Friday 17th July 2015
I had a restful night aboard the good ship Begonia Seaways. I woke up with the dawn at around 5am, and laid in my bed for a while looking at the empty horizon out of the window. I got up just after 6, and went out on to the deck for some air before breakfast. It was nice and sunny as I sat in a pleasantly warm sheltered spot I found, out of the cool morning breeze.
The sea was flat and calm ( it had been like this for the whole crossing ), and I soaked up the feeling of solitude. It was very relaxing, slowly chugging towards our destination.
Breakfast was very welcome this morning. Sitting out in the sea air had given me an appetite. Freshly baked bread rolls, cloudberry jam, muesli, orange juice, and lots of the lovely strong coffee went down a treat. There was bacon and eggs too. But, I am not really a cooked breakfast person.
The ship was due to dock in Gothenburg at 1pm, so I had plenty of time to pack up my overnight bag. As I was sitting in my cabin, and sorting through my tank-bag, I began to panic as I thought about the trip.
I have never really travelled abroad. Certainly not on a motorcycle. And, not for the length of time that this trip would take. This was the first real holiday since I had left school. I had always been working, or spending my money on fast cars and motorcycles to have been able to afford a real holiday.
I started to worry about everything. Would my credit and debit cards work? Would I be able to communicate with the people I meet? How am I going to cope on my own in a foreign country? Will I be eaten by a herd of reindeer when my bike leaves me stranded on a remote mountain pass in a blizzard? For f#cks sake man get a grip! You've been to Ikea and survived. You will be fine.
Just then my phone rings. I found this a little strange, as since we left the sight of the Lincolnshire coast I have had no signal.
It was my mum. " Hello. Where are you? Are you nearly there yet? " Her voice washed over me and brought with it a feeling of calm. " I'm fine. I think we are sailing around the top of Denmark. I've got a couple of more hours to go yet". And, after saying our goodbyes she was gone. And, so was the phone signal.
We were sailing past the north coast of Denmark and the Skagen peninsular. There is a phone mast there, so I picked up a signal as we sailed past. The sea was beginning to get busy, with ships of all sizes heading in all directions. We seem to be having a race with a tanker off our starboard side. After about twenty minutes, we have pulled out a slender lead.
As, the ship is due to dock at 1 which is normally lunchtime, the chef has prepared a meal for us slightly earlier. Roast chicken, potatoes and salad. It was a pleasant surprise, as I was not expecting it. I was planning on grabbing a bite to eat when I met my friend Greg later.
The passage into Gothenburg port was very pretty. Lots of little rocky outcrops with little wooden buildings on them. Just before turning into the port itself was a castle fort.
At 12:45 the captain started to reverse the ship into position on the dock, and we were allowed down to the cargo deck. I unstrapped my bike, and prepared to disembark. The bow door opened at 12:58, and we slowly made our way off the ship, right on time. Waiting for us all were two very Swedish looking Policemen, stood next to their Volvo V70 patrol car ( what else would it be! ). Seriously, they looked like they had been recruited by the Swedish Tourism Board from an ABBA tribute act to welcome travelers into the country. They were passport control.
After checking my passport they inquired about my trip. And, after telling them about going to the Nordkapp, one of them turned to me and said " It's a very long way. Have a good trip".
There was nobody manning the exit barriers to the port when we all arrived at the gate. After a few conversations with some men in high-viz, the paperwork was done and we were all released in Sweden in our different directions.
My satnav decided to throw a fit as we made our way out of the port, and the road signs were playing mind games too. So, after a 10 minute detour where I passed the same junction three times, I made my way out on to the E6 towards Oslo.
The E6 started off as a fast single carriage road, but with a 80kph speed limit. I had read that speeding in Scandinavia can have serious consequences, so I would stick to the limits until I could figure out the rules according to what the locals were doing.
The E6 became a 110kph dual carriageway about 15kms out of Gothenburg. There are quite a few speed cameras, but they are all forward facing. They are like the bases of street lamps and painted dark blue. There is also always a warning sign 100 metres before the camera, so they were easy to spot.
I soon settle into a 120kphish cruise. This seems the norm with the locals. Although, some of them are travelling a great deal faster.
It's about 220kms to the services where I had planned to meet Greg. As, I pull into the carpark, I spot his bike parked up. Second later, Greg appears and we start chatting like a couple of old women. After catching up, I fill up with fuel ( cards are working: phew! Which is just as well, as most of the pumps all over Scandinavia are pay at the pump. Especially the ones out in the middle of nowhere ), and we set off through the countryside towards Harstad.
It is a very warm afternoon, 22C, so we stop at Elgafossen to take a look at the falls. Greg takes off his jacket and helmet, and leaves it all draped over his bike. I find it a bit unnerving to leave everything on my bike at the side of the road. Greg assures me that in Scandinavia, people have more respect for each others belongings. I take my backpack with all my passport, cameras, wallet and other valuables in it with me and we set off into the woods to find the falls.
Due to the recent warm weather, the falls are a bit of a disappointment. Less of a raging torrent, and more of a trickle! I decide to take some photos anyway, as it is the first one I've seen. But, as soon as I whip out my camera a very attractive blond lady steps into the shot. She turns around and looks in my direction, and sees that I am wanting to take a photo. She is taking ages to move out of frame, so I just take a photo with her in front of the falls!
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| Not a bad view |
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Not much water flowing!
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We make it to Ore, and head for a campsite Greg has found. He checks we are on the right road with the guy in a local service station. We are just a few kilometres away. It is a basic site run by an old couple who live in the farmhouse next door. With the tents up and some food on the go, we sit talking and watch the sun go down before retiring for the night. The trip is looking good so far. But, we have a few long days ahead to get up to the Nordkapp.
Here is the second installment of the vlog:
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