Day 63 - Winter has arrived, a glacier, tunnels and a maelstrom


1st June 2018

 Yesterday was hot and sunny and at midnight this was the view from Ivan's rear window...


Today is 1st June and it feels like winter has arrived.  The temperature never rose above 7 degrees, low cloud and the odd spot of rain, the first since Ghent 1650 miles ago.  It was a 6.30am start to catch a ferry 20 miles away.  It was a cold, bleak wait for the ferry (I'd been pedalling hard to keep warm). 


I think it was a very scenic ride to Saltstraumen and I sensed big mountains on one side and the sea on the other but the cloud base felt about three feet above my head and I could see very little.  However, Jacqui and Ivan, on a different route had good views of an arm of the Svartisen Glacier, Norway's second largest.





I encountered a few tunnels today the longest being this one...


Some people feel claustrophobic in tunnels but it only really seems like riding at night with a lot of echoing.  Approaching lorries make a heck of a noise.  The road was quiet so I had 2 miles of tunnel all to myself.  At first I tried whistling but this is difficult when you are breathing heavily.  I wanted a tune that echoed nicely, after a few poor choices I finally tried  "Hit the North" by The Fall.  Perfect!!  I now have my tunnel song for the rest of the trip which has made me very happy!

 Meanwhile Jacqui and Ivan negotiated the 8km long Svartisen tunnel.  Jacqui's tunnel song is "Oh I do like to be beside the seaside", figure that one out if you can.

Tonight we are at Salstraumen, famed for it's tidal maelstrom, the fiercest in the world apparently.  It put on a good show for us this evening when it was in full flow.








Tomorrow we are headed for Lofoten! 

Comments

  1. Unknown4 June 2018 at 11:04

    Love your tunnel song!! Can imagine singing away to that! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Martin Bradley4 June 2018 at 11:10

    It really works, I feel like I'm in charge of the tunnel!

    ReplyDelete

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