1997 Land Of The Midnight Sun - Walkabout At Saltstraumen

Having spent five days of constant travelling it is nice to be able to leave the motorcycle alone for a day. So while I was enjoying a little peace Ian and Guzzisue took a walk to the waterside to watch the current and take some photos and then onto a road bridge to take some more photos of the current from above.

The Norwegians had just recently built an exhibition centre at Saltstraumen complete with a working model of the tidal pattern of the waters. There was also a film show in English explaining the history of the area. My friends were the only two people in this showing.

After looking around the centre Ian and Guzziesue went back onto the bridge and back to the waterside before before walking up the road to a small local museum of life.

Once inside my friends spent some time talking to the owner, who in the long winter months made quilts. She insisted on bringing out some of her finished pieces for Guzziesue to have a look at. Little did we know at the time but when we would return home Guzziesue would sign up for the City & Guilds Embroidery & Textile course at a local college. Guzziesue’s latest works can be found on her blog – Travel, Fibre And Thread.

The curator’s husband was the person who made the working model in the exhibition centre!

Although she was reluctant to go into too much detail she also told us about her father who used to go fishing for whales and also that we were experiencing the best summer for at least four years. We also learnt about her sister who lived down in Oslo that would insist on ringing her up every year to say when they were having their first drinks on the veranda. The normal reply would be to tell her to p**s off as there would still be several inches of snow at Saltstraumen.

Having spent some time in the museum my friends once again went to have a look at the ever changing waters before going to the campsite supermarket, where once inside they noticed lots of half empty bottles of drinks for sale. We assume these were for people to add their own homemade alcohol to.

Back outside Ian decided to open one of the freezers round the back of the campsite reception. This was full of fish that we can only assume had been caught from the whirlpool by people from off the site. Why he didn’t bring one back for me I do not know.

After tea we went for another walk back to the water’s edge where two German motorcyclists trying to fish without much success, although other anglers were having better luck. They had intended to go right up to Nordcap but decided that it was too far. We can agree with this because I think we were still 400 miles away from there and tomorrow we head back south.

1997 Land Of The Midnight Sun - To The Artic Circle & Beyond

We knew that we were getting close to the Artic Circle as we started to see more traffic. There were many German motorcyclists and several times today we met up with a coach full of Japanese tourists who every time we met insisted on holding their hands outstretched and twisting their right hands.

Towards the Artic Circle it is easy to spot the speed traps as the policemen with radar guns sit by the roadside, and just because we had gone past one did not mean there was not another half a mile up the road! If you are heading that way you have been warned! I counted five police with radar guns in the last 10-15 miles.

The Artic Circle is the furthest point south where the sun can be seen at midnight. The Norwegians have built a very good visitor center on the N6, which is the way we headed north. The necessary postcards were bought and filled in at a later date before being posted here on the way back south, where they had a special post mark put on.

Having had a warm up and a bite to eat we had a little walkabout around the area. In the distance we could see that a train had stopped, probably for passengers to get out and take their Artic Circle photos. Around the area there are wooden markers as in Guzziesue’s photo that indicate the furthest reaches of the Midnight Sun.

Back onto the bike to stop my friends from being eaten alive by all the flies, (fur 1, flesh 0. Hee hee), I spot a turn off for Saltstraumen, which we take. This road soon turns into a dirt track, so not wanting to off road the bike with two passengers and all the luggage for maybe 45 miles Ian turns around and carries on the main road.

We eventually come across a turning for Bodo on a tarmac road which we take and then turn left for Saltstraumen. When we arrive we get a spacious but basic cabin and relax after one day at sea and four days on the road. Somehow Ian feels like this is an anticlimax. It could be that all the riding has taken a bit out of him. It has been very hot and he has not been taking enough fluid. It cooled down a lot that night and it felt as though it could snow.

Lets see what tomorrow brings.