Erin's Adventures: Tromsø

July 25^th: Sandsletta – Kabelvåg (35 km)

The weather starting to clear up after a rainy night and we were able to enjoy the beautiful views from the campsite despite some remaining low-hanging clouds. We got off to another lazy start and made our way slowly over the rolling terrain to E10, where I gave the trailer to Dražen and braced myself for heavier traffic. The traffic turned out to be patched, and really not too bad. The clouds stayed low, though, so we still didn’t get to see as much as we would have liked. Still, temperatures above 10 degrees and dry conditions have been rare – so we were pretty content with the day!

Close to the campsite

Still hard to see much...

Close to Kabelvåg

There is a cycling path from Svolvær to Kabelvåg, so we have also been enjoying the separation from car traffic. We reached the campsite by the sea quite early, so we found the driest available tent spot and rode back to Kabelvåg to scope out where we need to pick up the kayaks and buy groceries tomorrow. We also treated ourselves to ice cream (probably the only thing you can buy on Sundays!) and a stroll around the fishing village. We are now having our dinner by the sea – and found out that the tent next to ours belongs to friends from Trondheim!

Lofoten Cathedral

Kabelvåg

July 26^th: Kayaking, then Kabelvåg – Hov (35 km)

After a fun social evening, we got up early to get ourselves organized for our kayaking excursion. It was a bit complicated since I needed to cycle back to town for groceries while Dražen re-packed everything for kayaking instead of cycling. We made it to meeting point roughly on time, with the clouds very low and no wind. From the meeting point, we were outfitted with the necessary equipment and driven back… exactly where started from that morning. (The owner of the kayak rental has an agreement with the campsite to use their beach/boat launch).

We had a terrific time on the water. There were plenty of small islands to explore, calm seas, and lots of wildlife. The birds were the loudest and most obvious, but we were also delighted by the schools of mackerel which were generating their own wave system. We took a few breaks for food, paddled way out to a lighthouse (which was inhabited for a long period, and the house has apparently been renovated) and then enjoyed the views as the fog lifted. It was really a treat to see the sun!

Here's a video of the mackerel:

We had amazing conditions and were very glad we could spend the day there. When we returned to campsite, one of the guides from the same rental company had just pulled up with a car and trailer, so we were able to get back right away and start on our evening cycle. The first part of the ride was gloriously sunny with a bike path, then we had glorious sun but a busy road, and then (after the tunnel), the clouds started gathering again, and then we turned off onto a quieter road. We had a strong headwind most of the time, and we’ve stopped at the lovely beach at Hov – back in low clouds/fog. We’re trying to warm up and crossing our fingers for the fog to roll through overnight!

Looking back after a few km of cycling

You can see the fog rolling in over the hills...

July 27^th: Hov-Ramberg (Lofoten Beach Camp) (85 km)

The fog this morning was thick enough to get everything damp, and it didn’t feel like it was in any hurry to lift. We took our time getting ready, which was enough to feel a bit safer on the road (there was very little traffic, but it’s still good to be visible). Wonderfully, it didn’t take long after we started for the sun to appear in all its glory. The path took us through farmland and along the coast with nice views of steep peaks most of the day.


The morning really did not look promising...

but it cleared up fast!

Five minutes later

Enjoying the quiet side roads

Not sure exactly where I took this one...

I also enjoyed the fact that we only had to cross one bridge on the E10 before turning off onto a smaller road again. It’s hard to find the right words to describe how perfect the cycling was with incredible views, no traffic, and great weather. We also took another detour on the way to Fygle, which earned us a big hill to climb – but also extra time on quiet roads.

We stopped for groceries at Leknes, where we ran into one of my PhD students and a friend of his – they are cycling in the opposite direction. They kindly gave us a bit of chain oil, so we are less squeaky now, too! (These bikes are nonetheless going to need some attention in Trondheim…). After Leknes, there aren’t many alternatives to E10. The first stretch was lovely, until we reached the underwater tunnel before Napp. It’s a steep downhill, then a steep uphill, and really loud – I just didn’t like it. (The drivers were considerate, I just found it a bit uncomfortable). I lost a bit of energy in the tunnel and struggled a bit during the remaining ride – which is unfortunate, given that it’s so pretty!