Norway 2010

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

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!

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…

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!

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!

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 !

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!

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).

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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…

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.

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!

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.

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…

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.

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.

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…

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!

13/07/2010 | Oslo - Oslo Gardermoen Airport - Paris

• Comin back…
• If I had the choice, I would have taken another flight, to another place.
• I spend the flight next a Norvegian girl from… Grenoble!
• We laughed a lot.
• Then landed in Paris…
• Where I met up with Loïc.
• Holidays were finished.

14/07/2010 | Paris - Grenoble

• Without a noise, I took the long way home.
• I had my big bag on my back.
• I took the train.
• I took the bus and finished by foot.
• I had left then got back, but nothing had changed…