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Norway 2007: The Coast Route |
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Tuesday 12th June: Nesna - Skogmo (110 km) |
Norwegian food is simple but it is good.
On this trip we always cooked our own meals (there are few restaurants in the remote places where we travelled).
The wonderful wholemeal and rye breads formed the main part of our breakfasts and lunches.
We ate Jarlsberg cheese, liver paste and the best raspberry jam that we have ever tasted.
Our favourite cycling snack was Lefse, a delicious pancake laden with calories.
Our evening meals usually consisted of soup (betasuppe - a vegetable and meat soup) followed by a main course of pasta or potatoes with cabbage and fish. To finish the meal we had berry yoghurt and oranges.
At Sandnessjøen we bought fresh vanilla custard buns (skølebrød - 'school bread'), the best ones that we ate on this trip.
The elegant bridge at Sandnessjøen
Looking south towards Sandnessjøen from the bridge
On the ferry between Tjøtta and Forvik
Karen's diary:
It was cold and windy outside this morning, and cold inside the hut, too. Some of our clothes were still wet. However, the clouds were breaking apart and the wind was in our favour. We rode straight onto the 7.15 ferry from Nesna to Levang (25 minutes) and then we had five hours to cover the 71km to Tjøtta for the next ferry. There is a hill to climb straight from the ferry, so we warmed up pretty soon. Little rainstorms blew across the sky for the rest of the day but we didn't get caught.
It was very fine cycling on a quiet road. There are rounded, slabby headlands and mountains all around us; it looks like a good place for rock-climbing. We have to watch for livestock and cattle-grids. The town of Sandnessjøen is approached by a stunning suspension bridge, too big to photograph. The bridge comes down onto a long causeway, built far out into the fjord. It is a marvel of engineering. At Sandnessjøen we stopped for a snack; we have become very fond of custard buns with coconut! Between Sandnessjøen and Tjøtta lie the Seven Sisters, a row of seven rocky mountains. As we rode along them, admiring the rock-climbing potential, the next rain-cloud was blowing up behind us. As we sat on the ferry, watching the scenery, the seven sisters were having a cold shower!
It was a 45 minute voyage to Forvik, where lovely golden headlands bathed in a blue sea. From Forvik we had 70 minutes to cover the 18km to the next ferry at Anndalsvågen, and we made it easily with a roaring tailwind all the way. The voyage to Horn takes 20 minutes. The Germans have been chasing us all day. They are nice, friendly people. They are so alike, we think they might be brothers. They are going to a place called Torghatten (a round, rocky island with a mysterious 'hole' tunnelled through it), but we are going elsewhere as Torghatten is too far out of our way. We passed more cyclists today, all riding north into a strong headwind. We are staying at Skogmo, at a nice campground. Our tent and some of our clothes are still wet so we have rented a hut; it looks like a laundry with all the clothes hanging up. The hut is spacious, a bit spartan, but much warmer than the one at Nesna. It has been a good, easy day. The German boys have turned up again. It was raining at Torghatten so they came here instead.