8th August 2023 (sunny, hot, windy) 31km

It was a treat for both of us to be able to wake at 7am thanks to the blackout curtains and enjoy a hot shower without waiting for other people to finish and no fumbling with coins for a scant four minutes.  And a basin with hot water for Pete's shave.....pure luxury, which he appreciated on his birthday.

When we were dithering about whether to stay at the hotel for the night, I went inside to inquire about the cost and she mentioned the free buffet breakfast,  I thought "perfect!", and booked it straight away.  I said to the receptionist,  "ooh my husband will be happy. He loves a buffet breakfast and it's his birthday tomorrow."  On hearing that she upgraded us to a room with a balcony, all for 1100NOK, which is less than $200NZ.

Pete now...The breakfast room was full as a coach party had just finished, so after taking a seat by the window, overlooking the ferry arrivals and departure, we watched these people boarding their coach, which had loaded their bags and was now parked in the queue for the next ferry.  The passengers just wandered straight outside, to be met by a lovely day and climbed aboard the coach for the next part of their journey.  Two minutes later, they were crossing the fjord.

After pouring a glass of orange juice, I studiously perused the options available.  It certainly wouldn't rank in my top ten buffet breakfasts, but it was solid and provided enough choice to leave me satisfied and full, two important factors for any hotel breakfast.  Even had some smoked fish, which I am a bit partial to if I'm honest.

Facetimed brother Dave, got one from Georgina and Briana, but I was on the phone to Toffa at the time.  Sorry sweetheart (not you Toff) we'll try and get you tonight, with Brody.

As we were packing our bikes downstairs, the hotel owner appeared in a Liverpool shirt (always liked Norwegians) and we had a good chat.  He suggested that we ride around the island and come and stay again tonight and go hiking with a group of them tomorrow.  Ju and I both agree that the Norwegians in the North are far more approachable than in the south.

Cycled off around the island heading west and with a tail wind to start. We were keeping our eyes open for one of the beaches the hotel owner had told us about.  Finally came upon it and two Americans. Both youngsters.  He had just done a 1000 km race from one side of Norway to the other and back and then started riding with a female college friend.  They were both from Washington DC.

We changed, ready for a much needed swim......but....there was no place to swim that wasn't thick with seaweed.  You could see it would have been great if the tide was high, but it wasn't and our tailwind was a raging onshore at the beach.  Flagged the swim, said our goodbyes and rode on.

Looked nicer than it was.

Not much after that, we were heading around the headland and into a headwind.  For once, we didn't really care as the temperature was well up there and the wind kept it bearable.

For the first time today the scenery was only okay, which is a first.  Or maybe we have just been spoilt rotten for the past two months.  Plugged on into the wind until we reached Stokmarknes, the headquarters of the Hurtigruten.

The Richard With hotel and Hurtigruten museum.

Richard With, the founder of the Hurtigruten company, born 1846-1930, was a ship captain, politician and businessman.  He realized that there was a growing need for a transportation network up and down the coast.  Stokmarknes have a new hotel named after him and the largest single exhibition piece in the world, a ship, (a Hurtigruten vessel of old) inside the museum.

We were fortunate from our campsite today, to get a shot of the hotel (on the left) with the museum in the middle and the Hurtigruten, on the right, which was docked there a short while, before departing.

Richard With Hotel on left, Hurtigruten museum middle and Hurtigruten ship docked on the right.

Our swimming spot off the jetty. 

After setting up camp, we needed a swim.  This afternoon was still hot, so down to a small marina, situated just off the camp grounds, where we dived straight off the jetty into the cooling waters.  We reckon about 13C.  Only a father and daughter were in the water, but a group of ten teenagers were laying around, or on a boat.

Rode over to town as the camp is situated in the middle of a fjord and connected by two bridges, the second of which we'll  cross tomorrow.  Did some shopping and headed back for showers, hot to start, but freezing to finish, then my birthday pre dinner drinks and nibbles.  We never do this back home and as soon as this trip is over, it won't be happening.  Easy to see how people get into bad habits.

With the dying light, you can see the old Hurtigruten ship inside the museum with the top of it sticking out.

A sunset dinner on a whale watching tour would be a fitting end to Pete's Norwegian birthday....well, he got dinner, he got a sunset, and we found this lovely whale statue overlooking the harbour.

Dinner was eaten outside on a bench at 7pm with the temperature still in the 20's.  Had a nice chat to Briana and a brief chat to Brody before watching the nicest sunset we've seen in Norway.  It still didn't actually go dark,  but it is definitely getting darker at night as time goes by.

Tomorrow and the next few days may be short on blogs, as we will have no campgrounds, therefore no wifi, so freecamping will be our only option and hopefully swimming at lovely beaches.  Weather is supposed to be good for the next week and a half.