Day 15 - Nordkapp.

31 Aug

The day has finally arrived. We're off to Nordkapp! As we were leaving the hotel there was light rain. We've been prepared for all sorts of weather. Naturally, our preference would be to have clear skies and little or no wind for Minerva to have a fly by. Maybe it would be different the 150 odd km up the road.

Along the drive, we stopped to photograph some more reindeer. How lucky are we to see these lovely animals in the wild? We stopped taking photos after a while as the reindeer were just about everywhere. They're bold animals that treat the roads as their own much to the frustration of the local folk.

There were a few more tunnels today. One took us under the sea. It's elevation (?) was signposted as 212 metres below sea level. A couple of others had some kind of door structure to them. It looked as though the authorities didn't want the door infrastructure damaged by vehicles as one had us slow to 30kph as both entrances were narrow and on a slight curve.

Entrance to the sea-tunnel

It used to be scary 10 days ago.  We're getting used to it.

It translates roughly to drive forward to open automatic door. They were open for us.

The weather wasn't improving, the rain was coming in showers and the breeze was turning into a strong wind. Looks like no flying today.

It was a steady climb in open country. We were only about 15km from Nordkapp when we decided to stop for a cuppa. It was too cold and blowy to be outside for long, so we made and had our coffee in the car, taking in the view while warm and dry.

In the distance, enshrouded in fog.

Time to move on. Time to complete one of the main objectives of our holiday. Along the way, our clear-ish skies turned to fog. We were greeted by the attendant at the entrance booth who happily explained the fog had been lifting and that we were lucky to have it so clear. Our entrance tickets were valid for 24 hours from purchase. We could come and go as much as we liked in that time.

We're here!! Nordkapp 71 10’21” elevation 301 metres above sea level. The furthest we could travel by road.

We zipped up our jackets, pulled down our hats tight and walked around outside taking in King Oscar’s monument to mark the outermost limit of Norway, the globe and the Children of the World. All the while keeping an eye on the approaching clouds.

We're Here!

Much warmer here having coffee and cake.

Sufficiently chilled, it was time to have a walk through the souvenir shop. We decided on a few small pieces to remind us of our time here. We also took in the other sites and celebrated with a cup of coffee and a treat.

A check of the internet showed sunset would be 8:10pm. We had a few hours to go before that, so we hopped back in the car and drove to the nearby seaside villages for a look around.

Skarsvag - we had a nice chat with a local here.

Kamoyvaer - where the reindeer roam the streets, much to the annoyance of the locals.

Nordvagen. Tiny fishing village.

By now the rain and wind made it very uncomfortable to be outside. We drove back to Nordkapp with the hope that it would all blow away and we would see the sunset. A check of the internet’s rain radar changed our mind and we headed back to Skaidi.

We were making good time coming back. There wasn't a lot of traffic on the road. The only ‘moment’ we had was on the approach to the tunnel with the 30kph speed limit. Just as we were to enter, a large truck and trailer were exiting. Another reason for such a low speed limit. Further along, we saw a couple of long black critters lope across the road. Otters!! We stopped the car and jumped out to see where they were. We could see their tracks In the soft soil. Eventually we spotted them at the water’s edge about to join another one or two otters already in the water. Charleen’s first sighting of otters in the wild and Clint’s second. Big cheesy grins all round. We tried for photos but they are just small black dots.

Betcha can't see 'em

We weren't sure if we would be back to the hotel in time for dinner, so we pulled into a cafe attached to a campground. The options were limited as this was the last night of operations for the kitchen for the season. We both chose the sautéed reindeer with cranberries and mashed potatoes. It was yum!

Tonight is the last night in Norway and we are watching for the clouds to lift as there is a good chance of seeing the aurora again.  Still raining as this goes up.