18th August 2023 (drizzly, cloudy, cold) 46km

We slept from 8pm to 7.26am.  I was up twice in the night briefly.  The first to get my drink bottle off my bike as I was so thirsty and the second was when I woke and remembered that I'd left my light on the bike.  Normally, I would have left it on there, but we've seen with Julia's front light that water gets inside the workings and stops it going. After mucking around with it a couple of times on the tour, it's back to working, almost normally again.  But it was a lesson learned and with the amount of tunnels we've done, it has to be going.

Steinford beach

The temperature at the moment as we're about to eat breakfast, (inside the tent, even with a beautiful view) is 10 C.  Closing in on our finishing date now and for the first time, we are ready.
The drop in temperature hasn't helped along with wind and rain which come in squalls.  It would have been great to get through to the end and to see Senja on a sunny day would be spectacular.
But, that's not something we can plan and talking to other bikepackers about their journeys, we've had amazing weather in comparison.  As I'm writing this, the rain has just begun. Hopefully, not for long, or too intense.   The wind is still there, so acting as a dryer.

Got everything packed and loaded and headed around the fjord into the driving mist, which eventually would become stronger.  Not far around was the viewing point of Okshornan, but the mist and rain were making it very hard to see the desired outcome.  Luckily there was a toilet there where we could shelter behind.  They had running water, but not drinking water unfortunately,  as we're almost out.  At least we were able to brush our teeth.  Not much to do, but to push on.

Look at the size of these mountains compared to the houses.

Around the next fjord, we headed inland and up a small incline into a 2 km tunnel that they are working on from Mon-Thur.  We knew about this and were interested to see what they'd done.
Looks like it's putting in new lighting.  They have large lights on the side of the tunnel, but nothing overhead.  As it was, it was great to cycle through.  Good surface, no traffic to speak of and the lighting along with our lights was more than adequate.

Out the other side to the village of Senjahopen, which had a supermarket, where we stocked up.  It also had a small cafe (two tables, eight seats) which we were hoping to utilise to warm up and get wifi.  Unfortunately it was all taken up by a bunch of local men having their regular coffee morning by the looks.  All in their 50s and 60s, and 70s, chatting over their empty cups....who would do that???

So we were back outside, sheltering under the short eaves from the elements, eating and drinking coffee, in the hope that the rain would disappear.  Every now and then the mountains would reveal themselves.

As we were eating, a solo bikepacker pedals up.....a Kiwi, Evan, from Auckland, but currently of no fixed abode, as he had sold his house and was travelling.  Made him a coffee and had a great chat about all sorts of things.  We were very grateful to have our journey delayed by chatting to a fellow countryman.  It was even nice to be outside where we could talk and laugh as loudly as we wanted.  At one stage, Julia and I readied ourselves for the off, but soon changed our minds when we saw the man group leave the cafe. We went back inside for a piece of pizza, and sat and talked with Evan for about another half hour.

Once again the conversation flowed, eventually getting onto politics, which can always be a bit dicey, but we were looking at comparisons between Norway and New Zealand and general stuff, including local body policies.  All the while we were chatting, we've also got one eye on the weather.
It's a shame we didn't have the best weather here as we wanted to hike a couple of trails, but we can't hang about for change.  The temperatures are gradually dropping and you can feel it, especially in the morning and evenings.

At around 3.30pm, as the clouds began to lift, we bade Evan farewell, with an invitation to New Plymouth.  Rode around the fjord and got some great shots from a viewpoint on the other side.  Huge slabs of rock forcing their way out of the water.  Rode around a different branch of water snapping shots as we went.

Leaving Senjahopen as the mountains clear.

And the weather threatens to close in again.

The weather was playing the game although there was still mist covering various mountains.
Travelled through three tunnels, the longest of which was 2kms, however they had put a new hot mix surface in there, so it was smooth riding.  Lights were working fine, so all was good.  Had another climb here to keep us warm and were rewarded with awesome views.

From the last tunnel, we managed to keep the weather at bay until we reached Botnhamn, when the mist began to catch up.  Found a covered seating place with a guy from Poland in the one next to us.  Julia got chatting to another couple who had scored a free shower at the ferry terminal.
They had read about it somewhere, but we haven't seen anything on it, drats. That would have been very welcome.

At 6pm we boarded the ferry for our trip to Kvaloya.  Tonight is also a freecamp as there is no camping around these parts.  There is a shop not far from the freecamp, so we should be good for tomorrow.  Temperature tomorrow is a high of 11C with cloud all day.  Sunday...  God's day....is a cloudy start, improving to sun from lunchtime with a high of 17C.  It will be nice to feel warmth again.

Arrived in Sommaroy after approx. 45mins on the ferry and rode off over another impressive bridge with a young lady from Zurich, named Seena, who had begun a trip a week ago, but is so unimpressed with the weather, she is calling it quits in Tromso.  I can totally understand her doing that.  The weather has definitely changed.

Our freecamp paradise. 

Not far on from the bridge we came upon the freecamp Julia had picked out and what a stunner.

Views over the ocean with mountains in the background.  The clouds were still quite dark, but it was a still night, hence the midges were about.  Seena joined us at the freecamp and not long after we all arrived, she was joined by a guy she had met earlier and was cycling with, Alessandro from Italy.  While they sat and talked we prepared for the coolness of the evening.  We closed ourselves inside Vango to protect ourselves from the midges and the cold and were eating at 7.55pm, just as the drizzle began again.

We could hear our Swiss friend's annoyance " It's raining again!" she exclaimed.

I do feel sorry for her.

Hopefully we will have another restful night although I'm not sure we'll get eleven and a half hours, like last night.

But....we can try.....