We’re currently working our way along the Helgeland coastline, which is connected by the longest of the Norwegian national tourist routes, Number 17. The variety of scenery is amazing, with mountain peaks, fjords and islands. We haven’t driven far today but we have taken two ferries through islands in the Helgeland archipelago.
We woke very early to a beautiful sunny, windless morning, and enjoyed breakfast with a view of the sea, before heading off. The weather has really enhanced the colours in the landscape… the blue sea, the green flower meadows and the red and yellow buildings. Everywhere is looking wonderful!
The first ferry was from Horn, not far from our campsite, although the sat nav did try and take us a long way round… again. I need to check its route choice more carefully! Thankfully, John noticed we’d left route 17, so we were soon back on track. We reached the ferry terminal with lots of time to spare, so we made a coffee and waited in the queue, along with lots of people of different nationalities with bikes, motorbikes, cars and campervans.
On disembarking, we followed many of the cars and motorbikes to the next ferry terminal at Forvik, about half an hour away. After a short wait, our ferry arrived and we drove on. This was a longer journey on a bigger ferry so we enjoyed the views from the lounge, rather than the breezy deck.
Although we’d been able to see the Seven Sisters (De Syv Søstre) mountain range from the first ferry, it was much clearer now. With its seven high peaks in a row, stretching over 10 kilometres, the Seven Sisters range is one of Helgeland’s most popular hiking destinations. We plan to hike up Skjæringen tomorrow, which is the third northernmost sister, and the second highest. Depending how fit I feel, given that we’ve done little mountain walking for months, we may also attempt Tvillingan (the Twins), the fourth and fifth peaks of the range.
After leaving the second ferry at Tjøtta, it was another short drive to the campsite at Sandnessjøen. We have a beautiful spot on the rocks directly above the sparkling blue-green sea, and we can see the tops of the Seven Sisters behind us. Perfect! Skjæringen is the peak on the left in the photo below.
We decided to have a lazy afternoon rather than doing any walking or sightseeing. After a leisurely lunch, John practised using Dave the drone, then I did some gentle callisthenics and yoga on the rocky shore, while he went fishing. All went well until his lure got stuck on a rock and he had to wade out to retrieve it! He didn’t catch anything, so it’s chicken for dinner as usual, which I’m pleased about!
Tomorrow, the forecast is looking good again, so we’re going to use the scooter to get to the trailhead for the hike and leave Molly on the campsite. I’m really looking forward to climbing a peak and seeing the wonderful views.
Ramblings 
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