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The ferry towns of the north

Along the Norwegian coast, the timetable of the ferry still decides when the day begins and ends.

Cover image Photo by Meriç Dağlı / Unsplash

In the small towns along the fjords, nobody asks what time it is. They ask when the next ferry leaves. The boat is the bus, the delivery van and the school run.

We travelled north for a week, from crossing to crossing, sharing decks with farmers, nurses, cyclists and one very patient dog. Every town had its own rhythm, set by a timetable pinned to the harbour wall.

A small ferry crossing between mountains under low clouds
The morning crossing, twenty minutes and three hundred metres deep. Photo by Charly Nguyen / Unsplash

New bridges and tunnels are slowly replacing some of the routes. Locals are glad of the time saved, and a little sad about the conversations lost on the way.

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Marc Delaunay

Reports on cities, buildings and the people who keep them running, preferably by train.

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