Norway 2010

Projet Viking 2 | Du 19/06/2010 au 14/07/2010 (26 jours)

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Intro

History will remember that this very (very) long trip of almost 5.000 kilometers in Norway, did not allow me to enjoy the lengendary French debacle in South Africa. And, by the way, to feel totally ashamed facing the rest of the World.

I will remember that this very (very) beautiful trip of almost 5.000 kilometers in Norway, had taken me to the North of the North, over troubles, tiredness and lonelyness, through deserts and Midnight Suns, to sleep at one end of the World. And that nothing will never erase this.

D0 - Til Norge!

19/06/2010 | Grenoble - Paris - Oslo Gardermoen Airport

Everything was ready.
I took my big bag and put it on my back.
I took the bus.
I took the train then the plane.
An landed in Norway.
… So easy!

D1 - Stavanger

20/06/2010 | Oslo Gardermoen Airport - Stavanger

I began with a huge Norvegian breakfast.
A domestic flight later, I was in Stavanger.
The sun was shining.
And the campsite seemed to be so far away with the big turtle bag and my back.
But, as soon as I had unpacked my tent, I felt on holidays…

D2 - Preikestolen

21/06/2010 | Stavanger - Preikestolen

The weather was just perfect for this small hike to Preikestolen.
I met people from the entire World: Norway, Spain, Germany, China, US, …
Preikestolen is awesome.
… but Spanish people really speak too loud…
… so that I could not enjoy landscape the way I wanted to.
But it was nice!

D3 - Too-many-bus Day

22/06/2010 | Stavanger - Hardangerfjord - Geilo

After 2 perfect weather days, I finally (and hopefully) found fog and rain on my road.
It was a long (long) day in the bus.
I was really tired.
Without any reasons, I decided not to stop in Eidfjord, but to continue until Geilo.
There, the sun was shining.
I sometimes wonder why I have spent so many times planning a trip, to change everything… on the second day!

D4 - Dadou takes the easy way

23/06/2010 | Geilo

I woke-up with the sun.
I was so happy that I took a picture of me.
Proud with my map, I took the path…
… But got lost.
I thought I would never found the right path…
But I managed.
I was absolutely alone…
… Since 2 people come.
To much for me.
So… I left !

D5 - Singing in the rain...

24/06/2010 | Geilo - Bergen

I started the day with a small and easy hike (to recover from eve's one).
Then, I changed my plans again.
I decided to go to Bergen, instead of spending the night in Voss.
That was definitely more clever.
In the train, I read again the Lonely Planet's chapter saying Bergen was the rainiest place in Norway…
… What I could experiment in the following hours!

D6 - Bergen

25/06/2010 | Bergen

Gore-Tex kept me dry all the long.
I expected Bryggen (UNESCO part) to be bigger…
… but wasn't surprised it was so crowdy.
In on word, Bergen is nice, but one day is enough (personnal opinion).

D7 - Flåmsbanana!

26/06/2010 | Bergen - Myrdal - Flåm - Sognefjord - Nærøyfjord - Gudvangen

I was supposed to take the Flåmsbana railway between Myrdal and Flåm.
But my instinct said me it must be too touristic…
Well, it is!
So I rent a bike.
I almost died 30 times riding my brakeless bike in those big rocks…
… but, the more I was up to fall, the more I was laughing…
… and was so happy to be here.
Sailing in Nærøyfjord should be on your life to-do list.
It is so beautiful that it could have make me cry (but there were too many people).
Gudvangen (at the end of the fjord) looks like paradise.
I would love to live there.

D8 - Soñefjord

27/06/2010 | Gudvangen - Nærøyfjord - Sognefjord - Kaupanger - Loen

Even now, I am very proud of this play on words (“Soñefjord”).
Sunday transit to Loen and Jostedalsbreen.
If only I could have stopped on this road to take hundred of pictures…
Reaching the Sande Camping was pretty difficult.
I was so fed-up with walking, that I decided to inch-hike.
… And, finally, I got there.

D9 - Fu***** weather

28/06/2010 | Loen - Jostedalsbreen

Walking on a glacier, under the rain, is not a good idea.
Fu\*\*\*\*\* weather!
I could only take ONE picture on the glacier.
Then, the weather was so bad that we had to go back.
As it was predicted to be worse the day after, I decided to move to Trondheim one day earlier.
One day, I will go back there to enjoy more!

D10 - Trondheim

29/06/2010 | Trondheim

I spent the night in the bus.
Facing the impossiblity of finding a campsite in Trondheim, I had to go to the most unpleasant Youth Hostel of the World.
But, hopefully, Trondheim is all the contrary of its Youth Hostel.
The weather was perfect.
I saw Nidaros Cathedral and Crown Jewels.
Then spent the evening in an English pub, to watch Spain vs. Portugal.
It was really funny, because I could speak with locals.

D11 - One day off

30/06/2010 | Trondheim

Even today, I do not understand how the weather could have become so bad after a so perect day.
I did not do anything that day (too tired to enjoy Trondheim's streets under the rain).
I had to wait for my plane to Bodø on the next day.
Unbelievable fact: I did not take ANY picture that day!!!
… To proove how tired I was!
Just one day off in my trip.

D12 - The Terminal (starring Dadou T. Hanks)

01/07/2010 | Trondheim - Tromsø - Bodø

I left the Youth Hostel without any regret, but Trondheim with a lot.
The plane did not stop in Bodø as it was supposed to do (due to “<i>technical reasons</i>”.
So I landed in… Tromsø (almost 400 km away).
Spending the entire day in an airport is… more than boring!
Hopefully, the evening flight stopped in Bodø.
No Midnight Sun that night.

D13 - Midnight Sleep

02/07/2010 | Bodø - Moskenes - Å i Lofoten - Reine - Ramberg

Å is “O” in Norvegian, not “A”.
Lofoten is awesome.
I reached the top of Reinebringen with 20 kg on my back…
It was really hard!
But, if I had the choice, I would do it again.
The view over there was… Incredible!
But it could have been better without those fuck\*\*\* clouds!
When I arrived in Ramberg, white sand, clear blue sea, shining sun… I wondered where the Hell I was!
I hope the weather to stay like this, but it became cloudy at 11PM. Only Midnight Sleep that night.

D14 - Waiting for midnight...

03/07/2010 | Ramberg - Borg - Eggum

In tht beginning, was cloudy.
I became a true Viking in the Viking Museum, wearing coat of mail and praticing archery.
Then…
I had to walk more than 10 kilomètres with all my stuff to reach Eggum.
It was long (and boring).
But it worthed it.
Tent right in front of the ocean by Midnight Sun.
… You can/should be jalous!

D15 - Midnight Sun

04/07/2010 | Eggum - Unstad

I got the first Midnight Sun of my life into my bed…
… And will never forget.
A couple a hours later I was hiking to Unstad.
Polar surfers were surfing (small) polar waves.
Silly polar surfers!
The hike was nice, but kinda wet.
Finally, I slept under the rain, back to Eggum, but it was not important anymore: Midnight Sun was in my mind…

D16 - What's the hell...

05/07/2010 | Eggum - Henningsvær - Kabelvåg

Maybe the badest day of the trip.
Well… Let's say draw with the second day in Trondheim.
It tooks me hours to reach Henningsvær, that was supposed to be one of the nicest place in Lofoten.
I say “supposed to”, because I found it… worthless!
So I got back to Kabelvåg to sleep…
… Turning around for more than one hour to find campsites…
That did not exist anymore!
So I had to sleep in a hotel.
My last shower was 4 days ago.

D17 - Til Tromsø

06/07/2010 | Kabelvåg - Svolvær - Tromsø

A day in the bus to reach Tromsø.
But, this time, it was the excepted destination.
I felt totally excited being in Lene Marlin's town.
Unfortunately I did not see her.
Tromsø is great.
It made think to Akureyri in Iceland.
I have taken almost 100 pictures of the Artic Cathedral.
If I would have been an architect, I would have loved to draw this building.
The Midnight Sun Concert played inside, was as expensive as magic… means a lot!

D18 - Road to North

07/07/2010 | Tromsø - Alta

I saw seals in Polaria, the artic museum.
Seals are big.
But seals are nice.
Then, I took the road to the north.
I arrived in Alta at 22:30.
As it was too late to walk the 6 km to the campsite, I decided to bivouac.
I was up to sleep in a swamp, but then said myself it was not a good idea.
I was up to sleep in a parking, but then said myself it was not a good idea.
So, finally, I slept in a field, between the road and the stable.

D19 - Valhalla day

08/07/2010 | Alta - Honningsvåg - Knivskjelodden

Without a doubt, the most intensive day of the trip…
To begin with, mission “Saving the blooding cyclist”.
I have never run so fast than when I saw this wheel in air…
… And must say it is very difficult to make someone covered in blood not to worry. Specially in english.
I was absolutely alone.
But, hopefully, managed to find some help at the bus station…
… Called the rescue team…
… Then… finished my breakfast…
… and took the bus to North Cape!
I walked through infinite tundra to reach the true North Cape (not the tourist one).
There, I met… a friend of my mother!
It is both unbelievable and scary, but it is true.
I slept in front of the ocean, again.
Behind, some reindeers.
Beside, nobody.
The road to Paradise…

D20 - Paradise Avenue

09/07/2010 | Knivskjelodden - Honningsvåg - Alta

I left in the fog.
I walked in the fog.
Appeased because I had achieved my goal.
Then, came back to Alta, the most unpractical town in Norway.

D21 - Ice Age

10/07/2010 | Alta

I could not go to Alta Canyon d'Alta, because there weren't any buses on saturday.
So, I went to UNESCO World Heritage's Rock Carvings.
It was… rocky.
… and amazing to realize it was so old.
Then, I waited so long in the so desert campsite.

D22 - Flying capital

11/07/2010 | Alta - Oslo

I met a lost french traveler facing the airport's closed gate.
Some hours after, I was in Oslo.
Under the rain.
I still do not know how I managed to fin dthe campsite, without any map and any signs.
Then, the weather became fine.
Time to walk in Oslo…

D23 - Sun City

12/07/2010 | Oslo

Norway is expensive, but Oslo is worse…
Shining sun and summer temperature : Norvegian girls wore small skirts.
It was really hard not to watch.
I hate the Nobel museum.
But loved Vigeland Park.
And saw… the most beautiul women of the World in the bus.
I am so sorry to say other girls, all beautiul they are, that she was just… more beautiful.
So long can be the evenings when you are alone.
While sleeping, I could experiment one the most spectacular thunderstorm I have ever seen…
… And I must say it was a bit scary!