Senja, the Isle of Mist

Due to the construction work blocking the northern road through Senja, the Finnsnes ferry station became somewhat relevant to bike tourists. I was the only passenger to get off at Finnsnes and another bike tourist who looked like she had seen her share of rain and wind on the island was the only one to board there. At 4:20 in the morning shops were closed even in the land thas knows no night but at the far side of Finnsnes I found a gas station where I could get some food and coffee that early in the day. Which was necessary because I wouldn't be passing another settlement until Gryllefjord at the other end of the island.

Supposedly the Senja countryside is of unrivaled natural beauty. Supposedly the island boasts lush valleys and spectacular mountain panoramas. Supposedly its coastline is one of the most scenic ones in the country. -- While all that still might be true, I couldn't confirm any of it today due to the incessant rain which was pouring every minute I spent on the island. Whatever landmarks I may have passed by, they were hidden from sight by a thick veil of fog so I mostly remember the roads and the construction work going on. in the northern part of the island. The main road is being widened and resurfaced so it can handle more campervan traffic, so large parts of it were basically sterrato riddled with potholes and loose pieces of gravel.

Amazingly the weather got even worse when I finally reached the other coast. So much rain an wind. I wanted to ride by the Atlantic, not in it for crying out loud! By the time I reached the Gryllefjord tunnel I was soaked even through the rain gear. The wind had picked up too. On the far side of the tunnel a sensor indicated a current speed of 12 m/s which fortunately wasn't strong enough to knock me off the bike sideways. I arrived at the Ferry to Andøya with over an hour left to the first sailing of the day at 11:00 h so I hung out at the run down shop opposite the terminal where I met another tourer who I'd chatted with on the second day at the kebap booth Langfjordbotn and who was now also heading to Lofoten.

Andøa

At last the 1.5 h ferry trip from Gryllefjord to Andenes provided some opportunity to rest. The sea was not quiet at all, on the contrary the large vessel was rocking left and right, up and down in the waves which on me had more of a calming effect.

The northwest coast of Andøya lives up to the promise; after Senja proved a dud I could catch up on my sightseeing here. The steep cliffs line the coast for many kilometers. Seagulls perform risky manoevers darting across the road at low altitude. Salty foam from the sea is carried up by the wind, ruining lips and drivetrains of passers-by in the process.

The rough wilderness of the Andøya coast is contrasted by numerous spaceflight related installations constructed on it, most notably the Andøya Space Center, one of the few orbital launch facilities in Europe. Huge sensor arrays and other space stuff can be found all over the northwestern part of the island. Stumbling on a cargo container assembly with the DLR logo on them was a pleasant surprise!

I reached the designated campsite at Stave in the early afternoon. As much as I was looking forward to not fighting the constant headwind anymore after being on the bike since half past four in the morning, it still felt too early to stop riding at that point after only 90 km (not counting the ferry). So I spontaneously booked a hotel room at Sortland down on Langøya and got back on the bike.

The rest of the Andøya and Hinnøya coastal route was fairly flat, winding its way through a number of fjords and sunds. Headwind and rain remained the main adversaries though the latter was a bit inconsistent compared to the relentless weather on Senja. The fog was far less of a problem as well so I ended up taking countless pictures of the incredible scenery.

I took the hotel in Sortland not only to dry out but also because it offers a luxury that campsites or boats don't: blinds that can be shut to block the sunlight. After I had done my laundry and downed a delicious cup of kesam I closed those blinds and, no surprise, fell asleep /mmediately at a humane time of day for the first night of uninterrupted, steady sleep in a week. Fascinating.

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