Distance: 147km
Elevation: 1.290m
Did I mention that the nature here is super stunning? I find it hard to describe the special, rough beauty in words.
I got up early and was on the bike by 7:30am. Navigation was easy since I would stay on the E6 all day.
This road is a bit like a life line for the North, so it is super busy with a lot of trucks. However, drivers here are really super respectful and careful with cyclists. I only had two situations where the drivers got too close and one of them involved a German camper van.
After the road to Tromsø separated, traffic got much less which is great.
Weather was sunny and warm and the road was freshly made, too. It looks like Norway is investing a lot into infrastructure up here.
The scenery was ever changing and not monotonous at all. Once and again there were jaw-dropping sights like waterfalls, mountains, rivers and so forth.
Today I crossed the 2.000km mark. 524km still to go to the North Cape. However, there is rain forecasted for the coming days. Let’s see. My return ticket with Hurtigruten from Hoenigsvåg (North Cape) to Tromsø is booked for the 12th of July.
During the last days, I had come by several memorial sites for the battle of Narvik. I was not aware of this event so I stopped by and read. This battle took place in the winter of 1940 and was fought together with the French and the British. It was the first defeat of the Germans (supported by Austrian alpine troops) in the North even if only temporarily. Narvik was strategic to Hitler since it had an ice-free harbor and hence could ship the steel which was produced in nearby Kiruna.
When I arrived at my camping site, I had a chat with a local lady over dinner. This place is actually the get-together-area for the entire village. Actually, the lady started talking to me “Do you know what the Germans have done here during the war?”. Then she started listing some cruelties of the Nazis like forced migration, forced labor, killings etc.
Also she was not very happy that they now let foreigners like me into the country again. It has to be noted that Norway is quite behind in terms of vaccination.
After a while she just stood up without saying another word and left to sit with someone else. The situation was a bit strange and she was, too.
It had been a long time since I was addressed as a German like this but it was also very informative. I don’t feel guilty but somehow connected to our history and can’t help to also feel responsible.
Learning of the day: Sometimes you have to go far to learn something about your own history.
