Norway 1

29.7.2017 sjetsvet2017
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Norway - part 1

23.6.2017 - 1.7.2017   521km 

We​ ​arrived​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the​ mainland​ ​to​ ​Oslo​ ​–​ ​Gardamoen.​ ​Even​ ​though​ ​it​ ​was​ ​very late​ ​we​ ​were​ ​welcomed​ ​by​ ​a​ ​pleasant​ ​temperature​ ​and​ ​after​ ​a​ ​couple​ ​of​ ​days​ ​without​ ​is​ ​we enjoyed​ ​the​ ​dark​ ​again.​ ​We​ ​spent​ ​a​ ​night​ ​at​ ​the​ ​airport​ ​in​ ​a​ ​closed​ ​Starbucks​ ​coffee​ ​house with​ ​comfy​ ​couches.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​morning​ ​we​ ​put​ ​our​ ​bikes​ ​together​ ​and​ ​set​ ​off​ ​to​ ​Sindre​ ​who was​ ​our​ ​warmshower​ ​host​ ​nearby​ ​to​ ​Oslo.​ ​On​ ​our​ ​way​ ​we​ ​appreciated​ ​how​ ​much​ ​green the​ ​view​ ​around​ ​was,​ ​the​ ​sun​ ​was​ ​up​ ​and​ ​sky​ ​without​ ​a​ ​cloud.​ ​Pure​ ​paradise,​ ​compare​ ​to Iceland.​ ​When​ ​we​ ​also​ ​finally​ ​washed​ ​our​ ​dirty​ ​and​ ​sweated​ ​clothes​ ​at​ ​Sindre’s​ ​place​ ​we were​ ​on​ ​the​ ​top​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​evening​ ​we​ ​had​ ​a​ ​chance​ ​to​ ​try​ ​a​ ​Norwegian​ ​cheese 

specialty​ ​–​ ​brown​ ​caramelized​ ​cow​ ​and​ ​goat​ ​cheese​ ​which​ ​didn’t​ ​have​ ​the​ ​specific​ ​goat smell​ ​at​ ​all,​ ​on​ ​the​ ​contrary​ ​it​ ​was​ ​nicely​ ​sweet.​ ​Norwegians​ ​eat​ ​it​ ​mostly​ ​with​ ​waffles​ ​and cream.​ ​Paja​ ​was​ ​having​ ​a​ ​full​ ​mouth​ ​all​ ​the​ ​time.​ ​​ ​After​ ​this​ ​cosy​ ​experience​ ​we​ ​walked​ ​to the​ ​capital​ ​city.​ ​Oslo​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​fastest​ ​growing​ ​European​ ​capital​ ​city.​ ​Since​ ​2000​ ​the population​ ​grew​ ​by​ ​30%.​ ​Comparing​ ​to​ ​the​ ​other​ ​capital​ ​cities​ ​which​ ​we​ ​have​ ​visited​ ​so​ ​far it​ ​was​ ​very​ ​modern.​ ​Therefore​ ​you​ ​can​ ​find​ ​very​ ​few​ ​historical​ ​buildings​ ​there.​ ​We​ ​met 
people​ ​from​ ​all​ ​different​ ​parts​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world​ ​on​ ​the​ ​streets.​ ​Regarding​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Arabic​ ​migrants we​ ​saw​ ​a​ ​couple​ ​of​ ​them​ ​bagging​ ​but​ ​there​ ​was​ ​more​ ​of​ ​them​ ​working.​ ​The​ ​city​ ​reacts​ ​very openly​ ​to​ ​all​ ​minorities​ ​and​ ​creates​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​spots​ ​for​ ​relaxation​ ​or​ ​sport​ ​activities​ ​for​ ​its citizens.​ ​After​ ​checking​ ​the​ ​city​ ​center​ ​which​ ​is​ ​quite​ ​small​ ​we​ ​visited​ ​the​ ​famous​ ​Vigeland Park​ ​–​ ​the​ ​largest​ ​statue​ ​park​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world​ ​made​ ​by​ ​a​ ​single​ ​artist.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​more​ ​than​ ​130 human​ ​statues​ ​exhibited. 

From​ ​Oslo​ ​we​ ​got​ ​off​ ​to​ ​the​ ​west.​ ​We​ ​knuckled​ ​down​ ​to​ ​get​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​center​ ​and​ ​later​ ​on​ ​we found​ ​the​ ​cycle​ ​path​ ​which​ ​leaded​ ​us​ ​up​ ​to​ ​the​ ​town​ ​called​ ​Notodden.​ ​We​ ​planned​ ​to continue​ ​further​ ​on​ ​the​ ​road​ ​134​ ​whit​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​long​ ​and​ ​sharp​ ​hills​ ​on​ ​which​ ​we​ ​were preparing​ ​ourselves​ ​mentally​ ​ahead.​ ​But​ ​in​ ​Notodden​ ​we​ ​found​ ​a​ ​map​ ​where​ ​there​ ​was figured​ ​a​ ​cycle​ ​path​ ​along​ ​the​ ​Telemark​ ​canal​ ​which​ ​used​ ​to​ ​in​ ​use​ ​for​ ​transport​ ​of​ ​people, animals​ ​and​ ​wood.​ ​We​ ​guessed​ ​that​ ​if​ ​this​ ​path​ ​was​ ​leading​ ​along​ ​the​ ​banks​ ​it​ ​could​ ​have been​ ​less​ ​hilly.​ ​And​ ​why​ ​to​ ​suffer​ ​by​ ​biking​ ​uphill​ ​if​ ​you​ ​don’t​ ​have​ ​to.​ ​But​ ​first​ ​we​ ​needed​ ​to find​ ​this​ ​cycle​ ​path.​ ​There​ ​were​ ​two​ ​ways​ ​as​ ​options.​ ​We​ ​chose​ ​the​ ​shorter​ ​one​ ​thinking that​ ​the​ ​only​ ​little​ ​hillock​ ​on​ ​the​ ​way​ ​was​ ​gonna​ ​be​ ​a​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​cake.​ ​Well​ ​we​ ​scored​ ​our​ ​own goal.​ ​It​ ​wasn’t​ ​a​ ​little​ ​hillock​ ​but​ ​a​ ​huge​ ​hill​ ​8km​ ​long​ ​with​ ​a​ ​pretty​ ​sharp​ ​gradient.​ ​Totally snuffy​ ​we​ ​reached​ ​its​ ​top.​ ​The​ ​reward​ ​for​ ​us​ ​was​ ​the​ ​amazing​ ​view​ ​at​ ​the​ ​mountains​ ​all around.​ ​Then​ ​we​ ​were​ ​slowly​ ​going​ ​down​ ​the​ ​Canal.​ ​At​ ​first​ ​the​ ​path​ ​was​ ​nice​ ​and​ ​flat, along​ ​the​ ​bank​ ​exactly​ ​as​ ​we​ ​expected.​ ​But​ ​then​ ​hills​ ​came​ ​up​ ​so​ ​we​ ​didn’t​ ​really​ ​help ourselves​ ​that​ ​much​ ​after​ ​all.​ ​On​ ​the​ ​other​ ​hand​ ​there​ ​was​ ​at​ ​least​ ​a​ ​minimal​ ​traffic,​ ​the path​ ​was​ ​going​ ​through​ ​a​ ​beautiful​ ​landscape,​ ​pine​ ​trees​ ​smell​ ​was​ ​accompanied​ ​us​ ​and roes​ ​were​ ​running​ ​everywhere​ ​around.

After​ ​leaving​ ​the​ ​Telemark​ ​Canal​ ​we​ ​set​ ​off​ ​to​ ​mountains​ ​and​ ​were​ ​overcoming​ ​one​ ​hill after​ ​another.​ ​The​ ​population​ ​was​ ​sparse,​ ​traffic​ ​was​ ​getting​ ​sparse​ ​and​ ​the​ ​nature​ ​seemed to​ ​be​ ​untouched.​ ​Our​ ​company​ ​on​ ​the​ ​way​ ​were​ ​sheep​ ​of​ ​all​ ​different​ ​kinds​ ​and​ ​colors laying​ ​by​ ​the​ ​road​ ​or​ ​on​ ​it.​ ​All​ ​around​ ​us​ ​rounded​ ​rocks​ ​overgrown​ ​with​ ​moss​ ​were​ ​rising with​ ​small​ ​and​ ​bigger​ ​crystal​ ​clear​ ​lakes​ ​in​ ​between.​ ​In​ ​heights​ ​around​ ​1000​ ​meters​ ​above sea​ ​level​ ​we​ ​even​ ​could​ ​have​ ​played​ ​a​ ​little​ ​snow​ ​fight.​ ​Even​ ​though​ ​the​ ​challenging​ ​terrain we​ ​were​ ​enjoying​ ​the​ ​way​ ​a​ ​lot.​ ​After​ ​couple​ ​of​ ​tens​ ​of​ ​kilometers​ ​the​ ​road​ ​started​ ​to decline​ ​finally.​ ​The​ ​wind​ ​was​ ​in​ ​our​ ​backs​ ​and​ ​suddenly​ ​the​ ​tachometers​ ​were​ ​showing​ ​us 75​ ​km/h.​ ​That​ ​was​ ​a​ ​ride!​ ​Kata​ ​got​ ​so​ ​excited​ ​about​ ​it​ ​that​ ​she​ ​almost​ ​overlooked​ ​a​ ​sheep butt​ ​in​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​of​ ​the​ ​road​ ​and​ ​the​ ​sheep​ ​nearly​ ​ended​ ​up​ ​lost​ ​it.​ ​We​ ​enjoyed​ ​the declining​ ​up​ ​to​ ​the​ ​parking​ ​place​ ​which​ ​was​ ​an​ ​eastern​ ​point​ ​of​ ​the​ ​walking​ ​path​ ​Kjerag which​ ​is​ ​a​ ​boulder​ ​stuck​ ​between​ ​two​ ​rocks​ ​in​ ​the​ ​height​ ​of​ ​1000​ ​meters​ ​above​ ​Lysefjord. The​ ​parking​ ​watchmen​ ​told​ ​us​ ​he​ ​was​ ​willing​ ​to​ ​store​ ​our​ ​bikes​ ​for​ ​free,​ ​unless​ ​we​ ​were from​ ​Ukraine​ ​or​ ​Russia​ ​he.​ ​What​ ​a​ ​luck​ ​on​ ​our​ ​side​ ​that​ ​we​ ​were​ ​not.​ ​We​ ​packed​ ​our backpacks​ ​and​ ​went​ ​for​ ​a​ ​“walk”.​ ​We​ ​were​ ​climbing​ ​on​ ​steep​ ​rocks​ ​holding​ ​on​ ​chains​ ​which were​ ​installed​ ​on​ ​the​ ​rock​ ​until​ ​we​ ​finally​ ​claimed​ ​up​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Kjerang.​ ​And​ ​yes,​ ​we​ ​both stood​ ​up​ ​on​ ​the​ ​boulder​ ​but​ ​it​ ​was​ ​not​ ​a​ ​really​ ​nice​ ​feeling.
The​ ​way​ ​down​ ​was​ ​much​ ​harder,​ ​especially​ ​for​ ​our​ ​legs,​ ​and​ ​we​ ​can’t​ ​imagine​ ​to​ ​make​ ​it while​ ​raining.​ ​Down​ ​from​ ​the​ ​parking​ ​place​ ​we​ ​were​ ​going​ ​on​ ​8​ ​km​ ​long​ ​road​ ​which finished​ ​in​ ​port​ ​village​ ​Lysbotn.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​all​ ​about​ ​serpentines.​ ​We​ ​didn’t​ ​read​ ​anywhere​ ​that one​ ​part​ ​of​ ​this​ ​road​ ​is​ ​made​ ​as​ ​1,1​ ​km​ ​long​ ​tunnel.​ ​Well​ ​you​ ​are​ ​just​ ​cycling​ ​down, experiencing​ ​the​ ​beautiful​ ​landscape​ ​and​ ​fjord​ ​and​ ​of​ ​all​ ​the​ ​sudden​ ​a​ ​tunnel​ ​in​ ​the​ ​way. There​ ​was​ ​no​ ​other​ ​path​ ​so​ ​we​ ​had​ ​to​ ​go​ ​through​ ​it.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​dark,​ ​only​ ​few​ ​lights​ ​on​ ​and water​ ​was​ ​dropping​ ​down​ ​on​ ​our​ ​heads.​ ​That​ ​was​ ​an​ ​unpleasant​ ​experience.​ ​Totally​ ​done we​ ​finished​ ​the​ ​road​ ​and​ ​waited​ ​for​ ​a​ ​ferry​ ​which​ ​was​ ​supposed​ ​to​ ​carry​ ​us​ ​on​ ​the​ ​other side​ ​of​ ​the​ ​fiord. 
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