July 24, 2024
Day 23: Bodo to Flakstad
Picture Perfect Day
“That looks hilly to me,” Rachel says as we get closer to the Lofoten Islands. There just might be blue sky today. Yesterday, Patrick had explored how to get on the boat and found instructions to scan a QR Code. There is some confusion whether a reservation is needed. The ferry is mainly for walk on passengers and is free.
Our plan is to get on the 0700 ferry from Bodo to Moskenes on the Lofoten Islands. There is an earlier ferry at 0600, and several later ones. We have set the alarm for 0530, pack up and eat our cereal breakfast. We can see the harbor from our hotel room and at about 0615 there is still a ferry at the dock. Strange. Maybe the schedule we found online is not accurate?
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We hustle the bikes into the corridor, load the bags and roll into the elevator. It is less than a kilometer to the dock. When we arrive, others are waiting to board, the man holding people in line tells us the 0600 boat is delayed. Patrick asks if we can get on this boat. The man checks the QR Code Patrick scanned, since we did not make a reservation for the 0700 boat we can just take this one. As soon as we board the boat sets off, we are still tying up the bikes. It is about 3 hours to make the crossing. The last hour of the ride we can see the mountains of the Lofoten getting higher and higher. After all the rain last night it is now dry and the clouds are starting to lift.
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We land in Moskenes, our destination for today is only about 30 kilometer north of here. We start by going south about 5km to visit the little town of A at the end of the Lofoten road. There is a nice fishing harbor and a pier, lots of nice reflections of the mountains and as luck would have it, a good bakery for coffee and cinnamon rolls.
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We cycled in the opposite direction one year ago (minus 4 days) - all four tunnels were avoidable but a couple of them were difficult to spot - not obvious, no signposts. But once on them, they were very enjoyable. Also there is a cycle ferry from Nusfjord to Ballstad that avoids the scary undersea tunnel (Nappstraum). But it costs 400 NOK per person so maybe that put you off.
3 months ago
3 months ago
Then we ride back to Moskenes and keep going north. The next town is Reina, very picturesque at the end of a dramatic fjord. We stop at the vista point for photos. There are four tunnels today, two are well lighted, have ventilation and a shoulder to ride on. It is a bit unnerving to hear traffic coming up from behind, but not nearly as scary as the Bosnian tunnels. The other two have an alternative bike path. Along these paths, cyclists find good camping spots.
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Probably ID'd it before, but still really pretty!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamaenerion_angustifolium
3 months ago
Just before our destination campground we pass a small town with a supermarket. We decide to try one of those frozen dinners and see how it heats up over the stove. The campground is a parking lot for RV’s, plus a grassy/sandy area in the dunes for tents. Many many tents. There is a nice sandy beach and many people trying to surf. The showers are good and there is WiFi so we can catch up a little.
We fall asleep listening to the waves of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Today's ride: 45 km (28 miles)
Total: 1,047 km (650 miles)
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