Norway here we come - July 2024
- Thread starter Hatcho
- Start date
Only two weeks in total unfortunately. But we've already managed to squeeze loads into the first week. Looking forward to what the next week brings our way.
Well today's spin was quite awesome indeed. The weather was perfect first thing and stayed that way almost all day long. We were blessed as it meant we got the best of the stunning scenery we passed through. A few times we were stuck in slow moving traffic, but we moved up the line one vehicle at a time till we faced empty tarmac.
First bit of the journey saw us come off the main road and up into the hills on slower, narrower tarmac. Doesn't sound good I know, but this was perfect for just pootling along and enjoying life.
We found ourselves back on main roads and upped the pace a notch or two, but hopefully nothing that would attract unwanted attention. Actually, we saw our very first police car today. Full blues on, but happily he was heading in the opposite direction
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It was a day of many temps. Started out warm enough to leave our puffer jackets in the back box. But today we travelled through quite a few tunnels and they are proper cold inside. So we pulled over and on the jackets went. In between the tunnel sections the scenery was nothing short of spectacular.
We stopped in Stryn as this was the ferry / no ferry decision point. First we had coffees in a funky wee café and then we moved out to the riverside to enjoy some snacks.
Perfect weather to kick off a day of biking!
Bike porn, OnlyFans style.
Jaysus, these yolks were tasty! And they warmed Pauline back up too
Funky place for some joe !
Waterside snack time
My legs are still growing apparently!
Great views along the river.
There was a water rafting event on and the Red Cross dropped by on their rather cool six wheeled quad.
First bit of the journey saw us come off the main road and up into the hills on slower, narrower tarmac. Doesn't sound good I know, but this was perfect for just pootling along and enjoying life.
We found ourselves back on main roads and upped the pace a notch or two, but hopefully nothing that would attract unwanted attention. Actually, we saw our very first police car today. Full blues on, but happily he was heading in the opposite direction
. It was a day of many temps. Started out warm enough to leave our puffer jackets in the back box. But today we travelled through quite a few tunnels and they are proper cold inside. So we pulled over and on the jackets went. In between the tunnel sections the scenery was nothing short of spectacular.
We stopped in Stryn as this was the ferry / no ferry decision point. First we had coffees in a funky wee café and then we moved out to the riverside to enjoy some snacks.
Perfect weather to kick off a day of biking!
Bike porn, OnlyFans style.
Jaysus, these yolks were tasty! And they warmed Pauline back up too
Funky place for some joe !
Waterside snack time
My legs are still growing apparently!
Great views along the river.
There was a water rafting event on and the Red Cross dropped by on their rather cool six wheeled quad.
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Along the way we spotted a Goldwing sidecar towing a trailer. More boot space than some cars. I bet there was a kitchen sink stashed in there somewhere! 
Sometimes you gotta have some fun!
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Words escape me, you've really got to come here and take it in first hand.
There was no sign of any rain when we stopped in Stryn so we opted for the 'tarmac with no ferry' item on the menu. Turned out it wasn't completely tarmac all the way 
(we'll come back to that later...). Anyways we set off after our lunch by the river.with the sky still bright and not a lick of rain. The ferry would have to wait...
(we'll come back to that later...). Anyways we set off after our lunch by the river.with the sky still bright and not a lick of rain. The ferry would have to wait...
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Come on Sean, get up. I want to know what you thought of the road into Geiranger 
Wonderful report by the way, keep it coming please
Wonderful report by the way, keep it coming please
Apologies Iain, only surfacing now 
. With my looks, I need all the sleep I can get! .
The road into Geiranger was preposterous. Bend after bend of perfect tarmac. Pretty sure we'll be on it again today
. The biggest danger on the roads here is the scenery. It's so bloody distracting .
. With my looks, I need all the sleep I can get! . The road into Geiranger was preposterous. Bend after bend of perfect tarmac. Pretty sure we'll be on it again today
. The biggest danger on the roads here is the scenery. It's so bloody distracting .
We found a wee back road on our way to Geiranger...now I feel like a fully qualified Adventure Biker. No more runs to Tesco for me! At least, not without packing the tent, sleeping bag and camping stove 
So yesterday I got my chance to do my 'good deed for the day' . Despite the fact I've probably got years of catching up to do (never gonna happen), it was good to to lend a helping hand. After our soft-road session, we arrived at a big hotel/café establishment in Grotli. Talk about a shite place name for tourism business. 
Obviously very brave and determined owners!
Anyways, as we roll in I spot an R1 parked outside the door. I roll up to that distance that says your interested in a wee chat, but you're not some weird Holly Willoughby stalker type of chap. The owner of the R1 is face deep in his phone screen so I hold back on my enthusiastic demeanour for a few moments longer.
He comes over and asks if we are locals and I proudly explain we're both Irish
. All you Irish readers will know why this declaration is made at every opportunity . Anyways, his name is Fleming (as in Ian), he's from Denmark, and his bike is currently running on fumes. Google Maps is telling him the nearest petrol station is 30km away. Without asking for anything immoral in return I offer him some juice from the GS. All we need is a length of hose and a bottle. He has an empty Coke bottle and goes in search of a wee bit of pipe. Lo and behold the bar staff locate some for us and I siphon some petrol into the bottle. Pipe wasn't the cleanest so there's some floaty bits in the siphoned juice. I think to source a coffee filter from our food supplies and we're sorted. First Chuck Norris, now it's McGyver's turn to step aside! . Few minutes later the job's oxo and Fleming is on his way minus a few kilos of range anxiety. Think I'll buy myself a red cape and wear my jocks on the outside from now on.
One happy Danish chappie!
Steady as she goes...
Go go juice being applied
Obviously very brave and determined owners!Anyways, as we roll in I spot an R1 parked outside the door. I roll up to that distance that says your interested in a wee chat, but you're not some weird Holly Willoughby stalker type of chap. The owner of the R1 is face deep in his phone screen so I hold back on my enthusiastic demeanour for a few moments longer.
He comes over and asks if we are locals and I proudly explain we're both Irish
. All you Irish readers will know why this declaration is made at every opportunity . Anyways, his name is Fleming (as in Ian), he's from Denmark, and his bike is currently running on fumes. Google Maps is telling him the nearest petrol station is 30km away. Without asking for anything immoral in return I offer him some juice from the GS. All we need is a length of hose and a bottle. He has an empty Coke bottle and goes in search of a wee bit of pipe. Lo and behold the bar staff locate some for us and I siphon some petrol into the bottle. Pipe wasn't the cleanest so there's some floaty bits in the siphoned juice. I think to source a coffee filter from our food supplies and we're sorted. First Chuck Norris, now it's McGyver's turn to step aside! . Few minutes later the job's oxo and Fleming is on his way minus a few kilos of range anxiety. Think I'll buy myself a red cape and wear my jocks on the outside from now on. One happy Danish chappie!
Steady as she goes...
Go go juice being applied
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Thanks for taking the time to write this up I'll really enjoying it BTW you need to wear your pants on the outside as well 
BTW you need to wear your pants on the outside as well 
Great write-up, truly inspiring !
Just a quick question re accommodation, did you plan/pre-book before you went, or book on the fly once you were underway ?
Were the Hytte expensive, compared to campsites ? I’ve heard that they are not much more than a space for a tent.
Keep the reports coming, love the format
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Just a quick question re accommodation, did you plan/pre-book before you went, or book on the fly once you were underway ?
Were the Hytte expensive, compared to campsites ? I’ve heard that they are not much more than a space for a tent.
Keep the reports coming, love the format
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I must have missed the "Chuck Norris" story......
Sent with a Zen10
Sent with a Zen10
Norway here we come - July 2024
Great thread and fantastic pics & videos. I’ve always fancied Norway, but beer prices and very strict speed limits have deterred me. Does look breathtaking though. You’ve motivated me for sure. PS. That Oresund Bridge is meant to be something else. Assume you’re not crossing on way home as just...
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There ya go!
Ahh....
I thought you where after getting yourself into a "straightener" at some point
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Of the two weeks we're here, we had the first week booked before leaving home. All via booking.com. Herself likes having a jax of our own, so some of the hytte were out of scope as they only have communal bog facilities.Great write-up, truly inspiring !
Just a quick question re accommodation, did you plan/pre-book before you went, or book on the fly once you were underway ?
Were the Hytte expensive, compared to campsites ? I’ve heard that they are not much more than a space for a tent.
Keep the reports coming, love the format
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Actual camping is tricky when 2up as it means loads more luggage (tent, sleeping bag etc.). Plus, I do like a few creature comforts after a day on the bike.
On average I reckon we've paid about 75 euro per person per night. Considering the quality of the accommodation, that is way better value for money than home. If you factor in that two of the places we stayed could accommodate another two people, it works out even cheaper.
Back onto the phone to keep the updates coming...
So after helping out our Danish bikermate, we headed on towards Geiranger where we were booked into the Havila hotel. The setting is stunning, but the hotel was a bit lacklustre. The room was a bit dated looking, and you could tell someone had recently been smoking on the balcony with the sliding door wide open. You know that lingering smell of cigarette smoke? Not great. Neither of us are very high falutin', but a clean room isn't much to ask for the most expensive accommodation of the whole trip. The look and feel of the whole hotel was kinda dated. That said, the brekkie was excellent.
Grand view of the fjord and the cruise ship outside the window.
We headed out for a proper restaurant dinner. Eating and drinking out here comes with eye watering prices, but this one time we just threw caution to the wind. So how much?
€100 for two mains and three beers, and a double espresso! But, it's...
Cos we're worth it!
Obligatory food and drink pics :
The rain came and went as we dined under the canopy. Kinda nice.
Cruise ship right outside our window
Stuff like this always makes me giggle!
Pretty wee spot though..
Our hotel:
It's a nice spot but just up the (most excellent) road is Stryn which is not as touristy and feels way more genuine. Geiranger basically exists because it's at the end of the the fjord and thousands of tourists rock up on cruise ship pretty much on a daily basis.
So after helping out our Danish bikermate, we headed on towards Geiranger where we were booked into the Havila hotel. The setting is stunning, but the hotel was a bit lacklustre. The room was a bit dated looking, and you could tell someone had recently been smoking on the balcony with the sliding door wide open. You know that lingering smell of cigarette smoke? Not great. Neither of us are very high falutin', but a clean room isn't much to ask for the most expensive accommodation of the whole trip. The look and feel of the whole hotel was kinda dated. That said, the brekkie was excellent.
Grand view of the fjord and the cruise ship outside the window.
We headed out for a proper restaurant dinner. Eating and drinking out here comes with eye watering prices, but this one time we just threw caution to the wind. So how much?
€100 for two mains and three beers, and a double espresso! But, it's...
Cos we're worth it!
Obligatory food and drink pics :
The rain came and went as we dined under the canopy. Kinda nice.
Cruise ship right outside our window
Stuff like this always makes me giggle!
Pretty wee spot though..
Our hotel:
It's a nice spot but just up the (most excellent) road is Stryn which is not as touristy and feels way more genuine. Geiranger basically exists because it's at the end of the the fjord and thousands of tourists rock up on cruise ship pretty much on a daily basis.
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For the second Saturday in a row we got caught out by the Saturday alcohol curfew which begins at 6pm and applies to all shops. So no beers before bedtime for us. No beer all day Sunday either, unless you pay restaurant prices. Damn it! Maybe we're not worth it after all 
. Made for clear heads the next morning though.
So no beers before bedtime for us. No beer all day Sunday either, unless you pay restaurant prices. Damn it! Maybe we're not worth it after all . Made for clear heads the next morning though.
Along with clear heads, we got clear skies. Happy days!
After brekkie we packed up our kit. As we were on the first floor I had the cunning plan for Pauline to drop our kit down to me from our balcony. All went well until Pauline's feet lifted off the balcony floor and she was stuck balanced on top of the flower bed! Kinda like a car with four wheels lifted off the ground. A bit of rocking back and forth and her feet finally found the floor again
Help me, I'm stuck!
Today's route was a short one, with plenty of time for sightseeing. Just how I like it.
First stop was up the switchbacks to get a nice view of the fjord...
Then it was off to sample the most excellent roads in/out and around Geiranger. The road to Stryn is quite possibly the best tarmac I have ridden on. With scenery that will blow your mind. More than once.
After brekkie we packed up our kit. As we were on the first floor I had the cunning plan for Pauline to drop our kit down to me from our balcony. All went well until Pauline's feet lifted off the balcony floor and she was stuck balanced on top of the flower bed!
Kinda like a car with four wheels lifted off the ground. A bit of rocking back and forth and her feet finally found the floor again Help me, I'm stuck!
Today's route was a short one, with plenty of time for sightseeing. Just how I like it.
First stop was up the switchbacks to get a nice view of the fjord...
Then it was off to sample the most excellent roads in/out and around Geiranger. The road to Stryn is quite possibly the best tarmac I have ridden on. With scenery that will blow your mind. More than once.
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