Safe Return Doubtful

Today was set to be a hot day, a bit cooler here on the northern extremity of the island with a breeze, but still the sun is high early, so 20C by midday, to rise to 27 later on.

I moved a few kilometres from the lighthouse to the quayside of Tranøy village. It’s a quiet place that hopes to attract tourists, with several art galleries, paintings displayed on its rocky beaches, and sculptures all around the headland. Though the businesses want to receive tourists, today was a quiet day. It’s quite far off the standard international motorhome route, 35 kilometres or so, and I saw none all day. The visitors are mainly Norwegian.

Having said that, no sooner than I had arrived at the quay I met Rosemarie from Switzerland travelling in her electric VW van. In the last few years on the road I can’t recall seeing an electric campervan, so was immediately interested, and we got talking. We were both retired solo travellers so had that in common also. We did what many self-built van dwellers do on meeting, and showed off each other’s insides.. Though her electric van had a low roof, it was really well done, as new as this last March, and even had room for a bike in the garage also, a rare folding bike with 26 inch wheels. Rosemarie was off to Stetind, two hours away, which is known as the National Mountain of Norway. There are so many that look as spectacular as this it must have been very difficult to choose just one. We exchanged details, as our routes are very close to each other, and we may cross paths again further north.

I put a hiking circuit together that was a circuit of the village in effect, and Roja and I were then out for three hours, before the day got hot; slower than usual as the tracks were quite undefined, and difficult to find in places.

Later in the afternoon it clouded over, despite the forecast not predicting it, and looks like there maybe a storm later. The actual forecast doesn’t give rain until tomorrow.

On the quay I met a family just arrived to the dock in a converted fishing trawler. They were from Finland and had sailed the boat around the Baltic coast, across to Denmark and up the west coast of Norway over the last couple of months, and were continuing north. It was an older couple, their son on a gap year, and his friend.

I also met a guy who was interested in where I was from, and the van. He is about to sail his family across to Scotland and into the Caledonian Canal, and had some questions about logistics once in Scotland, a few of which I was able to help with. He told me that there’s a pub here, in an old boat, that is usually open but the owners are away on holiday at the moment.