My campsite last night was interesting for a number of reasons. There was an “American Car Owners” club meeting ongoing. There was due to be a dog show this morning on the campground where I had pitched my tent . There were a large contingent of Eastern European labourers occupying a lot of the very small cottages that surrounded the campsite. Then it dawned on me that perhaps given accommodation costs in Oslo, the labourers rent permanent cottages at this campsite some 40 km away and van it in each day to their work sites. Then again perhaps not.
I was the only camper but had the dog show exhibition tents for company.
4.76 km. that’s how far I rode along quiet country roads before witnessing any traffic. Soon thereafter the road ran alongside a fantastically still lake. Any time I see water as still as this I want to either water ski it or row it. No surprise then that Lake Årungen (pictured) is the Norwegian national centre for rowing and paddling and hosted the 1993 world junior rowing championships.
After 30 km of lakes and woods the road hit the coast and finally got to see those “spectacular ocean views”. For all of 10 km before turning inland.
Going to the beach done Norwegian style.
As planned I rode straight through Oslo and headed north west. Just as I left the city centre I came across a coffee roastery that on Tuesday decided to expand its operations into being a cafe too. Have to say he made the second best coffee I have had on this trip . (The one in Nimes - France still holds no.1) . Fuglen Coffee Roasters if your ever in Oslo. The coffee and white chocolate cookies are worth the visit .
Lobehold ! A game of cricket and a serious game at that too. Batting was a team of New Zealander’s/Aussies/English/Sth Africans/ and a lone Scotsman versus the Oslo Indian First XI . Not a sight I imagined I’d see in Norway. Proud to say the Aussie opener was smashing the bowling all over the field. Not a scrap of sandpaper to be seen either.
Just because it looked like an attractive public lake side structure .
This part of Norway is enjoying a ridiculously warm spell. Not seen for 70 odd years. As I stopped at the aforementioned coffee shop and struck up conversation about the weather the coffee guy responded “ Yes it’s warm for sure, but you will soon be cold and wet . This is Norway after all “
Well I didn’t have to wait long for the wet. The humid and thundery skies let loose a 10 minute barrage of rain that wetted only About a km of myvride and then it was back to sun and blue skies. As I sought shelterfrom the rain under a magnificently large tree a sight appeared that I saw a lot of today. Men and women Nordic skiing on roller skis . As you do when there’s no snow. Bare chested of course. Suffice to say I didn’t see a lot of body fat on any of them.
5km down the road they had clearly missed the rain. Norwegians love a barn and they do them well.
I love the precision of this sign. Anywhere else on the world it would simply have the picture and then “2km “ under it . Not in Norway though. I wonder if the moose or deer realise their obligation to be just as precise in their wanderings.
Of course there’ll be a Thai Temple to ride past. In the middle of nowhere. 40 km from Oslo.
Ever wondered what’s in that black bag that sits on his handle bar? Wonder no more.
On Top sits my GPS locating device that allows you to follow me by clicking on that link in the “follow me “ tab on my website. I first fired it up in Tarifa and wondered how many batteries it would chew through. After 4,578 km I changed them for the first time yesterday. Sitting under the GPS device is an inspirational message hand drawn for me by a truly gifted woman, Sandy.C who has more artistic talent in her little finger nail than I possess in my entirety . Check her work out on Instagram “calmbodyandhome”
Inside sits my wallet and passport, an external battery pack (white). A selfie stick. Another external battery charger (Black cigar shape). An Apple external battery pack. A water proof protective casing for the iPhone when it rains. Keys for my locks . Packet of skittles for sugar hit. Satchel of energy gel. Swiss Army knife. Set of Allen keys. Lip balm. Mini iPad. Clear glasses for wet or dim conditions. Handkerchief and reading glasses. Money purse (yellow) and charger cord to run from the external batteries to the iPhone on my handlebars. Given the juice that my navigational system STRAVA uses it means hooking up my phone to the external batteries every day at the 25-30 km point.
Wherever I go, no matter for how short a period of time that bag (which is easily detached) goes with me as does my iPhone .