Day 16: Senja, Northern Norway
Turns out we ran out of water this morning. Only really finding out when Nat went to wash the pots after our morning coffee. Not too much of a drama as we’ve always got some bottles filled with water for cooking and for the most important thing, coffee.
It just meant no showers were on the agenda this morning. Good old wet wipes to the rescue and we were off…
…In shorts. Again.
Abisko isn’t too far away from the Norwegian border so we didn’t have much time, or distance, to spend the remaining SEK we’d acquired from Stockholm. It also meant an end to some crazy daily distances and back to the slow life of motorhome travel.
With snow on the mountain peaks and some even in the valleys below we made it to the last supermarket on the border and stocked up on…
Tuna.
Most people stock up on alcohol before entering Norway but not us. Trusty tuna is our stockpile item of choice.
Crossing Into Norway
Oh Norway, we’re so glad to be back. We visited Norway in September of 2017 and fell in love with what little of the country we managed to see in just 4 days. This time round we’d have nearly an entire month, or until our bank balances were drained. It’s been heard, and often said, that Norway is eye-wateringly expensive. I guess there’s only one way to find out.
We’d also heard that crossing the border had sometimes caused issues too. But not for us, straight through and into Norway.
WE WERE BACK.
If you’re unfamiliar with Norway, it is an incredible country. Mountains at every turn, with beautiful lakes and fjords at their feet. Beautiful wooden houses and lodges perched on hill tops with views that could only ever be seen out of a magazine. It’s jaw dropping at every turn and we’ve both been so excited to get back to this incredible country.
As quick as we’d crossed the border, the scenery had changed and we knew we were in Norway. It’s such a unique and iconic landscape, you couldn’t mistake Norway for anywhere else in the world. Even New Zealand doesn’t come close to the landscapes here and we LOVED New Zealand.
A fresh fill of water and a quick emptying of the toilet we were on our way to our furtherest North point of the entire trip, Senja.
Senja, a mini Norway.
Senja is the second largest island in Norway and is often called a miniature Norway. It’s easy to see why. With huge mountains, deep fjords and incredible scenery at every angle, this place is absolutely incredible.
From the moment we crossed over the impressively built bridge that connects Senja to mainland, to the moment we turned off the ignition on Doris we were captured by the immense beautiful on offer right in front of our eyes.
There are so many jagged mountains rising from the fjords, some with snow, some without. If you’re into mountains then Senja definitely has its fair share of incredible hiking on offer.
Thankfully we can slow down our pace of travelling now. IF the weather plays ball it means we can spend the next few days, potentially a week, hiking here in Senja. I’m so excited at that prospect as there are so many incredible peaks and beautiful beaches waiting to be discovered here.
Doris has potentially the best spot ever tonight. No, it IS the best spot we’ve ever parked here. Right beside a fjord that Orca are quite often seen hunting and right underneath some of the most impressive mountain peaks I’ve ever seen.
The best part?
It’s costing us absolutely nothing.
In the past I’ve spent a good amount of money on a hotel with a view, but this beats any view I’ve ever seen from a room.
The best bit? The midnight sun is setting right in the middle of the fjord behind us and will illuminate the entire fjord with golden colours in the next few hours. That and the peace, serenity and calmness this place brings. I could sit and stare at these mountains for hours.
Tonights camping location: Just outside of Senjahoppen, Senja. (Park4Night: Click here)