We blasted our way out of Norway to the tunes of Vinyl FM. With Harry Belafonte and Elvis blaring out of the speakers – it was the only radio station we could find – we past gentle countyside and forestry that is very pretty, but lacking in the mountains we have come to love.
It was more than a little sad yesterday driving through Bud and out to The Atlantic Road knowing that this would be our last journey north. In the morning we drove from our campsite next to the fjord to Molde, skipping the ferry in favour of the more scenic route. Cheapskates really.
As Molde wasn’t the destination we only stopped briefly for a quick wander. Molde is not really a tourist town, its really just a lovely service town for locals with a fabulous view over the little islands that have popped up all over the coast.
From there we headed further out to the coast toward the fishing village of Bud which is the beginning of the Tourist Route to The Atlantic Road.
Its a whole new side of Norway for us being on the coast with the wonderful white and red fishing cottages clinging to the rocks. Everyone has a boat tied to a wharf or jetty at the front of their house, fishing is definitely the way of life.
And thats when it happened, we were so busy gazing at all the little fishing villages, that we’d hit the famous loop of The Atlantic Road before we knew it. So much for the anti climax, it was over and done with in a blink of an eye.
It truly is a marvel of creativity designed to join all the little pillows of islands between Bud and Kristiansund together.
On the other side Doug said to me,”where to now”, and that’s when the empty feeling hit me. We were done with Norway.
Since it was late in the day we found a spot to camp right out on the coast overlooking the lighthouse with no light and watched the fishermen returning from their days fishing and planned our route down to Sweden.
Which brings me back to blasting our blues away heading toward Sweden. So the one thing I have wanted to see in Norway is a Reindeer but nothing, not a single one. I have seen them on roadsigns everywhere, as antlers on the front of every Norwegian house, I have seen countless Reindeer skins in the souvenir shops but not one real life Reindeer until this…
Yes I know its a Moose but its the best that im getting so I’m taking it.
You know you have arrived in Sweden when you hit a red road, there is no official border crossing just a red road. Having driven quite a long way from Norway we are having a couple of days R and R by a lake near the settlement of Mora to recharge our batteries for the rest of our journey.
The sun is shining, we are sitting lakefront and the fire is loaded for tonight. See you all in a couple of days.
Downunder Wanderings 