Nordic travel plans August / September 2017

[CWH]

There's a heronery? heronry? just across the loch from the campsite at Edinbane.

This was what dragged me away from my previous post, just above the garden (sea eagle & buzzards)

 

[CWH]

Oh I think you have lots more between the ears than I have @DBK !

 

[DavidG58]

found a gem of a site for tonight, we have due north views for any chance (looking slim cloud wise) for the aurora which is still predicting very strong activity tonight

http://www.stromhaug.no/en

we have driven into and past some really grim sites this probably only gets 8/10 but is head and shoulders over others which I would struggle to give a 1 /10 and would advise totally against going, but not here, this is way up the list of get up here quick sites

right by the river, 100yds from Coop and nearly 1/2 mile off the E6 so Bev can stop saying 'I don't want to park next to the road again' she is a happy chicken tonight, some gin related (sorry Judith now into your bottle ) mostly contented

we are now about 15 miles north of Fauste, refuelled there, bizarrely J + M commented recently on how cheap fuel was there, just paid the highest price yet on our Norway visit in Fauste, 1.46 NK but made even worse by me using Shell V power so paid 1.53NK / litre, lets hope it improves my mpg

off to take some photos of an amazing geological feature I keep seeing and we have a nice one here, where the hill is one massive lump of smooth rock face

 

[CWH]

Best of luck with the aurora David, very much up there at the top of my bucket list

 

[DavidG58]

just had a stroll to other end of camp site, couple of pics of the view from our MH, mostly the rock 'mountain' other side of the river, I had been thinking we don't have anything like this in the UK, but then applied basic O level geography to realise that is why, this is so hard it didn't get crushed in the ice age, whereas the north sea in the middle was soft as pudding and vanished

the random shot of trees is just because it could be taken at home, silver birch, mountain ash and what we call railway weed, and we are 100 miles north of the arctic circle

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[DavidG58]

a couple of bits of nonsense

my beard update, I feel like I look very scruffy, today decided to shave / trim some of the whiskers on my cheeks to tidy up and create some more shape, trouble is with a razor in my hand I thought I was having a shave and over did one side Bev says you cant tell, but when being cruel she also says you can nearly see some beard growth. will give it another couple of days

we have a Mercedes based MH which gives us the luxury of doing oil level checks without lifting the bonnet, still need to remember to check the display though did so while parked up at arctic circle, display says 'add 1 litre oil' now I genuinely did think about buying some oil before we left, but didn't, neither did I check the level, in fact I cant recall when I last did (but Mertrux had it in February) only 5K miles ago

suddenly realised I don't even know what oil to put in, let alone where, so rang Mertrux, I am sure they were all laughing, but very helpful before I started the engine next day checked again, now wants 1.5 litres but even Mertrux said they put 9 litres in to give a big margin

So first stop yesterday buy oil, £20 litre that will teach me for not buying in UK, but TBH I have no idea what it would cost there and we have half a litre spare, reasonably confident I put it in the right place have at least washed windscreen and that wasn't oily

aurora update, excellent prospects, cloud update very heavy looking sky, hopefully come dark all the clouds will do one

just going dark here now but been a really wet grey day at times, but still some sun and still in shorts

 

[Jasz]

You may need a few G&T's if the sky doesn't clear too quickly

 

[DavidG58]

You may need a few G&T's if the sky doesn't clear too quickly

not looking good but still hoping

the eagle will do for today though, don't want to peak too early

got another 2 weeks up here yet

 

[Mousy]

Really enjoying your trip David, thanks so much for taking the time to write it x

 

[Debs]

not looking good but still hoping

the eagle will do for today though, don't want to peak too early

got another 2 weeks up here yet

Any news??? How long did you manage to stay awake for???

Happy 1st Day both btw x

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[funflair]

Come on David, just spent the last 20 minutes catching up on your travels and still no "aurora" good to see the shorts surviving though

Martin

 

[DavidG58]

morning all, sorry no aurora but still 16 nights before we head south and even the first few of those we will still be a long way north (must remember to turn and face north when parking on way home

Bev has just been over and paid for the site, we at staying another night, just because we like it and I did kind of promise a couple of 2 night stops in the trip at the outset, but the site owner says we are much too early in the year for aurora sightings, another tourist write up has lured us here early . I would imagine that cold frosty nights mean clear skies which may make the difference, in that they are easier to see

tonight will be our 14th night away and still on bottle one of the gas, 6 nights on site but still all coking and kettle boiling by gas, we have eaten in every night so far and we drink a lot of coffee Our Hymer must be pretty well insulated though, heating set at 15C overnight has only cut in twice so far even though typical morning temps are 8 - 9C but in sun still very pleasant during the day and often 15 - 16C, we are now 100 miles above the arctic circle so really much warmer than I expected

shorts (both pairs) in washing machine right now, so got trousers on, but no socks

edit - rate for 2 nights with electrics including 2 x washing machine tokens and 2 x drier tokens 600NK £60 not at all bad for a country with a high price reputation

 

[DavidG58]

Any news??? How long did you manage to stay awake for???

Happy 1st Day both btw x

morning Debbie

as above for aurora news

but as for staying up, 2 big issues, drank too much and too cold outside cant really see high enough from inside MH, but the site has a nice gazebo with seats / cushions, really should have put long trousers on though, stuck it out of an hour till midnight but about 75% cloud cover it was never looking good

I reckon I need to be on a cruise ship, behind glass, might be easier to stay awake

just checking on the happy 1st day, I presume you mean 1st Sept or have I missed something important (again)

taking Bev to Coop in a bit shopping

x

 

[CWH]

Such a shame about the aurora, I'm just re-reading Bill Bryson's Neither here nor there & he has a lovely description of a sighting. I guess that will have to do...

 

[Debs]

morning Debbie

as above for aurora news

but as for staying up, 2 big issues, drank too much and too cold outside cant really see high enough from inside MH, but the site has a nice gazebo with seats / cushions, really should have put long trousers on though, stuck it out of an hour till midnight but about 75% cloud cover it was never looking good

I reckon I need to be on a cruise ship, behind glass, might be easier to stay awake

just checking on the happy 1st day, I presume you mean 1st Sept or have I missed something important (again)

taking Bev to Coop in a bit shopping

x

I've talked about the cruise ship option with friends a few times tbh - I really hope you get to see them though Mr B says you are a bit early.

1st of Sept, yes, no, you haven't missed anything other than Neil awarding me an 'informative'

Enjoy the coop
X

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[DavidG58]

you haven't missed anything other than Neil awarding me an 'informative'

that might also have been me by mistake on the morning thread, but I did swap it for a 'useful'

 

[Scout]

Good morning David, Bev, lola Im enjoying your trip almost as much as you are, David your waisted doing wat ever you do you really should have a comady skeatch writer..............

 

[DavidG58]

Today has been the first on this rip where we haven't moved, combination of needed a rest, hopeful of aurora sighting from here and weather looking iffy, which in turn makes the aurora options doubtful

weather so iffy today I have had to concede and put jeans and socks on with proper shoes, took Bev out shopping, to Coop , all these shops are pretty much the same, really nothing inspiring to cook, but we still have loads of frozen fresh meat from our butchers left yet so still no issues. Might have to resort to Pizza's even if they are £100

A + R made contact last night, just as well they did they are coming over on the 4th not the 6th as I thought and they are arriving at the Narvik airport that isn't in Narvik, so some quick replanning as it is 80 miles further on, but very well placed for the Lofoten Isles

They are staying with us, or in a tent or maybe one of the 'cabins' that all camp sites seem to have, glorified sheds, but better than putting up a tent and priced around £60, not sure what they have inside, but not big enough for a lot

Tomorrow we are going here

https://www.campercontact.com/en/no...otorhome-parking-innhavet-bobilparkering.aspx

Norway is really well set up with aire type locations, not cheap but typically £20 inc electrics a lot of the time and some super locations

we have looked at a couple of town centre options and rejected them as they are often abused by what look to be long term caravans, just looks off putting compared to what we are used to

In 2 days we turn left at Narvik and will have got as far north as we go, then the Lofoten Isles for a few nights with A + R

 

[moulin 87]

Today has been the first on this rip where we haven't moved, combination of needed a rest, hopeful of aurora sighting from here and weather looking iffy, which in turn makes the aurora options doubtful

weather so iffy today I have had to concede and put jeans and socks on with proper shoes, took Bev out shopping, to Coop , all these shops are pretty much the same, really nothing inspiring to cook, but we still have loads of frozen fresh meat from our butchers left yet so still no issues. Might have to resort to Pizza's even if they are £100

A + R made contact last night, just as well they did they are coming over on the 4th not the 6th as I thought and they are arriving at the Narvik airport that isn't in Narvik, so some quick replanning as it is 80 miles further on, but very well placed for the Lofoten Isles

They are staying with us, or in a tent or maybe one of the 'cabins' that all camp sites seem to have, glorified sheds, but better than putting up a tent and priced around £60, not sure what they have inside, but not big enough for a lot

Tomorrow we are going here

https://www.campercontact.com/en/no...otorhome-parking-innhavet-bobilparkering.aspx

Norway is really well set up with aire type locations, not cheap but typically £20 inc electrics a lot of the time and some super locations

we have looked at a couple of town centre options and rejected them as they are often abused by what look to be long term caravans, just looks off putting compared to what we are used to

In 2 days we turn left at Narvik and will have got as far north as we go, then the Lofoten Isles for a few nights with A + R

If you are going that far north it may be worth it visiting the ' Northern Lights Centre' on Andoya where my BiL did his research on the Northern Lights in deep mid winter..

http://www.spaceshipaurora.no/en

 

[DavidG58]

@moulin 87 thanks for that link, I thought there was a centre on the Lofoten Isles somewhere but when you said earlier he worked a lot further north I presumed you meant from where we were going to rather than were at that time

will look in to that, as you say we are very close

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[DavidG58]

evening update, another strong aurora alert, another cloud laden sky but still light anyway, sunset tonight is 20:33, just gone 20:00, looks like there might be a short break in the weather soon after dark, so provided I isn't actually raining I will pop out under the site gazebo from 9 - 10 and keep my fingers crossed.

however did read that where we meet up with A + R is another particularly good spot, I guess a lot depends n local weather and hills for views etc. The potential for sighting is quoted as over had and horizon with usually a much better chance of horizon, I would

think you have to be a very long way north to get over head

while I am waiting I will share 2 of the best food purchases made, will be looking for the bread in particular when we get back

the loaf is approx. 4" square and 12" long, part baked and only takes 15 mins to finish off even in our Dometic oven , really nice bread and makes a nice change from the part baked baguettes we normally have

the other bag is a semi healthy snack option, nuts and crystalised fruit, no salt

both cost about £2.50 each

 

[moulin 87]

@moulin 87 thanks for that link, I thought there was a centre on the Lofoten Isles somewhere but when you said earlier he worked a lot further north I presumed you meant from where we were going to rather than were at that time

will look in to that, as you say we are very close

It's not on Lofoten but if you are travelling around from Narvik to the airport then it is not so far off your route to travel to it.. You can make a circular tour of Andoya save you using the same route there and back... and go plane spotting at the NATO airbase...

I've spoken to BiL, he says it doesn't like anything you see on photos which are taken over a long exposure, he says you might see it and not recognise it unless somebody points it out to you, to the naked eye it looks more grey than vibrant green!!!

 

[DavidG58]

Morning all sun shining here breakfast finished will be moving in when converts what currently looks like a branch of Hobbycraft back into a motor home

Only going about 100 miles and road hugs sea mostly so hoping for stop off view points for photos

 

[DavidG58]

a few shots of todays journey

 

[DavidG58]

only driven 80 odd miles including a diversion we chose to take, in the photos above the road shots not long ago would have been the main road E6, now a new tunnel and road section leaves this nice detour

we are now at a superb aire, very newly created, lovely location, not cheap 200NK £20, but I do think it is the way forward in the UK, certainly could work in Scotland apart from reluctance to pay

The site looks directly out down a fjord, with hard standing and electrics to all points plus a fake grass area to sit out on which is clearly stated as allowed in the rules, a few picnic benches and random levels to break up the site, we are also far enough off the main road to not even hear it at all

We pay at the nearby garage, which maybe means they own the whole area, plus they sell hot food, so we took a gamble for lunch and had pizza , there is also a shop next door going to browse there this afternoon, a nice location to spend the next 18 hours or so, only 150 miles to go till we meet A + R found a similar to this location for there

https://www.campercontact.com/en/norway/nordland/liland/12092/motorhome-parking-parking-liland.aspx

might just drive there tomorrow to check it out, the E6 for all that it is the only road north has a ferry on it tomorrow hopefully Sunday will be cheaper and possibly quieter

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[Just smiffy]

I spent nearly two hours last night looking at Lofoton islands on google maps, I know you are going there, are you going all the way to the end..?

Love the pictures and always look up where you are.... if your going all the way along Lofoton you are in for a real treat, stunning scenery...

We've now made it a must do next year....

 

[Figaro]

Is it me or is that pizza a little on the, err, little side of filling and hearty ?
Lovin' the pictures, and your writings.

 

[DavidG58]

@Smith and Sharp no actual route planned but have plenty of time to do it all with stop overs

will try to include the aurora research station which although close to isn't actually part of the Lofotens, picking up A + R on Monday from airport at Evenes, so that's Monday night sorted, the decide to go round clockwise or anticlockwise then work out a route we have a maximum of 10 nights before we should start heading south, that gives us 10 days to get back to Calais

300km / day easily doable but for 10 days on the trot could easily ruin the trip will maybe to 300 miles some days then a lot less or stop over on others maybe our actual journey is slightly longer than this as we will return over the bridges again not ferry Sweden to Denmark

 

[DavidG58]

Is it me or is that pizza a little on the, err, little side of filling and hearty ?
Lovin' the pictures, and your writings.

it was actually very nice, if you mean the left hand one it was a cheese and ham calzone fold over pizza

590 NK for the 2 bits of cheese and onion / pepper and same again for the calzone £12 from a garage outlet seemed pretty much same as UK service area prices

 

[jumartoo]

I hope the Lofotens (especially the end bit Å and Reine) are less busy than when we were there so you can get a chance for a good look around.

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