European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Driving the e-6 often seems too narrow to be called a major Highway. The Sun sets Early at 3 20 . On a Frozen Lake beside Norway s Arctic Highway. Continued from Page 11 i it said norwegians ust More electricity per person  any Oiler nation. I he natives of this Region Are the Samer Olio Peeler that name to the More Oft used lapps or i a planders. 1 Hoy Are Well known for their Reindeer herds. A fat tory worker we met in a hotel told us of wait Hing the Samer push a Herd of 2,000 Reindeer through a Valley. Quot it looked like a River Quot he said. As Art tit regions go Northern Norway is relatively mild which is Why it sustains such a Large population. Seaports Are ice free All year. I Here Are two reasons for this one is the North Atlantic Drift which brings warm water to the t twist and the other is the incidence of mild Westerly air currents. There is even some farming around Bard loss. Quot we have better potatoes than Idaho a said a woman at the Airport. No sooner had to Herred the Clear Road than the ice returned. We slowed to a Pace More like  of the glaciers that carved the fjords along the norwegian coast. It was dark when we passed through Fauske and began climbing mountains. At a toll Booth Tor the upcoming series of tunnels Gus asked if the Road ahead was Clear ust Fine he was told. I relaxed and looked out the window a layer of louds held prisoner the full Moon but enough Light escaped to Bounce off the White landscape and allow me a glimpse of the Peac Etui scenery. Again it began to Snow. At first the flakes were Small but they grew with each minute building up on i a. Gus sped through each Tunnel to make up Linn and we hoped that each h one would remove us from of this spell of weather. None did. 1 he Snow and the Altitude in leased. As we approached one Tunnel at the lop of a sleep Grade the Snow became Loo heavy Tor our car. We slowed slowed and slowed some More and finally stopped 75 meters from the Tunnel. Grabbed our Snow chains and crawled under the car to listen them to the tires. Gus Knell beside nit with a flashlight. My fingers fumbled with the task As the cold stole their dexterity. Our goal for this Day saturday Day four of our journey was the town of Narvik. It was 500 Kilometres from our starting Point that Day and still More than 100 Kilometres South of our Mission. Throughout the Day then As we plodded along la it 50 Kph Narvik took on a mystical Quality. In us it was of Quot if Only we can get to Narvik. Quot As Gus drove i kept track of distance. Quot it s 150 Kilometres to Narvik  two hours later Quot its 500 Kilometres to Narvik  at 10 . The Snow still fell we were 75 Kilometres from our goal and in line behind several Large trucks for a 50-minute ferry ride where 1. 0 became a fjord. The girl at the snack bar told me that on the other Side of the fjord was a Large Mountain Steep and she d been told Slick. Narvik would have to wait until tomorrow. We found a Motel for almost $100 per room. Our 14 hour Day of driving had netted us barely 400 Kilometres. # Narvik played an important role in the German occupation of Norway in world War ii. It provided a Northern port and a Supply route for the Iron Ore that was badly needed to maintain the nazi War Effort. In april 1940, German troops went ashore at Narvik. In an Effort to displace them the British Navy bombarded the town setting it ablaze and sending occupiers and the occupied to the Hills Nils Yeng director of the War museum in Narvik that tells the Story of the Battle was 11 years old when the nazis came. Quot we had six weeks where the germans were on Shore and he Royal Navy was on the fjord Quot he recalled. Quot they were shooting against each other night and Day. We civilians were Between them. It was  the germans stayed until the War ended. The town has been rebuilt and is dominated by Europe s largest Iron Ore port which is somewhat of an eyesore. With a population of 1 5,000, it is a Busy town that attracts Winter sportsmen and summer tourists. At this Point the Mission was in jeopardy. Perhaps we would not be Able to get there. And if we got there we knew we could not get Back. Nol like this. Not on these tires a no matter How much we washed them which we had been doing regularly since being let in on the secret. We considered buying the studded tires but dismissed it As too expensive. We also considered a ferry ride Back to Southern Norway perhaps All the Way to Denmark. Putting the car and ourselves aboard a train was also discussed our Snow chains were gone. The dry pavement in the tunnels and the hard ice had broken them the night before. We heard them slip from the tires with first one weak Quot Machunk Quot and then another but could not find either of them along the Roadside. On sunday morning our fifth Day of travel Gus 12 stripes Magazine March 15, 1990