The Characters you meet.

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It was much too hot for the young guy holding the stop sign at some road construction, after all the temperature was nudging 17 degrees C and the sun was about to poke thru the clouds. He had recently returned from Salt Lake City. He had gone there after meeting some fellow Norwegians and Americans on the Internet. No, Not what you’re thinking, he moderated an online game and all of them often played against each other so they decided to get together in Utah and actually meet in person.

waterfall

Last night I stayed in an AirBnB along with two effervescent Israelis who had shops in Alta and Tromso selling Dead Sea Salts. But the important thing was they had real coffee from Israel. The first decent coffee I’d had since New Zealand. There are two things Norway could do to improve its standing in the world (1) learn to make coffee, it should not come from a machine with blinking lights and (2) be less expensive.

along the fjords

Actually, while on the subject of Norway, although I’ve seen quite a few reindeer, I have decided that the Norwegian national mascot/animal should be the mole as they are tunnelling everywhere. Today I passed quite a few on my way from Alta. I think the purpose of these tunnels to ensure drivers have some darkness during summer, and are not distracted by the stunning scenery. However the government has been very thoughtful of bicyclists as we are not allowed in many of them and are required to cycle around the hills and mountains while admiring the views.

Close to close of day

To end the day I dutifully followed Will’s (Physio back home) instructions to ice my knees, well, it wasn’t ice but it was crystal clear and icy cold…

By campsite

Onto Alta

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Had a rather good breakfast at the Smarthotel – I am not sure why it is named a Smart hotel, possibly it had technology so advanced I couldn’t operate the coffee machine. Anyway it was nice and comfortable. I then took the fast ferry 2 hours south to Alta, leaving a sunny Hammerfest

Leaving Hammerfest

for a grey wet Alta

However the journey was, as ever, a visual feast thru the Fjords and the skies cleared up in Alta where I did the tourist thing, visited the Museum with its World Heritage Rock Art, as well as the Cathedral, which, to say the least, is unique in design and was closed, thus relieving me of the obligation to go inside.

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES

Okay so the sky wasn’t really that colour. Opposite the Cathedral at the Scandic Hotel was yet another coach loading up with folks about to tame the journey up north to see the midnight sun at NordKapp

 

Decisions, Decisions

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Yesterday’s sunny weather (but not the wind) has gone. So I set off at 4am hoping to beat some of the rain. Now 4am sounds early but when the sun is that high in the sky, you don”t question it.

One of the dangers of modern technology and good cellular coverage is that you can almost always check the weather – which can be a not very good thing so after a while I came to this sign

Decisions, Decisions

Do I go south toward Alta into a strong southerly and rain or toward Hammerfest, with the wind and into rain. No big guess as to my decision….

After all I got to cross the “most northern suspension bridge in the world“. Everything here is the “most northern something”

Toward Hammerfest

The bridge was promptly followed by cold and and dark tunnel – but at least it was raining inside the tunnel.

So now I’m in Hammerfest, to be greeted with the sight of the Ms Lofoten in the harbour on its way back south. Which do I prefer? The warm comfort and leasure of a old cruise ship or cycling a loaded bicycle in the rain? Now is not the time to ask that question….

Today’s post is brought to you by the letters T & R

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To be precise, Tunnels and Reindeer. There were 6 tunnels in all, 3 babies under a half kilometre, two over 3 kilometres and the big one – the 7 kilometre that goes under the sea to a depth of 212 metres. It is truely daunting and many cyclists avoid it by using the ferry from Havøysund. I did do the tunnel but sitting comfortably in a taxi with my bike on the back! However I did do all the others and the long ones are cold, about 4 degrees inside.

image

Honningsvag Tunnel

In New Zealand, I’ve stopped for sheets on the road, even cows and now I can add Reindeer to the list

Reindeer

This evening is a pleasant one and a wonderful view from my tent

Camping

Tomorrow the forecast is for rain……..

Tromsø and beyond

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Alex and I were in Tromsø back on 2012 and that trip is what triggered this one – watching the Hurtigruten boats cruise up the Fjord and then driving around while deciding to sometime cycle thru. Tomorrow I start that but today I’m still cruising – and enjoying Tromso thank goodness.

Tromsø Church

The cruise has been excellent, the scenery rugged and awesome. As for the boat it is as a Jewel. Relaxed and leisured the way travel was – at least in a the haze of a golden memory.

Ms Lofoten

At dinner during the cruise, there were four of us on the odds and sods table. Glen , a retired Korean War vet from Phenix, Arizona, Toby ( not his real name which I Csn’t remember – terrible to say) a year 8 Geography teacher form Bedford, U.K. who felt he should do this trip because he’d spent his whole time teaching kids about the midnight sun so thought he better go see it. Then there was Stephen, another Brit who lives in Hamburg. We spent lot of time figuring out the whole Brexit thing and it’s ramifications – at least that was between all the terrible jokes, most of which I can’t repeat here as much as I love to. “Why does the pope wear sunglasses in the bath?” I’m sorry but you’ll have to google the anwser to that one as self imposed censorship doesn’t allow me to put it here. Good luck Stephen with the ride from Kirkness to Hamburg.

 

Lofoten islands

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We left boring Bodø. sorry but it seemed somehow to personify bland – despite having a national cycle race on and lots of painted bikes around town. It is probably good as the start or end of a trip to the Lofoten islands.

Wikipedia describes the Lofoten as “an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten is known for a distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches and untouched lands”. I didn’t get to any beaches but the rest of it I would certainly agree with. For some totally unknown reason I expected it to be less mountainous. Probably due to a complete lack of research on my part.

Because we are now above the Arctic Circle I had felt an obligation to stay up and see the sun at midnight, Lofoten made this a pleasure not an obligation. In fact we entered the Trollfjord at midnight, complete with a Troll wandering around the ship. The Trollfjord is without doubt one of the more spectacular places I’ve been and no image can really capture the feeling of the place.

Trollfjord

Trollfjord

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50 Shades of Grey

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Well we’re now passed north into the Arctic Circle for the days of 24 hour sunlight – at least I think so but the grey cloud covers the sun in a dance of seven veils. However this is a very chaste dance and we haven’t got past the 3rd or 4th veil.

Bodo was a very grey town today, so I feel the need to add some colour.

Bodø

Bodø

On the plus side it looks as if the remaining veils are coming off as we head to the Lofoten Isles…..

Not a Dead Parrot in sight

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StorageNow onboard the Ms Lofoten, a 62 year old coastal boat with my bike safely stowed -although it is taking the notion of a shipboard romance a bit too far by cuddling up with another bicycle.

We are cruising thru the Norwegian Fjords. Today we went up the Geiranger fjord – and are now heading back toward Ålesund then continuing on up north.

Geiranger fjord

Henrik Ibsen’s mother-in-law, Magdalene Thoresen discribed the fjord as Continue Reading →

Funecular

The Herd Mentiality

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There are four rather big Cruise ships in town today, yesterday there where only two. Assuming each one carries about 3000 passengers, not to mention the crews, that’s an extra 12,000 people in the city today.

So I’ve found that the travel guides I used to use are actually very helpful – if they highlight something – go elsewhere. The queue for the Funicular was about 2 hours, yet under 150 metres away there wasn’t a tourist to be seen.

Hideaway
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Mt Ulriken

Mt Ulriken

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Last time I was here with Alex the gondola up Mt Ulriken was out of service, so we climbed up – more like stumbled and scrambled up. This time it was out due to wind – to be fair they were willing to let me go out but I might then have to wait a sone hours before getting down again. I declined the opportunity. So, this is what it looked like last time…

Walk up the mountain

And this is what it looks like today…. At least the wind has gone.
Mt Ulriken
This afternoon I hop aboard the Ms Lofoten to cruise on up thru the fjords to Honningsvag and Nordkapp where the hard work begins.

Bergen-dee

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For some reason I thought there was rain (or snow, sleet etc) for 300 days of the year in Bergen. Indeed the website weather-and-climate.com notes that the rainy season starts in January and goes thru December. But I was wrong, it only rains on 233 days of the year and this month it normally rains on 2 out of 3 days. I can now verify that this is true as today it is raining and tomorrow it is meant to rain, but, yesterday was beautifully sunny. The good news is I get to fully test my rain jacket, the bad news is I get to test my rain jacket.

So I’ll just remember what it was like yesterday…
Bergen

‘Bye Oslo

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Oslo on an early cold grey Sunday morning is rather pleasant ( well apart from the cold and grey bit). I have it all to myself without the heaving crowds of yesterday. But I think I may need to rethink the thinking that my long gloves will be warm enough when I get to the really cold parts of Norway.

Where's the Coffee

the bike is put together and I’ve wobbled my way around town several gears lower than before and am now waiting for the train to Bergen where it is even colder and, you guessed it – somewhat damp….Oslo Central Station

Oslo for a start

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Three flights, one train, four border controls, four airplane dinners and 36 hours and I’m here in Oslo where it’s just like Auckland – about 15 degrees and raining….it’s even got daylight at the same time as Auckland just no night time darkness.

Los Angles Airport performed its best and when you’re finally thru after 1 ½ hours of queues, the pleasure and joy of putting your shoes back on is like the pleasure you get when you stop hitting your head against a wall.
Noah's ark
Noah was making a visit here and brought along his Ark, hopefully it’s not a sign of the weather over the next couple of months.

Anyway, now to put my bike together and pack the panniers