Crasher goes North: It's actually happening!

Map of Day 1

Wednesday 15th July 2015

D-Day. Departure day. This is it. Just over a year in the planning, and now it was time to actually set off, on what I hoped would be a trip full of adventure and happy memories.

It had been a strange and somewhat stressful week so far. I am a man who likes sticking to a predetermined plan. I knew what, when and how the trip would begin. Or, so I thought. That was until I was just about to leave for work on the Monday.

I was just going out of the door, when my phone rang. I was going to leave it for the answer phone, but for some reason I turned back and picked up the phone. "Hello, DFDS here. We are sorry but we have had to cancel your ferry on Friday." WTF!. A year in the planning. I had cancelled my back up plan of how to get to Scandinavia only a few day ago, and now my ferry was cancelled. I could feel the stress building and the energy draining from me as I slumped down onto a chair at the side of the phone.

" The captain wants to sail on Thursday morning instead. Would it be ok to book you a place on the revised sailing?" Damn right it would be! Woohoo! The trips back on. I would have to sweet talk my boss into an extra days leave, but as I had already tied up all my loose ends at work it shouldn't be a problem. So, I would be leaving a day early. That meant that the relaxing couple of days I had before the trip, were now somewhat more frantic.

The problem with the ferry was to be expected. Getting to Scandinavia from the UK is quite a tricky affair. There was a passenger ferry from Harwich to Esbjerg in Denmark until recently. Now the only option is a ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland, followed by a long ride across Germany and either to catch another ferry from there, continue riding over the bridge to Sweden, or to ride up to the top of Denmark and catch a ferry from there. There is also the little known option of a freight ferry from Immingham to Gothenburg.

As the DFDS service to Gothenburg is a freight service, they only take a limited number of paying passengers. They can also not confirm you a place until a few days before sailing, as the freight and truck drivers take priority. The captain can also decide when he actually sails, often changing the sailing times to meet the freight demand. This is what happened in my case. Why chose to go by this route then? Well the two ferry and cross country ride option is also a costly one. Taking the freight ferry costs less than half that of the passenger ones. Plus, it gets you right into Sweden cutting out over 800 miles of riding. It does take 29 hours though! It is also leaving at 8am, so I have to be at the port by 7 at the latest.

I have arranged to stay at my parents house just outside Lincoln, tonight. Then I will only have a short ride to Immingham early in the morning to catch the ferry. But, first I have a couple of errands to take care of. My holiday cash is waiting for me to collect it at the Post Office. I then have to collect a prescription from the chemist on the way back.

I get to the Post Office just as it opens. Seeing all the different currencies, the guy behind the Post Office counter wants to know all about my trip. I am in there ages answering all his questions, slowly edging my way towards the door all the while. As, I leave and head for the chemist, it starts to rain. It is not forecast to rain today, and I didn't bring a jacket. I get interrogated about my trip by the chemist too. The joys of living in a small village! By the time I get back home two hours have passed, and I am soaked to the skin. And, I still have to load my bike and ride three hours up to my parents house.

With my luggage checked ( only three times this morning, after already repacking it all several times since the weekend ), loaded onto my bike, and the house locked up, I am ready to set off. At least the rain had stopped and it looked like it was going to be nice for the rest of the day.

As I am now running a little later than I was anticipating, I decided to take the more direct but boring route up to Lincoln. This involved motorways and dual carriageways, which I always find tedious.

I was shortly into the trip that I realized I was traveling at a somewhat rapid pace. Seeing as I was supposed to be on my holidays, I pulled over to check my luggage was still tight and to give myself a good talking too. I regularly end up in conversation with myself, often out load, when on a long motorcycle trip. It helps me deal with

stressful situations, and keeps my sanity in check. Although reading this seems to contradict that somewhat!

 With everything in order, and with a better mindset, I set off again up the M11 and A1

I settle into the ride and play some tunes through my intercom to help the miles pass. This would become a welcome distraction over the next week or so. Eventually, I arrive at my parents house. We had a great evening catching up over a nice hearty meal, and my Mum worrying about her little boy being so far away from home. I'm 42. I think I will be ok. I go to bed feeling nervous of what tomorrow will bring.

Here is the first days vlog.

You can also watch the full vlog series by clicking on the link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XqKCGvv3Ws&list=PLfGKYwST9WanB6_PZLEJB2-jvUAIt3vd4