The Nordkapp
Saturday 6th July,
The campsite at Djupvik was probably the worst we have stayed at in terms of value for money, the parking area was far from level, we couldn't find any toilet emptying facilities and the showers although modern were falling to bits, and there was no one on reception except at the time when they want to take your money.....if I did trip advisor I would comment on this place, anyway....
We were decided to go to the Nordkapp, it was never my ultimate goal, we didn't really have one but we had spoken about it obviously and now we had come this far it would be daft not to visit. We knew it would be tourist trap but that's what we are at the end of the day.
The weather was back to miserable after our lovely day in the Lyngen area so we decided to try and do some miles and planned on one more stop before the Nordkapp as it was still a good distance. We got on the road and through Storslett and discovered some nice spots we could have stayed at for free, you learn this a bit too late. We stopped for lunch and then I decided it looked like quite a good fishing area, and there was a good beach for the boys throwing stones so, went away down and on my first cast caught a very decent cod, however I figured that as it had been so easy there would be more or something bigger, so I put it back........my next 6 casts all caught fish, some good saithe and I put them all back also thinking there would be something bigger.......and then of course it all went quiet, no more cod sadly, and it was a struggle to catch tea but a joint effort between myself and Callum and we managed.
Back on the road, and the scenery became very like Scotland again, we rose up over a high pass in thick fog, a total pea souper and spotted some herds of reindeer at the roadsides, then a nice and quite fast coastal road so we made good time to Alta and we found a place to park for the night. It was a very busy area but big enough that we still had loads of room. The Norwegians were out in force, they like a fire in the evening and they like their fishing so there was lots going on. We had our 2 saithe cooked in our usual beer batter and then got the boys off to bed. We had a few drinks and headed to bed, the next days forecast was good so we were decided to get to the Nordkapp tomorrow.
Sunday 7th July.
We woke to a lovely sunny day, it was warm and after breakfast the boys went down on the shore for a good while throwing stones in and looking for crabs. There were some Eider duck families swimming around with their chicks teaching them to dive.
We drove into Alta and filled up with diesel and checked our tyre pressures, the back offside is difficult to blow up as my wee compressor cable is too short to reach it, so once all was good we set off. The road climbs up again and onto a vast high level plateau sort of area, very open and not too hilly, not unlike driving across the cairngorm plateau. The were little Sami communities up here and lots of fences where they obviously graze their Reindeer. This was not a dramatic area but equally beautiful in its own right, the sun was shining and reflecting off all the little lochans and the hills had patches of snow to quite a low level, we are definitely in an area now that for a lot of the year is in the grip of winter. A huge river grew at the side of us and there were many fishers out trying to catch a salmon for their dinner. We stopped at a lunch spot and chatted to a Norwegian man who appeared on a electric mountain bike, he had been in at his hytte 15km's into the hills with his friend fishing for trout and he said they were big!!We had lunch and sat in the hot sun till 2pm and then decided we better make tracks, we still had a bit to go. We stayed on the E6 until the turn off north onto the E69 signposted for the Nordkapp.
This road was stunning, not unlike some of the best coastal roads the west coast of Scotland has to offer, the road hugged the coast for mile after mile after mile, also going through some pretty impressive tunnels some of which were clearly quite old, narrow and in not such good condition. At a couple of places new tunnels were being built to straighten out bits which is necessary when you consider the amount of traffic on this road, but also a pity as it will then bypass some lovely corners. We encountered quite a few Reindeer wandering about along this section of road, they just stroll about on the road and aren't in any hurry to move for the traffic. This is a long road, and the weather was glorious, surely we had cracked it. The Nordkapp is notorious for being shrouded in fog. We carried on, and on and eventually the scenery started to change to much more barren rolling coastal scenery and then after a few little communities starts to rise up to the Nordkapp, and then we could also see the cloud cap that was covering the last bit of road, less than a mile but totally clagged in. We could park a mile back and be in gorgeous sunshine or stay at the top in the freezing clouds......we had come this far, we were staying at the top, it was bang on 5pm. We payed our 580NOK to stay the night, which also gives access to the whole of the exhibition centre and site, that would have cost 300NOK just to visit and not stay, so just about worth it. We parked up in a carpark and put on some layers and went out for a scout about before dinner time. We took some photos at the globe and quickly headed back to the van, there was nothing else to be seen.
Joyce made dinner and just as we were sitting down and chinking our glasses to celebrate our whereabouts and another successful day the clouds started to thin and hint of a view came, I grabbed the camera and went out to get a few shots incase that was the best to would get, it soon clouded over again. We had dinner and by now it was clearing, everyone was emerging from their vehicles and heading for a look. We finished dinner and then went for a walk ourselves and got some almost clear shots at the globe. Went into the hall and visitors centre to warm up and had a coffee, a beer and ice cream and then watched the very good movie, its basically a video on 3 huge screens of the Nordkapp and surrounding area and some of locals going about their business, covering the 4 seasons compressed into 20 minutes with some pretty powerful music. We all liked it. We had a wander around the souvenir shop and the boys got a certificate that can get framed and go on the wall to remind them of our trip.
We went back to the van, did the dishes and now time was wearing on. I had promised Callum and Logan we could all play dominos at midnight if we could see the midnight sun, the last time they were too tired, but today they were not going to bed anyway. We were all going to see the sun at midnight at the furthest north point in Europe-this is actually not the case............it is the most northerly point in Europe that you can drive to, its also not on the mainland, but on an island called Magerøya, so it really depends how you wish to view the place and whether you are a box ticker, and which box you are ticking. The furthest north place in Europe is actually in Russia (or Svalbard if you don't want to count Russia as part of Europe). There is a little peninsula just west of the Nordkapp that you can see, it also extends further north but it is a 4 hour walk to get to it......but it's all irrelevant anyway, its the Nordkapp, just a place, and it has been a popular tourist destination for hundreds of years. To be fair, it's quite spectacular, perched on a 300m high cliff right above the frigid Barents Sea, next stop Greenland or the North Pole, a bit like The Butt of Lewis on the Hebrides.
The dominos were interrupted as we went outside for our midnight pictures and by now it was totally clear, we grabbed our moment and got a few pictures and memories that will be with us all forever. It was still cold however so after a wee dram, that was gifted to us by a good friend we returned to the van. The boys were dead beat so it was bed for them, and Joyce also but I went out to take in a bit more of the place-I like to get my moneys worth, lol.
There is more to see and do here, there's a bit of reading to be done in the exhibition centre so that can wait till tomorrow and we will then hatch a plan. We can't go any further north, 71.170 degrees north........., 4457.5 miles covered, 1300 miles from the North Pole and we got our second midnight sun when it mattered. A happy travelling family.
The campsite at Djupvik was probably the worst we have stayed at in terms of value for money, the parking area was far from level, we couldn't find any toilet emptying facilities and the showers although modern were falling to bits, and there was no one on reception except at the time when they want to take your money.....if I did trip advisor I would comment on this place, anyway....
We were decided to go to the Nordkapp, it was never my ultimate goal, we didn't really have one but we had spoken about it obviously and now we had come this far it would be daft not to visit. We knew it would be tourist trap but that's what we are at the end of the day.
The weather was back to miserable after our lovely day in the Lyngen area so we decided to try and do some miles and planned on one more stop before the Nordkapp as it was still a good distance. We got on the road and through Storslett and discovered some nice spots we could have stayed at for free, you learn this a bit too late. We stopped for lunch and then I decided it looked like quite a good fishing area, and there was a good beach for the boys throwing stones so, went away down and on my first cast caught a very decent cod, however I figured that as it had been so easy there would be more or something bigger, so I put it back........my next 6 casts all caught fish, some good saithe and I put them all back also thinking there would be something bigger.......and then of course it all went quiet, no more cod sadly, and it was a struggle to catch tea but a joint effort between myself and Callum and we managed.
Back on the road, and the scenery became very like Scotland again, we rose up over a high pass in thick fog, a total pea souper and spotted some herds of reindeer at the roadsides, then a nice and quite fast coastal road so we made good time to Alta and we found a place to park for the night. It was a very busy area but big enough that we still had loads of room. The Norwegians were out in force, they like a fire in the evening and they like their fishing so there was lots going on. We had our 2 saithe cooked in our usual beer batter and then got the boys off to bed. We had a few drinks and headed to bed, the next days forecast was good so we were decided to get to the Nordkapp tomorrow.Sunday 7th July.
We woke to a lovely sunny day, it was warm and after breakfast the boys went down on the shore for a good while throwing stones in and looking for crabs. There were some Eider duck families swimming around with their chicks teaching them to dive.
We drove into Alta and filled up with diesel and checked our tyre pressures, the back offside is difficult to blow up as my wee compressor cable is too short to reach it, so once all was good we set off. The road climbs up again and onto a vast high level plateau sort of area, very open and not too hilly, not unlike driving across the cairngorm plateau. The were little Sami communities up here and lots of fences where they obviously graze their Reindeer. This was not a dramatic area but equally beautiful in its own right, the sun was shining and reflecting off all the little lochans and the hills had patches of snow to quite a low level, we are definitely in an area now that for a lot of the year is in the grip of winter. A huge river grew at the side of us and there were many fishers out trying to catch a salmon for their dinner. We stopped at a lunch spot and chatted to a Norwegian man who appeared on a electric mountain bike, he had been in at his hytte 15km's into the hills with his friend fishing for trout and he said they were big!!We had lunch and sat in the hot sun till 2pm and then decided we better make tracks, we still had a bit to go. We stayed on the E6 until the turn off north onto the E69 signposted for the Nordkapp.
This road was stunning, not unlike some of the best coastal roads the west coast of Scotland has to offer, the road hugged the coast for mile after mile after mile, also going through some pretty impressive tunnels some of which were clearly quite old, narrow and in not such good condition. At a couple of places new tunnels were being built to straighten out bits which is necessary when you consider the amount of traffic on this road, but also a pity as it will then bypass some lovely corners. We encountered quite a few Reindeer wandering about along this section of road, they just stroll about on the road and aren't in any hurry to move for the traffic. This is a long road, and the weather was glorious, surely we had cracked it. The Nordkapp is notorious for being shrouded in fog. We carried on, and on and eventually the scenery started to change to much more barren rolling coastal scenery and then after a few little communities starts to rise up to the Nordkapp, and then we could also see the cloud cap that was covering the last bit of road, less than a mile but totally clagged in. We could park a mile back and be in gorgeous sunshine or stay at the top in the freezing clouds......we had come this far, we were staying at the top, it was bang on 5pm. We payed our 580NOK to stay the night, which also gives access to the whole of the exhibition centre and site, that would have cost 300NOK just to visit and not stay, so just about worth it. We parked up in a carpark and put on some layers and went out for a scout about before dinner time. We took some photos at the globe and quickly headed back to the van, there was nothing else to be seen.
Joyce made dinner and just as we were sitting down and chinking our glasses to celebrate our whereabouts and another successful day the clouds started to thin and hint of a view came, I grabbed the camera and went out to get a few shots incase that was the best to would get, it soon clouded over again. We had dinner and by now it was clearing, everyone was emerging from their vehicles and heading for a look. We finished dinner and then went for a walk ourselves and got some almost clear shots at the globe. Went into the hall and visitors centre to warm up and had a coffee, a beer and ice cream and then watched the very good movie, its basically a video on 3 huge screens of the Nordkapp and surrounding area and some of locals going about their business, covering the 4 seasons compressed into 20 minutes with some pretty powerful music. We all liked it. We had a wander around the souvenir shop and the boys got a certificate that can get framed and go on the wall to remind them of our trip.We went back to the van, did the dishes and now time was wearing on. I had promised Callum and Logan we could all play dominos at midnight if we could see the midnight sun, the last time they were too tired, but today they were not going to bed anyway. We were all going to see the sun at midnight at the furthest north point in Europe-this is actually not the case............it is the most northerly point in Europe that you can drive to, its also not on the mainland, but on an island called Magerøya, so it really depends how you wish to view the place and whether you are a box ticker, and which box you are ticking. The furthest north place in Europe is actually in Russia (or Svalbard if you don't want to count Russia as part of Europe). There is a little peninsula just west of the Nordkapp that you can see, it also extends further north but it is a 4 hour walk to get to it......but it's all irrelevant anyway, its the Nordkapp, just a place, and it has been a popular tourist destination for hundreds of years. To be fair, it's quite spectacular, perched on a 300m high cliff right above the frigid Barents Sea, next stop Greenland or the North Pole, a bit like The Butt of Lewis on the Hebrides.
The dominos were interrupted as we went outside for our midnight pictures and by now it was totally clear, we grabbed our moment and got a few pictures and memories that will be with us all forever. It was still cold however so after a wee dram, that was gifted to us by a good friend we returned to the van. The boys were dead beat so it was bed for them, and Joyce also but I went out to take in a bit more of the place-I like to get my moneys worth, lol.There is more to see and do here, there's a bit of reading to be done in the exhibition centre so that can wait till tomorrow and we will then hatch a plan. We can't go any further north, 71.170 degrees north........., 4457.5 miles covered, 1300 miles from the North Pole and we got our second midnight sun when it mattered. A happy travelling family.
Absolutely fantastic every single photo gave me a smile the write up was a great balance of fact and philosophy with some balanced emotions thrown in, it couldn't have been done any better, its hard to single out a photo to comment on because i loved them all, but what i would say gave me the greatest grin was the whole gang in their Scotland tops just like when you were at the most southerly point of Norway all that time ago ! BRAW! what an achievement well done, ask Callum if he will sell uncle Kenny his certificate lol
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