Grab a map of Europe. Look north. Way up. All the way up to the northernmost tip. It is in Norway, 650km north of the Arctic Circle, up where the continent gets gnarly with fjords and mountains. Way up at the top of the continent is Nordkapp, our “official” starting point.
To get to Nordkapp we sail on Nordnorge, one of the Norwegian coastal steamers of the Hurtigruten line, from Tromsø, a mere 350km north of the Arctic Circle, to Honningsvåg, another 300 km north. At Honningsvåg we disembark and pedal further north.
First, though, we must reassemble Peppy and Mr Grey, who were dissembled and packed for their journey across continents and oceans. We restore the bicycles to operating condition in the courtyard at Amelie Hotell in the centre of Tromsø. The very public restoration of our bicycles attracts a fair amount of attention, some bemused, some genuinely curious. Midway through the assembly process we wonder if perhaps we should have set out a hat to collect donated kroner. Norway is an expensive country for travellers, after all.
After completing our non-busking bicycle assembly performance we board Nordnorge with Peppy and Mr Grey and settle in for the overnight trip to Honningsvåg, on the island Mageroya. Nordnorge makes several stops in the night; we sleep through.
Shortly before noon we arrive in Honningsvåg. We disembark Nordnorge, load our bicycles, and cycle out of Honningsvåg. We pedal 25 kilometres north, up and down –in Norway the road is always up or down– across the barren Arctic landscape, fighting heavy crosswinds which bring dense fog from the Barents Sea.
We stop for the night in Skarsväg, billed as the most northerly fishing village in the world. Skarsvåg is a fair sized village for the region: population 60. For entertainment we wander the street (singular), sit and watch the sea, relax, watch the sea and sit, until time for bed. It is very peaceful and relaxing, a nice change from days of mechanized travel. Adjusting to falling asleep when the sun remains above the horizon, sleeping under the softly lighted skies, and waking to the same clear arctic light, requires a few days before it becomes natural.
Arctic light is magical, special. Clear, delicate, with a softness like a perpetual golden hour; it is the most restful light imaginable; the light is a large part of why the arctic feels peaceful and relaxing, despite barren and oft harsh conditions.
The next morning (an abstract concept in a place where the sun scribes a circle around the sky but does not settle below the horizon, and thus does not rise to signal the onset of a new day) brings fair weather and we continuing pedalling north, soon reaching Nordkapp at 71°N. Theoretically, nothing but water and ice stand between us and Santa’s workshop at the North Pole.
Click click.
We take the obligatory photos from the top of the cliff, admire the views from vantages to which most of the tourists do not venture, and use the facilities, before mounting the saddles for the return to Honningsvåg. It is important to use facilities when you can, unless you wish to let it all hang out for the world to see; there are no trees or bushes for the shy to hide their activities.
From Nordkapp down to Honningsvåg is a short ride; only 55km. The sun occasionally sneaks out and the winds behave themselves. We cruise across the hills, thrilling to the day and the ride and the view. We are finding our stride; finding the pure joy of pedalling across the open arctic land. No trees interrupt our view of the reindeer on the rolling hills, or of the distant sea when we top another hill. There is always another hill. This is Norway, after all.
We roll into Honningsvåg in the afternoon, increasing its population of 2400 by 2 for one night. After a bit of bumbling around we find our bed, find our dinner, find our dessert. Seafood for dinner, of course. Fresh catch; delicious. Afterwards, tarts and cookies from a Norwegian/French bakery. Yum. Well earned calories. Well earned rest follows.
mry writes 