If I Were Going...: Bucket List Biggie

Sometimes it's just too pretty

Most of the time we were in Tromsø, we weren’t actually in Tromsø. Rather, we were out and about, exploring the countryside.

There are lovely boathouses everywhere

Day 1 in the Country
As I mentioned in my last blog, the first day took us from Sommarøy to Lyngseidet across Lyngen Fjord to Olderdalen and back to Tromsø.

Our day’s activities took us past beautiful fjords …

Fjords are deep channels lined by mountains

Meandering streams ...

From big streams to small, many course down the hills

Fern-filled forests ...

Norway is exceedingly green (a big change from the high arctic)

Rushing rivers …

Beautiful cold, clear water

Waterfalls ...

We passed many waterfalls along our route

Exquisite mountains, both stark …

This peak in Olderdalen reminds me of the Matterhorn

And, lush …

The mountains just go on and on

Many reaching straight down to fjords …

A small town on the shore

Map: Google Maps

Day 2 in the Country
The second day, we started out toward the Lofoton Islands, which are much closer to Tromsø than I had thought.

For some reason, I thought Lofoton was accessible only by boat and that planning a trip there would be overkill.

Had I known they were so close, I would have booked a hotel there for a night or two.

As it turned out, we never made it that far, so I guess I will have to go back with Lofoton as a primary destination.

Instead we explored a number of communities along the route ...

Bright houses, flowers, mountains and the sea

... stopping at a recreated farm village, which, unfortunately, wasn't staffed that day. But we could still walk around a bit ...

Sod houses were common in early Norway

... and, ultimately, taking a spectacular ferry ride from Botnham (Senja) to Brensholmen ...

Håja Mountain across the fjord from the ferry

... after which we retraced our path from the first day back to Tromsø ...

Sandneshamnvegan

The scenery – and the weather – throughout the day was even more spectacular than the day before ...

Beautiful views

One of our stops was the Polar Park Arctic Wildlife Centre, where we thought we’d get a good look at some arctic animals that we probably wouldn't see on our own. It was a beautiful zoo, with enclosures the animals must love. They are lush and leafy. And, that makes it virtually impossible to see the animals.

The Polar Park is in Bardu, Norway

We did see a Brown Bear, Eurasian Lynx, Hirsch Deer and Elg (our Moose). I must admit, we got frustrated early and didn't walk the entire Park, which, in addition to the Elg/Moose, Bear and Lynx, has Wolves, Wolverines, Reindeer and Muskoxen.

Moose and Bear

I couldn’t really recommend the Park if you want to SEE animals, but it might be better in the winter when the trees are bare!

Speaking of Moose, we saw lots of Elg warning signs as we drove around northern Norway, but the only one we saw was the one at the Park. I was really hoping to see a wild one.

We did see lots of evidence of outdoor activities, including too many boats to count ...

This one was not being used

And, camping parks where the "caravans" all have lovely little tent-porches attached ...

"Camping" in Norway

GPS view

As we tried to find our way back, we made a wrong turn, which was our best-ever mistake. That's how we ended up on the ferry from Botnham to Brensholmen. It was an incredible trip.

The dominant view was Håja Mountain, which reminded me of a Scandinavian Gibraltar.

The pyramidal mountain dominates the skyline, starting as a speck and growing to fill your view before you arrive.

Håja Mountain

That, plus the lovely villages ...

Botnham

... the rocky islands ...

Along the ferry route

... the colorful boathouses ...

Senja

... the boats ...

Boats and boat houses are a common sight – so are flowers

... and the turquoise water ...

There are countless fjords

Magnificent!!

A house on the edge of a fjord

Here's what driving looks like:

Day 3 in the Country
Then, the next day we spent the morning back up near Sommarøy, exploring that pretty area again, this time venturing a bit further on the islands.

Along our route

I especially loved the little town of Rekvik, which was not too far from Sommarøy and was reached via a gravel road over a mountain from the slightly larger town of Tromvik. I imagine it's a tricky trip during the winter (we wondered about that while driving, musing on how much transportation may be by boat rather than automobile). I am not sure what people do in the town, but it has a large harbor with good access to the Norwegian Sea. I imagine fishing looms large.

Coming into Rekvik

Rekvik was tiny and, indeed, it was originally a farm. The first historical reference was in 1614 and it was intermittently occupied in 1680, 1702 and 1723, when the farm was deserted.

Rekvik was the kind of idyllic locale you expect for Norway ...

Rekvik

A delivery boat started regular service to the area in the late 1800s, which turned it into an actual village.

Historic school sign

Around 1910 there were five houses in Rekvik. The first school was completed in 1916, but by 1975 there were so few children that it had to be closed. It is still there, complete with a historical plaque.

The road was also built in 1916, which must have been a fairly difficult endeavor.

By 1922, when the first store opened in Rekvik, there were probably 70-80 people living in the town. But, by the 1940s, there were still only seven houses.

During WWII, many evacuees settled in the village because northern Norway escaped the decimation experienced in the southern part of the country. Several business, including a fish farm and a small power plant, opened in the late 40s and 50s, but the town never got very large. We were there on a Sunday morning and it seemed almost deserted and very rural.

Outside town, were some lovely ponds filled with nesting Herrings ...

Just outside Rekvik

As we traveled around, we saw a variety of environments, including lots of scrub on rocky mountainsides ...

Lots of scrub and lichens

... a couple of caves ...

Trolls or fairies living there?

... surprisingly few pine tees, but lots of deciduous trees along the water (must be great in the fall) ...

Trees along the river

... and spindly birch forests (very much like our aspens) ...

Mountain birch

I also noticed as we traveled that Norwegians occasionally decorate with what appears to be fairy houses and fairy statues. Quite lovely!

Miniatures on a porch, a stump, an island; the houses beat caves for fairy homes

And, there were summer flowers, which I am sure makes the fairies very happy ...

Colorful flowers

Would you like to go for another drive? Click here.

Norway is truly lovely. A magical place.

The ocean and fjords dominate the landscape

Of course, I was birding the whole time. After being disappointed in my photos of Eurasian Oystercatchers and Common Redshanks in The Netherlands, northern Norway rectified the situation (as did Iceland later). We saw them everywhere. And, I got some great photos.

Eurasian Oystercatchers …