Narvik

Thurs. Aug 14/14. 0700 up and at em. Made tea had a shower visited Anne Gre and decided we would leave beautiful down town  Svalvard and head off to where ever not never never that’s a different place home to Peter.  

So we left! End of blog!

 Got ya heehee!!

 Motored out of the harbor this time missing the rocks! Misty and flat water and only miles to go.  Checked out a really nice anchorage it even had a mooring ball and signs on the shore saying it was a bird sanctuary! I didn't know that birds were religious and needed sanctuary but there you go learn something new every day.  Anchorage not big enough or protected enough for two boat if bad weather so we continued on our way to where ever not never never! Saw a couple(2) Sea eagles sitting on a cairn eying us up to see if we were worth eating.  After a few more hours we arrived at the harbour of Skarstad at 1930. 7;30pm for you land lubbers.  Sally made an Omelet for dinner and we had an early night. Rained tigers and bears during the night so glad we weren't in the anchorage!

Woke up on Fri. Aug. 15/14 at about 0700 made tea had breaky and did a short walk about town and got underway at  0815 and had a great sail to Narvik arriving at 1330. We found an empty pontoon so tied up and then found out we couldn't get out as the pontoon gates were locked! Phooey or words to that effect so untied all the lines and motored around to the fuel dock where we tied up.

Now Narvik for you who don’t know was the scene of one of WW2’s major battles. The town was virtually leveled by British bombs and then German bombs and there are 34 wrecks of German, British,Norwegian,French and Polish warships in the harbor and close vicinity some still visible on the shore. So lots of history. We had the afternoon so did an oil change ( I needed something to do!) and now have it down to an hour from 2 ½ the first time I did it with the new engine.

Anyway we had a good nights sleep and on Sat. Aug.,16/14 we all got up early caught the bus to the tourist office where we rented a bill(Norwegian for car) and off we went to Sweden! A really nice drive up through the mountains and through the rain or low clouds what ever it was wet and blowy. The reason for the trip was that everything is cheaper in Sweden! Of course when you add in the price of the rental and gas and bus fare maybe not so much! But it was a nice drive and we even got to go to Lapland.(The place where the Saami live not the place where the dancers land). Did our shopping and I got to drive back, Whooppie all down hill! Wet roads and all. Did I mention Norwegian roads before? Well if I did too bad cause here is a brief description, Scary!!!! Their idea of a super highway is two narrow lanes (think Volkswagen) An aside most of the roads were actually built by the Germans, well not really the actual work was done by Russian POW’s or slave labour take your pick. Anyway  the roads are are TOO NARROW!!!! Windy and lumpy! Would be a lot more fun on a Motor Cycle.  The route took us by the site of the prison camp. Top of mountain no trees no wind breaks no running water no heat =not nice. And also by one of the major Battle fields or in this case mountains as no fields. Where the Norwegians without winter clothing and out gunned were actually winning! until the capitulation by the Government which of course P’d them all off. And the rest is history so they say. I don’t know who “they were/are” but you get the drift.

So we returned to Narvik/boats with our canny shopping and called it a day and a Night.