Norway - petrol?
The weather decided to brighten up today with even an occasional glimpse of the blue stuff.
After a late breakfast we decided to make this a travel day and make our way up to Tromso. We stuck to the main E6 as we headed north, what a fantastic road. A motorcyclist dream, (even in the wet).
The countryside is glorious with forest’s and waterfalls skirting the road. The road twists and turns around the mountains and as the miles clock up it just seems to get better and better as one delicious bend drops effortlessly into another and another. After a while you find you’re in a wonderful rhythm of continuous left and right bends, some twisty and others just long, steady and open, each allowing you to really lean into it and crank the bike right over as you try to find the ideal line before powering out and getting ready for the next. Bliss!
Apart from anything else, we’ve also noticed that the road quality itself is very different and far superior to the asphalt/tarmac in the UK. Much grippier and smooth as...something very, very...smooth?
Shell fuel stations – mmmm...we don’t like you very much! Shell don’t accept UK Visa cards, nobody seems to know why. Just before we left this morning we had directions for the next (non-shell) fuel station. A young man I had asked had advised me, after much consideration and a earnest amount of authority, ” for the next place of petrol is not so far, you have maybe 9-10 (we don’t know whether he meant miles or Km) and then you will be in the petrol and fine”. We set off to get petrol as both of us were running close to empty. Ten kilometres came and went and then 10 miles, still no petrol station. 30 and 40 miles also came and went and still not a whiff of the fire liquid. Shit, shit, shit, please don’t run out. Neither of us had been this low before. The road wasn’t very busy and what traffic there had been all seemed to be massive articulated lorries, bombing along and taking up a fair amount of the road.
Panic was beginning to set in. Our riding became more sedate as we tried to eek out the fuel. At last a sign, Petrol 6 Km and to make things better it was all down hill. 2Km later Lisa’s bike went fut, fut, blah as it ran out. Freewheeling for another 1K she finally ran out of momentum. I blatted off to find the station no more than 2k and after borrowing a 2-litre Coca Cola bottle (didn’t want to buy a fuel can) it was filled and back I went for Lisa. Fuel went in only to find that the bike wouldn’t start as the battery had gone flat. We figured the alternator isn’t up to the job of making up for the power used by the lights, Autocom, fuel pump, heated grips and heated vest. I managed eventually to jump start it after depleting my stock of known expletives. Back at the station we filled up both bikes and made lunch a hamburger and coffee.
The rest of the day was spent travelling as the E6 turned into the E8 and finally the rain returned to see us insight of Tromso. As both of us were tired we headed straight for the campsite.
There are two campsites signposted from Tromso both to the north. The first is 3Km and the second is 26 Km. After checking out the nearest we decided that for 150NOK (£15) a night, it wasn’t for us; besides the fact that it just wasn’t a nice site with only a token bit of gravely grass assigned for camping (most Norwegians love to caravan). 26K down the road, what a difference. A Beautiful site, right on the waters edge, in full view of snow peaked mountains. Great facilities and a friendly welcome. This was also our cheapest site so far at 75NOK (£7.50).
The site is called Skittenelv Camping and whose address is 9022 Krokelvdalen. Tel: (country code) 77 69 00 27 Fax: (country code) 77 69 00 50. For more info go to their home page: www.skittenelvcamping.no
