I’ve had a cold waiting in the wings in my upper airways for the past few days. I’m drinking lots of fluids and making sure I get plenty of sleep. If I don’t, it could turn into a full-blown respiratory illness, and I definitely don’t want that!
I made it through the long Barents Sea crossing again then awoke to the Hurty making its way down through the coastal islands where the water was blessedly still. We actually went under the spanning, arched Tromsø Bridge, which was quite an experience.
We anchored in Torsken on the island of Senja, and I quickly disembarked for a 30 km e-bike trip. This ended up being one heck of a tour!
We rode up to a panoramic vista, then descended a mountain with an 8–10% grade. Like Trollstigen, the road snaked back and forth.
At the bottom, we passed a modern bridge and tunnel but continued along an old road, no longer in use.
We had to cycle around huge boulders before heading up an even higher mountain and taking in more beautiful views.
Down the other side we went, then we got to ride through Ballesvikskartunnelen and back out the Gryllefjord Bridge, which was cool! Heading back up the previous zigzagging road was hard work! These Norwegian e-bikes, unlike the ones in North America, lack an electric-only option. You still have to work hard—they just provide a bit of assistance.
It was a relief to head back down around the coastline, although it was starting to get dark by this time. Then, the tour guide led us down a rocky path overlooking the water to a group of partying locals, who regaled us with some haunting local lore.
of the brothers who dwell in the hot pools of hell!”
It was beautiful cycling alongside the fjords, but after 40+ hours of rocking and rolling on the sea, plus a bit of motion sickness, a minor cold, and my fear of heights, this turned into a pretty challenging ride for me. At least I can say I did it!
Fun fact: Gulldassen (which translates to “the golden crapper”) isn’t far from here. This designer toilet cost 3.75 million NOK and is apparently quite a popular tourist attraction. And now, a silver one is nearly complete.
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