Vesteralen

We left Lofoten with the ferry to Melbu and took the western road around the island. This route is quieter and offers much nicer views than the alternative in the east. Sadly we arrived late in Stokmarknes and the Hurtigruten museum had closed just minutes before. The scenic road on the west of the southern peninsula of Langøya made up for the missed museum visit. Following the coastline it undulates between the hills and cliffs, alternating rock formations, tundra vegetation and spectacular fjord vistas.

After a night in the same Sortland hotel where I had lodged two years earlier we continued on towards Andøya. The coastal road in the west of the island was as stunning as ever. On top of the natural beauty we got a look at the recently constructed Andøya space port from where Isar Aerospace are going to launch orbital payloads very soon. The pristine looking site is built into the coast just a few kilometers south of the older Andøya space center near Andenes.

Unfortunately the puffin safari to Bleikøya was booked out days in advance so we missed our chance at getting a look at those funny birds. No whales or elks spotted so far either, but the scenery makes up for it.

Senja

The first – and so far only – reindeer sighting happened just after we got off the ferry at Gryllefjord. The large specimen stood there in the backyard of a building on the coastal road, chewing dispassionately.

We got to experience the coastal road in perfect summer weather, quite the contrast from my last visit when the island was shrouded in mist and wind gusts were blowing foaming water from the sea onto the road. This time around Senja showed its pleasant side. On the northern road we pitched the tent on the magnificent Ersfjord beach, an all but official camp site with showers and public bathrooms where hundreds of people were camping at the sea, enjoying a long cinematic sunset.

The morning after we faced a genuine Norway problem: ravenous after a long day in the saddle we had burned through our food supplies in the evening, counting on a nearby supermarket for the resupply. That shop however turned out to open only at 10 a. m. – too late for us to catch the final morning sailing of the Botnhamn ferry at 11:45. To play it safe we cycled all the way to the ferry in a rather low energy state and went on a calory shopping spree there.

Sommarøya and Kvaløya

Rolling off the boat on Kvaløya we took a detour to Sommarøya, an island just off the coast that can be reached via a series of bridges. That afternoon the weather was still amazing so we ended up staying on one of the beaches for a while for some sunbathing and seagull watching. Gulls can get quite territorial as we found out, one of them didn't take too kindly to visitors on his pile of rocks in the sea and defended that little realm of his by low fly-bys accompanied by a ghastly war cry.

To cross Kvaløya on the north road we had to ride up to a plateau with little more than extensive bogs on it. Few birch trees, the ground covered in heather, a grand panorama of valleys and hills – in other words, another perfect camping spot! The bog was dried out after the heat of the past weeks. Not very surprising that the weather services were warning of wildfires in the Troms region that day. The spongy ground made for a soft, albeit uneven ground to pitch a tent on but it held up neatly that night even in the wind.

Tromsø

In a sudden aberration the weather changed from almost mediterranean conditions to true Norway mode: dark clouds covered the sky and it kept raining pretty much all day. When we finally arrived in Tromsø after a week of riding it was once again Sunday and the bike shops of Norway were closed – just like the majority of businesses and restaurants even. Thus we got ourselves some of the most expensive tacos and kebab of all of Europe and had a quiet, dry evening in the hotel watching olympic beach volleyball.

It was pleasant again in the morning so we paid the botanical garden of Tromsø a visit. A fabulous little piece of curated soil that boasts plants from all continents, growing outside in the harsh arctic climate. Interestingly the botanists-researchers have more trouble with some local species from the bogs whose habitat is too difficult to recreate for them to grow reliably.

In the afternoon we changed modes of transport and hopped on the autobus line 100 to Narvik. Taking a bike on the bus is trivial in Norway: step 1) purchase bike tickets on the Tromsbillet app; step 2) put the bike in the hold of the bus; step 3) get on the bus and enjoy the view until you reach your destination. It is not entirely clear what happens if too many cyclists want to board the same bus. This one is carrying three bikes and could maybe accommodate another two. The bike tickets don't include a reservation though, so I imagine the sixth traveler to bring their bike along would be out of luck.

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