May 22nd: Alta to Tromso - the last drive

So this was the last day of driving with Tim and Wendy After a week  of being a part of the "Balic Bound and Around" expedition it was to be my last day  on the road. We had left the other 4 cars at North Cape yesterday and  we set out for Tromso at about  0815 on a day that was trying to be sunny. There were reflections in the fjord first thing

We had left early as the drive included two ferry rides and we had to make the first  one on time  for it all to work out. The two rides would save us  over 120 km of road work. Our target was to reach the first terminal  at 1115 to be in good time forthe 1145 ferry. The wather was greying up a bit as we left but the views of the Alta fjorg where the Germen ship "Tirpitz" had been moored at one time  were still stunning.  There is a small museum but it was shut - too early in the year and too late in the week!

Where the battleship was is now a fish farm

The road turned out to be  in good condition and totally empty of traffic, we saw two cars in front of us in the first 120 km and both of them turned off almost as soon as we came up on them!

 To add to the enjoyment the sun shone and  the countryside and views were just constatntly spetacular as we ran around the edges of the fjords.

Even the old wooden jetty added to the scene

Yet another "postcard view"

There were still some reindeer around

Over this snow filled pass across a saddle between two small mountains

......past many small waterfalls of melt-water........................

We reached our destination on schedule to fins ourselves very much the first in line at a deserted ferry ramp.

Tim kept busy by adding more stickers to the car

Wendy and I went for  a stroll and found this odd place - the cultural embassy!

After a few anxious  minutes we realsed we could see the ferry away on the other side of the fjord heading our way so all was in order.

The ferry docked...................

 and unloaded.

 Tim bought the tickets

and we boarded.

 Exactly on time we headed off - a grand compliment of  5 cars and two bicycles!

The voyage was  40 minutes of easy sailing on a flat sea

  ...and the chance to have an ice cream in the cafe on board.

Tim and Wendy enjoy the sunshine on the ferry

At the next terminal we were quickly of and on the way to ferry number two.

 That meant 22 km to complete in 30 minutes but we were not alone and there was some  traffic on the winding road,

 Still we arrived with plenty of time to spare, saw the ferry waiting...........

and found ourselves number 7 in the queue

 that was about 20 vehicles by the time we boarded for the 20 minute trip.

We were in #4 posistion on the ferry so we were soon away.

That left us with  a 1400 hours start on the last lap with only 44 km to run into Tomso. We stopped on the way for a sandwich  and to look at the celandines..

Soon enough Tromso and the famous bridge  were in sight

and arrived at the hotel  and were checked in by 1500.
After the usual checking in process we went for a walk around town. We started on the water front close to where  the hotel was and saw this row of whaling harpoon guns outside a museum.

 The town was very quiet and pretty deserted 

Ther are some great sculptures around, like this whaler

but we persevered and ended up  at a really neat little museum.  The Polaria

 Although this was Sunday it was open and  we went inside. Polaria  a part of the FRAM Polar Environment Research Institiute and apart from the interesting exhibits it had a pool with seals...........

............a walk through aquarium with another tunnel under the seals,

several fish tanks, a film show  about  the island(s) of Svarlberg   and then  some interesting exhibits about the  arctic environment.

We walked back  past the world's northern most brewery.....

 and noticed it is also the home of the British Consulate!

Even the drain covers heer in Tromso have moose on them

Past the old cinema

 then past the cathedral

and the wartime Gestapo HQ

and past several statues of Amundsen the Arctic explorer...

We found a nice pasta place for dinner and the cheapest, and some of the best, and cheapest, wines we have found in Norway so enjoyed our dinner very much.

We walked back by another route revelling in the evening sunshine