If not for Odyssey2000, I might never have experienced the land of Vikings and trolls (and I'm not talking about Ballard & Fremont). It wasn't on my must see or even kinda liketa see list.
If you want some spectacular cycling scenery, come to Norway. But, bring strong legs, warm clothes, sharp eyes, patience, and lots of money.
The mountains drop steeply into the fjords and lakes. Even in the middle of July, many peaks still have patches of snow. The melting snow and the rugged mountains combine to create waterfalls galore. Below the roaring waterfalls, placid lakes are separated by rapids. At the end of each lake, smooth blue water flows over smooth rocks then crashes into a white foam as it pounds thru a rock maze.
Along the fjords, the cycling is often flat ... or at least flatter. The first day out of Bergen (where it rains 275 days a year) I rode under blue skies thru an area that looked like the San Juan Islands ... with bridges. Unlike the U.K., where houses are usually made of something quarried, the Norse houses were constructed of wood ... painted wood ... brightly painted red or yellow wood. In the morning light on islands in fjords the colorful homes add to the mosaic.
When the latitude is equal to Anchorage, not all of the snow is on distant mountain tops. Some was below me as I climbed ever so slowly three successive days for 14.8km to 2480ft, 18.8km to 3710ft, and 14.6km to 3020ft. It was not warm at the sometimes tundra like tops. Neither was it warm careening through innumerable switchbacks while dropping 2300ft in 10km down the side of a mountain into a narrow steep walled green valley. But who cared!
The other white stuff in the mountains was sheep. Unlike the meek sheep of the U.K., these bell wearing free range mountain sheep not only didn't flinch at the sight of a cyclist, but they lay in the middle of the road and expected cyclists, cars and trucks to go around.
Because of the steep mountains and fjords, four days in a row included a ferry ride. Sometimes the ferries ran every half-hour. Sometimes it was three hours between ferries. It's all a matter of timing and/or patience.
A pint of Guinness in a pub is $7. A donut is $1.80. Fortunately, I don't drink beer. Unfortunately, there are essential nutrients which my body cannot create on its own and must get from an outside source. Among these are chocolate and ice cream. Both are prohibitively expensive here. I've had to cut way back. Some of you may remember that I used the essential nutrient joke in South Africa. I miss cheap Mint Mega Ice Cream Bars ... a few other things ... and a lot of people.
Happy Trails,
Bruce