August 11th 2015: Norway: Saltstraumen

Monty the Motorhome is lapping up the luxury of being on a campsite again. Elvegård Camping is just 600 meters from the Saltstraumen whirlpool, just to the south of the town of Bodø.

The fact we’re north of the Arctic Circle was evident last night. Even now, some seven weeks after the summer solstice, the nights are short and still quite light. I woke at 0245 hrs and looked out - it was like very gloomy daylight.

Rising at 0630 hrs the day was already a couple of hours old, and bright sunny weather to boot. Our overnight stop was right next to the channel used by the Hurtigruten ships, so it was a treat to see firstly the southbound come past at 0645 hrs, followed by the northbound at 0945 hrs. They were only a couple of hundred meters away and it is always a thrill to see these huge ships pass by. I think we could easily become ‘Hurtigruten spotter’s’, ticking them off like a train spotter’s.

The southbound Hurtigruten disappears up a narrow channel

We moved off mid morning, embarking on the penultimate leg of the Kystriksveien. Once more the scenery was outstanding. The mountains just get better, with crazy shaped peaks. I thought at one stage the horizon looked like an attempt of a drawing that I would make of mountain peaks, but done left handed (I am right handed), so some looking  like the Matterhorn, while others resembled broken teeth.

The destination for today was the Saltstraumen. This natural phenomena occurs through a 150 meter wide channel, where tides cause one fjord to drain into another, creating the equivalent of a waterfall at sea. At high tide the water flow is in one direction, then 6 hours later at low tide it goes the opposite way. The result is a series of dramatic whirlpools and churning water - quite mesmerizing to watch. The straight is crossed by the arching Saltstraumbrua bridge and we joined a number of other people on the apex looking down into the maelstrom. 

The photo doesn't really do justice to the swirling waters, they were really turbulent.

Stunning location

Back at the site we’re having chicken chasseur tonight, done in the remoska as we’re on electric. Also free unlimited showers, so someone is going to be standing under one for ages tonight. Someone whose name begins with J.