Norway '24.

Have a go on the lutefisk and Aquavit while you’re there. You’ll need the Aquavit to kill the taste

Now that throws me chills from the past... lutefisk is used to be a traditional Christmas treat here in Finland. No Aquavit served, unfortunately.
 
View attachment 240582Hi @ksm1701… The Drum was very good tbh, VERY convenient for the Shuttle… although the Pub and facilities could do with a bit of money spent on them they were perfectly acceptable. The bar maid was rushed off her feet as is was quite busy even for a Wednesday night bu t the food was superb when it arrived.. would definitely use again. View attachment 240579View attachment 240580
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Thanks for that. Looks and sounds like it's just the place for a pre-Shuttle stay :thumbsup:
 
Now that throws me chills from the past... lutefisk is used to be a traditional Christmas treat here in Finland. No Aquavit served, unfortunately.
I keep a bottle at home, never drink it, just use it on ‘guests’ that need to go home sooner rather than later. Works a treat.
 
Looks like you are having a fantastic time . Your advice is fantastic and we can't wait to do our trip in August. We are watching every post with baited breath. Enjoy :thumbsup:
 
In Bodo yesterday, nothing exciting there but we delayed heading south on the epic Atlantic highway as the weather was absolutely s***e!… so killed some time there treating ourselves:whistle:…lovely coffee and a cinnamon bun £8 pp… and then an amazing noodle bar in the evening and a main meal for £13 ea….not too bad me thinks.:p

Now heading off down the highway! Pics to follow, suns out!, :cool:

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IMG_1964.jpegIMG_1870.jpegSet off from near Bodo yesterday, with much better weather, on our southbound journey down the Atlantic road towards Trondheim and the drive is epic!! Around every corner is another stunning vista that you just want to stop, take it all in for a bit and snap a few pics…simply stunning!
We’ve done two of the many ferry crossings with none of them pre booked ( not sure if you can tbh) when we arrived at the first we literally just drove on, the guy scanned our Bizz and all done, simple as. I get the feeling it’s first come first served.
Sun is out again today and the temperature is rising as we are heading south. It’s been highs of 7-8 daytime but yesterday was a high of 20 and no need for a blast on the heater this morning. :cool: IMG_1866.jpeg





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IMG_2036.jpegIMG_2047.jpegIMG_2050.jpegIMG_2053.jpegIMG_2067.jpegIMG_0036.pngIMG_2033.jpegArrived in Trondhiem today with clear blue skies and 22deg….bit of a change from above the arctic circle….seems the weather changes at the circle!!! :p:cool:
Here for two nights in an AirB&B as it’s our 30th Anniversary and MrsRT insisted on a few luxuries! :whistle:
The rugged snow covered mountains and peaks in the north gradually gave way to more green mountains/hills pine forests and pastures/agriculture land and a feeling spring had sprung, with higher temperatures and more reliable sun-sssshine ! Some of the driving seemed like it could be in The Rockies, although I’ve not been there.
There are speed cameras in both countries, the ones in Sweden a bit more obvious and they are signposted….the long single carriage way which alternates between single and dual after Gavle in Sweden has one in every settlement you go through! Beware.
Generally the roads here and en route through Sweden have been excellent compared to uk, a few small potholes! Very clean and tidy generally and the toilet facilities in both countries have been very good and well spaced along the roads. Both countries have daily cleaning regimes to make sure all is clean and re-stocked…even the rural ‘long drop’ loos…..MrsRT coming back only once to say ‘I’m NOT using those’!!!
Most have discharge points too, all free and most are well signposted. (We found the loos through Europe to be excellent too but most had to be paid for contactless,.73p.
We found fuel around £1.35 ltr in Sweden and around £1.50ltr here in Norway but that has crept up since being here.
Some had drinking water, not all ,but all the fuel stations had a free to use tap somewhere but you may need to ask for a square key (about 6mm) to operate. Air for tyres is free. Very few take cash, although supermarkets and shops do…larger shops close on Sundays.
Some of the larger fuel stations allow you to park up overnight for a small fee ,which we did in Bodo ,as there were limited options around the town/coast. (200 nok (£15) parking, shower, washing machine and tumble drier 40 nok ea)
Have not seen any mozzies to date.
We’ve paid for only one campsite on Lofoten so far, which was a fantastic location, all the rest have been picnic/rest areas…they do vary in ‘quality’! ( location, noise etc) but generally all are clean with a few exceptions.
Re-filling underslung gas is not well advertised and only today as we were passing through Steinkjer did we see an ‘lpg’ sign so we topped up which was straightforward with our selection of adapters we brought with us, again all automated and cost us £3.50 (.95p ltr.)
From here we continue heading south towards the mountains and fjords hoping it will stay sunny for a while yet! :cool:






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Fantastic guys, following eagerly and learning so much in preparation for August. Just out of interest what bizz tag did you get, the normal one or the Norway one?
 
Fantastic guys, following eagerly and learning so much in preparation for August. Just out of interest what bizz tag did you get, the normal one or the Norway one?
I got the Oresundgo Bizz tag which covers all of Scandinavia so covers the ferries from Denmark to Sweden.
 
IMG_2366.jpegIMG_2344.jpegIMG_2261.jpegIMG_2222.jpegBeen gradually heading south via tunnels and ferries with varied weather…lashed it down last night and now settling down to a drier warmer spell! :cool:
The Atlantic Road was a superbb drive albeit quite short…had to be done though,and the drive further south the scenery started to change even more dramatically…simply blown away by Norway. There are some amazing overnight roadside stops along the way.
Travelled via Trollstigen but unfortunately it was still closed due to ice slide risk, probably opening end of the month. Explored the area though as far as the road would allow…a wacky campsite right at the base and some great walks from there.
Just been on the amazing Loen Skylift as recommended by @Bigsidavies ….weather cleared up perfectly for amazing views and also watched some base jumpers in action! :eek::eek::eek:
Heading to Geiranger tomorrow….weather looks pretty awesome for the next week but we have noticed on the BBC weather app it changes quicker than at home.


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Great pictures and adventure. We stayed at the hotel Alexandra in Loen, only a few hundred metres from the skylift. The views from the top are amazing with paragliders and base jumpers flying all day long in good weather, it must be quite a "rush" flying there.

The Norwegians have certainly got the hang of tunnelling, we went through one that went on for miles and miles and had laybys lit with blue lighting, very impressive.

Shame about Trollstigen being shut but its early in the year. The video link below is amazing and shows how much work goes on each year to open up the road for travelling.


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Near Loen on a still day.
 
Great pictures and adventure. We stayed at the hotel Alexandra in Loen, only a few hundred metres from the skylift. The views from the top are amazing with paragliders and base jumpers flying all day long in good weather, it must be quite a "rush" flying there.

The Norwegians have certainly got the hang of tunnelling, we went through one that went on for miles and miles and had laybys lit with blue lighting, very impressive.

Shame about Trollstigen being shut but its early in the year. The video link below is amazing and shows how much work goes on each year to open up the road for travelling.


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Near Loen on a still day.
That’s a great video thanks Curly. We are hoping to do the worlds longest tunnel on out way south.
 
IMG_2531.jpegIMG_2532.jpegIMG_2474.jpegIMG_2495.jpegIMG_2457.jpegIMG_2407.jpegOMG !! What an absolute stunning day we’ve had….sun out and warming up we headed back through Loen and up to Briksdal to trek up to the glacier there…magical!!
The Norwegian equivalent of Ornance Survey map app is their Hvor app….which is free and really useful if you are into your walking….just download the relevant area you are in..good detail.
Then on to the majestic Geiranger via the Dalsnibba pass which was incredible! For an extra £25 you can travel the extra 5k along the hairpin road up to the Geiranger skywalk viewpoint….amazing!!
The cruise ships in port slightly spoil the overall view but it gives you the sense of scale to it all. Then there’s the bus loads of cruise passengers coming up the mountains for the views but I guess that’s what we are all doing. You can certainly see why it is a UNESCO site.!!
Here for a few days exploring, staying in a cabin at Vinje Camping…highly recommended. There is camping nearer the fjord but it’s shaded from most of the afternoon onwards.



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Edit: Apologies cannot seem to get the pics in the correct order on a small screen! = age!,










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