Epiblog

So to sum up: 3086 kilometres - it was brilliant and it was horrible, it was hot and it was cold, it was easy and it was hard and sometimes time just flew by and other times it went very very slowly. I think that pins it down for you.
The absolute highlghts were: Harlingen (north Netherlands), Fiskebackskil (Sweden), Tverdestrand (Norway) and Godtvangen (Norway). And of course the bit around Copenhagen.
The big cycling memories were: battling with the wind on the Afsluitdyjck, the longest dam in the world , rolling hills around Ferring, riding up to the lakes in Sweden, the hills before Lyngdal and our final NSCR day - tough climbs followed by a long, long descent into Bergen city centre. Worst cycling memories - the road to Marstand for Jill (buzzed by teenagers in convertible Audis) and the E39 in Norway for Andrew - the main road between Oslo and Bergen and full of double trailer artics.
Then there were the things I never expected Jill to ever say: " That's an interesting rock formation" and " it'd be cool to be an engineer". This was of course balanced by the more expected " I think I can fit into my Prada suit now".I also never knew that Jill grew fangs and hair on the back of her hands when she got hungry - well almost; certainly very frightening.

Finally " best of's":

• best foodstuff: Danish pastries
• most attractive immigration officers: Holland
• most attractive deckhands: Norway
• best knackebread: Sweden

And of course thanks to all of our readers - a small but select group.

Next year we'll be going somewhere you dont have to sleep with thermals, gloves, hats etc.

Back home in Brighton

Cooking in Copenhagen.

It's hot. At last. I saw a thermometer showing 30c yesterday. But we suspect that is Scandinavian optimism - the same kind that makes Norwegian men put on sunglasses as soon as their is a minor break in the clouds. Maddy said that in Edinburgh she never took off her cardigan - in Bergen we doubt you'd take off your anorak. Having said that we stopped riding and took a train into the interior to go kayaking on a fjord. This was near Godtvangen - valley of the Gods - much admired by Hitler apparently. We can see his point, although we can't imagine him and Eva paddling 20 kilometres and bbqing on the beach. Their loss- if you want your awe inspired then do this trip.1000 metre sides, calm surface, raging waterfalls - just gorgeous.
Just to show we are still a bit brain and not all brawny we then went to a piano concert in Bergen main church. Extraordinary performances of Lizt sonatas.
Then onto Oslo by train over the Hardanger plateau.1500 metres and thick piles of snow at the top. In Oslo we did our usual walk around the old town and then visited - as good history buffs - the Norwegian museum of the Resistance. Very well done, very objective dealing with collaboration as well as heroic resistance. Respect for the Norwegians , but also for GB, we lost more lives there than any other nation.
Then ferry to cph as the locals tag this city. Wallowing in pastries - which are culinary crack, and putting all the weight lost back on. At least until yesterday. The good news is we cycled up to Elsinor ( if hamlet had just got on his bike ....) and went to Louisiana art gallery ( probably the best art gallery we have ever seen) and then Fredericksborg castle (glorious skanda versailles). Bad news was slight underestimation of distances and headwind. Possibly our hardest day of cycling yet! Today we are on the trail of Karen Blixen (aka Meryl Streep).

4pm, June 20, Bergen centre. Yay!

More to follow, when we get our breath back.

Soaking in Stavanger

It is indeed raining outside. But we are in a charming B& B and have just had our first bath since Holland. Obviously we have had a few showers since then. Jill is purring - I think. The shock of the ordinary; who knew cotton sheets could feel so wonderful.
Reading other blogs about this route for research gave no indication of what it would feel like. They focus on places and distances. They don't tell you about the vivid contrasts. How your mood swings according to the weather. How you can go from bowling through exquisite towns like Fiskabackskill one moment and then sharing a main road with twin trailer artics within minutes. Or how your senses narrow as you go uphill, you see little, it goes quiet and birdsong becomes loud. But at the top the sky and landscape seem to expand massively and you can see for miles. Then you remember to brake - or not. I have entered one 40kph village at 51 kph - not recommended on a 4 pannier touring bike. I worry about my rear wheel, Jill,s bar bag flies open and I have to swerve to avoid hairbrushes, moisturisers etc in middle of road.
Or how you obsess over small things . Today I timed Jill at over 4 minutes to find a pair of socks in one bag. What do I do with this information?
Plus there are the specifics of Scandinavia. The abscence of any dark night, the remarkable fact that you can go through a whole region basically expecting them to speak English - and they do.
As for Stavanger, we came here to avoid the bad weather, expecting an industrial oil town, but they have preserved the centre beautifully. Whole districts of restored wooden merchant and artisan houses wind up the hobbled hills from the harbour, nice cafes and shops. Who knew? Silly prices of course - 5 pounds for a half of Guinness.
On the other hand a boom economy - 6000 job vacancies right now. And one of Abramovich,s superyachts is in the harbour. Like us he's skipping St Tropez for the fjords this summer. Hope he dies of exposure if he buys Modric.
Back on the road and back to reality tomorrow.

Test

Technical check

Soaking in Stavanger