SENJA

 This morning we awoke to shards of blue sky, sunlight & this view!  A perfect way to start a Sunday morning!

 This was not the day for a leisurely Sunday start however, we had a ferry to catch & needed to be there at least an hour before it was due to sail.  There was no pre-booking, it was a first come, first served system.

 

We were not the first to arrive.

Ahead of us were  5 camper vans & 9 largish cars.  We were number 15. Gulp! Would we get on?  How big was the ferry anyway?  Given that there were a steady stream of other cars lined up hopefully behind us, surely it had to be a largish ferry???????

 

It wasn't.

 

We watched with bated breath as first one then the other vehicle were guided on.  We were at the 'all hope is lost ' stage, when the ferryman signalled for us to drive on!  What relief.  We couldn't believe it.

I am in absolute awe of those two men who packed the vehicles into the ferry. It was definitely a skill honed with lots of practise. We were utterly amazed how many vehicles they got on that boat & were so grateful we were in that number.  We did feel for the line of cars that had to wait another hour for the next ferry though!

 On board we spent most of our time on deck enjoying the views.  When below deck, this poster prompted us to buy our ticket first thing!!

 Senja is a beautiful remote island en route to the Lofoten Islands.  We wanted time here to travel another of the National Scenic Routes.  It was pure coincidence that we chose a Sunday for this car journey, as it was very much a landscape day.  If we'd been in a town or city, not much would have been open!

As we drove along we were reminded of Iceland & sometimes New Zealand, but most of the time we just enjoyed the variety Senja had to offer within a short distance.

 Our first official stop on the route was Ersfjord, where we discovered the kind of beach that looked remarkably familiar to those at home, except it was considerably colder!!  Fine white sand lined the beach & the water just gently lapped up onto it.  No wonder so many people were camping here, it would be as tranquil as it was beautiful.

 Another reason to stop, was to see the toilet!
Some of the stops along the way have architectural pieces, to add to the fun of the place.  At this stop it was the gold toilet!  There was only one, so we had to queue!

 This is how it looked from the other side. It was quirky & dramatic & we were rather taken with it!!

 Just around the corner from that white sandy beach, was Tungenset with quite a different outlook & a very different architectural masterpiece.
This is a cleverly designed walkway that extends out over the large rocks & fuses to them with steps & platforms.  It allows access to these giant natural boulders & the choice of  Siberian larch as a building material, means that the walkway visually melds with the rocks.

 It was a stunning piece of design & my favourite of the day. There is something about clambering over large rocks too, that adds to the experience.

 The next viewpoint was high up over the seaward side of Senja, overlooking the village of Bergsbotn.  This platform cleverly incorporated two levels & allowed us a sense of going out on a ledge. A bit spooky, given that kids were running around playing chase & making the whole platform judder & shake!

 The view was amazing though...

...especially from the upper level.  It was from here that we noticed the bright green moss & fern like plants growing under the scraggly trees.

 The next stop on the scenic route was not a view point & wasn't particularly scenic.  The Troll café had one thing going for it from our perspective....café!  We indulged in some waffles & a hot drink, before wandering around this rather dated & tacky site.  The person who created this spot had put a lot of hard work & effort into creating a miniature theme park playground.  To my mind the trolls were hideous & the stuff of nightmares, but children seemed to love them!  In fact, the highlight of the visit was seeing a young girl go up & stroke & cuddle one of the trolls!  There were numerous families there, so that speaks for it's popularity.

More lovely scenery & meandering roads & being enveloped by dark tunnels, then it was time to find our accommodation. 

We had survived the day.  It had not been anywhere near as scary as some of the roads we travelled on in Iceland & I was relieved that the car related frustrations were only minor ones. PHEW!  We could relax now!

Usually I do all our travel arranging, but because of a few hiccups when planning, for this two week road trip, we booked a travel company to create this 'self-drive' tour for us.  One of the benefits of this has been the incredible places they have booked for us to stay.  This is tonight's home away from home.  How lucky are we!!