Seven mountains stand in a row along the coast of Alsten island, and the people of Sandnessjøen call them the Seven Sisters. They are jagged, steep and dark, rising straight out of the sea to over a thousand metres, and a Norwegian legend gives each one a name and a story involving trolls and a pursuing suitor. With around five thousand six hundred people, it is the biggest place on this stretch of the coast.
Alstahaug, a few kilometres south, has a history that is well worth knowing. The old church there, from the twelfth century, was the home parish of Petter Dass, a seventeenth-century priest and poet who wrote about the life of the northern fishermen and became a national figure, nicknamed the trumpet of Nordland. His verses were learned by heart in fishing villages for generations, and the local museum celebrates him. The area has been settled since the Stone Age, and the coast is dotted with ancient burial mounds.
The ride along the Helgeland coast is a long chain of ferries and bridges. The Helgelandsbrua, a graceful cable-stayed bridge just over a kilometre long, opened in 1991 and links Alsten to the mainland, replacing a ferry crossing, and the road then runs along the water through tunnels and small villages. The scenery is dramatic, with sea, islands and mountains, and the weather is changeable, with rain, wind and sudden clear light. In June and July, the nights are never dark.
Fuel is easy in Sandnessjøen, which has several stations, and it is the last big stop before the long run north. Restaurants serve fresh fish, and the harbour is lively, with fishing boats and ferries. Check ferry timetables in advance, as they run on a schedule and can fill in summer. Pack waterproofs, since the coast gets plenty of rain, and keep a spare layer. The view of the Seven Sisters in the evening light is worth a pause on the quay.