Jostedalsbreen / Kjenndalsbreen

So it's been a few days.... Bødo (where we got the ferry to from Lofoten) was of insignificance, our first stop was the allegedly interesting Saltstraumen, unfortunately we seemed to get there at the wrong point of tide so it was rather uneventful. A quick visit to the Arctic Circle centre was enough. We continued south until we stopped off at Gronligrotta, part of a cave system on the outskirts of Mo I Rana. Definitely worth a visit if you are passing, tours are every 2 hours so worth timing it right. We camped at Grong, clean, tidy and functional site. The following morning we left for Trondheim - a couple of hours walking the city streets proved it to be somewhere worth a return visit, although rather quiet on a Sunday! From there we headed to the Atlantic Road, where we camped at the Northern end on a nice but mosquito ridden campsite. Damp grass and proximity to the inlets of sea water probably didn't help.
This morning we left there and via the Atlantic Road (impressive construction and great views) we headed to Trollstiggen. Steep narrow mountain roads full of tourist buses didnt deter from the sheer scale of the beauty of the area. There is a great walkway at the top from which to view the road too. Onwards to Geiranger,  the roads didn't really improve, but it was worth the view from the top overlooking the Fjord with ferries and cruise liners dotted around. The town itself was rammed with cruise boat passengers so we made a hasty passage through and back up the mountain road towards Jostedalsbreen. Eventually we escaped the buses and on nearing here, took the road up to Kjenndalsbreen to look at the arm of the glacier. A toll road (40NOK), followed by a 15 min walk take  you pretty close to the bottom. We then retraced our steps back to Loen, where we found a nice campsite just outside the town. Tomorrow on towards Bergen!

Lofoten

We left Andenes yesterday and enjoyed the scenic route to the lofoten islands. We first stopped at Svolvaer where we had a wander and a really tasty ice cream. Next, we travelled a few km's away to Kabelvag. They had an interesting medieval church but not much else. However, we found a campsite there and had a freezing swim in the fjord. Today we went to Hemmingsvaer, a really nice small fishing town, Eggum and Nusfjord. Most importantly we found another tasty, and very cheap, ice cream at Nusfjord. There was a small entrance fee (50NOK) to enter the town of Nusfjord but definitely worth a visit. We're now camped at Moskenes where we will get the ferry to Bodo in the morning. All in all, the lofoten islands are truly beautiful and a great place to relax.
(This was posted online the morning after we wrote it!)

Andenes

To follow the last post, the wheel bearing was successfully replaced! We are now travelling in relative peace and quiet.
We arrived in Andenes last night after a detour via Polar Park yesterday - where we saw Moose, Arctic foxes, Reindeer (up close!), Muskox and Bears to name a few.
The campsite here is one of the few remaining open up here and is basic but enjoys great views along the coastline and all day sun due to being located on a  plateau. Andenes is the closest I can imagine to a Norwegian, Cornish fishing town. Sleepy but picturesque, functional but quiet. Known mainly for its whale research.
This morning we went up the old lighthouse - still in use evenings in winter - 148 steps to some fabulous views over the northern tip of this island of Andoya. We followed this with a nice lunch overlooking a lake on the outskirts of Breik. Dinner was an early one at Sorvesten, serving fresh local produce, before heading out on a boat to go whale watching. There is a choice of 2 companies here who do 'whale safaris' - we went for the less commercialised one that uses smaller RIBs. A great experience both the journey and seeing Sperm whales up close. The ones we saw were up to 50 tonnes in weight! No photos at the moment as they are on my camera.
Tomorrow we are heading south to the Lofoten islands.

Tromso

Apologies for the lack of posts the last few days...anyway here's what we've been up to since Hammerfest.
Saturday we drove down to Alta, where we stopped off to have a look at the Alta rock carvings - back stories need a little imagination,  however the carvings themselves are quite impressive. From there we went to the Tirpitz museum, which although small was quite informative. After there we decided to drive until we saw a campsite we liked the look of. The 'Arctic Fjordcamp' sounded good so we pulled in to take a look. Facilities good, keenly priced and awesome views looking straight down the fjord. We had a lovely evening swapping stories with a French couple who have moved to Sweden (and also had a VW!)
Sunday morning we went to see the nearby glacier (on their recommendation) and although we didn't do it, there was a walking route up to it.
On route to Tromso we took the route with the 2 ferries - fabulous scenery and a nice break from driving. Possibly one of the more expensive sandwiches I've had in a while (50 NOK) but options were limited with most shops shut on a Sunday.
We are staying at the Tromso campsite which is next to the sports stadium, around 3km walk from the city centre. It's modern and has good facilities if not slightly pricey (300NOK per night excl electric). After a walk into town over the Tromso bridge and a nice dinner in a small bar, we took the cable car up the mountain with a view over the city.
Today (Monday) we have been to the Polaria musuem and the adjoining MS Polstjerna. We are currently sat in a local park in northern Tromso eating lunch while waiting for the garage to replace a rear wheel bearing!

Nordkapp/ Hammerfest

Today Cliff made it to Nordkapp from Olderfjord.  It was about a 2 hour journey filled with good views, reindeer and moose. Nordkapp wasn't quite as spectacular as we had hoped but it was still worth the journey. We pottered around the visitor centre for a bit and enjoyed the scenery, and then decided we should head south. So we're camping at Hammerfest tonight in a small campsite next to a lake and having a relaxing evening!

Olderfjord

We decided to push on north past Alta and aim for Olderfjord yesterday. Along the way passing lots of gift shops and quite a few moose in the road! Shortly after leaving Övertorneå we crossed the Arctic Circle - on the Finnish side there is a shop and cafe. We arrived here around 5pm having been on the road since half 8 - once entering Norway progress is slow. The campsite is well located just off the main road, has B&B, cabins and camping pitches. 210NOK per night for a campervan. Wifi is included. There is a sauna / showers available at extra cost (coin slot).
We treated ourselves to dinner in the restaurant. I had reindeer stew and mashed potato,  a tasty and very filling meal. Lucy had Cod which was very fresh. Most of the tourist buses appear to stop at the shop here.
The view from the site is definitely the best so far...the last photo is a view from bed this morning!

Övertorneå

After a good run up the E4 with little traffic (unusual according to the staff here) we arrived at Övertorneå. (http://www.camping.se/sv/Campingse-International/campings/3195/Overtornea-Camping/) A nice little site next to the river amd about 1km from the Finnish border. The advertised heated pool looks great but unfortunately closed at 5pm so we went for a brief swim in the unheated river instead! Decent hot showers if not somewhat dated. Dinner followed by a chat over a beer with very helpful staff. Saw our first Moose in the road today,  a baby one (about 3ft tall) with furry antlers, must be this years! Unfortunately no photos! Tomorrow plan is to continue towards Alta, maybe further depending on progress.

Sundsvall

Following a long day driving (and a casual stop in Ikea for lunch....when in Sweden...) we arrived at Sundsvall Camping (http://www.sundsvallscamping.se/) . Apparently under new ownership for this season. Lovely location with great views. Decent facilities and nice and clean. Staff completely eccentric but well versed in English...check in took about half an hour and that didn't include paying - which apparently we do on the way out tomorrow. First Moose sighting of the trip on the side of the road! No picture though. Currently enjoying a beer with a nice sea view.

Gothenburg

Writing this as we spend our second evening in Gothenburg enjoying a burger and a pint in Kopps, a nice bar on Kungsgatan. If you're wanting somewhere with a bit of character it has good background music along with decent food and a shuffleboard (needless to say it's been fully occupied while we've been here). They have their own interesting ideas on heaven and hell.
Today we got our day pass for the public transport and headed into the city,  first heading for the Volvo museum on the western side. Whilst I found this interesting, Lucy tried not to fall asleep...(she did like the lego XC90!)
After that we wandered around the city, despite the strong winds and rain showers we had a good look round, definitely put a few things on the list for a return visit. The cathedral was quite impressive and surprisingly white inside.

Tomorrow we are headed for Sundsvall on our journey North!

Copenhagen

Well we arrived in Copenhagen about 7.30pm, 25 hours after leaving Leeds (allowing for time difference). Time lost was missing the earlier than planned ferry from Dover due to traffic at the port, massive jams around Bremen and Hamburg (put about 2 hours on the trip) and missing a ferry at Puttgarden by about 2 mins!
Hotel had upgraded us to an apartment which was a nice surprise...although we were asleep within about 2 minutes of being in bed. We decided on booking somewhere here rather than trying to find a campsite after the long journey.
We had dinner at Nytorv, local dishes which although satisfying, were nothing to rave about.
Now to go and find somewhere to sort the leisure battery out as we discovered yesterday that is isn't holding charge so won't run the fridge overnight!

Dover

Arrived at Dover in good time with minimal hold ups despite it being Friday PM! Joined a 30 minute queue heading for security checks. The truck driver clearly gave up and keeled over in protest...

In case you are wondering, Cliff is the van!  2000 VW Transporter 2.5 TDI, converted to a camper. He is new to our fleet, having only been acquired less than a fortnight ago! I will be adding more later, probably sat in queues at Dover!

James