everything except fish is imported (and even that is incredibly expensive).

We continue north. We're almost at the top. The landscape keeps changing. Everything is green down in the fjord by the sea, a few minutes later, when we drive up the switchbacks, we're already above the tree line again. Only a few sparse birch trees are fighting for survival. The views from above are breathtaking. You can see the fjords for miles and miles. Endless islands in the sea can be seen. It's late in the evening, the sun is high in the sky and the sea is sparkling. A picture-postcard view. We now continue driving at night. The roads are empty (the Norwegians drive like crazy), and it's still bright. We relaxingly cruise along the fjords, chill music is playing (thank you, Klaus :)) and we can't stop being amazed and looking out. Personally, I could do this forever. It's definitely better than watching TV. What a landscape. The houses become fewer.

We enter the mountains. Hammerfest, the northernmost city in the world (only a small village in Alaska competes for the title) is our destination. We drive through Sami territory. Hundreds of reindeer line our way. It's calving season. Countless baby reindeer are jumping around. The last Sami still live on the reindeer (what else can you do up here?). Nothing grows this far north. Moss, lichens, rocks, lakes, waterfalls, rivers, and reindeer. Nice to look at... but there's nothing else up here. The polar sun shines with incredible intensity from the sky. (and it's still high at 11 p.m.). Hammerfest presents itself as a nice little fishing village with a large harbor. Unfortunately, a Hurtigruten postal ship is just docking and spits out hundreds of tourists armed with cameras (just like us). There are also countless motorhomes. We have landed in a tourist magnet. Nevertheless, we stroll through the town. The colorful houses are nice to look at. There's also a lot going on in the harbor. Countless large ships stand around or wait outside on the open sea. We notice that there are a lot of disabled people here and wonder why that is? Do expectant mothers not get enough light in winter, or do they not get enough vitamins because fruit and vegetables are unaffordable? We don't know and agree on both!! We also notice that there are a lot of refugees here. Dark-skinned people, people with turbans, women with veils... all nationalities are here. We wonder again: Huh? Really? What are they doing here? In the middle of nowhere where it's almost always winter. They must have been shocked when they realized where they ended up. What are they going to do here at the end of the world? How are they going to settle in here? It remains a mystery to us. After 2 hours, we've had enough. We feel drawn back and continue driving to Forsol.

A little fishing village without tourists - exactly what we're looking for. The water here is turquoise like in the Caribbean. The sun is shining and doesn't set anymore. We have almost 20 degrees at the northernmost tip of Europe. What more could you want. We'll stay here for a few days before we continue. The North Cape is only 100 km away. We park on a huge gravel lot behind the harbor, all the way down on the left with a view of the bay. In the evening, motorhomes arrive. The first (German) motorhome stops at a friendly distance and parks. The next motorhome (a German retired couple) actually manages to squeeze right behind us (there would be room for 50 motorhomes on this spot!!). We are so taken aback and think it's a joke at first. But then we realize, no, they really want to stay here. Kilian quickly jumps into our bus, turns on the music and turns it up loud. That should scare them away. But they don't even notice because they don't even get out of the car at this fantastic place. Can you believe it? They come here, harass us to the extreme, and don't even get out of the car. Unbelievable. The good man actually sat on his driver's seat for 8 hours and stared out into the midnight sun. The next morning, they leave without even once setting foot outside the car. The main thing is that they drove us crazy with their proximity. They'll probably go home at some point and brag: we were in northern Norway... it was amazing!! UNBELIEVABLE!

Midsummer: The polar sun circles above us and doesn't even come close to the horizon, it just stays high up. The next day, in the evening, the whole village suddenly drives past us with their children to the back, to another turquoise dream beach. We're curious and walk to the back as well. We can hardly believe our eyes. At a cool 13 degrees in the evening and a water temperature of 10°, they drove their children to go swimming and had a little celebration back there. Having a celebration - no problem - but swimming? Really? The Arctic Sea is... cold. Hats off. The children jump into the sea side by side with great cheers from the cliff. We stand there dumbfounded wearing hats and sweaters! The people up here take full advantage of the short summer and are not as soft as we are... what? Lake Constance doesn't even have 18 degrees yet... I will never go swimming! We enjoy the midnight sun together with other holidaymakers who have come here. No one goes to sleep. Everyone is sitting by the great bay armed with sunglasses, cameras, and red wine, enjoying the spectacle. Towards midnight, the light changes dramatically. Everything is somehow bathed in orange-yellow... beautiful. We climb up to a nearby mountain. Up to the summit cross. Up there we have an incredible view of the Polar Sea. The polar nights are like a dreamland.

THE NORTH CAPE The next day, we're off. The final stage to the North Cape. We drive past fjords through small fishing villages. And then suddenly around a bend, we have a really clear view of the open sea for the first time. The Arctic Sea lies in front of us. Touching. Behind it, there's only the North Pole (just 2000 km away). Hundreds of motorhomes pass us. The returnees from the North Cape. Everyone raises their little waving hand and waves to us. Really? Is that how you do it as a North Cape visitor? Like the motorcyclists? I don't know... we decide to ignore it. You just can't keep waving. Norway is overcrowded with motorhomes. It scares me a bit, what awaits us at the North Cape. Mass tourism at its finest? We don't like that at all. At some point, on the last 100 km, the North Cape Tunnel comes. It's something else. It leads under the seabed, over 6.7 km deep at a depth of 212m. We drive in and the road plunges 10% downhill. Our ears start to pop. It's creepy to know that we are now 212 meters below the sea. At some point, of course, we have to go back up those 10%. Our Knut puffs and gives it his all. But we can't go faster than 30 km/h. Just don't look in the rearview mirror. The people behind us must curse us. But that also passes, and the last 25 km are ahead. The landscape is AMAZING!! I can't close my mouth from all the amazement. Mountain landscapes along the fjord. Thousands of reindeer graze on the slopes. Great mountain rocks. In between, turquoise beaches. Sometimes, the road is right next to the edge, steeply down. Exciting. But then, behind a curve, it happens: a white wall welcomes us, we are soon right in the middle. Oh no, not again!! The famous North Cape fog. And we're right in the middle of it. We have to go at walking pace. You can't see your hand in front of your face. No more looking at the landscape, just making sure we don't drive off the road and fall into some ravine. When we finally get to the top: the same picture. The Cape is completely in fog. We quickly pay the 60 euros admission fee (yes, you heard that right - 60 euros to look at a rock - admittedly the northernmost one). Then we are allowed to stay up there for 24 hours. We can't find the parking lot. And luckily we also don't see the hundreds of motorhomes that are there and probably 50 tour buses. Then it starts. Where is the globe? Ah, found it. There's just enough room to take a picture where you can see it. It's a shame. We are 300m above the Arctic Sea and only see a white wall. Thousands of people are here. Motorhome drivers, tour buses from the Hurtigruten, people arrive here by bike, one person comes here with a tractor and a caravan hitched to it (that's Siggi from Sost), and people even walk here on foot (can you believe it). Wow. We have an outside temperature of 6 degrees and dense fog. We are so grateful for our bus where a warm bed is waiting for us later. We stroll through the North Cape building. There's a lot to see indoors as well. Bars, a restaurant (unaffordable), a light show, souvenir shops, a museum, a small chapel, and a cinema. And we go into the cinema. Apparently a 20-minute film about the seasons at the North Cape is shown here (of course, there's always sunshine on the Cape in the film). The cinema is packed (with Germans!!). Some start taking out their cameras to take pictures of the Cape in the sun. Suddenly, a woman behind us screeches: Stop it!! That's forbidden!! I feel disturbed!! Can you believe it? The film hasn't even started yet. Typical grumpy Germans! Since my mood (I have to admit it) is not the best either, I wanted to get up and yell loudly at the back that we are not in Germany where everyone complains about everything. A nudging from Kilian prevented me from doing so. And we saw a great film about what it could look like here (!!). We write some postcards and go to bed. The same miserable sight the next morning. My mood is better again. Oh well. Nevertheless, we WERE at the North Cape. (even if we didn't really see it)... and we have taken the most expensive picture in the world. Us and the globe. Yes, we did it!! We start the descent. Today, it's also stormy because of the fog. Yes, that's something to look forward to: driving on narrow mountain roads without guardrails, with the abyss on the side and oncoming traffic of thousands of motorhomes and tour buses, with a visibility estimated at 2 meters and a great side wind. But there's no other way. We have to get down there. Kilian starts Knut and it sounds terrible. Adrenaline rushes through both of us. Oh god. Please no breakdown at the Cape. It sounds like he choked. But then it starts... it purrs and we start our return trip. It wasn't as bad as feared. Of course, the North Cape Tunnel was the same game again. Going down - deep into the abyss and back up and out at a solid 30 km/h. And again, motorhomes are coming towards us. What? Are they waving at us too? Dear people, you haven't been up there yet. Why is everyone waving here? We should get ourselves a plastic clapping hand. Despite our motto: We want to travel through Europe in a friendly and courageous (as Cinderella already said) way. But my friendliness has its limits. On the way back, we meet a Swiss from Graubünden in a shop. He set off from Graubünden with his backpack 4 months ago and walked to the North Cape via Denmark and Sweden!!! Yes, really!! And now he is walking to Finland and then to the Baltic States and then back home to Graubünden!! And we thought we were leaving our comfort zone...

We visit Trollholmen. A headland made of crumbly dolomite rock that has been shaped into grotesque figures over the centuries. The average ordinary German may say: yeah yeah, those are just stones. Yes, exactly. But we say: we found them. The trolls from Norway. And also incredibly clear turquoise bays. The water is so clear, you can see the bottom everywhere. Amazing. Kilian rushes to get the fishing rod from the bus. There must be a fish to catch here. I'm curious.

The next morning: we didn't catch ANY fish yesterday... we think long about how to proceed on our journey. The North Cape is done. Norway is very expensive. On the other hand, northern Norway is really amazing in terms of landscape. Should we stay a little longer and continue driving? Should we go down towards Finland? Questions upon questions. It's not warm in northern Norway either. After careful consideration, we decide to head towards Finland. Europe is still big... there is still much to see.

Conclusion Norway: We had a rough start here in Norway. In the meantime, we are completely thrilled with the landscape. The high mountains, the deep green fjords, the thousands of reindeer, the many sheep, the rivers, lakes, and waterfalls, rocks, lichens, and moss have completely captivated us. Norway is worth a trip.