Part 34 - Lands of Vikings, 16 July 2019

Europe Blog Part 2

The bike wouldn’t start. It was the same sound as before, “Ticka.” We tried a push start but the rear wheel just skidded, no matter which gear I used. I tried a ‘battery reset’ by disconnecting, pausing and reconnecting the negative lead. It worked, the bike ran normally. Maybe the ignition was wet. It had happen each time after several days of riding in the rain. I vowed to get it looked at by a dealer.

Our presentations went well. There were lots of questions and people seemed to appreciate all the photos and stories. The Adventure Bike TV games were fun. It was inspiring to rub shoulders with over four hundred enthusiastic people. Some were seasoned travellers and some attended sessions to get inspired and prepared for their first big trip. We met many people, including Phil and Catherine from near Dover, Timothy from Dinglem, Ireland. We received invitations to stay with people all over the British Isles.

Rain was forecast for the next two weeks in the UK. There had already been reports of flooding throughout the south of England. We decided to cross back over the Channel where the weather was more favorable.

A House Near the Mill House in Woolstone

We stopped into Cotswold BMW on the way to Woolstone. The Service department offered little help, saying it was probably water in the switch. They were swamped with business and couldn’t look at it for at least a week. The bike had behaved normally for several days in a row. We simply carried on to Woolstone.

The Map of Woolstone

The White Horse Inn in Woolstone served us a tasty lunch. We asked our server about the Mill House but she said she was not from around there. She did show me a hand drawn map of the village. I photographed it. Isabelle and I set off on foot to find the place. It wasn’t long before I was looking at the front of a house that looked familiar but wasn’t shaped quite right.

The Mill House and Front Garden

We met the Gardener who was named Louis. He walked over to his pick-up truck where Isabelle and I were standing. His gait was as gentle as his voice. I introduced myself and asked, “I wonder if you could help me please. I’m looking for the Mill House.”

“Well that’s it right there,” Louis answered, pointing at the red brick building.

“I thought it might be. I lived in the Millhouse for two years as a small boy. My memory of it is not completely clear. The house looks different, was there an addition put on it?”

Louis asked, “When were you here?” He looked quite interested in my story.

“It was from 1962 until ’64,” I answered.

“That part on the right was added in the 70’s. If you look closely the brick doesn’t quite match.”

“Yes, I see that. Is there a pond at the back?”

“Yes.”

“And does the stream that drains it run along the far side of the house?” I was getting pretty excited. This had to be it!

“Yes, there is a little trail that leads up that side of the house to the pond at the back.”

“This must be it then! That lower section of the house, in the middle there, was the mill room. The water could be diverted to flow through there to drive the wheel.”

The Mill House

Louis said, “The owners kept the old millstone and installed it along the walkway as a paving stone, I’ll show you.” Louis led us toward the left corner of the house, over to the path. He pointed out the old mill stone along the way and led us up to the pond at the back of the house. Ancient, foggy memories struck in succession as we walked. It was a strange experience.

The Mill Pond

Louis was almost as thrilled as I was upon identifying the Mill House. I complimented him on his work in the garden. It was truly wonderful. I took photos and we chatted about the garden some more until it was time to go. It was a happy visit; even the sun came out for it.

The ferry to Dunkirk was interesting because of Dunkirk’s extensive harbour. It was hard to imagine the stress and suffering the 400,000 trapped troops, literally with their backs to the sea, must have felt as they awaited evacuation. Sixty thousand didn’t make it off the beaches and harbour in May and June of 1941. They were either killed or captured by the 800,000 German troops. We rode into Belgium to an expensive campsite. We were learning how to cope with the damp and cold.

Summer arrived the next morning and the temperature rose to 27degrees. Trucks and traffic jams, even in the countryside, filled our day as we rode north through Holland. We found an excellent campground near Eindhoven that operated as a corporate retreat training centre. The atmosphere was great. The internet was first rate and I downloaded lots of Google off-line maps.

German roads were near perfect, the rest stops immaculate. Isabelle described a roadside restaurant as worthy of a Date Night. The sun shone all day. A Dutch motorcyclist approached us saying, “You are world travellers, aren’t you?” He was very interested in our travel story. It was the first time someone had approached us with curiosity. In South America this happened almost every time we stopped. In Colombia and Argentina people stuck their heads out of car windows at red lights asking, “Where are you from? Is Canada always cold and snowy? How fast will it go?” Then they shouted, “Suerte! Buen Viaje!” The sun set later than it had for us the previous night, 10:30 and began to rise at 4am.

We crossed from Germany into Denmark and landed in Middlefart, Denmark at camping time. Danish people seemed happy and calm. They smiled and didn’t sound angry when they spoke. We met Pierre from Paris on a Honda 500 street bike. He was a young man, 28 years old, riding the same loop as us but he planned to do it in a quarter of the time. Isa and I had a nice walk on the shores of the Baltic Sea. It was a relief to be away from the few severe seeming, impatient people we had encountered that day.

Isabelle got up at 3:30 and saw the sun beginning to rise. On the opposite horizon she saw a half moon that brightly lit the whole sky. Just at that a moment a shooting star grabbed her attention. She looked around for the Northern Lights just in case that moment was going to be perfectly magical.

Copenhagen

The road into Copenhagen was excellent. The girl at the campground reception desk was very helpful. She spoke in perfect English and said she was planning to visit Canada for a year on a working visa. She recommended a half day walk that included the main park in Copenhagen. Besides trees, lakes and a family of elephants we saw the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra rehearsing on an outdoor stage. There were plenty of families already there but the real show was scheduled to begin at 9 pm. We had arrived on the day that the birth of Saint John the Baptist was celebrated in many parts of the world. Like we had seen many times in South America, Catholic and local traditions had been combined. In the Danish case at that juncture, a witch burning combined with fertility traditions to banish bad luck and welcome good fortune. The witch was only an effigy but it would be cheered on by hundreds of families that night. A real witch hadn’t been burned in Denmark for quite a long time. Before that, at least one thousand of them met their end in flames at the stake.

Just an Effigy This Time

We saw Danes walking and riding bicycles, smiling and laughing on a Sunday afternoon. Danes we saw that day seemed to be less inclined to be grumpy, rigid rule followers than a few of their southern neighbors had been. They also seem to be happier. Half of them walk or cycle to work. They have a very high GDP per capita ratio and a similarly high life expectancy. They are said to be some of the happiest people in the world despite very long and dark winters. Bragging rights for top national happiness rates get regularly passed around between Denmark, Norway and Canada.

We rented bicycles on our second day in Copenhagen. A forty minute ride into the city centre got us to the meeting place for the walking tour. We saw the old port with its picturesque and classic Copenhagen scenes. Thousands of tourists moved about what used to be a dangerous port full of pirates and prostitutes. 

The new Opera House resembled the stern of a ship on the harbor front. The Marble Church was circular and smaller inside than expected. One felt confined yet somehow comforted within it. Up from its circular base rose curved marble walls that supported a marble dome above. We saw the famous statue of Hans Christian Anderson’s, The Little Mermaid next to the harbor. In Anderson’s story the mermaid doesn’t get the Prince. He has a country to run so he lives happily ever after with a sensible wife while the mermaid commits suicide in despair.

We learned much on our tour about Danish society and modern history. Their economy and philosophies are much like those of Canada even though there are only 6 million Danes compared with Canada’s population of 37 million. People are encouraged to walk, bike or take transit by a 150% tax on all cars. Copenhagen hopes to be a carbon neutral city by 2024. They have a constitutional democratic monarchy. King Christian managed to save the lives of almost all of Denmark’s 7000 Jews during the Nazi occupation. Toward the end of the war Danish resistance to the occupation grew. About three thousand Danes lost their lives through fighting in the resistance or in the military. We saw the Tivoli Gardens which inspired Walt Disney in the creation of his theme parks.

A couple of days later we rented a nice little apartment outside Stockholm, Sweden through Airbnb. We took the train into the city centre. We met our Guide, Mathew along with an English tourist couple at the Royal Palace. Mathew asked us if we had heard about the rivalry that still exists between Denmark and Sweden. Ikea named its furniture pieces after Swedish cities. Toilet brushes and door mats, bearing names in Danish, are the only exceptions to this naming practice. 

Old Stockholm City

Guard at the Royal Palace

Mathew told us about the “Bloodbath” inflicted on the Sweden’s elite by King Charles of Denmark. Charles occupied Stockholm for two years. He gave a party for Stockholm’s Royals and aristocrats, much like the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones (possibly the inspiration?). When everyone was good and drunk Charles brought them one by one into the plaza for the removal of their heads. Blood was said to have flowed from the plaza into the surrounding neighborhoods.

Old Stockholm

New Stockholm, the Subway

Safety First

George, later Saint George to the Swedes, was not at the party. He escaped Stockholm, gathered an army and returned to drive Charles out of the Swedish capital. Our guide Mathew showed us a statue of Saint George on horseback slaying the dragon that was King Charles to free the princess that was Stockholm. Officially neutral during the Second World War, Sweden continued to trade steel with the Nazi’s and ball bearings with Great Britain for profit. 

St. George Slays the Dragon in Stockholm

Today was Mum’s 90^th birthday. Isabelle and I had a nice long video chat with her.

In Oslo, Norway we learned that university was free for all, regardless of nationality. The Nobel Peace prize is awarded annually in Oslo. North Sea oil and gas, discovered in 1969, bring tremendous wealth to the country of just 5.2 million people. Our guide, Christian from Spain was trying to make a go of it in Norway. He said that Norwegians seemed reluctant to give a job to a foreigner. He spoke of overt racism. We have seen few brown or black people throughout Scandinavia. Stockholm seemed to have the highest number.

The Oslo Opera House

Everything seemed modern and of the latest technology in Oslo. There were USB ports at each seat on public busses. Screens gave bus arrival predictions and other route information at each stop. The new opera house at the harbor-front was impressive. It was designed to resemble an iceberg rising from the sea. Norway’s government was spending huge amounts on infrastructure. Extensive and expensive tunnel and bridge-works can be found throughout the country. The government says it is saving for when the oil dries up, so far 165,000 Euros per person. Norway seems filled with wild spending, understandable when your wallet is big. One can only imagine the difficulty future generations will have when it comes time to adopt a more prudent expenditure pattern after decades of spending like we saw in Norway.

Village Churchyard

Waterfall on the Way to Bergen

Highland Hut

Highlands near Stavanger

The weather changed as we rode west from Oslo. The temperature dropped and it began to rain. The mountains in the middle of Norway were clouded and rugged. Though not very high the air was chilled to just 3 degrees at the highest elevations. At one point we took the old road and avoided a tunnel. Rugged, remote beauty was all around us for 20 kilometers. At the end of the following day a short ride after a ferry across a fjord brought us to Preikestolen Campground. It was expensive and spare but it was near the trailhead of the hike we had planned for the next day.

Cold and Tired in the Highlands

The Preikestolen hike rose steeply in a two hour climb. Our old bodies complained but continued to cooperate. The dramatic views over Lysebotnfjord were our reward. They truly stunning and were why we had come to Norway. It was cold and rainy for most of the hike but the sun came out at just the right moment – when we reached “Pulpit Rock”. It overlooked lengthy Lysebotnfjord almost a thousand meters below.

Lysebotnfjord

Preikestolen (Isa is in yellow poncho.)

On the third of July we saw much beautiful scenery but we ran into some bad luck. The day’s groceries were surprisingly expensive and the ferry to the “Little Trolltunga” hike would make us wait 6 hours. We decided to ride around the fjord instead but then we couldn’t find camping. We settled in the cold drizzle for a very expensive, cold place (figuratively and literally). The place had few services and they were not well cleaned. The day’s scores were: 26 tunnels, 2 suspension bridges and 1 ferry.

Elegant and Expensive

Impressive Infrastructure in the Hinterland

A good sleep brought back our good humour and the next campsite near Bergen was much better. More experience with camping location apps on the phone helped us to be choosier. There was a laundry room, a full kitchen, a TV room with couches and 4 tables and chairs! All this was inside, out of the rain. The next day’s riding was through picturesque little villages on skinny roads. The score was 26 tunnels, 5 suspension bridges and 1 ferry. The longest tunnel was over 8 kilometers long. It went deep under a fjord and up the other side.

Bergen

Bergen Harbour

We parked for free in a motorcycle parking area in the centre of Bergen. The huge chain and lock from England gave us peace of mind. The other bikes were not protected as well as ours and would likely be stolen first! We started our visit of Norway's second largest city with a ride up the Floibanen Funicular where we enjoyed a panoramic view of the harbour in the fjord. The Bryggen Medieval Village was a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a reconstruction of the crowded wooden tenements that would have been occupied by fishing boat laborers almost a thousand years ago.

Crowded Tenements

Privileged Space

We ate lunch at the famous fish market on Bergen’s wharf. The Bergenhus Fortress Museum had excellent displays of Norway’s military history. There was an entire section devoted to WW2 resistance efforts. Many Norwegians lost their lives gathering and sending information about occupying German troops to British authorities. UN Peace Keeping campaigns were also featured. An enthusiastic and proud curator greeted us at the door. He eagerly described the layout of the exhibits. His professionalism and pride reminded us of Marty Lane’s dedication to the GGFG Regimental Museum back home.

The New Packing System, Light and Nimble (Metal top boxes are empty. They are used to store helmets)

Near Alesund

On the Road to Geiranger

The ride from Bergen took us half way to Geiranger. The route was very interesting. It ran over high mountain passes and through valleys with fast flowing rivers. The day’s score was 30, 2, 1 and the longest tunnel was 5 kilometers. Tunnels 21 and 22 were a little unnerving. They had tight turns, no lights and were under renovation. Our campsite was idyllic beside a flowing river in the late evening sunlight. We stayed an extra day in that beautiful spot while prepared the first blog posting.

Inspiration for Writing

A short ride brought us to Hjelle, Innvikfjorden campground. There was a tremendous view down the fjord from our tent. Paulius, a fellow moto-traveller, joined us setting up his tent near ours. We shared tea and our food while getting to know each other a little. Paulius is a Lithuanian who works in logistics (trucking) and has one child. His wife is expecting their second child in a few months. He let me try his Yamaha 660 Tenere.

Innvikfjorden 

We said goodbye to Paulius in the morning before he rode away. He was going in the same direction we were but he planned to stop in a different place that night.

Paulius

Geirangerfjord from Dalsnibba Mountain Plateau

Dalsnibba Mountain Plateau Lookout was fun to reach. Tight switchback turns reminded us a little of the roads we had ridden in South America. The big difference was the roads in Norway were beautifully paved and easy to ride. The lookdown view of Geirangerfjord took in the surrounding mountains as well as a cruise ship docked at the village of Geiranger. We had lunch in a quiet little restaurant I had read about. It too had spectacular look-down views into Geirangerfjord. The food was as excellent as the view was. We shared traditional waffles with strawberry jam and sour cream inside for desert.

View from the Restaurant

Geiranger Fjord Incongruity (Ship Surrounded by Mountains)

Geiranger Village

The afternoon’s ride took us along the famous “Trollsteigen” route. This iconic ride is on many riders’ European bucket lists. It really was a spectacular ride. We stopped countless times for photos. Stigfossen (falls) was unfortunately backlit by the time we got there so I was unable to bag a decent shot of it. We camped at Trollsteigen Resort, right beside Paulius again! That evening he and I chatted for a long time after Isabelle went to bed.

Herders' Huts in the Highlands

Trollstigen Route

Look Back from the Climb to Dalsnibba

Dalsnibba Greeter

Intersecting Glacial Valleys

Stigfossen (Falls)

Steig and Cecilia chatted with us at a picnic table over lunch the next day. Steig was born in Lofoten and had much good advice for us. The Lofoten Islands were the next big stop for us. The region laid several days ride north and required an expensive, 4 hour ferry to reach from the south. We enjoyed sunshine throughout that day.

On July 12^th we passed over the Arctic Circle. A stop at the “Arctic Circle Centre” was fun. We took photos and bought a sticker for the bike. The campground near Fauske had both panoramic and overlooking views of Skjerstadfjord. 

The ferry to the Lofoten Archipelago took four and a half hours and the crossing was smooth on the huge ship. We spent two wonderful days exploring the southern part of the islands. A hike overlooking the remote fishing village called Reine was made easier by the addition of stone steps. The Norwegian government had hired Nepalese Sherpas to construct a stone staircase up the steep slope. Impressive views of the village below were the reward for almost two hours of hiking to the top. It was worth every step.

Reine, Lofoten Islands

Reine

Harbour Detail

Far Off Village

Sherpa Staircase

My notes said one of the things to do on Lofoten’s islands was to try Stock fish Soup. It was our first meal after getting off the ferry and it was delicious. Everywhere on the islands were outdoor drying racks, some filled with hanging fish some empty. Fishing families went to Lofoten and gathered mostly codfish from the sea during the four moths of January until April. They processed then hung the fish on drying racks in the chilled air. The fish froze just enough to prevent them from spoiling. It slowly dried to become perfectly preserved without the use of salt. Birds left the drying fish alone, preferring fresh food.

Drying Stockfish (without salt)

Pick Me! Pick Me!

Lamp in Reine Restaurant

Throwing Entrails to the Birds

Ramberg Harbour

Low Tide Outside Ramberg Harbour

Midnight Bathroom Run in Ramberg

The Viking Museum was our last stop on Lofoten Archipelago. A huge longhouse had been constructed on a site where numerous Viking artefacts had been unearthed by a local farmer. Animators provided live demonstrations of Viking spinning, cooking and leatherwork.

Animator at Viking Museum: Leatherwork

Animator at Viking Museum: Spinning Thread

Animator at Viking Museum: Cooking

Who Let This Guy In?

We had visited Ushuaia, two years earlier in Argentinian Patagonia, the most southerly point reachable by road. The ride northward toward Nordkapp, the most northerly point reachable by road would become increasingly cold. Our window of opportunity to visit it on motorbikes was narrow. We had little time to lose.