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June 06, 2024 - Road to Ålesund
I woke up later than I anticipated but still early by my standards. I’d already planned a long drive from Bergen to Ålesund before I decided to come to Haugesund; my detour added another 2.5 hours to my total drive time today, which should clock in at around 10 hours, give or take an hour for stops along the way. After a quick breakfast with my host, I hop back into the Citreon and start my journey north. I trace my steps back to Bergen, crossing the ferry again; by now I’d figured out my car had an autopass stuck to its windshield, and was able to enjoy the trip without worry. I’d read that the drive from Bergen to Ålesund was beautiful, and in part was one of the reasons I’d made a dedicated portion of my trip to Vestland before heading into the arctic circle. I pass through several more tunnels, following E39 along the mountainside, winding past turquoise waters in the fjords below. The drive is breathtaking, and one of the easiest 10 hours I’ve spent in the driver’s seat. I stop along the way at a small town called VadheiÅ, nestled next to one of the fjords about halfway to Alesund. I can see cars winding down the switchbacks I’d just come down, snow capping the peaks of the sharply rising mountains, and lush grass swaying gently in the wind next to the water. Waterfalls splash their way down the side of the dark green hills like white ribbons, cascading back and forth gently on their way to the black, cold, breeze-rippled water below. Much of the time the highway follows its way all the way around the edge of a long fjord, down one side and up the other; I’m shocked in one of these instances to turn a hairpin and find a massive cruiseship anchored next to a tiny town. This town is called Olden, and it lies some 100+ miles inland - the deep fjords connect it back out to sea and allow a permanent seaport to function here. I cross two more ferries on this drive, both smaller than the highway ferry on the way to Haugesund but just as routine in use. I took a ton of video on this drive and I’ll eventually upload it; this seems like a good time to mention I’m capturing images across five devices: my phone, my gopro action cam, a dji pocket cam on a gimbal, a thermal imaging scope, and my dslr camera. Each of the devices has been fairly useful so far. My goal is to curate the imagery from all of these into one final cut. For now, I’ve attached some photos, mainly from my phone, and a map calling out Olden and a few of my stops.
I arrive in Ålesund fairly late - the key to my hostel was hidden under a door mat. After retrieving the key, I park my car in an underground parking garage tucked inside of a massive mountain around which the city is arranged and then drop off my belongings and find something to eat. I’ve made an effort to stay in the city-center for all of my accomodations; Ålesund is no different, and the cobblestone streets here are particularly hilly. It feels quiet and empty here after 9pm - this town is much smaller than Bergen and more geared towards tourism. I take a quick look around town and then head back to my room, a bit exhausted from the drive.
location: highway E39, vestland (NO)
ext air temp: 59 F
relative humidity: 55.8%
dew point: 43 F
wet bulb: 50 F
ground temp: n/a