As the plane came into land, looking out of the window my first thoughts of Norway were “man, there’s alot of trees”.
As I was putting my bike together at the baggage collection point, the last few remaining people collected their belonging’s and I was now truly on my own. Miles from home, yet the closest I would be for the next 3 months.
I pointed my bike North and pedalled the first stroke of God know’s how many that are needed to get me to Turkey.
During the first week I’ve had two slap’s in the face from Norway. Firstly my budget. The cost of everything here is unbelievabely expensive. Everything cost’s a small fortune. I’m going to have to ease of the beer’s whilst here. The cheapest thing I found was a pair of kid’s gloves. Sadly they weren’t edible. I tried.
Secondly the hill’s or mountain’s. When does a hill become a mountain? It would be fair to say I have spent the best part of a week going uphill and slowly at that. My lack of training was showing.
Since Oslo the sun has not set. A strange feeling it is bedding down at midnight in broad daylight. I can certainly get used to not having to worry about finding a camp spot before dark though.
The latter part of the week was spent pedalling through the Rondane national park immersed in some of the most amazing scenery I have ever seen. Sometimes in temperature’s as low as 5 degrees sometimes as high as 25 degrees. Sometimes in sunshine, mostly in the rain.
I’ve cruised across mountain top’s spread with snow alongside the road. I’ve had ice cold decent’s as I followed crystal clear river rapid’s downstream. To my right were sea’s of pine forest’s, to my left row upon row of snow capped mountain’s. I lost count of the amount of waterfall’s I passed.
Had I done this trip in a car or tour bus. I’m pretty sure I would have seen a third of what I have seen on the bike and it would of all been a blur at that. I would of experienced a tenth of what I have experienced so far.
My mother gave me some wise word’s before I set off. “Don’t talk to anybody, trust no-one” “Okay mum” As I was idly killing time outside of a shop. A man struck up a converstaion with me. Against my mother’s wishes I was more than happy to chat. Coversation done, he dissappeared into the shop and upon his return he presented me with 3 British beer’s and expected nothing in return but a handshake.
See mum people aren’t so bad. The beer’s went down a treat.
Oslo to Istanbul via the Arctic Circle 
