We decided to go to Norway by bicycles even before we knew that we are going to get married. In the beginning we didn't know that it is going to be a honeymoon, but we knew that we are going to take our dog - Fibi. It was crazy. We wanted to take a big dog! Very big dog! He is like 45 kilos, and Marek wanted to carry him all the way to Norway (and back) on the trailer . It was a professional trailer but for two kids, not for a dog! We've change a bit this trailer for a dog necessity, got married and finally departure day came. We started our journey. First we took a train to Ełk , and then we really started. Fibi took a fancy his trailer, we already loves our bicycles so life was just great! In the beginning we drove through Lithuania, this beautiful, wild country, with cows, chickens, ducks, horses, and all the livestock.
After that we passed Latvia,
another lovely Slavic country with its capital - marvelous Riga. Next we drove through Estonia our last Baltic country.
In Estonia things was a little different than it was at Slavic country's, it was a little bit more Scandinavian, everything: architecture, mentality, prices was different. And it was rainy. Finally we get to Tallin, Estonians capital. It was again beautiful! We got a little ride through amazing old city and we got to ferry to Scandinavia. After four hours we finally got to peninsula - Scandinavian Pennisula.
In Finland everything was different! Bicycle roads, people, houses. In Finland we rode directly north, so in about two weeks we were already in Lapland, this beautiful north region. There landscape was totally different, only forests, lakes, wilderness and such a nice occupants. We felt so free, and Fibi too. When he saw a first reindeer he didn't know what that is. Is it a big deer or something?-he though. And finally we got to Norway, our destination. It was just unbelievable, it wasn't getting dark at all, it was bright all the night long. Weather was really good so we couldn't believe how far in the north we really was. It was sunny all the time, and very worm. We rode beautiful road to famous North Cape, on one side we had azure blue North Sea, on the other upright rocky wall. It was amazing! So we got closer and closer but our last serious obstacle was 7000 meters long undersea tunnel. What a terrifying experience for a cyclist. First you have to go down to 212 m. below sea level, and then again up, what is quite difficult when you have to drag a trailer, but everything is possible and Marek knows that!
When we got to Honninsvag, the last village before the North
Cape weather broke down, and instantly it became foggy, dankly and very cold. We were surprised although we knew that weather on the North Cape can be very fickle. Last 30 km were very tough, it was up and down, up and down, we cound't see the end of a hill and it was very irritating, the wind was very strong but finnaly we got there… In the end of European Continent! It was amazing and beautiful felling! We spend there 2 nights and whole day, we sow the finest sunset ever and we felt so happy at the time. Fibi was probably the first dog who got to North Cape by the bicycle trailer, and Marek was the first man who drag him there:
Next day we started our home-coming. We decided to ride along the coast towards to south-west Norway. Unfortunately weather became worse, it got cold, rainy and cloudy. We rode Vesteralen Archipelago and the famous Lofoten. Then we ferry to Bodo. Next we decided to ride by the most beautiful coastal road - Rv17. It was unbelievable experience. We passed The World's Strongest Tidal Current - Saltstraumen - one of the most amazing phenomenon's we ever sow. It culminates every 6 hours when great quantities of salt water approaching 400 mill m3 in volume. Force their way through the 3 km long and 150 meter wide strait between two fjords, at speeds up to 20 knots (36km/h). In conjunctions with this, vortices (whirlpools) are formed, reaching proportions up to 10 meters in diameter and 4-5 meters in depth. The tidal current is very dangerous. It is also an Eldorado for angler, so Marek hooked 4 fishes in a half an hour. We had a delicious breakfast next day.
Norwich coastline is delightfully.
We admire such a beautiful views, gulfs, waterfalls, mountains, bridges, everything! But weather was still bad, so we decided to cut down our journey through Norway and drive straight to Oslo. Then ferry to Hirtshals and we were in Denmark, land made for cyclists. We rode beautiful bicycle roads by the sea, sometimes even by the beach. It was so gorgeous. Fibi was very happy, because he loves seaside and beaches. And so we do. This is how we got to German border. In Flenzburg we took a train to Grambow, and at midnight we were 30 km from Gryfino. We woke up very early, even before the sun, and after 3 hours we passed our lovely bridge. We made it!! We came back home!
Summary:
We made 5630 km by bicycles in 67 days. We spent more then 24 hours on 13 ferries, and we rode more then 30 km in Norwich tunnels. We made 1500 km by trains (in Poland and Germany). We've lost 5 spokes, we ripped up five tires (two Polish, tree Norwich), and we also had five punctures. We burnt about 8 liters petroleum benzene in our cooker.
We decided to go to Norway by bicycles even before we knew that we are going to get married. In the beginning we didn't know that it is going to be a honeymoon, but we knew that we are going to take our dog - Fibi. It was crazy. We wanted to take a big dog! Very big dog! He is like 45 kilos, and Marek wanted to carry him all the way to Norway (and back) on the trailer . It was a professional trailer but for two kids, not for a dog! We've change a bit this trailer for a dog necessity, got married and finally departure day came. We started our journey. First we took a train to Ełk , and then we really started. Fibi took a fancy his trailer, we already loves our bicycles so life was just great! In the beginning we drove through Lithuania, this beautiful, wild country, with cows, chickens, ducks, horses, and all the livestock.
In Estonia things was a little different than it was at Slavic country's, it was a little bit more Scandinavian, everything: architecture, mentality, prices was different. And it was rainy. Finally we get to Tallin, Estonians capital. It was again beautiful! We got a little ride through amazing old city and we got to ferry to Scandinavia. After four hours we finally got to peninsula - Scandinavian Pennisula.
In Finland everything was different! Bicycle roads, people, houses. In Finland we rode directly north, so in about two weeks we were already in Lapland, this beautiful north region. There landscape was totally different, only forests, lakes, wilderness and such a nice occupants. We felt so free, and Fibi too. When he saw a first reindeer he didn't know what that is. Is it a big deer or something?-he though. And finally we got to Norway, our destination. It was just unbelievable, it wasn't getting dark at all, it was bright all the night long. Weather was really good so we couldn't believe how far in the north we really was. It was sunny all the time, and very worm. We rode beautiful road to famous North Cape, on one side we had azure blue North Sea, on the other upright rocky wall. It was amazing! So we got closer and closer but our last serious obstacle was 7000 meters long undersea tunnel. What a terrifying experience for a cyclist. First you have to go down to 212 m. below sea level, and then again up, what is quite difficult when you have to drag a trailer, but everything is possible and Marek knows that!
Cape weather broke down, and instantly it became foggy, dankly and very cold. We were surprised although we knew that weather on the North Cape can be very fickle. Last 30 km were very tough, it was up and down, up and down, we cound't see the end of a hill and it was very irritating, the wind was very strong but finnaly we got there… In the end of European Continent! It was amazing and beautiful felling! We spend there 2 nights and whole day, we sow the finest sunset ever and we felt so happy at the time. Fibi was probably the first dog who got to North Cape by the bicycle trailer, and Marek was the first man who drag him there:
Next day we started our home-coming. We decided to ride along the coast towards to south-west Norway. Unfortunately weather became worse, it got cold, rainy and cloudy. We rode Vesteralen Archipelago and the famous Lofoten. Then we ferry to Bodo. Next we decided to ride by the most beautiful coastal road - Rv17. It was unbelievable experience. We passed The World's Strongest Tidal Current - Saltstraumen - one of the most amazing phenomenon's we ever sow. It culminates every 6 hours when great quantities of salt water approaching 400 mill m3 in volume. Force their way through the 3 km long and 150 meter wide strait between two fjords, at speeds up to 20 knots (36km/h). In conjunctions with this, vortices (whirlpools) are formed, reaching proportions up to 10 meters in diameter and 4-5 meters in depth. The tidal current is very dangerous. It is also an Eldorado for angler, so Marek hooked 4 fishes in a half an hour. We had a delicious breakfast next day.
We admire such a beautiful views, gulfs, waterfalls, mountains, bridges, everything! But weather was still bad, so we decided to cut down our journey through Norway and drive straight to Oslo. Then ferry to Hirtshals and we were in Denmark, land made for cyclists. We rode beautiful bicycle roads by the sea, sometimes even by the beach. It was so gorgeous. Fibi was very happy, because he loves seaside and beaches. And so we do. This is how we got to German border. In Flenzburg we took a train to Grambow, and at midnight we were 30 km from Gryfino. We woke up very early, even before the sun, and after 3 hours we passed our lovely bridge. We made it!! We came back home!
Summary:
We made 5630 km by bicycles in 67 days. We spent more then 24 hours on 13 ferries, and we rode more then 30 km in Norwich tunnels. We made 1500 km by trains (in Poland and Germany). We've lost 5 spokes, we ripped up five tires (two Polish, tree Norwich), and we also had five punctures. We burnt about 8 liters petroleum benzene in our cooker.
