All tire dealers in Tromsø meet. „Hey, did that German guy come to you too?” – „Yeah, I sent him your way. Hahaha.”
This is how it might have gone. In any case, we now know every tire dealer and almost every car workshop in Tromsø. One mechanic just dryly remarked: „If you want good roads, drive to Sweden. The ones in
Norway eat tires.”
The alignment is still not set, and our right tire continues to wear down, but we won’t let that stop us. A short walk through Tromsø, coffee, and a bit of shopping are completely sufficient for us – finding a parking space here is an adventure in itself, the people seem rather unfriendly, and overall, it’s not quite our day.
Luckily, we then move on to a small, lovely little island: Sommerøy. You reach the island via a winding bridge that is single-lane and controlled by a traffic light. From up there, a wide view over small neighboring islands and lighthouses unfolds. The camp we find is just okay, but since Mehamn, we really haven’t discovered any true highlights in terms of camping. No matter – we cook a delicious dinner and afterwards go on a little exploration.
Later, when we’re already in bed, suddenly an aurora alert pops up for me. So we hurry into warm clothes, grab the camera and tripod, and head to the dike. An hour later, it’s worth it for Frank to leave the warm bed too. And indeed – we get to see a few green veils in the sky. The next morning, however, we laugh at the photos of other aurora hunters online: We must have gone back to sleep just a few minutes too early, just before the big spectacle.
Breakfast today is a cozy affair in the car at the ferry terminal before we head over to Senja. Barely arrived on the island, we take the winding roads and dark tunnels toward Skaland. There, the Sommardalen plateau awaits us – a segment of the trail to Husfjellet, the local “house mountain.” The view from up there is already impressive enough and perfect for a relaxed afternoon hike.
Back down, we treat ourselves to well-deserved ice cream from the supermarket and allow the evening to end around the campfire.
We stay here for another day – just reading, lounging, letting our souls unwind, and even calling friends.
When All the Tire Dealers in Tromsø Have a Laugh
“Hey, did that German guy come to you too?” – “Yeah, I sent him your way. Hahaha.”That’s pretty much how it must have gone. By now, we’ve met every tire dealer and almost every mechanic in Tromsø. One of them just shrugged and said: “If you want good roads, drive to Sweden. Norwegian roads eat tires.”
The alignment still isn’t fixed, and our right tire keeps wearing down, but we don’t let that stop us. A short stroll through Tromsø, coffee, and a bit of shopping are enough – finding a parking spot feels like an adventure in itself, the people seem unfriendly, and honestly, it’s just not our day.
Luckily, things turn around as we head to a small but beautiful island: Sommerøy. To reach it, you cross a sweeping bridge that’s one-lane only, controlled by a traffic light. From the top, there’s already a wonderful view of little islands and lighthouses scattered across the water. The campground we find isn’t the best, but since Mehamn we haven’t come across any true gems anyway. No matter – we cook a delicious dinner and head out for a short walk.
Later that night, just as we’re tucked into bed, I get an aurora alert. So we bundle up, grab the camera and tripod, and head to the dike. An hour later, it’s worth it for Frank to crawl out of bed too. And yes – we get to see the northern lights! Only faint green streaks, but still magical. The next morning we laugh when we see photos from other aurora hunters: apparently we went back to bed just minutes before the big show.
Breakfast is a cozy affair in the van at the ferry terminal, before we head across to the island of Senja. From there, we take winding roads and spooky tunnels toward Skaland. Our goal: the Sommardalen plateau – part of the trail up to Husfjellet, the local “house mountain.” Even from there, the views are stunning and just right for a relaxed afternoon hike.
Back down, we treat ourselves to ice cream from the supermarket and later enjoy a campfire to end the day.
We stay another day – simply reading, lazing around, and letting our souls rest.
