August 7th 2015: Norway: Brønnøysund

Monty the Motorhome is gazing over the northern sea channel into the town of Brønnøysund, parked on a overnight spot recommended by the town’s Tourist Information Centre. It is a large car park, with motorhome dumping facilities, and is completely free.

We woke to a sunny morning and were rewarded with a brief sighting of a white tailed sea eagle - it flew out from a tree just in front of us and disappeared out over the sea. It was huge.

Then on to catch the ferry from Holm to Vennesund. Believing that it went at 0830 hrs we made it with about 2 minutes to spare. However on coming down to the dock we found it deserted, with no ferry in sight. On checking the timetable, again, it was apparent that the 0830 sailing was only at weekends - weekdays it was 0805 hrs! The next ferry was at 1000 hrs, so we just had to wait. At least it was sunny and the scenery was fantastic.

Waiting for the ferry wasn't too bad

Once over at Vennesund the route continued to Brønnøysund, where pre-trip research had found us an overnighting spot. The main reason for visiting this town was the possibility of taking a mini-cruise on a Hurtigruten coastal ferry. The Hurtigruten is a legendary means of travel, part cruise ship, part working ferry. Every day of the year one of 11 ships heads out of Bergen on a journey right up the coast of Norway, finishing at Kirkenes (close to the Russian border)), where it turns round and heads back. The journey takes 11 days, calling at 35 ports on it’s way.

Our intention had been to take a southbound ship from Brønnøysund to Rørvik, where it would link with a northbound ship returning to Brønnøysund. This would mean leaving at 1700 hrs and getting back at 0100 hrs. However during the afternoon the weather deteriorated and low mist just about obliterated views of the mountains. I was not keen on spending approximately £160 on a trip where we could see hardly anything. Ruth on the other hand thought the experience would be worth it. However as the afternoon developed the weather seemed to get worse, so in the end she agreed it might not be worth it. 

What we did do however was go on board, whilst the ship was docked, and have a look round. It all seemed pretty plush, with good viewing lounges and decent cabins. Maybe it is something to think of in the future.

The Hurtigruten leaving port

Brønnøysund

Tonight we’ll be able to watch the comings and goings on the sea channel, though the rain is making the view somewhat murky. Let’s hope for an improvement tomorrow.