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Nordkapp 2003
Road Log
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Day 1: Saturday, July 5th 2003
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809/391km travelled
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Dave and Dom start in Schwetzingen (~9:15)
--->
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Arne starts in Braunschweig (~13:00)
--->
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Burger King in Hannover-Lahe (~14:15)
--->
Aabenraa, Denmark (~20:00)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Rainy mornings, very windy afternoons
- Basically just riding fast on the Autobahn to get up north already!
- Entered out first Scandinavian country: Denmark
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Day 2: Sunday, July 6th 2003
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357km travelled (not incl. ferry)
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Aabenraa (~09:00)
--->
Fredrickshavn (~13:00)
--->
Colour Line Ferry in Fredrickshaven (~14:30)
--->
Larvik, Norway (~21:00)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Still quite windy in Denmark, beautiful sunshine on the ferry though! Good omen!
- Basically more riding fast on the highways to get to the ferry to take us up north already!
- The cliche of Norwegians tanking up on booze on the ferry seems to have some truth to it. :-)
- Compensated for though by plenty of sunbathing by folks on the boat decks.
- Entered out second Scandinavian country:
Norway
- Introduction to the infamously ferocious indigenous mosquitos.
- Second night in tent much better than first! In fact one of the best nights sleep I ever had!
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Day 3: Monday, July 7th 2003
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390km travelled
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Larvik (~08:45)
--->
Oslo (~10:30)
--->
Hamar (~16:00)
--->
Campsite in Koppang (~19:00)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Overcast but mostly dry! Light rain evenings and at night.
- Breakfast at Esso gas station introduces us to our favorite pastry treat:
the Wienerpecan.
- Speed limit of 90 km/h is really quite slow! Fears of ever making it to the cape arise... :-)
- Bit of city sightseeing in Oslo:
harbor, castle, downtown.
- Stopped in Hamar to see ice skating rink
built for the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games, reminiscent of an inverted viking-ship
- While camping on a lush green pasture by a river is serene, bugs tend to like it there too...
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Day 4: Tuesday, July 8th 2003
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346km travelled
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Koppang (~08:45)
--->
Trondheim
(~14:30-17:00)
--->
Campsite near Asen (~19:30)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Sunny and dry! Rain in the evening.
- Finding dinner was tough - but the campsite saved us with pizza and beer
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Day 5: Wednesday, July 9th 2003
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396km travelled (not incl. ferry)
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Asen (~08:45)
--->
E6 and Route 17
--->
First of many shorter ferry rides
--->
Campsite near
Torghatten (~19:30)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Overcast to rainy.
- Only time we saw a cop parked by the road; at this point we'd relaxed our adherence to speed limits a bit, but didn't get his attention yet. :-0
- Route 17 took us into fjord-land for the first time:
Beautiful even under the clouds!
- On my lead of the group, just before ending the day, had a close call with a pair of elks - or vice versa.
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Day 6: Thursday, July 10th 2003
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245km travelled (not incl ferry rides)
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Torghatten (~08:45)
--->
Fjords, fjords, fjords!!!
--->
Bridges, bridges, bridges (throughout Norway)
--->
Tunnels, tunnels, tunnels (and more to come too!)
--->
Ferries, ferries, ferries (five of them)
--->
Crossing of the arctic circle (while on a ferry)
--->
Campsite near Foroy (~19:45)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Super sunny and pretty day.
- Somewhat spoiled fun due to weather yesterday more than made up for today!
Super scenery, excellent and twisty roads and few of them annoying cars and campers!
- Did some laundry at the campsite, so no clothes-recycling necessary. :-)
- Went out for a little 45 Minute run - how often can you run gaping at fjords?
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Day 7: Friday, July 11th 2003
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220km travelled (not incl ferry)
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Foroy (~08:55)
--->
Fjords, fjords, fjords!!!
--->
Bodo
--->
Ferry from Bodo to Moskenes on the Lofoten
--->
Campsite near Sand on the Lofoten (~21:30)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Super sunny and pretty day.
- Morning swim in the
fjord after
much convincing by Dominik.
- Just after the arrival at Moskenes we found an internet cafe, from where some of you received an email
- Nice evening ride to the campsite
- Midnight sun viewing
- frst night without darkness
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Day 8: Saturday, July 12th 2003
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367km travelled (not incl ferry)
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Sand (~09:30)
--->
E10 and route 825
--->
Campsite in the mountains somewhere (~21:00)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Overcast day. Light rain evening and night.
- Fun riding along the coast on the
Lofotens
- The meat-eaters among the group actually tried whale for lunch. Shame on you! I stuck to vegetarian fries. :-)
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Day 9: Sunday, July 13th 2003
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327km travelled (not incl ferries)
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Mountain campsite (~10:00)
--->
E10
--->
Tromso
--->
Campsite in Fosselv (~22:00)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Pretty chilly night. Sunny but chilly day; one of the rare days to wear long underwear.
- Awoken by a herd of bell-equipped sheep browsing the campsite.
- Made it to breakfast and a gas station practically on fumes. Dave put 21.76l of gas in his 21l tank...
- Another day with a few
ferry rides.
- Met an italian couple riding a chopper to the cape also having problems with their cooling fan.
- Dominik was conversationally attacked by a chatty elderly German lady camping for a few weeks at Fosselv.
Damn, she liked to talk! I was conveniently "taking a nap" in the tent - out of sight. Sorry, Dom. :-)
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Day 10: Monday, July 14th 2003
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336.2km travelled
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Fosselv (~10:00)
--->
E6, Route 91
--->
Glacier
--->
Alta
--->
Campsite in
Hammerfest (~22:20)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Another sunny day. And it's warm again too!
- Fled campsite before the lady managed to get us again.
- Detoured to see one of the few
glaciers
still reaching down to sea-level.
- Checked out the
rock carvings
in Alta.
- Plenty of
reindeer en-route and
at Hammerfest.
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Day 11: Tuesday, July 15th 2003
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346.2km travelled
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Hammerfest (~09:00)
--->
Honnigsvag
--->
Nordkapp!!!
--->
Campsite in Russenes (~21:45)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Another sunny day. Procrastinated a bit too long in Honnigsvag, and thus missed
getting sunshine at the Nordkapp by minutes. Overcast afternoon, rain shower in the evening.
- Morning invasion of the campsite by a herd of reindeer.
- Tightened up my chain.
- We reach 71 10' 21''
Nordkapp!
- Wrote a ton of postcards in the Nordkapp visitors center. Hope all you receivers are grateful! :-)
- Opted out of camping near the Nordkapp, as it's pretty windy up there!
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Day 12: Wednesday, July 16th 2003
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279km travelled
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Russenes (~11:00)
--->
Lakselv
--->
Karasjok
--->
Campsite in Kautokeino (~16:45)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Sunny and hot (muggy) day. A little drizzle for dinner.
- It's all south from now on... :-(
- Met a 79(!!!) year old Goldwing-equipped-with-yelling-GPS-biker from Switzerland.
- Souvenir shopping at "Juhls" in Kautokeino, the secret "Sami capital"
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Day 13: Thursday, July 17th 2003
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401km travelled
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Kautokeino (~09:00)
--->
Finland
--->
Sweden
--->
Campsite in Gaellivare, Sweden (~18:00)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Sunny and warm day.
- Entered our third Scandinavian (is it though?) country: Finland. At lest for a few minutes. :-)
- Souvenir shopping and/or spending of Norwegian Kroner and tax redemption at tourist traps in Finland
- Entered our fourth Scandinavian country: Sweden
-
Roads
are straighter in Sweden, but speed limits are higher.
- No more coins needed for the showers in Sweden!
- Large and nice campsite within walking distance to downtown Gaellivare and the food and drink there.
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Day 14: Friday, July 18th 2003
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419km travelled
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Gaellivare (~08:30)
--->
Dundret
--->
Jokkmokk
--->
South across the arctic circle
--->
Campsite in Storuman (~16:15)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Sunny and warm day. Brief rain shower after setting up of the tents.
- City sightseeing in minig town Gaellivare:
Old wooden train station
- Sightseeing of "10% of Sweden" from
Dundret
mountain.
- Back across the
arctic circle to places with darkness at night.
- First sunset
in a while.
- It's laundry time again.
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Day 15: Saturday, July 19th 2003
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458.2km travelled
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Storuman (~09:20)
--->
Brief attempt at detouring, ended when reaching
gravel roads
--->
Storuman
--->
Dave gets gravel fun (Dom and I get gravel hell) after all on E45
--->
Wilhelmina
--->
Campsite near Oestersund (~20:30)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Sunny and warm day.
- Briefly celebrated breaking the
50.000km mark
on the odometer of my Suzuki
- Took a 1h run, also crossing this pretty
bridge
while Dave and Domink enjoy
beers and cigars;
the latter turned out to be the most effective mosquito repellent
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Day 16: Sunday, July 20th 2003
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441.1km travelled
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Oestersund (~09:30)
--->
Non-gravel detour via 311 and 70
--->
Campsite near Mora (~20:30)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Sunny and warm day again.
- Found a nice, curvy and paved detour
with scenery
to take
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Day 17: Monday, July 21st 2003
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373.1km travelled
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Mora (~10:00)
--->
Uppsala
--->
Campsite in Bromma (~22:30)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Sunny and warm day again.
- Decision is made to see if we can replace some of our
tires ASAP
- Uppsala sightseeing: Castle and
Universtity
- Time got out of hand and we barely made it to a campsite on time to get a spot.
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Day 18: Tuesday, July 22nd 2003
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311.5km travelled
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Bromma (~10:00)
--->
Bike shop for tire change in Stockholm
--->
Campsite near Vaestervik (~22:30)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Dry morning, rainy lunch, dry evening.
- Dom and Dave get tires changed, mine were not available...
- Stockholm sightseeing: Downtown, markets and
Parliament
- Stayed up till midnight drinking whisky to celebrate Dom's birthday
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Day 19: Wednesday, July 23rd 2003
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456.2km travelled
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Vaestervik (~09:10)
--->
Karlskrona
--->
Ystad
--->
Campsite near Smygehamn (~20:45)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Sunny and dry
- After a long drought and just in time for Dominiks' birthday we can have
Wienerpecans
for breakfast again!
- First time we had to try three campsites to find a spot for our tents.
- And more whiskey for Dominiks birthday.
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Day 20: Thursday, July 24th 2003
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622.2km travelled
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Smygehamn (~09:00)
--->
Trelleborg
--->
Bridges and Tunnels to Denmark
--->
Copenhavn
--->
Ferry from Rodby, Denmark to Puttgarden, Germany
--->
My place in Braunschweig (~23:00)
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NOTES:
- Weather: Sunny initially, overcast and drizzly noonish, dry afternoon, heavy rain
on arrival in Germany
- More but sadly also the final
Wienerpecans
for breakfast at campsite
- Lunch, a little sightseeing and some souvenir shooping in Copenhavn
- Not wanting to set up tent in torrential downpurs we opt to do some extreme Autobahn
riding to my dry apartment in Braunschweig. Five minutes from home, after 7000+km of uneventful riding,
Me and Dominik enter the horizontal in a tight, wet turn in Braunschweig. Thankfully everyones fine, but
an unfortunate end to an otherwise excellent trip!
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