More on Norway

Norway is an incredibly beautiful country - it has to be the most scenically "dense" of my whole trip.  It's also the most expensive, succeeding in making Sweden look cheap(ish) - but $ per view it would still be a winner.  Here are a few shots to whet the appetite:

[caption id="attachment_646" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Somewhere towards the western coast."][/caption]

 



 

[caption id="attachment_648" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Yes that's ice starting to form on the surface"][/caption]



 

Since hotels seem to cost $200 a night to keep expenses under control, and also because I like and enjoy the freedom of it, I camped all the remaining nights in Norway (plus those in Sweden when I got back there).  All my sites have been attractive, in a forest or by a lake, but the one below was the pick of them all:

[caption id="attachment_650" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="The foot of a glacier - I camped in the trees just to the right of the bike.  Absolutely no one else around."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_651" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="A view from further back in the glacier valley - as well as the glacier in front I had snow capped ridges on each side.  And that night was also clear and with a full moon - a spectacular site."][/caption]

Mixed with the scenery though are the roads; which when they are dry are a bikers heaven.

[caption id="attachment_652" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="The roads are superb but I'm not so sure about the viewing platform sticking out over the valley - glass front and floor; it tested my nerve."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_653" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Launchpad for the road in the shot above."][/caption]

The roads aren't always dry though;

[caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Maybe November isn't the best month. (I took this photo mainly for the stick marker behind.  Throughout Scandanavia they mark the edges of the road  every 100-200m with sticks, usually a metre tall, so you or the snow ploughs can find it after a snow fall - here, which was the top of a pass, they were obviously expecting some more significant snow.)"][/caption]

Whilst I really enjoyed the roads they were harder work for some:

[caption id="attachment_661" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Two lorry drivers I met near the top of one very steep and very winding and tunnel laden pass - thats their truck behind.  The one on the right had just driven up it for the first time and when I asked him how he felt he said in perfect English "I was shitting myself"."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_662" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="And this is the truck he was driving - which may help to explain his comment! His more experienced co-driver does the road fully loaded."][/caption]

You do also sometimes see sobering images though to remind you to take care:

[caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="XJR Jaguar - other than the two doors on this side I don't think much remained to be re-used."][/caption]

 

Part of the fun of the roads is they are interspersed in many places with ferry trips across the fjiords which add to the variety:

[caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Typical little village at the head of a ferry route."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Obligatory bike picture"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="A truck driver on one of the ferries (whose name I never got) - who insisted on paying my fare.  There are marvelous people everywhere."][/caption]

The other way of connecting places are tunnels.  These vary from tiddlers only a few 100 metres long to this one:

[caption id="attachment_659" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Yes 24.5km - the longest road tunnel in the world."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_660" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Time for a rest break half way through!"][/caption]

This tunnel was fun to drive - wide and well lit.  Some of the other older ones weren't so good; dark, bumpy, wet two lane roads that wound there way through the mountains with unexpected turns and dips.  A surprise in another was finding a roundabout half way through it and having to instantly work out what exit "road" I needed.  Also some of the tunnels high in the mountains had doors at each end (to prevent ice forming in the tunnels)- you drove up to this oversize garage door and waited whilst it slowley opened and then as soon as it entered it closed behind you.  A slightly eery feeling being shut in and not helped in one case where I got to the far end and the sensor failed to detect the bike so the exit door didn't open!  (Fortunately inspection revealed a manual operation button for just such occasions so I was able to let myself out).

I really enjoyed myself in Norway but aware of the time of year and the fact that it was supposed to be snow covered already I started to head South before the weather did change.  And I'm glad I did - I found that even in the few days I had been over near the west coast the temperatures in the centre had dropped a few more degrees and ice on the road was becoming a problem.  One particularly long unexpected slide on a road in mid-afternoon told me it was time to leave!

 

[caption id="attachment_663" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="My last camp site in Norway.  Buying a decent sleeping bag for this trip was a wise investment."][/caption]

And a final shot:

[caption id="attachment_665" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Lunch at a fjord-side.  No I haven't put on that much weight - it's a lot of clothes I'm wearing.(Top - thermal vest, T shirt, fleece pullover, down waistcoat, bike jacket thermal lining, bike jacket and finally windproof top jacket. Bottom - thermal pants, normal trousers, bike trouser thermal and rain linings and finally heavy bike over trousers.  At least my luggage bags are emptier now.)  They work well too, other than my toes I don't feel the cold."][/caption]

 

If anyone is interested my rough route in Norway is now marked on the google map linked to the site. If you wonder why this is not always up to date it is because it needs a really good internet connection to do the changes so often its just not possible.

OK that it for now - updates on Sweden, Denmark and my first few days in Germany coming soon.