Towards Norway and onwards Part 1

[Specs]

I knocked this together from bits on FB, a diary which gives up after a couple of days, and photos. I realise now that there was a lot of video as well on the FB pages. I shall have to do some editing before the next post.

31st Aug 2017

Said goodbye to my daughter and family near Guildford and hit the motorway down to Dover. Caught a ferry across and then rode towards Antwerp and then Arnhem. Didn’t get quite as far as that and stayed at a campsite not far from Nijmegen owned by a biker as it happened.

 

 

Friday 1st Sept.

 

Got up to a misty morning, a wet tent and a lovely atmosphere with geese setting off to feed. Ideal time for a shower at 0700 as I was the only one about.

 

Following my mate Titus’s advise I packed up and set off without breakfast, not even a brew. The plan was to do a hundred miles before breakfast; I managed a hundred and twenty before stopping at a rest area and having some watery/milky porridge and a coffee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was over into Germany, surviving the gridlock around Hamburg after endless miles of filtering, and making it up into Denmark where I stopped for a coffee and a roll. It was then about a hundred miles or so to a campsite not far from Copenhagen.

 

Not many photos as motorways look the same wherever they are, boring. Useful for the commute though.

 

 

There was a so called rock happening there in the town. I walked over to the village square but was horrified by the density of the crowds. Little kids there as well looking frightened. I took a few snaps of the streets but kept the phone in my pocket zipped up in the crowds.

 

Tomorrow morning it’ll be over the bridge to Sweden.

[XTreme]

Brilliant Alan! I'll love to do a trip like that (weather permitting of course) and with hotels! 

[Specs]

28 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Brilliant Alan! I'll love to do a trip like that (weather permitting of course) and with hotels! 

Same here! 

[Specs]

1 hour ago, BusBoy said:

Aye up. Try and keep it all in one place this time

Yes. I realise what you mean. My memory isn’t what it used to be. I’ve forgotten what little video editing knowledge I had. It could be still captures. 

[Specs]

@BusBoy The bloody video editing is doing my head in. There are days when It rained so no photos or videos. That’s why I need to go again to fill in the gaps.

[Specs]

Saturday 2nd Sept

I can't believe that I have so little media. I must have been enjoying the ride. Sorry for the rather boring video.

 

Up early, again, but had half a pizza from last night to eat, and a brew to chase it down was just what I needed.

 

Visiting the toilet block I checked and found that the office didn’t open until 0900. I was all packed and twiddling my thumbs by 0730 despite having drawn out the packing. Tent had to go in wet again but at least the inside has stayed dry up to now.

 

Having got my deposit for a card, that I didn’t even use, back, I aimed for the bridge to Sweden, just the other side of Copenhagen, about twelve miles away. Turns out it was half tunnel, half bridge. I thought that I’d arrived at the island that’s in the middle, when in fact I was in Sweden. I should have realised with the slightly different road signs.

I rode north west along the coast for an hour or so before turning north towards Karlstad, it was a pleasant ride with fewer cars, maybe because of the weekend, and pleasantly scenic with rolling hills, occasional views of the sea, with farmland and forestry giving it all a bit of interest, a pleasant change from the last couple of days.

 

When I left the motorway, more of a dual carriageway really, I ended up on a great road, down to single lane in places such as bridges, and was able to cruise along at about fiftyish. Really enjoyed it, sun shinning and dry roads. Best of all not a great deal of traffic.

 

With fuel getting low I stopped at a garage and managed to put the wrong stuff in the tank. At least it wasn’t diesel. I transpired that it was ethanol. The bike didn’t like it when accelerating, but wasn’t too bad at a steady speed. Braking or changing down caused a lot of popping and the fuel consumption dropped to 40mpg, whereas I’d been getting just over fifty before.

I passed some lovely lakes and rivers but nowhere to stop. They have the odd lay-by, that always seems to be randomly chosen with no view! All the lakes seem to have cabins or holiday homes around them with hardly any public areas. There was one area but it was full of lorries parked up. Not encouraging really.

 

 

 

Another tankful of fuel sorted out the poor running and the consumption returned to about 50mpg. At the same stop I had a chilly dog, and a coke to keep me going. Rather than going to Karlstad I headed north slightly earlier so missed the built up areas. Not much overtaking needed really as most traffic seem to drive at the limit or slightly over it. It’s 90 kph most of the time which isn’t a bad speed for fuel consumption and the wind noise isn’t too bad.

 

Eventually needed somewhere to stop so saw a track going into the forest. Followed it up to a cleared area where there was the remains of someone’s fire. Good enough but a bit rough, nothing that the sleeping mat couldn’t cope with! I heard some strange dog like noises late in the evening. Looking at Google found that there are wolves in this area but can’t say that it bothered me. They’re said to be wary of man unless starving, and this time of the year I can’t see that being the case. Did hear some strange bird calling, some sort of raptor I think. Probably eagle owl.

This is a distribution map link for wolves in Sweden. wolfeducationinternational.com

 

[Specs]

Sunday 3rd Sept

The road up to the Swedish border with Norway was very interesting passing through several ski resorts. The road coming down from the heights was quite enjoyable but the Swedes supposedly have an idiot proof system whereby the whole stretch is limited to 70 km an hour regardless of the straight bits in between the bends.

Crossed over into Norway and stoped at a cleared bit of forest to take in the view. A shame about the tree stumps.

 

 

I stopped at Lillehammer for a McDonald’s. Unfortunately the Wi-Fi didn't work so really it was a wasted break, but I was ready for the food.

Rode about another 20 kms to find this place called Odden Camping, quite expensive at €20, but beggars can't be choosers.

 

Somewhere to the west of Lillehammer having only done about

250 miles today. The tent was wet so I needed an early break in order to get it dried out.

 

Tent up and dry now. Time for a brew and shower before chilling with a book.

[Specs]

Monday 4th Sept

 

Lovely road over to Geiranger. Hassle with petrol pump payment system with apparent large payments from my account, but seems it’s a deposit which they never claim. Weird.

Piss break.

Apparently this stuff is edible, the reindeer eat it.

 

Blowing like crazy here with dust stinging the face.

 

Another speeded up clip. This trip was all about taking it easy and saving fuel!

Great road down to Geiranger but place crawling with tourists from cruise ship. Think it was Costa Cruises.

The platform at the top is the place at the end of the clip that I didn't bother with.

 

Here I am at Geiranger after having a great ride through the mountains to get here. Great scenery, wonderful roads and enough hairpin bends to give Santa Sprocket apoplexy! Straight to the campsite at the edge of the fjord with only a cruise ship from Costa Cruises to spoil it a little. At least the ship lends the scene a sense of scale. The place is overrun with camper vans. Mostly middle sized ones with plenty of coach built ones. Fuel consumption today, mostly keeping to the speed limits, was a gratifying 68 mpg! Not bad for a loaded up 1200. Just a few random photos with the phone as I'm still missing the lead to my card reader. — at Geiranger Camping

 

[XTreme]

Fantastic Alan! 

[Pedro]

Those are great roads, that you enjoy mostly sticking to lower speeds and just cruising along.

Seemed that one of my favorite things to eat in Norway and Sweden are those petrol station hotdogs wrapped in bacon. Tastier the further north you go, but then again it could be that you appreciate them more when it gets cold