landed in Oslo from Reykjavík. I was glad to only stay 3 nights as I quickly ran out of things to do here. It reminded me too much of a smaller Sydney. I was also a magnet for Romanian ladies coming up to me asking me to buy their magazines on folk living? I did my chores and did a little reset prior to heading up to Tromsø.
I picked up an electric hire car in central Tromsø - first time I’d ever driven an EV. I was actually kinda impressed. It was easy to fathom and actually was cheaper compared to what i would’ve been spending on petrol etc. I learned the hard way in Iceland with the jimny..
learnings: right to roam. weather is just like Melbourne - some days you can expect all 4 seasons. cash is not king. on Sunday, not many stores or shops are open at all. there are also weird laws on the hours of which you can buy alcohol at the store. definitely attempt to learn some Norwegian. there are so many people attempting to hitchhike along the islands. Oakleys are a huge fashion here. more bright the better it seems. in Aus people usually just wear them for running. so many bike packers.
#speed
just to be clear, I’m not dissing it.
the route (major stops): Tromsø > Harstad > Kongsmark > Svolvær > Unstad > Flakstad > Å > Reine > Hamnøy > Ramberg > Nesland > Nusfjord > Unstad > Henningsvær > Harstad > Tromsø
highlights: all of the people I met be it in hotels/hostels, gas stations, on the beach, on a mountain. waffles. surfing in Unstad. small sleepy fishing villages. the cute little hellos from locals while walking. boats n ships. all the fjords. midnight sun. cinnamon scrolls.
lowlights: very narrow roads with caravans and busses in Å. hotels/hostels with no blackout curtains. someone stealing my coffee jar in a hostel (who does that?). an old bloke fighting with a younger bloke at a hostel because he didn’t want to move his motorcycle gear off the top bunk of his shared dorm room… not a lot of options in some restaurants/areas, fish was the main protein of a lot of dishes which I got a bit sick of towards the end.
skip: Kongsmark & Harstad. Oslo.
where I wish I spent more time: Henningsvær. Anywhere in Vestavågøya.
it sure was an interesting but gorgeous experience. definitely a place I would return to again.
