Narvik - Áhkanjárga

Yesterday I arrived safely in Narvik after a relaxing drive along the E6 with ferry crossings, bridges and tunnels.

I learn something new every day on the trip. So also this time, about the place Narvik. At least as far as his last 130 years are concerned. The Battle of Ofotfjørd in the spring of 1940 is still important here, certainly for tourist destinations.

But first I took care of my laundry and my packing system. After 6 weeks and approx. 8000 km of intensive use, one of the pack sacks dared to get too close to the exhaust pipe on the last ride and melted into it.

Love? Oh well.

I dismantled everything, cut it out, broke it (my father would say) and for the onward journey I have to think about where to put the folding chair that was in the now useless bag. Maybe I'll give it to my current landlady. Parcel home becomes too expensive, so customs hits again.

Today I took a ride on the Ofoten train in the direction of the border station. Information about the sights during the journey can be obtained via an app. The ride was wonderful, climbing steadily over a 120-year-old railway line. The same route is used for trains carrying iron ore from Kiruna (Sweden). Fully loaded and well braked, around 50 trailers with ore, 2 locomotives in the front and another one in the rear, arrive in the port of Narvik. It's a little easier going back to the mountains, but only in terms of weight.

My ticket also included a self-guided 11km hike back to one of the stations on the route, and the return journey the rest of the distance.

So I walked a piece of Norway today. The path is called Rallarveien. Rallar comes from Swedish and is a term for migrant workers. The 11km route can be walked wonderfully without luggage. However, I have great respect for those who transported the material and laid the route, including tunnels and bridges, about 130 years ago. The path is very well signposted and you will find many references to the old places and events from that bygone era.

Back in Narvik, the second evening of the Haikjeften Festival awaits me. Sometimes rock, sometimes blues, now and then really nice pieces of music, buzz through the streets and blow in the mountains around Narvik.