01 JUNE 2002

01 JUNE 2002 -- NORWAY
Our entry into Norway was a dramatic one as Sweden and Norway at our point of entry are separated by a large Fjord. Entry to the country is achieved by riding across a giant, spanned bridge, which provides incredible panoramic views. There was no mistaking that this was the majestic Norway we had heard and read so much about, and we knew instantly we were going to have a fantastic time, riding north to the Nordkapp, the most northern point in Europe. But, first, we had to visit Oslo and then the Arctic Circle.

Our trip to Oslo had two main objectives. One to find a pub to watch the England versus Sweden game, the opening match of the world cup, and two to catch up with our travel journal which had been delayed due to a smashed screen, which happened in Dublin, the day before our departure. We had been advised by Lis, a Norwegian motorbiker whom we met via the Internet, that we should stay at Camp Site Forge situated only 5 kilometres to the south of the city. So after a 3-hour ride we arrived, paid our 140 Crowns (nearly ten pounds sterling) and erected the tent. I then arranged my mobile office which included using the lid of the pannier as a desk, charging the battery from the DC converter, which is fitted to the top box and erecting an umbrella to the inside of the top box which blocked out the sun enabling me to view my screen. Finally, I erected our portable chair generously provided by Zwerver, our new found Dutch friend. We then spent the next four hours gathering our thoughts for our travel journal.

The England Game, which we watched in the friendly Belfry Bar -- an English pub with large screens fitted just for the world cup, was a disappointment. I was personally glad not to be England to witness all the build-up and hype. What chance will we have against our old enemy Argentina when we play them on the 7th June 2002, which hopefully we will be watching at the Nordkapp?

We departed Oslo early on the 3rd June, 2002, and we had a 250 mile ride north to a beautiful fjord called "Geirainger," which, so we had been told by Zwerver, has an equally impressive camp site situated on the fjord's water front. This more than anything is what Monika and I had been looking forward to, riding our bikes on the long, open roads surrounded by the majestic countryside Norway has to offer. It was only five miles north of Oslo that Norway revealed what so many bikers had already told us about -- breath taking scenery, which alternated every few miles from the peaks of the snow-capped mountains to the green of the large pine forests. This is what riding our GS bikes is all about: one moment we were riding the waters edge of a yet another beautiful fjord and the next we would be riding the summit of a glacier surrounded by deep snow and ice-packed scenery. Not since riding the Atlas Mountains last year had I personally enjoyed riding a bike so much. Monika was elated and was finding it difficult to contain her emotions as she was continuously shouting through the Autocom system "Stop! Stop! Lets take a picture!" But every twist in the road would reveal yet another picture postcard image. It was both captivating and uplifting and we both admitted later that we could feel the stress of the previous 14 months draining from our bodies with each mile of this incredible journey. It was simply one of the best days riding we had ever experienced. We arrived at Fjord Geiranger at 7 pm, but only 10 minutes before, the whole splendour of the Fjord had been revealed to us from a viewing balcony which protrudes from the highest point to the west of the valley, providing the most spectacular view I have ever witnessed. Anchored in the bay were two giant cruise liners, which looked magnificent against the bright green water and snow-capped peaks which dominated the steep mountains, over 1200 meters high above the water level. Strictly, our schedule allowed us only one day here, but as somebody once said " If it feels right, just stay -- so staying we are !!"

04 JUNE 2002 -- FJORD GEIRANGER, NORWAY (Latitude 062.06 N Longitude 007.13 E)
Our early morning sleep was interrupted by a light tapping on the canvas of a our Terra Nova Tent, quickly followed by "Good morning, intrepid adventurers, How would you like to spend the morning Kayaking fjord Geiranger"?. It was Jonathan from Coastal Odyssey a Canadian Kayaking company which has recently expanded to Norway -- in particular, Fjord Geiranger and the Arctic Circle. Impressed by our bikes and keen to know more about our travels, he suggested we tell them all about our adventures whilst kayaking the fjord. In only a few minutes we were by the water's edge, preparing our boats and safety equipment and in only another five minutes we were paddling west into the chasm of the fjord. What a perfect antidote to the previous three weeks hard riding. Our destination was the famous 'Seven Sisters waterfalls' situated 4 nautical miles west of the camp site. We paddled at a leisurely 2 knots, enough speed to make way against the oncoming wind but not so fast as to miss enjoying this magnificent experience. We paddled down the port side of the giant cruise-liners, which did not go unnoticed by the high fare-paying passengers. Spontaneously they started cheering and waving at us, how envious they all looked as we drifted by! It took almost two hours before we could feel the spray from the waterfalls which dropped effortlessly from the summit some 1000 meters above us crashing onto the waters edge, just 30 metres away. The roar of the water fall, coupled with heightened breeze due to the sheer force and power of the falling spray, made this an experience that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
We took an alternative route back to camp, which allowed Bent our guide to tell us a little bit about the local traditions and the history of his beautiful country. Here was a man that enjoyed his work. His beaming smile was infectious and it was indeed the perfect start to the morning and the ultimate antidote to our now fast-disappearing RWT planning stress ……………….

Coastal Odyssey can be found at www.coastalodyssey.com

05 JUNE 2002 DEPART FJORD GEIRANGER FOR ARCTIC CIRCLE (Latitude 66.33 N)

We were sad to depart from Fjord Gerainger, a place we had fallen in love with, as we headed North into the mountains for the second of our personal goals, the 'Arctic Circle'. It took a further two days of fantastic riding and we enjoyed every mile of the journey north in this fabulous country! Whoever constructed the roads in Norway had to be a biker, as each leg of our journey offered something different, something unique. All of the road-bends are superbly cambered, allowing the bike to lean right over as you sweep effortlessly along the twisting and winding roads. It doesn't take much to drift off, however, as one moment we would be riding at speed, the next we would be coasting along at a leisurely 40 mph, admiring the beautiful scenery. There was never a rush to make early morning departures, as the further north we travelled the later the sun would set. Eventually, by the time we reached the Arctic Circle, it was daylight all of the time. After a couple of false arrivals caused by Norwegian entrepreneurs erecting false 'Arctic Circle' signs (which led to souvenir shops, and not the official Arctic circle complex) we eventually arrived at the Arctic Circle at 14:39 on the 6th June, 2002. To our surprise, we were not the only GS bikes making the long journey. Situated in the far corner of the large car park were four R1150GS motorbikes and their owners, three males and one female who had travelled all the way from Germany. Just as we were getting acquainted, I heard in the distance the familiar beat of yet another boxer engine.

As I looked in the general direction of the rhythmic beat, into view came a Mandarin R1150GS and, to our utter amazement, we heard a shout "Hello Simon and Monika! It's Jerry, Jerry from Yorkshire!" And so, some four thousand miles from the UK, and only five minutes after arriving we were about to be re-acquainted with our old friend from England. What a nice surprise to see a familiar face, not to mention an old friend. It had been a couple of weeks since we had said goodbye to our friend Richard who had shared the first week of our tour, and saying goodbye to him in Poland left us feeling a little sad, so it was great to see yet another friend all these miles away from home in the Arctic Circle. We chatted and laughed at this amazing coincidence then after an hour Jerry said goodbye as he was heading further North to find a campsite. We took some final pictures of us by the Arctic Circle globe which marks the 66.33 latitude north location and then waved him off. Monika and I stayed another hour and toured the Arctic circle complex which comprises of a souvenir shop, restaurant and numerous symbols representing latitude 66.33N.
To the east of the complex is a large war monument and to the rear is an area of ground, which has been turned into an area of remembrance. As far as you could see there were mounds of stones, all gathered into small piles. Monika walked off on her own, collected her own stones and then in the same way constructed a small, commemorative mound which she dedicated to her grandmother who passed away only last year.

ARCTIC CIRCLE TO TROMSO                    (TROMSO -- Latitude 069.42 N   Longitude 019.00 E)

We arrived at the campsite in Tromso, which is situated one mile to the west of the city, at 1am. We were naturally conscious of how loud our bikes were, in particular the Remus exhausts. We switched off our engines some 30 meters from the camp site entrance and free-wheeled down the slight incline right into the camp site. Pleased, so we thought, that our considerate approach had allowed the campers to remain undisturbed, we quietly parked the bikes and removed our helmets. To our amazement we suddenly saw and heard, barely 100 metres away, the cries and sounds of a full-blown football match in progress. This was eleven a side, complete with a referee, linesmen and supporting crowd, yet it was just after 01.00 hrs in the morning! I was later to discover that this was the midnight football league, and every week the local teams all play each other at this witching hour of night. As the cheering and loud clapping continued, we laughed at the stealth of our arrival and the futility of our public-spirited gesture.

It was of no surprise to find that Tromso was yet another beautiful city, in this country of seemingly endless scenic beauty. Situated on an island, some 300 meters to the west of the mainland, and joined by a magnificent bridge which rises high enough to let the largest of ships pass underneath. Our main reason for visiting Tromso was to watch the England v Argentina game and it wasn't long before we found a bar with a large screen, big enough to satisfy any football fan. If there is a downside to Norway it has to be the price of beer which like cigarettes is heavily taxed by the government. This means that to enjoy half a litre of Norwegian ale sets you back a hefty £5.00 and it would cost a similar price for cigarettes. If there is a plus side to the extortionate costs of socialising in Norway, it is that we found ourselves watching the game, not with lager louts but with chess players, monopoly players and the like. To our astonishment we found the large TV room was full of youngsters playing all sorts of games but especially card games. We were later told that beer is so expensive in Norway that it is hard to justify spending so much just to get drunk. Instead, most would-be revellers now just buy one beer, make it last, and enjoy each other's company in the process. After watching England beat Argentina in the televised world Cup football match, we departed the pub some £70.00 (!) the poorer, and made our way back to the camp site.

TROMSO - NORDKAPP 08 JUNE 2002    ((NORD KAPP -- Latitude 62.00 N Longitude 010.00 E)

We awoke early and made the decision to press on to the Nord kapp, the most Northern point in Europe. This was our third personal goal, the first being the visit to Ireland and the second being the Arctic Circle. And so at 8am we departed Tromso to ride the required 420 miles north. It was 12 hours later before we finally arrived at the tunnel, some 8 km in length, which leads to the Nordkapp National Park. The temperature by now had plummeted and it was some degrees below zero but we were elated to be on the last leg of what seemed like a mammoth journey to the tip of Norway. Our happy faces soon turned to frowns when, before us at the exit part of the tunnel, was a barrier and pay-booth where we had to pay 65 Crowns per bike for using the tunnel. This expense was quickly followed some 10 kilometres later by a further pay-booth and fee of 175 crowns per person to enter the Nordkapp National Park. We were very tired, it was freezing, and the whole area by now was covered in a swirling fog. It was hard to justify the expense, but after all this time riding we had no choice but to pay and ride the final kilometre to the edge of Europe. We toured the Nordkapp complex, which was situated 30 metres from the northern edge and which, surprisingly, contained a Cinema, Restaurants, Wedding Suite and a tunnel which led to a balcony cut out of the northern edge of the cliffs where onlookers would watch the sun rise and set, over the Barents Sea. Luckily for us the fog lifted as fast as it appeared, and so after two hours and many souvenir photographs, we retreated 300 metres south, to Free-Camp in view of the Nordkapp Complex and Nordkapp Globe.

As we were about to leave we were beckoned by a party of three - two ladies and one gentleman. After a brief conversation they revealed that our paths had crossed on numerous occasions, except their choice of transport was a camper van. Apparently we had passed them during the ride north. They could see we were freezing and kindly invited us into their camper van for coffee and biscuits. Our hosts turned out to be a lovely family from Belgium and it was, in fact, their third visit to the Nordkapp. By the excited manner in which they told us about the previous visits, you could see that this was for them more of a pilgrimage than a journey. The wife was of South Korean nationality and strongly recommended that we should visit South Korea before we travelled to Japan. After she explained in detail, how beautiful (not to mention cheap) Korea is, we have decided to travel to South Korea from Vladivostok, and then catch the ferry from Korea to Japan. The first of many changes to our planned schedule, I am sure.

We set-off and took the bikes half a mile off road, before we eventually set up camp. It was just after midnight and what a strange feeling it was to be feeling tired and erecting the tent with the sun shining down on us. Its like a strange case of Jetlag -- just like going to bed and putting the lights on. We were both tired and our body clocks were telling us to sleep, but the sense of occasion, location (not to mention the brightness of the sky!) prevented us from sleeping. After 24 years in the submarine service, this is what I had dreamed about more than anything during the previous 24 months -- having the freedom to drive our GS bikes anywhere we chose, to erect our tents and watch the distant sun trace its majestical rise and fall over the Nordkapp and the Barents Sea.

I woke early in the morning to the vibrant roar of Monika's GS revving, as she rode around and around the tent, with a beaming smile, and shouting, "Isn't this brilliant?" It reminded me of the famous bike scene in the film 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'. In an instant I knew she was enjoying this adventure just as much as I am. I had often wondered, during the ride north, whether Monika really wanted this trip as much as I did, or whether she was doing this out of loyalty or a sense of duty. As she circled the tent for the last time, I thought how proud of her I was. She never complains, even when the going gets tough, she just gets on with it. How much we both hope now that this 'Road to Adventure' is a road without end!                (Picture -- Monika - Final checks before Russia)

09 JUNE 2002 NORDKAPP TO KIRKENES (RUSSIAN BORDER - Latitude 069.683 N Longitude 030.033 E)

We gathered our thoughts, took in a final mental impression of the Nordkapp vista and, for the first time in what seemed liked ages, we pointed our bikes south. We were now heading for Kirkenes the most Northern border-crossing into Russia. It was a relatively short journey in comparison with those we had undertaken during the previous two weeks, but our thoughts were now of survival, rather than adventure. It is hard, even with an open mind, to dismiss all the alarming stories we have heard about Russia, which included muggings, guns and auto theft. As we closed in on Kirkenes my thoughts were only of Monika's safety and of how I had promised Ivan, Monika's father, that I would look after her and never put her in harms way. Now, as Monika chatted away on the Autocom system, like she always does as we travel along together, the same thought crossed my mind for the millionth time. "Is this a good idea? Should we avoid Russia and head East by the more familiar route via Turkey and India?" But not to see northern Russia would be something I know we would both regret for the rest of our lives. "Surely Russia was bound to be a real adventure, as few people have made this journey behind the Iron curtain and surely 'Adventure' and riding our bikes and making new friends is what our journey was supposed to be about?" And so, in one final and irrevocable moment of decision, we dismissed any thought of changing our plan and continued the ride towards Russia.

The ride to Kirkenes was a fantastic. The roads improved once we crossed the border into Finland and the day got even better after we met up with some Portuguese bikers who where on their way home after a week in Scandinavia. Monika and I really enjoyed an hour riding with these guys. Finally, after a beautiful ride across Lapland, we arrived at the Norwegian and Russia Border at Kirkenes.