Sunday 1st August milage 3022 Narvik north Norway

Have decided to go to North Cape, I will not get another chance.  I therefore need to get the bike through it's 4000mile service before Poland.  Checked the Suzuki data and there is an authorised dealer in Narvik.  So got up at 7:00am broke camp and I am on my way by 8:00.  Set tom tom for Narvik and away we go 400Km !!
Saw a fox at the side of the road hunting something in the undergrowth.  There are signs to beware of mouse crossing the road and so I am hoping to see one, but not too closely.
Made good progress but probably only averaging 70Km/hr so distances take time.  Stopped mid day and had a pork, roast potatoes and veg lunch in an hotel/cafe 149Kr !!

Crossed into the arctic circle and there is a stopping point for tourists (like me) to take photos etc.  There was also a monument to fallen Russian soldiers during the occupation of Norway.  I got someone to take my photo next to the  marker, but didi it on my phone so I could send it home.  I thought he took one with this camera also, but it appears not, so instaed is a photo of all the cairn stones that people build at thesde kind of places.

Scenery has changed now to rolling hills and tress instaed of sheer cliffs and plunging hillsides into fjords.  The rivers are very beautiful though have not yet seen a bear fishing, perhaps I could photshop one into this photo.

Arrived Narvik and reset tomtom for the Suzuki dealers address.  It took me straight there, unfortunately it was a derelict industrial park.  They had moved!!.  Back into town and asked a taxi driver he gave me simple instructions and hooray  I found it.Notice it says everything except Suzuki, but it was an authorised dealer.

Stoppeed to check out a hotel that was very close, but it looked pretty grotty!  The woman at the reception looked like what I expect an elderly russion porn madame would look like.  She sais she had rooms and they were 750Kr a night.  I said this is too much, and so she said she would do a deal for me at 695Kr.  I said no and started to leave, she said 650 is her best offer.  I went and looked at the room and said no thank you, it was worse than I expected and basic would not describe it adequately, it made the Pendle Hotel in Chatburn look pretty good.  Heres a picture of the outside, it flatter it !!

Decided to ride out of town and find the first available camping site.  This only cost 120kr which was just as well because it also was a shit site, looked like the made up ground at the back of the boilers at JM in Clitheroe.  When you tried to put in a camping peg you hit solid stones and crap (probably used catalyst !!!)  Weather was poor, but not raining (yet) and so not bothering to cook tonight because had big meal at lunchtime.  Packed everything up neatly and closed all the panniers and then came my big mistake !!  I locked my keys in one of the three panniers.  I couldn't believe I had done this !! I'd recognised it as a potential problem and then still bloody done it, and I wasn't sure which pannier the keys were in !!  Thought about it for a while as the rain started and the mosquitos decided to come out ( the insect repellant was also in the locked panniers!!)  so decided which pannioer was the most likely (tghe new one!!) and took out my trusty Leatherman and knowing how the locks work ( remember I have already dismantled one lock from a side pannier !!)  I slid the lever from the leatherman into the seal between the pannier and lid and just like an experienced car thief flicked  up the ratchet that was holding the lid shut.  Unfortunately this also broke the lock/ ratchet spring mechanism, and then after spraying myself with DEET I proceeded to take the new pannier lock apart and reset the spring.  After the third go I got it all back together agin and working, though it does look a little bruised from the experience.  Here is a photo of the shit campsite.

So relieved to still have three panniers (again) I went to bed early planning to be on the garage forecourt when they open.

TOR