Crossing the T
As morning broke atop the mountain, a strong wind signalled the arrival of an approaching a storm. We decamped and descended the mountain in under 30 minutes and were soon on the outskirts of Fannrem. I planned to use Fannrem’s central roundabout as The T’s top intersection. In other words, this is where I would cross the T! The first exit would take me north east towards Snasa and the second, south west towards Alesund. I took the second and headed for Alesund…
The T’s main Intersection
Fannrem’s Roundabout (The top of the ‘T’)
The road to Alesund is spectacular. We stopped off at a viewpoint on the Orkla River and drove past the countless shimmering lakes.
Just over an hour later, it was time take to the Halsa-Kanestraum Ferry. The ferries in Norway form part of the road network itself and run regularly – this one departs every 20 minutes at peak times. After a 5 minute wait, we paid the £10 fee and boarded.
Katy waiting to board at Halsa
The first of many beautiful crossings ticked off, it wasn’t long before we were stopping again to take in another breath-taking view. This time, it was the Straumsund Bridge (412 m) near the town of Oydegard.
Views from the Bridge
The Atlantic Ocean Road
10 km further, at Bergsoya, I decided to take a detour and travel via Kristiansund. I did this to ensure we drove over the infamous Atlantic Ocean Road – something I’ve always wanted to do. The drive to Kristiansund is definitely worth it if you have the time, there are at least 3 more bridges and lots to see along the way. At Kristiansund, the route takes you through the Atlanterhavstunnelen (Atlantic Ocean Tunnel). This long, steep tunnel reaches a depth of 250 metres, making it one of the deepest undersea tunnels in the world. There is another toll fee on exit – around £10. Shortly after the tunnel, just as the sun was setting, we arrived at the Atlantic Ocean Road.
Views from Visitor Centre Path
There are lots of places to stop and observe this marvel of engineering along the way. The best views are probably from the Visitor Centre Path (about halfway across).
This bucket list item has to be in my top 3 favourite drives so far. The views from the road are hard to convey through word or picture.
Views from the road
Somewhere in between The Atlantic Road and Alesund
Katy enjoying the views
Visiting Alesund
Drone shot from Aksla viewpoint
At the top, there is a small cafe selling food and refreshments. We settled in for a cold (and predictably pricey) half pint, sat back, and relaxed. In terms of backdrop, this beer will take some beating. The atmosphere and beer temperature conspired to make it a truly memorable experience. I absolutely loved it.
Me enjoying a small cold one
Two-thirds of the T complete, it was time to head back to Fannrem.
