standing stones.
We continued on to Ekkeroy where there was a seabird nesting cliff. The kittiwakes had already left for the season, but we had a great walk among German embattlements from WWII below and above the cliffs
Stonecrop and sea daisies growing on the bird cliff
where we saw purple sandpipers in among the rocks and surf
and the Bird of the Day, a sea eagle sitting patiently on a rock, before flying off and showing us its white tail feathers.
Lots of cloudberry patches here, but not many berries. Anyone can pick berries on this nature reserve the sign said, but only the locals can collect the kittiwake eggs!
The further we drove, the shorter the trees got, till they disappeared altogether, the rockier the terrain and the narrower the road till it was just a single track. Once we entered Varangerhalvoya National Park we saw wild reindeer. Unlike the domesticated reindeer we saw in Finland that amble down the middle of the highway, these ones run away when they hear a camera shut
We passed the tunnel to Vadso Island, and continued on till we reached Hamningberg and the end of the road where we camped by ourselves above the beach. Hamningberg was a busy harbour until the fishing industry was modernized with larger fishing boats. It was abandoned in the 1960's and is now a national heritage site.
Our campsite at the end of the world
Highlight of the Day
You may now refer to us by our official title as weasel whisperers. After we called in a mink last summer by imitating the squeak of injured prey, we did the same today to an ermine we saw running down the beach. It ran towards us and proceeded to amuse us for 15 minutes as it bounced around, coming ever closer, running in and out of burrow holes. Leo got some great pictures.
Of course there was a tunnel to Vardo Island. And apparently there is wifi at the end of the world. But are you going to continue on to Nordkapp? Sorry to hear things didn't work out so well for Leo and Bryan.
ReplyDelete