Day 7

Harstad 

170 miles

​I decided to have an easy 170 mile day so got up late and packed the bike after a great nights sleep in the cabin. £130 well spent!  I decided to miss out Tromso as it would be another 120 miles, half of which has coming back on the same road. I was starting to get tired after a week of 10-12 hour days on a motorbike, and I decided to take the advice of one of my friends to have an easy couple of days to recover.
I was already well ahead of where I'd hoped to be by this point.   

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IG4A2050

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The weather looked a bit grim with low cloud and 12 degrees, and as I rode through the mountains on the way to harstad I went into the clouds so was down to 20 mph.
I finally had the need to try out the heated vest that I'd bought specially for this trip. I'd ecpected to need it through most of the arctic circle but the weather had been really good.
The heated vest was initially a big disappointment, I couldn't really feel the heat. After a while I decided to stop and check the fuse, but the controller was still lighting up, then I checked that the controller was actually plugged in and found that the output side wasn't! Instant heat came as soon as it was plugged in.
  
Harstad is a pretty big place, the capital of the Lofoten islands. I had dinner in a steak house after asking the girl in reception for recommendation she walked me about a quarter of a mile up the road to show me where to go. Cost £90 all up for a good steak, two small ciders and some apple cake. Lovely though.  

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This is a £50 steak...20160713_165623000_iOS





The hotel was decent (although decorated like it was still the 90s) and I got another good night's sleep. When I parked up I just dumped the bike in the pedestrian area outside the front of the hotel as I couldn't be bothered finding out where I should park. 
Then when I came back for dinner I found 4 BMW next to it from France and Germany!  Oops

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