Ferry, bridges, tunnels and war memorials
Today the weather has been somewhat better. It has been raining most of the day, but at least there have been a few short breaks so I took the opportunity to enjoy nature outdoors. The coast of Helgeland really offers incredibly beautiful views and I tried to take advantage of the occasions when it was actually possible to be outdoors without getting soaked or blown away.
One of today's slightly longer stops was at Grønsvik Coastal Fort when there was a break in the rain. Grønsvik Coastal Fort is an old defense facility from the Second World War that the Germans built to control the coast and protect shipping in the area. It was part of the Atlantic Wall, a massive defensive line that stretched from Norway down to Spain. Walking around the fort and cliffs here with the expansive view of the sea felt strange. It is hard to imagine that this beautiful area was once part of a war, turned into a German enemy nest in the middle of nature. The view was amazing and I spent a few hours exploring the area, looking at all the remnants of the war and enjoying the views before getting back in the car. I only managed to drive a few hundred meters before the rain started pouring down again, sometimes you have to be lucky!
The journey continued and here along the Helgeland coast there will be quite a few ferries. Today I unfortunately just missed a ferry and had to wait for about 2.5 hours for the next one. That's part of the charm of driving here – you can't stress. You have to have plenty of time, relax and just enjoy the trip. This is despite the fact that it can be difficult to plan the time because of the ferries, all the tunnels and the narrow, winding roads. There are incredibly many and long tunnels here which are unfortunately quite boring to drive through. It's dark, crowded and you have to be on your toes all the time. It is also always a surprise what awaits on the other side of the tunnel. You can go into a mountain with the rain pouring down and suddenly come out on the other side with a view of the open sea and the sun directly in your face.
After getting off the ferry in Levang, I decided to make a short stop at Helgelandsbrua. I had seen hints of an unsigned, narrow and somewhat hidden path that would lead down to a great view of the bridge. It was certainly worth the bumpy, narrow and squishy journey! The magnificent bridge towered before me and I was glad I took the detour.
Now I have arrived at a boat harbor in Sandnessjøen where I will spend the evening. I've even got my own little "lawn" but the wind and 5-6 degrees means that I spend most of the time inside the mobile home anyway. It will be a quiet Friday evening here by the sea with some wine, snacks and maybe a movie or series to end the evening in the best way.
