Destination: Norway

We made our way to Norway via ferry from Hirtshals, Denmark, which is located on the north end of Denmark's peninsula called Jutland. We had been camping for a few days in nearby Skagen. 

What better way to wait for our ferry than to explore the Hirtshals harbor with its many colorful fishing boats. 

We ate lunch at a Fiskehus (fish house) and had fish and chips, of course. The tiny restaurant was packed, so we shared a table with a Danish couple, Fritz and Lena. We enjoyed chatting about all kinds of things. Most Danes speak English very well.

We watched the afternoon ferry arrive, load passengers and vehicles, and then do a perfect 360-degree turn in the harbor and head back out to sea. 

In the photo above, you can see the motorhomes parked across the back of the ferry. We waited for our ride--the evening ferry.

Brian is trying to see if he can spot Larvik, Norway, our destination. Nope, it's too far, 169 kilometers (105 miles), due north. Below is the ferry terminal with a lovely mermaid artwork on display. We had pre-purchased our tickets, but wanted to check out the terminal anyway. 

Our Colorline ferry departed at 10:30 p.m. Passengers cannot stay in their vehicles, so we had reserved reclining seats in which to rest for the night. Not great sleep, but at least is was dark and quiet. We arrived at Larvik at 3:00 a.m. and drove northwest on highway E18. We found a well-lighted rest area with restrooms where a truck was parked already. Shortly after we parked, a sedan towing a caravan (camp trailer) with German license plates pulled in. So, we figured it was okay to sleep here. 

When we awoke, we were ready to explore southern Norway in the daylight. Although gray and damp, the scenery was marvelous.

We passed a few small towns such as the one above.

We traveled along highway 37 on the shore of Lake Tinnsjä. 

It was summer time when we visited Norway. Our first day was July 31st, our thirty-sixth wedding anniversary.

Every now and then we passed a pullout with a picnic table and parking, like above, a nice way to give travelers a place to take a break.

You might recognize this photo above. It's the one I chose for the cover of my book. I was so excited to finally be in Norway!

We camped near Miland at the Rjukan Cabin and Caravan Park. Notice the grassy roof on one of the campsite's buildings. This park has a clean sanitary house with hot showers; laundry facilities are available as well as a washing up sink for doing dishes. The pitches are located in a large meadow. Our McLouis motorhome is pictured below. What a scenic spot to start our exploration of southern Norway!