Moving from Senja to Andøya

Molly started creaking as the sun warmed her panels, so we were both awake at 6 o’clock… after being awake late because of the band playing in the pub until 2 o’clock, itching bites and then squawking seabirds!

Anyway… we’d wanted to get to Gryllefjord ferry port early, so it didn’t really matter. We wanted to catch a ferry from Senja to the island of Andøya in Vesteralen and we’d heard that there’s always a queue for this particular ferry… which is a nuisance because there are only three a day, and missing one means a long wait for the next.

We stopped at the Bergsbotn viewpoint on the way, another nicely designed wooden platform (44 metres long). It’s situated on a hairpin bend, with views of the mountains and fjord.

We arrived at the ferry port not long after 7 o’clock and 3 of the 5 lanes of the queue were already full, despite the ferry not being due until 11 o’clock. We parked up at the head of lane 4 and went for a wander, looking out for the painted murals and metal cormorant sculpture that we knew graced the small town.

Afterwards, we washed and had breakfast, then I edited my photos and wrote the blog for yesterday to while away the time. Finally, John noticed the ferry arriving. By now the traffic was queuing down the road!

Our number plate was scanned, which is how our ferry pass is charged for the journey, and we assumed this meant there’d be room for us. However, the guy loading the ferry held the motorhomes back and kept calling cars (and even a coach) forward. The vehicle deck looked small and we were worried we wouldn’t get on and would have to wait for the next ferry at 3 o’clock!

Thank goodness, we were finally called forward and squeezed onto the boat. The journey took about an hour and 40 minutes, and the trip went smoothly. We disembarked at Andenes and, from there, we just had a 20 minute drive to Bleik where we’re staying on a campsite for a couple of nights.

We have a lovely spot from where we can see the beautiful white beach and turquoise sea. The sun is shining and we had a short walk along a small road through the village and came back along the shore. John had been hoping to watch the Norway match in the pub tonight but, when he asked, they unfortunately don’t have a telly. They did, however, have a mini Statue of Liberty with Elisabeth 1 written underneath it… I’m not sure what that’s about!

Anyway… we enjoyed the stroll… the beautiful beaches, the view of Bleiksøya mountain out at sea, and the old boats being claimed by nature. We laughed seeing baby seagulls and oyster catchers running around, and being scolded by their parents!

Back at Molly, we sat in the sun and had a beer, but I bottled out of swimming… again! Although the weather looks lovely, it is quite cool in the breeze, and the clouds are now rolling in over the mountains and horizon. I hope they clear for our hike tomorrow.