To the end of Europe!

After having the best weather most of the time on the Lofoten Islands, we are now accompanied by a few rainy days after our departure. It's a shame, but the weather forecast predicted it.

Now we're heading to Senja. The island of Senja is said to be the "secret Lofoten", less touristy but equally beautiful. Beautiful is without a doubt! We can confirm that it's less touristy. But what we have seen can never replace the Lofoten Islands! Of course, it's important to note that we probably haven't done justice to Senja due to our short visit.

We travel by land, take the bridge at Finnsnes, then the main road 86, pass by the edge of the Ånderdalen National Park - once again, it's astonishing how different the nature is in Norway. Our first stop is in Hamn i Senja. From there, we wind our way along the coastal road from beach to viewpoint to beach, and spend a night at Erstfjordstranda, from where you can see the famous Devil's Teeth, or you could if they weren't so clouded. In the evening, the sky clears up a little and we almost get to enjoy a sunset.

Since the weather on Senja is not expected to improve in the next few days, we decide to make use of the bad weather and leave Senja again. A short visit, but still beautiful and impressive, like everything in Norway!

We also skip Tromsø due to the poor weather forecast, we were not in the mood for a city tour in the rain.

So we managed to go a good distance further north and land in a remote place near Rotsund, which turns out to be a former bunker site used by German troops during World War II. It's located on a peninsula with a strategically good view of the fjord, much of it is still well-preserved and partly accessible - really exciting, but also eerie to stand in such a bunker.

We continue driving, always heading north, marveling at how the nature around us keeps changing, and shortly before Alta we arrive at a seemingly unspectacular large gravel area. The weather is favorable and Jannis had read that it's a good fishing spot, so we give it a try. And - well, luck didn't really have much to do with it. It was full of fish! We caught one with almost every other cast. My first fish on the line! Exciting! While fishing, we are accompanied by porpoises again and again. Wow - life is treating us well! After catching 2 fish each, we decide to stop. Our freezer is simply too small! Gutting and filleting the fish without a proper knife is definitely a challenge, but it worked more or less. Delicious!

As we pass Alta, the flora and fauna change quite rapidly. The density of reindeer increases and everything becomes a bit more barren. At times, it reminds us more of a savannah in Africa. Then, there is nothing but vast open spaces and rocks, no bushes or trees anymore. What used to be sheep on the roadside are now reindeer. Once again, we can't stop marveling at the landscape surrounding us.

And then we arrive just in time for sunset at the North Cape! With icy wind, we join many other tourists in observing the sunset. Among them, noticeably many Germans, of course all in the front row with their motorhomes - they had reserved their spots in the morning!

Jannis and I treat ourselves to a gin, toast to the northernmost point of our journey, the northernmost point of Europe, and thus the midpoint of our first travel stage! Until we go to bed, we realize that we could already go outside again for the sunrise, but tiredness prevails and we can only imagine it from bed. We start the morning relaxed, spend the rest of the morning in the far north, and from there on our journey will only take us south. Finland is not far now, but we are not ready to leave Norway yet.

So we find another spot by the sea, with a magnificent view and an old wreck of a boat in front of us in the water. In the evening, we make a fire and once again enjoy the company of porpoises. The next day, we're supposed to cross over to Finland. When I open the door of the Sprinter in the morning, the first thing I hear is the exhaling of a whale, but this time somehow louder than we are used to from the small porpoises. Shortly after, I hear the noise again and see the corresponding animal. Definitely not a porpoise. It is significantly larger. Unfortunately, we don't have binoculars, a drone, or a telephoto lens with us. So all we can do is marvel from the shore. We don't find out exactly which whale it is. But it was big! Incredible!

And so we start our last day in Norway - or so we thought. Because the good weather keeps us in place for a while longer. We enjoy our warmest day in Norway, lounging in the sun. And so, we decide to stay for another night in the early evening. During our walk, we collect firewood for the campfire with stick bread in the evening and blueberries for pancake breakfast the next morning - delightful!

The next day, we explore the area a bit, take a look at troll rock formations (using lots of imagination), and slowly make our way toward the Finnish border. Shortly before, we are stopped by a firefighter. Accident - the road will be closed for the next 2-3 hours. We turn around, drive to a river, walk along the riverbed for a while, and observe fly fishermen. They should give us one of their salmon! Of course, they don't. What a shame!

After 2.5 hours, we continue our journey and quickly realize that the road is still not open. We now have to wait for another 2 hours. Wonderful to be stuck in a traffic jam with your "home"! During the wait, you can take a nap in bed. Eventually, we can continue and once again, the nature changes quickly. Where there were mountains and hills before, it gradually becomes flat and wooded - apparently we are getting closer to Finland. And that's correct. The border officials seem to have already finished work, we cross without any controls.

Goodbye, Norway! And we mean it!

For those who remember, in the first report about Norway, we mentioned that "Wow" is probably the most commonly used expression in Norway. And our "Wows" really accompany us throughout the whole country! From Trondheim, to the Lofoten Islands, to the North Cape, to the Finnish border! The nature impresses us at every corner!

We will definitely come back at some point!