Monday 8th June - The Road to Hell....

I've been waiting to say that.

Had a great night's sleep in my little cabin - tidied it up a bit so can show you inside now ...

                                                                                                             not bad eh.

I appreciate that it sounds pretty mundane starting every blog off with a weather report but it does make such a difference to how I feel about setting off.  Once off however it really makes not a ha’porth of difference.

This morning it was raining again and very cold, 6°C  – don’t know what that is in your money Gary but believe me it was cold.   It caused me to play the thermal roulette game – I’ve got a warm set and a wind proof set but do I want to peak too soon?  I’ve still a long way to go and what if it gets colder!!!

I compromised and reverted to a pair of thick ladies tights – I won’t, for a change, state the obvious.  They are in a rather fetching dark blue and match the colour my lips go in such temperature. I do carry a disclaimer should any of my macho biker contacts catch a glimpse of them – though a) I can’t think of a situation where they might (* though see below) and b) most of them have probably got a pair on too – which states I wear them for medical reasons.  Anyway, it was a good call as the weather cycled today between.6° with icy rain and 17 with warm sun.

Sitting here writing this in my second little cabin – see later – I have fond memories of my last long trip when, after stopping to take a layer or two off in the baking sun I rolled into Paradise, Montana.  Believe you me it was a much fonder memory when, in that biting icy rain today I descended into Hell. 

I’m sure it is a nice place – Hell apparently means Good Fortune in Norwegian - but I wouldn’t make any predictions that involve it freezing over if I were you.  Arriving at the railway station is enough to make you wish you’d led a better life!

I rode up past Trondheim and alongside the Fjaettenfjord, a narrow inlet of the Trondheim ford just 12 miles north of Hell where the German Battleship the Tirpitz hid away from the Allies in the Second World War. There was a failed attempt by volunteers from the British and Norwegian Navy to sink it with Chariots - a kind of submersible torpedo which two sailors rode on – we can only imagine how terrifying that must have been to take part in.

Then rode up alongside the Namsen River, one of the longest in Norway and which is apparently great for salmon. There are hydro-electric dams on it so they have the salmon leaps around them. I stopped to look at one but it was closed and to be honest I don’t know when the salmon would use it anyway.

It had a salmon smoker and sales outlet attached to it which seems a bit underhand looking at it from a salmon’s point of view – offering a safe passage past a dam and then bopping it on the head and into the smoker! This chap was outside though and with much of the stuff I’ve seen I have no idea of his relevance to salmon.     

   

I think he’s the Norwegian equivalent of Mr McGregor cos he wasn’t too impressed I was in his garden.

I am finding it a long haul I admit. On paper, and comparing it to UK rides, 250 miles a day doesn’t seem too onerous, but here the main road, the E6, which goes up all the way is very twisty and mainly 70kph which is 47mph, can you believe it. I do stop a lot for photos and stuff as well so the 250miles today took me thick end of 8 hours.

The views again were magnificent – won’t show you too many, I guess it’s one of those “you had to be there” things.

Mind you it wasn’t all hard work. Froggie – who has at last decided it is warm enough to come out of my tank bag – and I took advantages of a sunny spell to enjoy a Co-op Salad bowl al fresco! And there was a snickers bar for pudding.

When I unpacked in the cabin last night I thought I how the heck had I managed to get that lot on the bike – I’m usually so tidy at home!.  But then I met a French guy who was also going north and I realised I was practically a minimalist beside him. He may even have had his wife with him under that lot.    

Arrived at the campsite a bit earlier today – last night it was 8 o’clock , today half past 5. Great location between the divide of a river at a place called Trofors.

 Again I am really pleasantly surprised at how good these places are and for the price – its £25 tonight.

I’ve just made coffee and got the coffee and pasta on!

The showers though are unisex. Nothing wrong with that I know but I must remember I’ve got my tights on …..

Sunday 7th June - The trip gets real.....

I always start my drafts  “Its been a day of contrasts…” but then scrub that as it is a bit of a cliché isn’t it, but …today has been just that.

I worked out last night that I’ve done 1450 miles and not bad with the calculations as I’d planned on it being around 1350 to here – I know, obsessive whatever – Delden Mk1 has a lot to answer for.  Anyway it’s half of the 2600 to North Cape in total so when as I woke up this morning to lovely sunshine again I took time to check the oil and tyres. Would have been better though to have just set off because when I was eventually getting my gear on to start the heavens opened. I don’t mind riding in the rain, moving along you don’t really get wet but I hate setting off in the rain on a wet bike. Plus I had to get out of Oslo and the only way really was along the motorway so I was a real grump for a while – hard to imagine I know.

That soon changed as once out of the city both the weather and the roads changed for the better.

My ability with a camera can’t do justice to the panoramas but I hope they give you a taste of how lush the countryside was and what great weather I had once the rain stopped. Hold that thought though…...

Wanted to call in at Lillehammer, the venue of the 1994 Winter Olympics. Once near the town the Olympic village wasn’t hard to find as the Ski Jumps stuck out from miles away.  I rode up to them and even from the bottom they seemed scary,  gawd only knows how frightening they must seem from the top. There are some crazy people”. 

  

I always assumed that Norwegians were good at skiing because of all the snow, but up to this point I hadn’t seen any. Doesn’t deter them though, remember the chap I told you I’d seen “skiing” down a cycle lane, well he was positively sedentary compared to this young lady…

I wanted to look around the Olympic Museum but it was in the process of being moved so only saw the empty shell, a sad bob sleigh and these sculptures

 – no, I don’t know either!

 

                                       Preferred these lovely people.......

Though wouldn't want to meet the guy who left this ....

After Lillehammer I took a shortcut up through the Rondane National Park  rather than follow the main road along the valley bottoms. That was exciting for a while as I began to catch glimpses of snow but as I got higher, the temperature plummented – and boy did it plummet, this water fall was still frozen - and the land became more barren I admit to slight twinges of anxiety about what was to come further north. The air was so clear though and you could see for miles so again I was a happy biker.

 

Then, just as quickly as this morning the rain started only this time it was icy cold and no fun at all. Was glad then when I got to the camp site, bike tucked up for the night and fire on. It's called Gullvag Camping and is on the E6 just north of  Opdal and 45 miles south of Trondheim......

AND, it is really comfortable – a very pleasant surprise. It’s a great system. There are 2 bunks, so 4 beds but you only pay for the number you use so this is costing me the grand total of £34. 

Goodnight ...............

Saturday 6th June - Oslo

Not a proper blog today as I did what I promised myself and had a day off.  Went into Oslo and just wandered and as there was some kind of carnival on it was a great atmosphere.  I don't think though that all the costumes were authentic. You'll never convince me that this chap's National Dress includes a llama on the head.

Had a few things go wrong, my crash helmet, my shavers bust and a headlight has gone. Now my blinking camera focus seems to be playing up...  and they were such lovely cowboy hats!!!!!

So, just a few musings on things I’ve overlooked on other days.

First of all I learned that however tempting it is on a warm sunny evening not to pop out and cover the bike up, it ain’t worth it. Woke up to this this morning – it was pelting it down but it did clear up and the afternoon in Oslo was lovely.     

I don’t know enough about it to go on too much – I know that doesn’t usually stop me – but Sweden, Denmark and Norway seem to be doing pretty well even though they are not members of the European Union. The roads are great, the trains amazing – I went into Oslo on one – and everything looks so, well prosperous.

You can’t generalise I know, but I have read that the Scandinavians can appear a bit blunt, a bit brusque. I have found that. When I’ve spoken to anyone they have never been anything but incredible friendly and helpful. However they somehow don’t seem to acknowledge you or your presence. If you wait at a door to let them through there’s no smile or thanks, they don’t seem to want to make eye contact. If you leave a bag on a chair in a café and they need it they’ll kind of stand there until you move it and not acknowledge your apologies. Maybe it’s just me – I can’t be a pleasant sight – or smell – after a week on the road!

And the macho bit – why is it that they don’t go strutting around the world righting their perceived wrongs with interference and threats – could it be because their politicians look like this    and their soldiers that?

                              

They are very matter of fact, and that must cost them sometimes. For example honest as this sign may be I can’t see it drumming up much business for the gym!!!

They do have a sense of humour though – when I was trying to get the train into Oslo I asked a guard if the train that just pulled in went there. I guess all trains from that particular station must have called at Oslo because he smiled to himself and said yes of course.  However when he came to collect tickets he looked at mine closely and then said enjoy your trip to Copenhagen!  I was tempted to mutter the name of a place I’d stopped for petrol recently!

Made a bit of a fool of myself in a café. A family went out and I noticed a glove on the table near where they had been sitting. Being gallant for once in my life I picked it up and chased after them. No, it wasn’t theirs. When I went back into the café I was confronted by a rather stern but immaculately dressed older lady who was confused as to why I’d taken her glove. Apparently it’s the thing here to leave an item of clothing – well a decent item of clothing - on a table if you’ve claimed it but have gone to the counter, toilet etc. She unusually hadn’t got very good english and my Norwegian is yet to blossom but we did sort it out and she laughed when  explaining that you only left only glove as a pair would probably be stolen – the twinkle in her eye obviously saying that today was the first time anyone had stolen a single glove.

Anyway, it’s a lovely evening here and all packed up for heading north again tomorrow – weather is set fair – which is good as tomorrow night is my first in a campng cabin – wonder if I'll meet any trolls - mmmmmm!        

Thursday 4th & Friday 5th June

Another couple of terrific days – and it has to be a couple as the “Free Wifi” at last night’s small hotel was more an aspiration than a commitment.

Yesterday the weather still was a pain – sunny enough but the wind took the edge off riding

It may sound as though I disappointed - I’m not, but the countryside seen up until yesterday afternoon had been very “samey” and if I’m honest not what I’d expected. 

However after 5 countries of flat, lush countryside and the 6^th, Sweden, appearing to be the same, things slowly changed north of Gothenburg – the countryside began to take on some of the characteristics I somehow thought Sweden should have. There became more wooded areas and the trees included more birch – which I know – and more fir trees – which I admit I don’t know much about. 

The terrain became very rocky and the vast fields of cereals were replaced by small pastures and hayfields - still lush but fitted in between crags and forests.

The two things which really hit you as you ride along are the Churches – magnificent white buildings - and the bridges – all so elaborate.

I rode past this “castle” which I now know is Bohus Fortress from the 14^th century   

 – and this which I think is Late Disney Period.

Why was this random Struts – that’s Swedish for ostrich, there’s your bit of education for the day – on an embankment miles from anywhere – no idea!!!    

I read that people in the area in the south of Sweden where I was early yesterday morning apparently “speak a guttural dialect which betrays their Danish origin and have difficulty pronouncing the letter r”.  Rather unfortunate then that the first place I stopped for petrol was a town called Bastad – I kid you not!

Just dawned on me that since I entered Belgium 1000 miles ago there have been cycle paths on nearly all the roads but motorways. They are really well maintained and I can see the attraction of using them – on a bike that is – some crazy souls “ski” along them on long in-line wheeled skis – now that looks really hard.

Stopped in Falkenburg (falcolns were apparently once used for hunting there) for a cup of coffee and as it happens a Danish. Falkenburg was apparently loved by Wealthy English gentlemen because of the great fly fishing in the 19^th century.

I wandered round the old town which was very small but had some original buildings from 1700 which had escaped the dozen or so fires that had devastated the town over the centuries.

In the church yard was this charming statue, I think entitled "Communion"

The views yesterday had been great then I rounded the corner into Uddevalla where I was going to spend the night they got better – the view over lake and another wonderful bridge.

Uddevalla

Woke up to a lovely calm, sunny weather this morning - am off to Norway!

Today has been a slow day in terms of mileage north as I had a couple of specific Methodist Churches I wanted to see to get some material for the Epworth Old Rectory Newsletter I help run.

Methodism in Scandinavia didn’t spread, as you’d possibly expect, from England but apparently was started by Scandinavian seamen who travelled across the Atlantic and spread or discovered their faith in America.

One of those seamen was Ole Peter Petersen from Fredrikstad in southern Norway. Petersen was later ordained a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America but in 1853 he returned to Fredikstad where pulled together a Methodist congregation and then in 1857 built a Methodist Church in nearby Sarpsborg – the first in Norway. Unfortunately the original building has burnt down but I wanted to see the site. 

Pator Ole with bust of Ole Petersen

Site of First Methodist Church in Norway

The help I got from Margarethe at the Sarpsborg Tourist Office was terrific – She phoned the Pastor of the Sarpsborg Church who wasn’t in town but said I could have the key to have a look round!  She then called the pastor at Fredikstad and arranged for him to meet me. He did - now if you think you have an image of a Methodist Minister – think again!

Inside Sarpsborg Church

Fredrikstad Church

Late evening I rode on through countryside like this;

  to Oslo where I’m having tomorrow off – I know what a wimp.

Wednesday 3rd June - Scandinavia at last ...

Good news was it was a sunny morning… bad news that the wind hadn’t slackened one bit so I was worried about the ferry crossing from Puttgarden in Germany to Rodby in Denmark – as it was it was needless as the boat just took it all in its stride although I was relieved when I got back down to the car deck at the end of the crossing ad found the bike still standing upright!

Met some fellow bikers as you do in the queue for the ferry. A little Spanish guy and his wife on a BMW loaded so high with bags and topped with an Italian flag that I thought he’d after go in the truck lane. Apparently he owned a motor cycle clothing and accessory shop in Barcelona – according to the wad of business cards he shoved into my hands much to the embarrassment of his wife. Her embarrassment continued on the ferry as I saw him handing them out to all and sundry – bikers or not.

There were a couple of Germans – big bears of men who had hearts of pure gold as I later learned. 

Then there was Rick, an American from Vermont who looked a lean, fit 60/62 year old and who stuck out amongst us for two main reasons – we were all doing impersonations of black leather and textile bound Michelin men and he was in lycra leggings and a thin day-glow yellow top, we had various macho boys’ toys and he had a tired looking pedal cycle with tiny panniers front and back – oh and a sign on the rear saying – “Rick”.  He was cycling to Copenhagen which in itself deserved a lot of respect as it was some 98  miles up the road but then he added he had cycled from Paris – and after a few days in Copenhagen he was cycling down to Frankfurt to meet Sally his partner and they were then off to Basle together – on their bikes.  Talking about our travels I asked if he’d been to England and he had, some 50 years ago – when he was 23 and in the army! The guy was 73 – that Vermont air must be good.

The motorway  towards Copenhagen was wonderful, just one amazing bridge linking islands after another.

It was though marred by a minor breakdown. I carry tons of spares and am prepared for most eventualities – except my cash helmet falling to pieces – didn’t see that coming. In fact didn’t see much for a few seconds as the “flip up lid” flipped down!  Fortunately there was an exit almost immediately and so I was able to pull off.  Close examination of offending lid revealed a screw had come loose on the inner thingymajig and,although took a whil, a bit of microsurgery with a swiss army knife and a screwdriver sorted it – ish!  The Germans I mentioned must have seen me pull off and stop because after a while they doubled back to see if I was ok -  good this biker lark innit!

I had to Skirt Copenhagen to get to Sweden but Froggie was insistent that I showed him Hans Christian Andersons Little Mermaid so a slight detour was made. 

 Actually a longer detour than expected as Copenhagen it seems is being moved by great big yellow dumper trucks to somewhere else and many of the roads Satnav Jane thought she knew were no longer there  - a lot of “Turn around when possible”.

Froggie wasn't the only critter out that day - Mr and Mrs Goose were taking the family for a walk in the park...

Then on to the Oresund Bridge and Sweden. I can now drop into conversations “When I popped into Denmark for the day ….”  If you are in to Scandinavian Crime series you’ll know about “The Bridge”  - an amazing bridge and indeed tunnel complex which links Denmark to Sweden – great view, would have been good to see it from a vertical position! Didn't get a photo of this bridge as nowhere safe to stop so watch this space on the return leg!

Rode past probably the most laid back bus stop I’ve ever seen. 

Now, certain members of my family have a thing about wild boars – never seen one but are convinced they are not good things to be chased through woods by. 

This is probably not a good place to come then Miss H!

  

Settled in now near Angelholme, just north of Helsinborg, Sweden.

Tired, as you can probably tell – the wind really has taken its toll so will call it a day.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings…

Tuesday 2nd June - A long haul across Germany.

Not really a spectator sport today – you really had to do it.  A long drive from Delden Mk2 into Germany then up passed Bremen and Hamburg to Puttgarden where – weather permitting – I’ll catch the ferry over to Denmark in the morning.

I say weather permitting because the wind is really bad and has been all day. The rain has held off though the sky has been threatening most of the time – really stormy looking.

I switched between taking the shorter, more direct route – but Jane got a bit silly sometimes and I could write a small book entitled German Housing Estates I have known – and the fastest route along the Autobhans – see I’ve got the language now.

The two couldn’t have been more contrasting. The country route was like riding through a vast English country estate – long, straight tree lined avenues, more rhododendrons, reed lined lakes, pristine farms. The Autobhan was whacky races meets the Canadian Praries – a constant wind blowing clouds across an endless sky and views that went on forever but I daren’t look at for fear of missing  some  Audi, Merc or BMW coming up behind me at warp factor 3.

Saw some storks and some deer which was good.

Met some great people. A lovely old man in a shop who just wanted to talk about his planned trip to Cornwall and Wales and the fact that his sister had sent him out with a shopping list – which he showed me - which included asparagus and he couldn’t find any so was reluctant to go home because she'd shout at him. Called in for a coffee at a village shop with a “Snack Bar” sign run by a dear old lady who said she couldn’t speak much English and then of course totally embarrassed me by speaking it better than what I does. She didn’t say where she learned but one thing is certain with her coffee at €1.10, ie 85 pence ish a cup it probably wasn’t by paying for lessons.

All riding, no photos so pretty boring blog today but…. I’m on the edge of Scandinavia so perhaps the trip starts properly tomorrow……………