Having promised the kids that they could have one last go on the pedalo if they got up early enough, we shouldn't have been surprised when Lowenna was hustling us out of bed before 9am on a Sunday... Using it as bribery to get them up, dressed and packed was useful though, as was having them out of the chalet while we cleaned it.
The journey from Olden to Farstad was quite straightforward, we pitched up for both ferries just at the right time, and the declining weather meant less photo stops than we had on previous journeys, although the scenery was still spectacular.
We arrived at our Airbnb, our first house share, at around 4pm, met our host and followed the recommendation to head to the beach across the road. It was deserted, with clear calm seas (a sheltered cove) and somehow similar but different to the beaches in Cornwall.
We had a simple dinner of pasta, sauce, sweetcorn and tuna (again!) then retired upstairs to our room. The sea air must have got to me, because shortly after lying down to read a book, I fell fast asleep, only to wake a few hours later when it was actually bedtime. Apparently 24 hour daylight isn't affecting us too much because we slept soundly until the following morning despite the brightness of the room! The views from the house were amazing - on one side the sea and on the other a tree covered mountain.
In the morning we left early (ish!) after breakfast to head for the reason we came to this area, the Atlantic Ocean Road. This is a series of bridges and scenic roads leading through islands just off the mainland, although the official route doesn't seem to actually go anywhere - in fact Google maps kept telling us to head over the main bridge and head back again.
Ignoring this probably sane advice, we decided to take a loopy route around the islands, including a few extra loops just for interest value. In general these paid off, and we saw an impressive monument on a cliff at what seemed like the edge of the world, and a deer in a field in another random wander. Sometimes the routes were functional rather than scenic though, although the islands seem remote they're actually well connected and some parts feel quite built up.
We visited a Norwegian supermarket, and by careful shopping, we managed to keep the total quite reasonable. We did splurge on a Troika bar though (about £1.80 and a similar size to a Mars bar) but it was absolutely worth it! Otherwise we stuck with smoked salmon, cheap main meals (including salted lamb which I'll have to stew tomorrow!) and the cheapest snacks we could find. We're still drinking beer and eating breakfast using stuff we bought in Germany.
We went though the Atlantic tunnel, a 5km stretch that goes under the Atlantic, impressively deep. Then through a series of tunnels and bridges we found ourselves back on the main road to Trondheim, a scenic route along and across fjords. Yes, after yesterday's two ferries we'd promised Felix no more for a while, but we hadn't noticed the one on our route today. Thankfully Felix is becoming a pro at this now and even said later that it was the most exciting part of the journey!
We've been keeping an eye out for wildlife along the way both in Sweden and Norway, hoping maybe to see moose (check), deer (check), bears, wolves or lemmings (not yet), but one thing at didn't count on seeing were ostriches. We've seen four now, in two groups of two, to all intents and purposes looking like they were wild and free, no idea what's going on there!
We arrived at our destination about 4.30pm, ready for me to start work and the kids to have the first 'formal' schooling they've had for two weeks. We're in an old house, full of character, and the area in general is a contrast to where we've been - cooler, about 12 degrees, and with less dramatic but very leafy scenery. There may not be too much to see here, but we're ready for a relaxing few days, so really not a problem!
Published on Monday 11 June 2018
Comments