Five star paradise
Crystal ball
April 17, 2025
Thursday 22th of May - Hammerfest
In Hammerfest we disembarked with our bikes from the Hurtigruten, the old mail boat that now sails along the Norwegian coast as a tourist attraction. This trip is organized by the Belgian national TV based on the program Het Hoge Noorden, in which we were one of the couples. Dozens of phones are suddenly pointed at us and the packed bikes. The 175 guests on the boat traveling with the VRT trip know us from TV. For a day we were in the spotlight and got all the attention. We have to admit, that was very special!
When the boat leaves, we are alone again on our trusty bikes. At 4:30 pm we are on the dock by the ferry that will take us to the beginning of our bike tour. A man sees our bikes and comes up to us.
“The ferry doesn't sail today. There is a bus going directly to Alta.”
We don't want to go directly to Alta, we want to get to a village on a peninsula and start there. When the bus stops, we quickly load the bikes anyway. We ask the bus driver if the ferry would go tomorrow. He confirms and says the 9am ferry will stop at our place. The bikes leave the bus again, we wait until tomorrow morning. Fifteen minutes later, we read that the ferry does not stop there after all and goes directly to Alta. Disappointment for Olivier who counts the missed kilometers. We hesitate about what to do, argue a bit, and finally decide to do what makes a lot of sense. An acquaintance lives here in Hammerfest and it is her birthday tonight. Surely this is a nice alternative!
Five stars
The ferry drops us off in Alta. This is where the journey truly begins. The sun is shining - it couldn’t be better. We first stop at the supermarket to pick up a cheese slicer and a bike pump. From here, we follow the E6, the highway that runs all the way through Norway from south to north and also passes Lillehammer. As promising as that may sound, we're not particularly looking forward to it. It’s still a highway, no matter how little traffic there is. And it's hard to gauge how many RVs and car tourists have already made it up to Northern Norway this early in the season. We hope for the best but are prepared for the worst. What we’re really looking forward to are the northern landscapes and beautiful camping spots. The far north—Kirkenes, the North Cape, and Hammerfest—where we passed by on the boat, felt a bit barren. But here, we’re starting to see trees again, even with a few green leaves.
Olivier already has a campsite in mind for tonight. When we arrive, we set the bikes down on a beautiful hilltop spot with a sea view. Zoë lies down contentedly in the sun, while Olivier goes off exploring. That’s often how it goes. An hour later, he returns with news—we need to pack up. He promises a five-star spot.
“Is that really necessary? This place feels like four, maybe even five stars,” Zoë says.
“When you get there, you’ll remember what five stars really means. And—I saw an otter!”
“Alright, then let’s head down,” Zoë says with mild reluctance but trust in his words.
Once we descend a ridiculously steep road and follow a small footpath, Zoë immediately knows Olivier is going to be right. Seeing Olivier bouncing down the narrow trail on his bike, the surprisingly green carpet of awakening plants, and the total stillness in the air gives her a spark of joy. Olivier leads the way to the tip of a peninsula, with white mountains lining the horizon. The contrast of colors is breathtaking. It’s the first night, and already it’s perfect. Beaming and full of energy, we set up the tent.
That glow dims slightly when we realize Zoë left her front fork bike bag—lunch and all—back at our lunch spot. Oops. Olivier doesn’t hesitate. Kind as he is, he jumps back on his bike for an extra 40-kilometer loop, snow trudging included. He’s still full of energy when he returns. It’s 11:30 PM and the sun is still high in the sky. After saying goodnight to Zoë, he stays outside in his sleeping bag, wanting to witness something for the first time in his life—watching the clock strike midnight while the sun still floats above the horizon. Midnight sun. Pure magic.
This place immediately enters our list of best camping experiences—even more when we wake up the next morning and a dolphin greets us from the water.
Mussels
We cycle along the E6, occasionally leaving it to detour around a tunnel. Although the traffic is fairly light, we’re still happy to have a road all to ourselves now and then, riding side by side in peace. Until a pile of snow blocks our path and we have to slowly push our bikes through it. But honestly, we kind of love it that way. A highway is meant to get you quickly from A to B—and that’s not our goal at all.
During one of our breaks, we find mussels in the water. Zoë already feels queasy just thinking about them, but she picks a few for Olivier.
“Not too many,” he says, “they might not even taste good.”
That evening, we turn onto a small sandy road and once again find a beautiful spot by the beach. We build a fire with driftwood. Olivier cooks the mussels over the flames and devours them within a minute. Damn, we should’ve picked a lot more, he thinks. Zoë still doesn’t like them, but secretly feels a little jealous—eating from nature is one of the most beautiful things there is.
“I’ll try one next time,” she promises.
Paradise
Today we have to cycle almost entirely along the E6. It's Sunday, and luckily not too busy, but the wind is strong. We find a sunny lunch spot, sheltered from the wind. Out on the water, eider ducks are swimming. Some time ago, Olivier read the book 'The place of Tides'. Seeing them now brings the story to life, making it all the more vivid and familiar.
When the sun disappears behind the clouds, we pack up our panniers and continue cycling. Olivier has already spotted another potential campsite on the map. We have to push the bikes through a stretch of snow, but it's well worth it. An incredible place! The view is stunning, with small freshwater pools just in front of the sea. We wash ourselves in the fresh water and relax on the warm rocks. Oh, how we enjoy this! A little paradise, all to ourselves. This is five stars plus.
It’s up to us to make something beautiful out of it. That’s one of those life lessons we’ve learned on the bike - and it keeps coming back.
Cuckoo
Olivier’s original route followed different roads, with several ferries along the way. But those ferries rarely ran - or sometimes not at all.
“Only the E6,” Olivier had said back home, disappointed. But maybe it turned out not to be such a bad thing after all. We wouldn’t have had the same views of the Lyngen Alps on the other route. And we would’ve missed the cuckoos next to our tent. We name it Cuckoo Island, and we don’t think about the original route anymore. A situation is only negative if we choose to see it that way. It’s up to us to make something beautiful out of it. That’s one of those life lessons we’ve learned on the bike - and it keeps coming back.
Our panniers are mostly packed with warm clothes: hats, gloves, rain jackets, and ponchos included. But the weather gods have been kind to us, and so far we’ve had sunshine every single day - a real luxury in northern Norway. It’s even warm enough on one of the uphill climbs that Olivier rides shirtless. On the way down, of course, the layers go back on. But still - what a luxury! A landscape is so much more beautiful in the sun, and that’s especially true for this region. Just imagine if we hadn’t seen all these stunning views! We really are lucky birds once again.
Beach
We leave the E6, with only 100 kilometers left to go until Tromsø. It drizzled on the tent this morning, and it’s a chilly day. But it’s the first rain we’ve had all week, and we take it with a smile. After the second ferry, we start looking for a place to sleep. In the field next to us sits a red fox with a thick, bushy tail. It calmly watches us for five minutes before disappearing into the forest. We find a spot beside a river. The original plan was a beach, but with the rain and wind, the river makes a lovely alternative.
Early in the morning, the sun returns, and Olivier decides to cycle to the beach. There’s no wind, and the sand is already warm. It’s another five-star spot. He quickly messages Zoë that she absolutely has to come.
“Bring the breakfast?” he writes.
Together we swim naked in the sea, warm ourselves in the sun, and once again, we feel pure joy.
Our plans for this trip have changed many times, mostly because of the snow conditions. In the end, we decided to bring the bikes - but we weren’t 100% sure. Now we’re so grateful we did. Once again, we’re reminded that no choice is ever truly wrong. What matters is making a choice and embracing it fully. Then, the choice proves itself.
In the end, we decided to bring the bikes - but we weren’t 100% sure. Now we’re so grateful we did. Once again, we’re reminded that no choice is ever truly wrong."
The beach is so tempting, we could easily stay all day—but we really need to get going. Today we’re cycling to Tromsø, where our friend lives. She moved from Lillehammer to the north last year, and with that, we lost a bit of a close friend. It’s so lovely to see her again and to discover what her life is like up here. Luckily, she’ll always be a friend - no matter the distance.
Tromsø is located on a small island and is quite busy. It’s larger than Lillehammer, and with its steep streets, it feels a bit like home. Normally, these would be our final kilometers on the bike—but, once again, the plans have changed. That’s for tomorrow. First: quality time with Sharon!
