For background information on what the Arctic Circle is and stages of darkness check out my explanations at the end of this article.What Does the Arctic Circle Indicate?How Is It Still Light Out Even Though the Sun Has Set? I arrived at the airport in Bergen around midnight. I had left San Francisco almost a day before and I was exhausted, hungry, and hot. My sleepy brain took awhile to successfully…
This was written last summer but I held off on publishing it. I was still trying to figure out how to sleep at night and writing helped to pass the time in a constructive way. The loss of Lauren and Jay has truly reminded me that life is precious and not to take tomorrow for granted. The smallest kindnesses can have a huge effect on someone so always be kind. I…
Dates: 13 June 2019 - 19 June 2019Distance: 370 milesElevation Gain: 21749 feetAverage Min Temp While Riding: 38.2F0 Mile Days: 0Nights Spent Indoors/Outdoors: 0/7 I was on my bike at 6:30pm with a renewed excitement to get moving. I needed to get to Nordkapp by the solstice so that I could be back in Tromsø in time to meet my friend for a sauna. This may sound silly but sweat bathing…
Wind, cold, or rain. Pick two. That's Norway. I came prepared for bad weather. I have been prepared for bad weather. It's still a little disheartening when the locals tell you that this is unseasonably bad weather. I have yet to experience wind, cold, and rain at once for more than a minute or two. When this happens the rain feels like hail against my exposed cheeks and ears but it…
Dates: 3 June 2019 - 13 June 2019Distance: 311 milesElevation Gain: 16122 feetAverage Min Temp While Riding: 45.7F0 Mile Days: 1Nights Spent Indoors/Outdoors: 3/7 A giant postcard perfect beach all to myself I've heard from several travel writers and friends who travel a lot that Lofoten is stunning and one of the greatest places they've been. They undersold it. There are no crowds on Arctic beaches I hopped on the ferry…
Leaving the harbor at Bodø The white spotted dorsal fin of the mountain porpoises through the skyline of Bodø as we leave the harbor. I felt some sadness as I left those mountains that I could only occasionally see but always feel, whose presence I outwardly cursed while inwardly admiring. Only as the ferry motors away from land on a clear day can I see how far the mountains extend, how…
Gert is no stranger to ferries. We've been on several adventures which required them (Catalina Island, southeast Alaska, Orcas Island, Seattle to Whistler, San Francisco Bay). This trip has significantly increased the number of ferries taken but it's always the same. Roll onto the car deck, stash the bike somewhere relatively secure, find someplace to watch as you pass through an incredible landscape. Eventually you dock and you walk back to…
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is one of the best books I've read in recent memory. It is Owens' debut novel and she delivers a well paced story that keeps you interested for every word. Where The Crawdads Sing is the story of Kya Clark, The Marsh Girl, a young girl left on her own in the marsh as each member of her family leaves for some place better.…
There are no thieves in Norway, yet, the kind campground manager informed me as he gave me the key to a cabin and told me it would be fine to leave my bike on the covered porch outside. So far he's been right. Even the gulls aren't thieves here. I leave my food out and walk away for a few minutes and they don't even eye it. One of the reasons…
Failing to plan is planning to fail. I've always understood that on some level but I never felt that I did anything that required advanced planning. Nothing to plan for means you can't fail at planning. I think I expected the ride out of Bergen to be like most things in my life where I've succeeded: there's one main road, someone points me down it, then I get there. I can…