Last days north of the Arctic Circle

It has been a couple of very nice days, but with a lot of driving. I've enjoyed everywhere I've been, but if I were ever to get back here, I'd try to stay longer and I wouldn't go all the way down on Lofoten. Heck, I could spend a couple of days on the island where I stayed last night, Andøya. I didn't get to my Airbnb last night until dusk, and I only had time for an hour or so exploring this morning, but there was so much there! I was just tooling along, and suddenly there was Andøya Space Center. Andøya is a sheep-filled island without very many people, so a space center was a bit of a surprise.

And, out in the blue was a public restroom at a place called Bukkekjerka.

I'm not kidding when I say this was the only thing for miles on the coastal road. Why? I have no idea why it is in that spot. I didn't see any other random restrooms as I drove around. But, here's the kicker. When you go in, the glass goes clear and you can look out at the ocean as you do what you need to do. Since it's mirrored glass, no one can see in (not that there is anyone there to see), but if you want, you can turn a knob on the wall and the glass goes opaque.

Well, this entry is already all over the place, isn't it? I guess I'll just keep going with today and write about yesterday's drive later.

As I said, I got to my Airbnb last night at about dusk. Right before I got there, I looked out in a field and saw 7 moose. Of course I turned around and went back, but it was dark enough that the photos were not very good. Still, moose!

The Airbnb was a farmhouse, surrounded by fields of sheep, with a spectacular view. My first task was to figure out the two gates I had to get through, but I managed it.

Some of the reviews described the farmhouse as rustic, and I won't disagree. But it was fine for a night. I think it was about $74 for the night, but that's for the whole place.

The host raises sheep and chickens, and had left a large basket of eggs on the counter. I had fresh eggs for dinner, then headed to bed.

And that brings me to another subject: the beds here. I've certainly seen an assortment, and the mattresses range from firm to squishy. The sizes are strange too. (I'm in a hotel tonight, in a single room, which means a single bed.) There are no top sheets in Norway, as far as I can tell. Bedding consists of a bottom sheet and a duvet. If it's a double bed, then there is a bottom sheet and 2 individual duvets. And the sheets in the Airbnbs have been a much coarser weave than I'm used to (except tonight in my hotel). But these duvets are toasty! It's just different.

While I was still driving around Andøya, I saw some cool birds, willow ptarmigans. There were probably at least 30 of them. It was another new bird for me.

Generally, the weather was better today, though there was still some drizzle, especially as I went inland. But the scenery was amazing.

I drove from Andøya back to the Huskylodge, as I'd managed to drop my Apple Pencil there and luckily, they had found it. It was out of the way, but not too far. From there, I drove back to Tromsø, arriving just after dark. I'm in a hotel tonight, just for ease, as I have to head back to Bergen tomorrow. I have to return my rental car, then catch an 11 AM flight. John will meet me at the airport, and I've been promised potato balls for dinner.

I'll do one more brief post about yesterday, and call it a night.