Beside the Seaside

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In Which I Finally Leave The Sub-Tropical Arctic

August 25, 2006 by Mike

Saltstraumen

Route: Narvik - Skarberget - Fauske - Saltstraumen

Narvik in the morning is every bit as beautiful as Narvik at night.

To the War Museum, the war being the reason most people have heard of Narvik. (Being Europe's major hub for the transportation of iron ore isn't enough to make you famous - it's just enough to make you a major target during World War II.)

The Battle of Narvik in April-May 1940 did indeed hold the attention of the world. One of the first objectives of the Nazi invasion of Norway, Narvik was also the key to the immediate Allied response - the Royal Navy together with French, Polish and Norwegian troops engaged with German boats outside Narvik days after the occupation and in two set-piece naval battles and the subsequent land campaign forced the Germans on the defensive.

The iron ore is mined in Sweden but Narvik is its gateway to the world. Iron ore becomes a vital commodity in time of war. No plastic guns or wooden warships for Mr Hitler. When they thought they might lose possession of Narvik, the Nazis destroyed the transport infrastructure so the Allies couldn't benefit from it. Then events in continental Europe caused Churchill to reassess the need to hold Narvik -- and the need to liberate occupied Norway. The Allies withdrew their forces. The Norwegians were forced to capitulate. The Nazis occupied the country for another five, desperate years.

The War Museum covers the battles for Narvik and the years of occupation. It does so very well.

Lest we forget.

--

South again - initially along the roads I came up yesterday. For the first time I feel like I'm doing this for the sake of it. The road isn't even following the coast. Feel a bit grim. Then, as new roads open up, sublime wooded hills give way to bleaker, stronger mountains and barren high plains. A sequence of tunnels - is it 17? all in quick succession? and they all have names - whose job was that? - brings me through a Norway of no houses, no hytta or caravans. Or reindeer. It's like the Lost Valley.

--

How To Play DeathWishWatch
The rules couldn't be simpler.

1. Make sure no death in DeathWishWatch is yr own, or caused by you as you gawp at the terrible driving of those taking part in DeathWishWatch.

2. Take a ferry in northern Norway, preferably one carrying lots of cars driven by Young Norwegian Men (YNM).

3. Make sure the ferry disgorges you and the cars onto a small, windy road with few if any places to overtake safely [this is an easy rule to follow.]

4. For best results yr position in the ferry, and the subsequent queue of traffic, is important. The first few vehicles off the ferry should be caravans, camping wagons and other slow-ish vehicles. Then you. Then the YNM bringing up the rear.

5. As you drive/ ride along, try not to be too amazed at the antics of the YNM as they scramble to overtake in the most ridiculous, dangerous, tight spots.

6. Remember, the object of DeathWishWatch is not to see a YNM careen off a cliff at 130kmh as he tries to overtake a Volvo on a blind corner without seeing the oncoming lorry - or, indeed, the corner. The object is to survive, and to get to the next ferry at exactly the right time to be in the best position for the next round of DeathWishWatch.

--

I feel like I'm devouring the miles now, chasing them down one after another. The bike's good: a cheerful mechanic in Narvik adjusted the position of the throttle for me: it had started to stick, and muggins here knows nothing about things like that. Feels like a new bike.

And it feels balmy. I'll cross the Arctic Circle tomorrow. I passed it heading north at 8:00pm on 29th July. The sun didn't set that night at all. Now I'm so used to being in the Arctic that it feels normal.

At 8:00pm tomorrow the sun will still be up but it'll be going down.. heading south.. just like me.

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