Today was supposed to be a driving day, where we made some substantial miles. However, Norway has distracted us again and we are parked up for the night with only ninety miles on the clock!
Our overnight spot in the forest turned out to be quiet, pretty and a good location for dog walking. As for mooses, there were none.
We quickly re-acquainted ourselves with the E6, main Norwegian north south road. If you stay on the E6 from Nordkapp to Fredrikstad on the Swedish border, you would drive over 2,200 kilmometres (1367 miles). That must surely be the longest road in Europe by some margin.
Almost immediately we came across something the like of which neither of us have seen before. Driving along the ever twisting road we came across a lorry trailer which had turned over on a corner. Nothing unusual about that, you might think. But the trailer’s contents had been live fish and these were lying all over the highway, many of them still wriggling! They were small fish and I presume, given the size of the Salmon farming industry we have witnessed on the fjords, these were Salmon fry.
Sarah and I had debated whether to stop in the small town of Mosjoen. Lonely Planet warned us that the aluminium plant as you approached from the north makes the town look unappealing, which it does, but that the centre is one of the nicest in northern Norway. We decided to stop and were very glad we did. It was a charming gem of a place. There are over 100 wooden houses, many 150 years old, which have been preserved. These are limited to the houses along the fjord and those up to two streets inland.
Mosjoen
Mosjoen
We had a lovely time wandering around this pretty area, which the town have done a wonderful job of preserving. The place was almost empty. Another example of a town, which if placed in the main body of Europe, would be rammed with tens of thousands of visitors, but not this remote outpost. If you ever drive down the E6 it is a must see place in our opinion.
Mosjoen
Mosjoen
As we continued our drive we began to see one of the reasons Mosjoen was so quiet. All the campsites which line the E6 are more or less deserted. We have read that Norway’s main holiday season is just from 1st to 31st July when many businesses shut down for the whole month. It certainly seems that the holiday season is coming to an end and August has barely started.
Preserved Shell garage Mosjoen – photo courtesy of Sarah
Most of today’s journey has been along river valleys through Norway’s interior. The rivers make the road no straighter but it has given us completely different scenery to admire. The pine forests are back with a vengence, but unlike in Poland, the Baltic states and Finland, the fact that Norway is so mountainous means the views, despite the forests, are constantly changing. We’ve had lakes, mountains and boggy moorland today, plus the rivers themselves with some massive rapids.
Stopping places were at a premium on some stretches today and after a long period without one we gratefully pulled into a small off road rest area next to the Namsen river, for lunch (64.930708, 13.137036). We had barely started eating before I could tell Sarah wanted to stay for the rest of the day and overnight, and I don’t blame her. We are within feet of a wide fast flowing river, with views of the river, forest and mountains. Even better there is a well maintained path in both directions along the river bank. From the notice board I think it is a very popular fishing river.
River Nansen
After lunch we took the dogs for a decent walk along the river and came across a cafe, where we treated ourselves to our first ice cream for several weeks. Sarah thinks since Italy, but I’m sure we’ve had at least one since then! On the way back I read a notice about a fish called the Namsblank. It is apparently a very rare close genetic relation to the salmon. At the end of the last ice age, large waterfalls developed on the river Namsen and other neighbouring rivers, cutting salmon off from the sea. The Namsblank has evolved to breed without returning the the sea. As you will know, all other salmon can only successfully reproduce if they migrate to the sea and then manage to return to their river of origin. Unfortunately the long term future for the fish apparently looks bleak for a number of reasons. That’s another great thing about travelling, you are always learning.
The view from Basil along the River Nansen
Tomorrow the aim is to go to a campsite near to Trondheim for two nights. It is laundry time again and I need to plan our remaining time in Norway.
Basil’s spot for the night (and most of the afternoon as well!!)