Ferries

Part of the queue to board, somewhere along RV17

The Grey Wanderer, first for take-off, after Tro (I had to back on)

Docked for the night

Another arrives

A water ambulance, at Tjotta

Ferries are a major part of commerce and culture here. The isolated islands and fiord communities often can not be reached without them. Everything revolves around their schedules.

More RV17

Mountains and skerries

Clouds roll over a ridge

More granite than I have ever seen

Twisted mountains

Among the Seven Sisters range

Rock Carvings at Tro

See the previous post for narrative on Tro and the carvings.

The red rock mountain stood out amid all the granite, for hours as we drove or sailed the ferries; it turned out to be Tro

Road less traveled; actually, it was about the only sign on the island

Location of the rock carvings, above this fiordlet on Tro

The Lillehammer skier

Fish

Seal

Moose; here they're called elk, or elg

All of this paleolithic, 5,000-10,000 years old.

RV17: Ferries, Skerries and Rock Art (oh my)

Our drive July 15 along the RV17 went faster than expected, aided in part by hitting the ferries just about exactly right. The day took us from Grong to Tjotta, with a major excursion to the island of Tro. In all, I think there were 4 ferry crossings—Holm to Venesund, Horn/Andalsvagen, Forvik to Tro, and Tro to Tjotta. The last two were major voyages, ferry-wise, 45 minutes in duration each.

In retrospect the excusion to Tro was one of the more iffy things we have done. We had read that one of the islands RV 17 passes by is Tro, where there are important paleolithic rock carvings, including the 10,000 year old skier that was the emblem of the Lillehammer Olympics. Tro was on the way, sort of, to our next destination, Tjotta, so we bought tickets on the ferry, drove right on, and looked forward to a 45minute voyage and to seeing some paleolithic good stuff a bit off the beaten path.

We began to get some idea of how far we were off the beaten path when we noticed we were the only party and vehicle getting off at Tro; that there were no ferry lines personnel to greet us or direct us, no kiosk, no signage, no pavement; no tourist information center, nobody wanting to sell us reindeer sausage and dried fiske. Nobody at all, as a matter of fact. Driving around a bit on gravel roads introduced us to a couple of joggers, two school-children, and, finally, a gentlemen who happily got in his car and led us to the trail-head, past two gates, which we never, ever, would have found or crossed on our own. Kindness of strangers, again.

The hike itself was a bit of an adventure....poorly signed originally, across fields, a ravine, a woods, finally, to the fiord off-shoot where the carvings lie. The carvings themselves were great. They had been covered for conservation, and we were the first of the season to see them. See pix.

We got back to the camper and then to the dock for the 8:00PM ferry to Tjotta with time to spare. We were very happy to see that ferry.

More on RV17 on succeeding posts.

Route 17, the Atlantic coast highway, a storied route in Norway

Granite, everywhere, mountains rising from the fiords and the sea

On one of the numerous, sleek, high, long, Norwegian bridges
on RV17

Inland valley view

Our campsite on Tjotta harbor

Subtle harbor signage

Trondheim

City Hall Administration building (?) City square, statue pf Olav Trygveson, one of the city founders Norway Kids' Tour, in square, setting up for a concert Trondheim is not a tourist city, unlike Oslo and Bergen and other places. The old city is very nice, but the rest of the town is a bit on the austere, if not dreary side. A few cans of paint would help. But please not the barn red that covers all of Scandinavia. We drove on northerly from Trondheim, on the E6, stopping just short of Grong, at a rest area on a beautiful lake. After much research and consideration we have decided to proceed still further north in Norway, driving the 3 star RV17 coastal route, pretty much to Bodo, then to the Arctic Circle.

Trondheim Cathedral

Bastille Day. We drove through unusually diverse terrain on the way to Trondheim, taking the longer but quicker route recommended by the tourist information guy at Andalsnes. Part alpine, part high barren plain, most of it beautiful valleys, rivers, and fields. As we proceed north we don't expect to see many more strawberry fields.

I very much enjoyed Trondheim Cathedral, the major attraction of this "gateway to the north." It is the national cathedral, Trondheim being once the capital, a martyrdom/pilgrimage site, the site also of coronations and burials of Norwegian royalty. It is gray soapstone, 11th-13th century, originally Romanesque, then Gothic, as is usually the case with this vintage. It has beautiful stained glass, unlike the rest of Scandinavia we have seen, but was very dark inside, in part because of the stone, in part because of its park setting, in part because it was a very gray day. No pictures inside were allowed; not that they would have turned out. The exterior is striking, the size, color, and, especially, the intactness of it all. The Protestants looted this cathedral when they took over, but did not deface it. So, if you want to see a real 13th century cathedral, unspoiled by war, revolution, or ecclesiastical change, Trondheim is a great treat. I don't know of anything else like it. The west face, the typanum, are really incredible.

Trondheim Cathedral

Two towers and a spire

West facade; the rose window inside was wonderful

JC and the rose window

Adam and Eve, the only other figures on the facade we recognized

Largest cathedral gift shop I have yet seen...an entire building; 

no Unemployed Philosophers Guild Jesus dolls here!

Interim Report

July 22nd. We are now back in Sweden, on its east coast, well north of Stockholm, headed for Goteberg, then Denmark, Germany and Paris. Briefly, we have been to Trondheim, then the Arctic Circle, then Bodo, then the ferry to the Lofoton islands, then up the Lofotons to Narvik, then still further north to Alta, and lastly, the North Cape of Norway, Europe's northernmost point. Midnight sun, etc. We have been driving back through the Lappland interiors of Norway, Finland, and now Sweden. Much more later, when I can edit photos.

Andalsnes' Train Chapel

We hadn't been to a cathedral or stave church in--what? days--so we decided to visit Andalsnes world-famous train chapel, situated right on the harbor

Sanctum Sanctorum

The High Altar, where Vicki gave thanks for another's day safe driving in the mountains

Hell on Wheels; or, Vicki's Worst Nightmare

There's always a price to pay with beautiful alpine scenery: the road back down Narrow road, congestion Fortunately for us, no tour busses Don't look down More congestion, stopping, squeezing past Finally at the bottom In troll country Pix taken by Vicki's own trembling hand.

Trollstigveien

The road from Olden, Styrns, then Gerianger, and then on past Ornvegen and the Trollstigveien, to Andalsnes, was the best Norwegian scenery we have seen; Trollstigveien reminded us particularly of the American west, Montana and Wyoming, at their early summer best

Green and granite, and snow

Like the Winds in Wyoming

Double-Pingora, Cirque of the Towers

Ornevegen

Rest area at Ornevegen summit; eight RVs there that night

Orenevegen view of Geirangerfjord

Strawberry fields in Valldal valley, on the Ornevegen road; we
bought a couple baskets; the Ornevegen drive was down a
beautiful valley, less the extremes of the mountains and fjords

Part of the Gudbrandsbru, a water feature on the
Ornevegen