Safe Return Doubtful

There are three houses at the bay where I am parked, only one of them is lived in all year round. The other two are holiday homes. The guy came over and said hello not long after I arrived. I asked if it was okay to stay, and he had said it was no problem. I found out today that the old guy is 92 years old and widowed for the last ten years. He has chatted to me a few times, but always makes the point that he is too busy to talk for long.

He saw me return from hiking yesterday and told me of another route, into the mountains from the valley behind his house, which wasn’t marked on any maps.

This morning we took that route and it was a convenient access to the high ground of the island, at between 200 and 270 metres. Not huge, but once above the treeline, superb walking on the rock.

We took in two of the three peaks, saving one for tomorrow; Rangsundtuva at 253 metres, and Breiviktinden at 247 metres. There was almost unbroken sunshine (all night as well as day..), a pleasant breeze, and ideal temperature for outdoor activity, at about 20C.

A short documentary from the summit at Rangsundtuva..

At the top of Breiviktinden I met the only people I saw all day, a Norwegian guy carrying his one year old in his backpack and a Ukrainian couple that are staying with him. We spoke for a while, and walked down together. He was from the neighbouring island of Gjerøya, where I will be later in the week, and had come across in his own boat, for the hike, and lunch at the restaurant by the quay where the ferry docks. He gave me some information on hiking on Gjerøya, and the best place for the van. It was him who told me about the old guy across from where I am staying now.

He had been in the Western Isles of Scotland as part of an aqua marine qualification he studied at University, and now farms for half the year, and fishes for the other. I expect to see him again when I am on his island. AS with the other Ukrainian guy I met a few days ago, the couple didn’t have any English, and were spending their time learning Norwegian. The guy was a Blaster, or an Explosive Technician, and his wife was, since moving to Norway, learning that trade also. He told me this by way of hand signing, which was amusing trying to guess. There is plenty of work apparently, on new roads and tunnels around the country.

Roja spent the afternoon staying out of the sun, while I watched Lancashire cricket, and the India Pakistan game from New York, along with another half a billion viewers.. cricket from New York at the same time as there’s baseball in London, who would have thought..