Safe Return Doubtful

I celebrated Norwegian National Day with a circuit of the lake on foot with Roja, a bike ride up to the pass, and an absurdist French folklore novel. It was hot again, and wise to stay out of the sun in the middle of the day. It has been an excellent place to camp.

The weather was expected to change this afternoon, but only that the wind will get up with showers for 48 hours or so, then a return to settled conditions. With that in mind we were out early to get up to the top of the highest of the mountains on the island.

There had been a few cars pass last evening people came to their holiday homes for the rest of the weekend, having celebrated Constitution Day. Monday is a religious holiday here as well, so it’s a four day weekend. Otherwise yesterday had been extremely quiet, and the warmest day of the week, in the late twenties in the afternoon.

We drove a bit higher to park up at the trail that runs for three kilometres to the top of Hasundhornet. It was just after 9 am when we headed out, and there was no one else around. On the descent however, we were caught up by two women and two 10 year old boys who had camped just off the summit last night. They were from the town of Uksteinvik which the mountain overlooks, and after having celebrated in the town yesterday had come up to camp high on the fell. The boys spotted an adder in the heather, but it darted off swiftly.

And a short movie from the summit..

We then drove north which meant going through the city of Ålesund, relatively quiet during a long holiday weekend. Ålesund is linked to the islands on its north west side by a series of sea tunnels and bridges. I plan to spend the next few days on these islands, and began with Godøya and the small town of Alnes.

I couldn’t find a place to fill up with water so stopped and asked at a garage. There was just one mechanic working, though working, is not quite the correct word. It was a young lad, keen really for a chat, and more than happy to help. He told me, though he didn’t have to, as it was obvious, that he was extremely hungover, after partying throughout yesterday. He brewed coffee and we chatted for twenty minutes or so, mainly about the limited and expensive choices there are for drinking alcohol in Norway.

We got to Alnes in time for an hour’s walk around the headland before lunch. In its day, Alnes was one of the largest fishing communities in the area, Sunnmore, and today has a typical combined fishing and agriculture landscape. The village does have a unique style with its traditional houses and open fields adjacent to the coast. Though there are as many smart new holiday homes, walled with glass, as there are traditional residences. The village still represents a historical tradition that in many places no longer exists, and is unsurprisingly popular with tourists.

There has been a lighthouse at Alnes since 1853. The lighthouse was granted heritage status in 2000 but is still in operation, automated in 1994, and now a rarity, a tourist attraction that visitors can actually climb to the top of.

Van and motorhomes are directed to an area just before the two kilometre tunnel that has been burrowed through the 400 metre spine of mountains that traverses the island.

We squoze the best weather from day, and are now indoors for the afternoon, back out with the winter clothes, to watch Lancashire cricket from Blackpool, and the highlight, the final round of games from the Rugby Premiership.