Norway, 2016. A motorbike trip

Norway can be described as a country of cold cliffs, fjords, fabulous trolls and unattractive plus-sized women. And it greeted us with surprisingly sunny and warm weather.

This time we chose the northernmost state of the European continent for an annual motorbike trip of the HD Kremlin Kursant club. Usually motorbike fans go to Norway in order to get to the northernmost point of Europe – the Nordkapp cape, and then go back across Karelia or Finland. But we have a different route, which will be more interesting and vivid.

Within the next two weeks we are going to travel from Oslo to the west coast, cover about 2000 km up to the north and then return to the capital. We are starting tomorrow and now we are having a rest in a hotel in the small town called Flo, which is located on the banks of a very beautiful river 100 km from Oslo. Our motorbikes were delivered there from Moscow on two trucks with trailers, though not flawlessly. The weather forecast for tomorrow and the next few days says it will rain, rain, rain…

While my mates are sorting out their stuff from the trunks of their chrome-shining Harleys, I decided to explore the surrounding area and try out my new road tires. Well, there are new routes, impressions and, of course, adventures ahead! And that's great!

Unfortunately, the weather forecast turned out to be accurate. It has been pouring since the morning; the sky is cloudy and not the thinnest ray of the sun could break through this storm.

The clouds came from the sea and seemed to cling to the rocks, pouring gallons of water onto the slopes of mountains, gorges and a single-lane highway, along which I was going to walk 200 km by my motorbikey.

Actually, it was not a long distance, so I had a chance to enjoy the fantastic views that almost every turn of the mountain serpentine offered! I kept going up higher and higher, to the very clouds, where the snow was melting, giving birth to thousands of springs running down the black slopes. Then they were turning into stormy flows of crystal clear water and ended up in lakes and fjords.

The abundance of waterfalls and high—altitude lakes, in which rocks, bridges and long tunnels piercing the mountains are reflected as in a mirror, is unique. I have never seen such a splendour anywhere else! Everything was incredible and absolutely breathtaking!

After crossing the top of the snow-covered pass I began to go down along the serpentine to the small village called Flom. It is located at Aurlands Fjord, which is like a branch of the Songe Fjord, the longest (204 km) and deepest (1308 m) fjord in Norway.

A fjord is a giant crack in the earth's crust, which is filled with the purest water. Fjords impress with their size and incredible beauty!

Unfortunately, the photographs cannot convey the whole scope of this amazing grandeur!

The roads in Norway are excellent, but mostly single-lane with a speed limit of 70-80 km/h. The locals do not violate the regulations, so riding a motorbike in a column of cars trudging at a snail's pace is simply unreal and even dangerous!

The thing is, it's quite easy to fall asleep. I've experienced it a couple of times. Therefore, sometimes I have to violate, despite the fact I know that the fines are huge here. However, within the four days I haven't encountered the traffic police, although there are a lot of cameras. And there are many tunnels. It seems that they drilled all the mountains. The tunnels are well-lit, so the road marking and the reflective signs are visible. Everything has been thoroughly thought for people's safety.

Today I rode through a long tunnel, inside of which even a roundabout took place! The length of the tunnels ranges from several hundred meters to dozens of kilometers.

Many roads run along the fjords coastline. They are like cut directly into the rocks and appear to be very narrow, so that a motorbike and a car wouldn't be able to go along it at the same time. In order to cope with such situations there are spaces, where you can stop to give the road to the oncoming car. All the drivers are very neat and polite and the secondary roads have minimal traffic, so it's very convenient to take them. Surely, the nature impresses with its beauty and diversity, so you constantly have to turn your head not to miss another stunning view of a waterfall, river or fjord.

My neck already hurts a bit...:) Today I have covered 260 km from Bergen to Forde, making frequent stops, going down to the waterfalls and just enjoying lying on the grass. What a nice day! Only the rain that was pouring on my head from time to time slightly annoyed me.

An island. I'm sitting on the edge of the rock protruding into the bay from which there is an exit to the sea. To the right, far away there is a large arched bridge, over which I came here from a neighboring island 25 minutes ago. The mountains are grey-green and moss-covered. Surprisingly, it's a bright sunny day. A low wave is rustling quietly, hugging the coastal stones. I'm alone. Peace and quiet. I'm sitting on a hummock of soft springy moss as if on a pillow. I have a black feather in my hand. Some bird must have lost it. And I found it. It is a pity that it is impossible to find happiness and take it with you the same way. Now I will close my eyes and ask the highest Troll to give happiness to everyone who is dear to me and whom I love. It is quite easy for him, isn't it?
Norway
July 2, 2016. 10:20 a.m.

To go to Norway by motorbike and not to ride along the famous Trollstigen (the Trolls' stairs) is like to come to Moscow and not to visit Red Square..

Today, according to our plan, we went for a short ride from Fosnavag to Alesund (they are less than 200 kilometers from each other). I was completely unsatisfied with such a mileage, so I came up with my own route, which turned out to be the most interesting one! I overcame 430 km of mountain roads and steep serpentines, saw snow-capped peaks and clouds and visited the Trollstigen, which is a unique symbiosis of nature and human handcrafts. Everything met my expectations and amazed with its scale and incredibly beautiful views seen from a height of 850 meters.

Wandering in search of adventures, I ran into an old broken road leading over the pass to the town named Geiranger. At an altitude of 1000 m the temperature dropped to +6°C. That was quite cold! And when a narrow mountain serpentine led me to the top, there was already snow, which thickness reached 1.5 m. A small high-altitude lake was partially covered with ice... And this happens in July!

At the top the bad asphalt road changed into a good grader one. Rare oncoming cars filled me with some confidence about the patency of the chosen path, however, I still had some doubt...

In the evening the sky began leaking and a heavy rain poured out of the black, thick stormy clouds. I arrived at the hotel at 9 p.m. exhausted, wet, but full of unforgettable impressions.

In addition to the fantastic natural landscapes, Norway struck me with its tidiness, order and thoughtful lifestyle. Except for the big cities (and here a city that is populated by 30...40 thousand people can be considered big) people live mainly in small villages along the banks of rivers and fjords.

There are cute wooden houses, painted in bright colours, paved roads and pedestrian paths everywhere. In yards there placed a playground or a recreation area with benches, flower beds and neatly trimmed lawn. The fence (if there is one) serves for decoration only. It might be 50...70 cm high.

But as a rule, everything is open and that's why while wandering along country roads, I occasionally made a stop at someone's yard or garden. If the owners were on the spot, they reacted at such an invasion with smiles and wishes for a safe journey. However, nobody invited me to the house. :) The local people are friendly, almost everyone speaks English well. When you encounter them, they will smile and ask the usual questions like where you're from, where you're going and so on.
It's amazing how this country (quite a big one in territory, uncomfortable in terms of climate and with a population equal to a third of Moscow) managed to organize itself this way. Ecological innovations are at the highest level, the roads, tunnels, bridges are perfect and the infrastructure is well-developed, providing social security, education, etc… By the way, there are practically no thefts here. And you can safely leave some stuff and a key put in the ignition overnight at an open parking lot. Maybe this fact partially gives the answer to the question posed?

There are, of course, some disadvantages. First of all, the climate. Rains and unpredictable weather sometimes may spoil one's mood a little. Second, Norway is a very expensive country. Maybe even the most expensive in Europe and in the whole world. Gasoline costs 120 roubles per liter. A snack you have at a petrol station café (coffee and burger) can cost as much as a proper meal in our usual restaurant. And lunch or dinner in a restaurant with a glass of wine will result into, at least, 7000 roubles. Price for hotel accommodation starts from 10.000 roubles for a modest room. So if you are going to travel around Norway, you should take food and a tent with you. Well, or an unlimited credit card, as a variant! :)

And here is another widely advertised attraction in Norway — Atlantic Road. To be honest, it didn't impress me that much.

Well, except for one bizarre curved high bridge, the rest of this 8-km-long road appears to be an ordinary highway, which connects a ridge of islands.

It looks much more interesting in bird's-eye photographs taken than when you drive along it. I rode back and forth three times, making stops at potentially fascinating points, but I haven't managed to find the right angle for a nice picture...

"Double whiskey, please," — I asked the barmaid with a smile and added, pointing to the bottle on the shelf behind her: "Lagavulin, please.. "
"I can't sell you a double whiskey," she replied calmly, looking straight at me. "She must have got me wrong," I thought and decided to express my humble request in a clearer way.
"Miss, I want double whiskey... double shot… two, Zwein, two," I showed her two fingers.
"I can't sell you a double whiskey," the barmaid repeated her previous phrase without any emotion. "You can have only one shot of whiskey," she added in good English. To be honest, I didn't understand why. It seemed kinda weird to me.
"Then could you give me two single shots, please?" I suggested.
"No. You can take only one portion," the barmaid looked through me with indifferent eyes. This time I was confused. What does this nonsense mean? Well, once I experienced a similar situation somewhere in the Philippines. In a bar I wanted to buy a bottle and the barmen told me that they couldn't sell whiskey by bottles; only by portions. But there we managed to solve the problem: I paid for 19 portions and got the bottle. And as for this case, it seems quite incomprehensible...
"Stas, could you order yourself a whiskey... for me?" I asked my mate, who was standing next to me and had already paid for his coffee.
"Could you give me one whiskey? Lagavulin, please," he asked, turning to the barmaid. She was confused and, scanning Stas and me, asked:
"Are you sure you're taking the whiskey for yourself? Won't you give it to your friend? Otherwise, you may have problems."
"No, I won't give him anything!" Stas replied without hesitation. And I couldn't help laughing… Well, what kind of problems may they create for us if I drink just two shots of the 16 year old wonderful LAGAVULIN? What a kindergarten! How naive Norwegian guys are... Maybe according to their laws, a double shot of whiskey is a dangerous dose, prohibited for sale and consumption by one person? Can it be the government who take care of the public health this way? Anyway, sorry, but we are from Russia and this prohibition could hardly be applied to us...

Everything comes to an end sometime. And every road has its beginning and ending. So my adventures across unpredictable and beautiful Norway have also come to an end. The return route from the Atlantic coast towards the northeast to Oslo showed us many new picturesque locations.

The surrounding landscape has changed dramatically. The harsh rocks turned into small gentle hills covered with soft, springy moss; tall firs and pines gradually kept becoming lower and lower until they disappeared completely.

The high-altitude lakes, in which mountains, clouds and a bright blue sky were reflected as in a mirror, were changed by endless rocky valleys. Only a narrow grey ribbon of the road was winding along them.

Finally, the sun does not hide behind a thick layer of overhanging clouds and begins to warm the ground, the air, the road and me with its rays. It doesn't rain, which seems unusual, but really uplifting!

Now my motorbikey is racing along a half-empty highway, smoothly taking gentle turns, and only the whistling of the wind and the speedometer needle remind me that it wasn't born as a bird and cannot take off and disappear in this fresh air, sky and clouds... And that's a pity!

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