Day 19 - Farvel Norge

Hello!

Day 19 eh? The time keeps flying.

So tonight I bid a fond farewell to Norway, the country I have travelled through on my adventure for the past 15 days.

I don't think I've ever visited a country top to bottom before like this but maybe this is one of the reasons why I like it here so much.

Norway has beautiful cities, scenery, wildlife, and people. It's truely been a pleasure to live and breath this country for over 2 weeks on my motorcycle.

The enjoyment and success of my trip has been down in no small part to the great people I have met along the way.

From Hans in Oslo; Lars, Leif, Mona, Svein, Arild, Wenche, & the others at MC in Trondhiem; Halvard, Roy, & Aud in Helgoland; to Geir, Edel, Petter, Anniken, & Tilde in Tromsø plus the MCE club folk... I'm truly thankful for your help, guidance, generosity, and welcoming! Words alone can't thank you all enough. You are all welcome in Newcastle at Stuart HQ ANYTIME... And there is motorbike parking too ;)

My favourite part of Norway? All of it! But being truthful.. The North of Norway was stunning in so many ways. Lofoton Isles, Tromsø, Lyngen Alps, and Nordkapp... an adventure in itself! And I got to drink beer and whiskey with my new friends and ride my motorbike... Need I say more.

Back on to today's ride. I awoke to rain and a sore back! I also had woken up at 4am and started packing up until I realised the time... Oh the woes of a motorcycle adventurer! You can tell I'm getting tired now.

After properly packing the bike I started the 50mile ride to Oslo. The road was still tasty but evermore filling up with traffic (like it is back home). I realised that I had become accustomed to there hardly ever being proper traffic while riding up North so the lifesaver (biker terms for final safety look over the shoulder) was being used often today as the trucks and cars piled onto the road!

I arrived in the city centre about lunch time and found a spot to park the bike near the train station. As I had a few hours to wait for my ferry to Denmark I disembarked the bike as headed off to see the sights. I've been to Oslo before on my last trip when Kirsty flew out to meet me but it was raining that time so I got to see the city in a new light.

I visited the stunning Opera House, the Royal Palace, Nobel Peace Prize centre, and many more sights. I tell you one thing though, when it's 25 degrees and sunny, motorbike leathers don't make the best attire. As I had nowhere safe to leave them, using my camel bak as a base, and myself as a mule, I loaded on my leather jacket and helmet using my helmet strap to secure in place... So now I just had a very heavy backpack but nuch better than cooking like some scones in oven.

Oslo is a great city (very worth a visit too) but like every city it's got it's tourist traps, dodgy folk who ask for money, and free Pepsi max.... Hold on. I think that last one was just Oslo today... But boy did I need it.

After seeing the sights I then headed to port. While waiting I met some other bikers including to Danish chaps riding a Vincent and a BSA (this will mean something to the older biker readers). Very nice.

Then it was on to the ferry and before I knew it we were sailing down the Oslofjord and on to Denmark.

I've now done over 5,000 miles in 19 days with another 1,000 to do by Friday night.

It's been great to spend some time in Oslo after putting extra miles in early this week. I've been lucky enough to get some some of Norway's best cities on this trip in Oslo, Trondheim, and Tromsø.

Until next time Norway...

So tomorrow I have the task of doing a cool 600miles (1,000km) or so down through all of Denmark, a lot of Germany, and hopefully the start of the Netherlands. I have to be at the ferry port at 4pm on Friday to catch my ride back to Newcastle so it's vital I get a big day in tomorrow so I'm not rushing come Friday (as I have Amsterdam rush hour to deal with).

Thanks for reading and tune in again tomorrow.

Kjør forsiktig!

Gordon