I took a gamble, and lost!

Sunday:

Start:  N65 36.216 E22 07.952 (Lulea, Sweden)

Finish: N65 48.693 E15 05.177  (Hemavan, Sweden)

Distance:  401 km

Monday:

Start:  N65 48.693 E15 05.177  (Hemavan, Sweden)

Finish:  N63 26.151 E10 23.752 (Trondheim, Norway)

Distance:  457 km

Good evening from a wet Norway!

While at Kappnord I met bikers who came up through Norway. All of them complained about the rain and cold, foggy weather in Norway. They were riding next to the beautiful fjords but couldn’t see much due to the bad weather.

That was the reason why I decided to skip Norway on my way south. I rode to Finland and then to Sweden. While in Lulea in Sweden we had one evening lovely sunshine. That let me decide to make a huge detour, turn west and ride back to Norway. How can one be in Scandinavia and you don’t go and see the fjords?

Sunday morning early I turned west with lovely sunshine on my back. Unfortunately the sunshine lasted only 80 km, and from there it was rain and more rain. The max. temperature for yesterday was 9 degrees.

I spoke to our good Father in heaven and tried to strike a deal for a bit of sunshine when I cross the border into Norway today.  Just one day of blue skies and bluer fjords and snow-capped mountains without clouds.

I woke up early, and it was raining.

I packed the KLR, and it was raining.

I started riding, and then the change came. It rained even more.

I passed fjords and snow-capped mountains, and the rain didn’t stop for a minute.

So, it wasn’t meant to be. I passed fjords and rivers that would have made fairytale photographs, and I didn’t even bother to stop.

When I got to Trondheim I was hartlik gatvol for the rain. But I have to be realistic. Travelling means you will have sunshine and rain, uphills and downhills, smiles and frustrations.

Travelling also means surprises. While writing this blog earlier this evening there was a knock on my door. I opened it and there a lady was standing, blond … and Afrikaans speaking! She saw the KLR outside and couldn’t believe her eyes to see a South African bike here. Next to the KLR there was another bike standing, registered in Switzerland. That was Esme’s bike! She lives in Switzerland and was on a three-week tour to Nordkapp.

We had a few coffees together while sharing all the travel experiences. I will post a photograph of her and her bike later.

How small is the world!

It is still raining and I am going to sleep now. Good night!

Sunday on my way into the mountains.

Wet wet wet!

Some call it summer. 🙂