“She has nothing, in short, to recommend her, but being an excellent walker.”–Mrs. Hurst’s opinion of Elizabeth Bennett, Pride and Prejudice
Traffic jam, Vesteralen-style
My whale safari plans scuttled and the clouds low and brooding, hiding the mountaintops I’d hoped to hike, I declined the offer of a borrowed bicycle (because the end result of cycling for me is usually acquainting myself with the nearest acute medical care facility). Instead, I did what I do best. I walked.
I headed out along the Strandgata, or Beach Road, out of Andenes and toward the community of Bleik, famous for its 2.5km-long white sandy beach and for overlooking Bleiksoya, the “bird mountain” as I’ve heard it called.
Bleiksoya is a spire of rock, jutting up from the waves off the coast of Andoya, that is home massive colonies of puffins, gannets and other birds. According to my map, it was about a nine mile walk, one way, from Andenes to Bleik.
Sure, why not.
The rain and winds came and went, but it was an easy, flat walk. And how great it was to walk, just walk, something I haven’t done in a long time.
Note low-profile tunnel entrance. Housing extraterrestrials is clearly the only explanation.
Nearing the halfway point, I passed an array of antennae behind a fence, with a small building flying a German flag. Well, that’s interesting. Across the road, the mountain rising above me was also fenced off, with signs warning me that it was a military installation and off-limits. A dark tunnel mouth offered a tantalizing suggestion of Secret Stuff.
Antennae and a German flag. Very suspicious.
A little further down the road, I passed a rocket launch site.
Rockets for research. A likely story.
Clearly this is where Norway keeps its UFOs and captured aliens.
Of course, I have no shred of evidence to support that, but then, “evidence” is passe these days, especially online, and just because I don’t have evidence doesn’t mean I’m wrong.
Craggy pinnacles of Sostran
Andenes is, after all, home to the Andoya Air Station, which has Norway’s only surveillance squadron. There are civil defense bunkers and mysterious berms all over the village. And the rocket range is one of the world’s busiest “sounding rocket” launch sites…sure, “sounding rockets”…nice cover story, Norway.
Rainbow over Andenes (lighthouse on horizon is where I started my walk). Near the rocket launch site.
After rounding the spiky headland of Sostran and catching a glimpse of Bleiksoya and Bleik, still a couple miles ahead, I saw something else: black skies descending.
Bleiksoya (island at right) and a change in the weather
I decided to turn around and made it back to the hotel moments before the downpour that’s lasted most of the afternoon. The skies are clearing again, however. I think it’s time for a walkies. I’ve only done about ten miles so far today.
