ANC2501 Adventure North Cape
What a big hello when I entered the airplane to Ålesund - it was a surprise to me when I met all the riders of our parallel tour group! It looks like the plane is full of Edelweiss Bike Travellers :) On our approach to the airport we leave the cloudy skies behind us and Ålesund welcomes us with warm sunshine.
Here we go - the North Cape adventure begins!!! Angela Felix and I have prepared the motorcycles, the meeting room is also ready so there is only one thing left to do before we start!!! It's time for the best ice cream in Alesund and it's right opposite the hotel - our tip right from the start: you can't go wrong, because it's all delicious and comes with freshly made ice cream cones. But now it's time for the welcome briefing. Our customers have all arrived and are as punctual as you could wish for. The first task on the agenda was to get to know each other, and with 18 names that's a bit of a mental exercise. Then it was time to introduce the tour and our adventurers listened intently to Angela's words. Followed by some organizational points we came to the best part of the day: The handover of the motorcycle keys!!!! But it's also a good feeling because at that moment you can literally feel that the journey you've been looking forward to for a long time is finally starting. So then, everyone to the motorcycles and after a short introduction to all of the settings, everyone could equip their motorcycle with what they need for the day. Well, and then? Then it was time for our first meal together on tour. It was delicious and the conversations around the table felt like we'd all known each other for a long time. And now it's time to go to bed, because tomorrow is the first day on tour. Our journey takes us to Sunndalsora and you can see what we experience tomorrow here in our blog. Well then - the three of us say good night and see you tomorrow Angela, Felix and Axel
Our first day of riding was already amazing, it couldn´t have been any better! From the moment we´ve left the parking garage the beautiful views started and luckily never went away! Heading from Ålesund to the Storfjord and riding along it until we reached the small town of Sylte where we´ve had some coffee and the famous strawberries, which are growing in the Valldal. After our quick pitstop we headed straight into the Valldal and saw quite a lot of strawberry fields, but there was something even more exciting on this road, our highlight of the day, Trollstigen! Taking in the views from the top and seeing the campervans struggle to drive up and down this narrow road with its 11 switchbacks. And luckily enough we were not only watching how the cars were going down, but we were riding down ourselves! For lunch we had a small snack at the Trollwall (and heard the story about how the trolls build it) and then we were already on our way to the Hotel in Sunndalsøra.
With the rising morning sun we left the small town of Sunndalsøra and drove through the Sundalsøra-Nationalpark, along some green ski slopes and roaring waterfalls. After a bit of riding we stopped in Oppdal in a nice cáfe with a lot of local products and enjoyed some really good coffee. On our way to lunch we did not only have good views but also learned how to spot the really old wooden buildings with their thick oak planks. Finishing the day with riding along the coast of the peninsula west to Trondheim and because we arrived so early we went together to explore the city and learned heard the Story of Olav the Holy and why the Nidarosdomen is so important for Norway!
Another wonderful day in Norway lies ahead of us! On our steady way north this morning, we planned to leave Trondheim earlier than usual to catch the ferry from Flakk to Rørvik. Unexpectedly, everyone was ready to leave earlier, so we were even able to catch an earlier ferry. This worked to our advantage, as we were able to enjoy the cooler morning temperatures a little longer! Also we got lucky to see a school of pilote whales during our ferry ride. Today's motto - the relaxed country life on the Norwegian coast. And that's exactly what it was like! As there were few opportunities for a coffee stop on this route, the two groups went different ways: Axel stopped with his group at the side of the road and got talking to a fisherman, who even invited them for coffee! And Angela and her group stocked up on strawberries and cream, which they ate together on one of the countless fjord shores. Of course, a dip in the cool water was also included! The Norwegian landscape in its wonderful blaze of color is simply stunning! Murad and Salim, our two Turkish riders, were particularly pleased with the lunch break in the beautiful restaurant. At the end of the day, everyone without exception was happy about the cool beer that Felix welcomed us with at the hotel! Given the temperatures (32°C), this was very necessary :)
The road was calling us quite early today, everyone was on their bikes ready to rock 'n roll at 07:40am! Our first stop for the day was the first of three ferries we had to catch, so we made sure to be everywhere on time. It was a strech of 120km and everyone enjoyed the empty twisty roads and cooler temperatures. After arriving on the other side of the Bindalsfjord the group split up in two, one half went with Angela to check out a salmon farm and the other half went with Felix for some more riding fun and a quick dip in the fjord. After lunch everyone met up agian for the ferry to jump over the next Fjord on the other side of the peninsula. We hopped on one last ferry which brought us to Tjøtta. Relaxing on the ferry was the perfect afternoon activity, good weather, good views and good company!
Artic circle here we come!!! What an awesome day that was! From the coast through Nordland to the Arctic Circle and back to the coast. Sounds pretty cool at first, but that doesn't do any justice to the whole day. First, we crossed the 135-meter-high Helgeland Bridge, where we had our first stop in perfect weather. Then we drove through the 10-kilometer-long Toven Tunneland entered the impressive world of Norway towards the Arctic Circle. The famous E6 wound its way through the middle of the Okstindan Nature Park to bring us to the highlight of the day. At the Arctic Circle itself, it was time for lunch as well as photos, which gave us the energy we needed for the Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park on the way down towards Bode. But to be honest!!! The whole day was a spectacle of scenery. So varied and impressive at the same time. Just look at the pictures!!! And we could add 100 more and it still wouldn't be enough to reflect what we were able to see today. A fantastic day is coming to an end and now it's time to recharge our batteries because tomorrow we're off to Lofoten. And why do we need energy for that? Well, you'll find out tomorrow here with us!!! Stay tuned and see you later Angela, Felix and Me
Today's theme was the Lofoten Islands. Everyone was particularly looking forward to the archipelago, which used to be the Viking's home in ancient times. In the morning, the ferry took us from the mainland over to the mystical Lofoten Islands. The impressive rock formations, mostly shrouded in clouds, the evergreen landscape and the white sandy beaches let our imagination wander into the distant past. While some of us visited the Viking Museum towards the end of the day, the rest of the group rolled along the coastal road into Svolvaer. We enjoyed a wonderful evening together in our typical Brygge Hotel.
Goodbye Lofoten We are moving on, to Harstad. It is a cloudy morning, the motorcycles are wet, and we don't really want to get on them, because we are still hoping that the sun will come out and we will be able to see the Lofoten Islands at their best. Unfortunately, we are out of luck in this case. So, let's move on to the next adventure! A few kilometers further on, we boarded the ferry, which brought us a little closer to the motto of the day. Because the motto of the day is: Immerse yourself in the world of Hurtigruten. Hurtigruten is by far the most popular way to travel along the Norwegian coast. Hurtigruten is by far one of the most famous postal ship connections in the world, and why? Today is the day we'll find out. Since 1893, this route has connected the people of Norway – from Bergen to the North Cape (Kirkenes), 2,700 km away. It was founded because the connection to the north was not what it is today, and you can't just quickly visit someone via the E6. At that time, it was the connection between the Norwegians in the north and the rest of the world. Fourteen ships brought life to the north in a way that would have been unimaginable for the people in the north before. But the story goes on much longer, so I'll say what you don't want to hear at this point: for the rest of the story, you'll have to come with us on our journey, and then you'll hear the rest. Mean, I know. In any case, it's interesting and not to be missed on the way north. After exploring Hurtigruten, we had a quick lunch before setting off for Harstad. Always one step ahead of the rain, we left Lofoten and drove along the numerous coastal roads toward our destination. That was our day, and tomorrow we will say goodbye to Norway as our journey continues eastward. So stay tuned!!! Angela, Felix and Me
This morning, the Hurtigruten postal ship honked us out of bed. But we were already wide awake anyway. Everyone in the group was fit and rested and ready to depart after the delicious breakfast at our beautiful hotel. There were some impressive bridges on our way to the Norwegian-Swedish border, too, which we crossed without any complications after lunch in Narvik. In Narvik itself, we visited the war museum. During World War II, the bay of Narvik was a heavily contested area. Our destination today is the city of Kiruna in Sweden. The iron ore mine and the church are quite impressive in this city. What do these two things have in common? Kiruna has the largest iron ore deposits in the world. In the past, the mining of the soil material was carried out intensively. So intensively that the city would be in danger of collapsing in the areas where large and heavy buildings have been constructed. For this reason, the city's church has now been placed on stilts and will soon be transported to its new location as heavy cargo. Quite interesting, isn't it?
With some drizzle we left the miners town of Kiruna and headed east onto the forest roads we would be following for the entire day. After a while we stopped at a cute Guesthouse in Kangos where we were served some coffee, tee and pastry. After the pastry it was time to hopp back on the bikes. On the road again we met some locals called Raindeer and then? It was time to Cross the Swedish-Finnish Border where we stopped in a town called Muonio to get some lunch and some gasoline for the bikes. Until this point we both had sun and rain, but a thunderstorm was about to catch up with us, so we decided to drive through the Pallas-Yllästunturi Nationalpark as fast as we can to make it to the hotel as dry as possible.
Good morning from mosquito country (Finland) Today, our journey continued northward and back to Norway—away from the mosquitos and a little closer to the North Cape. The highlight of the day was immersing ourselves in the world of the Sami people in Kautokeino. The Sami are Europe's last indigenous people and are over 10,000 years old. So, there is a lot to learn. Our first stop was at the border between Finland and Norway to capture the classic border scene. We then crossed a large part of the Taiga before stopping at Juhls Silversmith. There, we encountered the Sami people's craftsmanship for the first time. Handmade bags, embroidery, and jewelry gave us a glimpse into the traditions of this people. After taking a good look around, it was time to move on, because the weather following us was more than just a little rain. Next stop: Kautokeino. And there we were, immersed in Sami history. First in the museum and then in the Sami Park. A truly impressive journey from the past to the present! Well, now it's time to get some sleep and then we'll head to the North Cape. So, see you tomorrow, North Cape!!! Until then, enjoy the pictures. Angela Felix & Axel
Finally, the time has come! Today, we will reach our ultimate destination! The North Cape is just a stone's throw away. And the weather should cooperate, at least for the first half of the day. We are cautiously optimistic as we enjoy a wonderful ride along the fjords with breathtaking scenery. Our stop for the morning coffee in Honningsvåg gives us the right boost for the last few kilometers to the northernmost rideable end of the world! But before that, we take a look around the world's northernmost Christmas shop, which opens its doors to tourists here in Honningsvåg. Then the moment finally arrives! We park our motorcycles at the North Cape in the fog, but we are still happy because we can take the most important photo of the tour. The globe here at the North Cape is one of the most photographed motifs. But there are also plenty of other motifs, such as the monument to the children of the world. Only the landscape with its rugged cliffs is not visible to us today. Unfortunately, the fog is too thick for that. Nevertheless, everyone is totally happy to have reached their goal. On the way back to our hotel in Alta, roadworks hold us up for about 40 minutes. But we don't mind at all, because we immediately celebrate a 'road party'. Everyone produces something to eat out of their panniers, makes themselves comfortable, or simply chats with the others. That's what I call pure motorcycle life :)
Today, the Norwegian sky was blue again and the sun was shining. That was a good thing, because first thing in the morning we had a special highlight waiting for us that required beautiful weather! Felix had arranged for us to visit his friend's husky enclosure and meet his dogs. That was undoubtedly the highlight of the day for everyone in our group! It was just great to see how happy these dogs were to have us visit! Even though Alaskan huskies are very energetic and express their joy fully, they are absolutely friendly and love to be petted devotedly. Ben, the owner of the dogs, told us a lot about these wonderful animals and his work with them. It was extremely interesting. After a quick coffee, we continued on towards Tromsø and enjoyed the ride through the Lyngen Alps with their rugged mountain formations. We stopped again and again to take photos and simply enjoy the beautiful landscape. We arrived in Tromsø at around 5 p.m. and ended our very special journey from Ålesund to the North Cape with an exquisite dinner overlooking Tromsø. Your tour guides Axel, Felix, and Angela had a lot of fun with you during these fantastic two weeks! Thank you very much for the great time, for your friendship, for the many outstanding experiences, for the many photos, and for your stories! We look forward to the next tour with you! Axel, Felix, and Angela