In Bodo then the bad weather started again. We walked through town when it was drizzling and drove away when it rained. You always have something to complain about. In Sweden we had hoped for a little cooler temperatures and now we wish for a few warmer days. But that's the way it is and you have to take what you get. But we are rid of the mosquito plague and hope that it won't come back anytime soon.
Andenes on Andoya - small port town on the Vesteralen
From Bodo we first drove to Fauske, where we went shopping and refueling and refilled our gas bottle. Since it was a little later by then, we didn't go that far for a place to stay. It was on a side road right by a fjord. Our polar bear made complaints again on the way, the right headlight no longer worked and the indicator started again. Basti managed to get the headlight, but the turn signal didn't really work. Basti has to look again when the weather is better.
After a pleasant night we are until shortly before the Vesteralen drove. In between we took a lunch break at a place we knew from last year and enjoyed the view of the water. The weather up to then was not that great, but with every kilometer to the north the clouds tore open and the sun came through. So we could sit on the rocks in the sun during the break.
And as luck would have it, the indicator worked again. The overnight place was at a small boat harbor and we had a beautiful view of the fjord. We drove for a long time and it was 10 p.m. by the time we had eaten and washed up. Just a little round with Finja and then we fell into bed.
At noon it went on in the direction Andenes. On the island, shortly before Breidvik, we saw a group of moose in the field between the road and the sea. That was really unbelievable because they kept walking very slowly and looked curiously. Basti took a few more pictures and then we drove on.
The first parking space was nice, but a wide plain and the wind increased more and more, so that we drove to the port in Andenes. The sun was still shining and I was hoping to see the midnight sun again.
The later it got, the more cloudy and windy it got. My hope flew like clouds, because there was only one wall of clouds. It also started to rain again and so we went to bed at some point. Since we stood with the wind, we didn't get much of the storm either. That should change ...
In the middle of the night we both woke up because it was just whistling. At the same time the polar bear rocked a lot, so the wind had turned. It was 3:30 am when we decided to look elsewhere. So we stood in a parking lot in the middle of the city next to other mobile homes that were larger and gave us slipstream and could then sleep on.
Of course Finja hadn't slept so well either, and because she had had diarrhea from time to time over the last few days, she wasn't hungry either. In addition, she started to shake, which is a clear sign of pain. After we had had coffee, we went to the vet because it was Friday again and we didn't want to wait for the weekend. Basti saw by chance that there was a veterinarian in Andernes itself, just a few meters away.
The vet was really nice and gave Finja an injection against the pain. In addition, we were given a medicine that she should take for the next few days. We hope it helps because the nearest vet is in Lofoten and it will likely be expensive. Then we walked through Andenes, stocked up at the bakery and took some photos.
Since we haven't slept so well, we are of course totally exhausted and tired. So we chose a place where we could stand for 2 days. The first one was nice, but quite windy towards the late afternoon. Then we stood a few meters away in a small old, no longer used quarry, where we were sheltered from the wind.
Sheltered places are pretty rare on the Vesteralen. Most are on the coast or in the immediate vicinity of the mountain slopes, where rockfall can be expected. We stood very well at the quarry and our only neighbors were always free-roaming sheep. We could see the road from our place and it was funny to watch the sheep being herded in front of the cars and other sheep didn’t let themselves be disturbed and walked on at a leisurely pace.
We didn't notice anything from the wind and so we spent two good nights. The weather was not only wet and windy, but also cold. The outside temperature was 12 degrees and on the bus it was just 17 degrees. So the heating was turned on and sometimes it also ran at night.
On the 2nd day we did a lazy one. We are pretty stunned by all the impressions of the last few weeks and our heads are full. The nights before were still lagging behind and so not much was done. We slept well then read, knitted and planned our route across the islands. Finja also slept all day and thanks to the medicine she felt better again. We hope the weather will get a little better so we can see a lot of the Vesteralen.
Nyksund on Langoya - cute fishing village
A few kilometers from where we were staying there was another lookout point that we wanted to see. It was a super modern toilet with opaque glass on the sides. From inside you had a wonderful view of the sea and the surrounding area, but from the outside you couldn't see inside. There were small paths all around and so we walked a bit with Finja. From a high point you could see a lighthouse and look all the way to Andenes.
We then had no further point on Andoya and drove on to Langoya. 10 km ahead Nyksund we stayed at a rest area. There was also a fisherman's memorial here, which is often found on the islands. The place wasn't necessarily sheltered from the wind, but we could stand with the wind. Our hope was that it would not suddenly turn like in Andenes and that we could sleep peacefully.
The next morning the weather was not so great at first, but it loosened up within the morning. So we drove towards Nyksund, a fishing village. 10 kilometers of pothole slopes. I drove very slowly and avoided the potholes as best I could when nobody came towards me.
In addition, half of it was a single road and because of the mountain wall it was not always clearly visible. So not that fun to drive. I was then probably too slow for the residents. Then someone overtook me, which I hadn't expected, and was so frightened that I almost drove into the ditch by tearing the steering wheel. Basti just shouted, I should turn left and the other one just drove on. You don't necessarily need such situations.
Once in Nyksund it was nice and dry, but very stormy. We stood in a parking lot where you could stay the night. However, you couldn't face the wind there and so we wanted to continue later. Nyksund is a small, colorful fishing village with a small harbor. In the past, this village was left several times because the fishermen no longer came to the port with their ever larger boats and it was no longer profitable for them.
It was often called the ghost town. In 1980 a German scientist rediscovered this village and offered youth social programs in the summer months. According to agreements with the owners, they renovated and rebuilt the houses and were then allowed to live there rent-free.
After 9 years, when the contract expired, the owners took care of it themselves and some of them moved into the village. Today it is a lively place with a café, restaurant, art and tourist offers such as whaling and fishing trips. There are also some overnight accommodations such as a hotel or B&B. It's really cute and we find such small places more beautiful than larger cities. You also have a really nice view of the sea and the offshore islands, which sometimes just stick out of the water as boulders.
Fortunately, the weather had played along. In the village we always had the sun there, but it was very windy. Back at the car we looked for a parking space.
You can find a nice report about the ghost town Nyksund here: https://www.bruderleichtfuss.com/reisebericht-nyksund-es-war-einmal-eine-geisterstadt/
At the moment, the weather plays a major role here. The place does not have to be beautiful and not have a special view, it just has to be sheltered from the wind. Otherwise sleep is out of the question. First we went to Myre and did a little shopping. The first on Gisloya was already occupied and was too close to the houses for us. The 2nd in Sto would have been in the harbor. There you stood, however, quite exposed to the wind and peaceful sleep would have been out of the question.
We found a large parking lot for hikers on the road near Myre. It wasn't nice now, but we could stand in the wind and have such a good night. We actually want to find a place where we can stay for a couple of nights. So the next day we will look for something further south on Langoya.
You can find more pictures in the Photo gallery Norway.
