From Sweden to Norway

Östersund

Due to the weather forecast for Norway, we spontaneously drove to Östersund after a nice stay in Lofsdalen. The plan was to stay there for one night, but we ended up staying for 4 nights because we had good weather and felt comfortable there.

We could relax, had plenty of space, and there was a playroom next to the kitchen in the service building. Perfect for Henry! There was a water park next to the campsite, which we visited twice. Henry tested his swim ring. It took him a while to trust the water play aid, but now he's a big fan!

We met many nice people from Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and Germany. We also had WiFi and could do some research for our onward journey. On the day of departure, we quickly restocked our supplies and headed to Norway, despite the continued bad weather forecast.

Crossing to Norway

We followed the E14 westward, over a mountain pass to Norway. Just before the border, I turned onto the 322. A beautiful country road. Hardly any traffic and a great view. Unfortunately, I had to enjoy it alone, as all my fellow travelers were fast asleep.

There was still snow on the mountain tops, and the descent to Norway along a river was fantastic.

When the rest of the gang woke up, we took a break in Levanger. Parked quickly by the river, set up the cooker, and had pasta for lunch. We continued our journey and made a stop in Steinkjel. We spotted a shopping center! Our son needed shoes. We had been looking for a while but hadn't found the right ones yet. It's not so easy to buy shoes for someone else, especially when they've never worn them before and can't say where they hurt. This time we were lucky and found suitable shoes that we could agree on.

After that, we unfortunately drove for far too long and subjected ourselves to unnecessary stress! I really wanted to park freely, but there was no opportunity. Everyone was irritable and in a bad mood. Fortunately, we accidentally ended up in Selnes. As it turned out, it was a campsite run by German expats who moved to Norway 15 years ago. We were warmly welcomed and after a quick dinner, we were all ready for bed. We only wanted to stay for one night.

The landscape and the people there were really nice. So we extended our stay for another night and went on a small mountain hike during the day. From the highest point, we had a great view of the fjord and the islands in it.

Back on neutral ground, Henry was able to test his new shoes and walk a few meters. He had already won the hearts of the fishing enthusiasts, their female companions, and the campsite owners.

The weather in the next 14 days was supposed to be miserable on the Norwegian coast. Annika and I started to doubt our route. Some of the clothes were already wet and not drying properly. Our child could only get limited exercise in bad weather, and I am more of a fan of sun than rain. After thinking it over, we decided to stick to our plan. We really want to go to the Lofoten Islands, and the outlook there is not so bad. So we will drive the route a bit faster until then, and everything will be fine.

Unfortunately, we had to decline the invitation to the Midsummer festival and miss out on the great buffet with fresh fish.

Continuing the journey north.

We set off in the morning. Quickly got a cap for the water tank, because we had lost the old one in Östersund.

We followed the Route 17 northward, passing the first fjord. This landscape is simply breathtaking. Jagged cliffs, vegetation on the steep slopes, and countless waterfalls pouring rain and meltwater into the fjords. This is what we were looking forward to in Norway. It's nice to see that it's even more magnificent in reality than we imagined!

The next overnight stop was planned in Holm. When we arrived, we saw the ferry in the harbor and spontaneously decided to take it over to Vennesund. We had originally planned to do that the next day, but it was meant to be.

And that's how we accidentally passed the second parking spot. But then we ended up at the Bjørnvika Nature Center.

A nice little camp for fishing enthusiasts. They go out with their boats from here, 40km out to catch the big fish: "everything under 80cm is thrown back". And it seems they catch quite a few!

Currently, there are mainly Germans here. They are celebrating Midsummer. The weather changes every half hour, which creates really beautiful colors in the sky and on the water, including two magnificent rainbows. According to the fishermen, the wind strength is 10. The waves off the coast are supposed to be 4m high, so all the anglers are sitting inside and drinking beer. We get some tips and think about where to go tomorrow.

Ole

Fun fact:

The rowing boat "Sleipnir" was washed ashore at the last spot.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-47524246