Let's find those vikings

[pip_muenster]

The road was twisting down the slope of the mountain, leading finally into Geiranger.



Besides hotels, restaurants and gift shops, they offer ship tours through the fjord.



Although the cliffs to the right and left were almost vertical, there used to be some farms here, several hundred meters above the water. Some were only accessible by severe mountaineering using ropes and ladders. So when the tax collectors came once a year, they just pulled up the ladders ...

There are also lots of water falls. Some of them carry imaginative names. These for example are called the Seven Sisters.



And opposing them is another one, called the bachelor. Story goes, that he was turned down by each of the sisters and therefore ended as an alcohol addict. You can actually see the bottle, if you look closely.



When we came back to Geiranger the camp site caught my eye. Dozens of RVs lined the shore, each facing the water. Was this some kind of welcome committee or rather an act of coastal defense?



I wasn’t longing for crowed washrooms etc. and headed to the Trollstiggen road. Unfortunately it was within the clouds most of the time, so my visibility dropped to some 10-20m. And it was cold.



I continued my way in the general direction towards Lillehammer and Oslo, passing some mountain lakes which would have been beautiful rest places in better weather. Not that I should complain here, as the locals enjoyed standing in the water with their fishing rods – while I was dreaming about heated vests.



When I started looking for a camp site in the evening, I found Gjeilo Camping, offering huts for a bargain. So I spend the night in a hut for the first time during this trip. On the positive side, I had a heater, on the negative side, I had to deal with some midges. I still prefer the tent.

Halfway to Lillehammer I crossed the Valdresflya plateau, a beautiful – but cold of course – place for a rest. I also called my friend Daniela in Oslo, requiring shelter for a night or two.



That was no problem, so I spend some time sightseeing in Oslo. There is the Fram, probably the most famous and successful artic explorer ship. Build by Fridtjof Nansen in an attempt to reach the North Pole and later used by Roald Amundsen, when he became the first at the South Pole.



A research vessel of completely different kind is the Kon Tiki, a balsa raft used by Thor Heyerdahl to prove that it was not impossible for south American natives to reach Polynesia. Departing from Peru, he arrived at the Tuamotu islands after 101 days and 8,000km on the raft.



I however booked a ferry back to Germany where my new back tire was waiting for me. I still had some days left before I had to be back in the office and so I ended this trip relaxing on the beaches of the Baltic Ocean ... no more freezing here.

Thanks for your attention.

[Blackbert]

Thank you for sharing.

[Rotten Ronnie]

Thanks for taking me along for the ride. That was some really wonderful photography and story telling.

[Sportakus]

Impressionant and great track friend...

[PinkPillion]

SUPER report on a bit of beautiful country. Thanks for sharing your photos and a little history too. Looking forward to your next RR.

[br0m]

nice looking country in those parts ay, good effort

[Earl of Portchester]

Decided to check this ride report out after reading of your Iceland adventures. Once again a fantstic report with some wonderful pictures. Thanks for sharing.

[McFuryMcNugget]

Yet another great trip PIP.

McFury.