Norway 2023...

[ST1100Y]

... despite some recent "remarks", here we go:

Already several months in advance my GF was busy in checking ferry & car-train bookings, and adapting routes accordingly...



Was introducing her to Garmin MapSource a mistake?


Aug 23rd, 0700, early start as we'd to cover quite some ground




first refueling somewhere deep in Poland




first leg, motorway, boring, and the Top Sellerie saddle brings not much relieve, despite it's gel upgrade...
Booked the hotel via app... one has to go with the times now...




next stage was planned a bit shorter, allowing reserve for the ferry check-in...




Gdansk, Polferries terminal...




the vessel seems to have seen some action...




out at sea...




GF enjoying the evening breeze...




next destination:




The Scandinavian Weekend 2023
A substitute/revival of the Pan-European Gatherings...

Touring – Scandinavian Weekend 2023 – Club Pan-European Norway

pan-european.no

The "insomnia squad" leaving the premises for a guided tour...




It was nice to meet some long time companions from all over Europe again, but also sad to notice that the ranks are clearing...

 

[ST1100Y]

then our actual ride began, heading up north...






"commuting" through Sweden has some effects...




cell reception is sketchy, so is the timeline/track on ze phone...




the Lofoten offer some amazing scenery







managed to find a very comfy, over-equipped campground apartment...



didn't expect this though!

Lofoten 2023

an Ice Cream Van... didn't expect that!

youtube.com

even got rewarded with two free vanilla cones




despite being fully booked and this being the last tour for a while cause the entire sea area got restricted due to the German Luftwaffe holding "exercises"...

We managed to get on the Whale2Sea ride in the very last minute, GF was really happy!

Arrrr...




those skiffs have quite some horsies... and really fly when the skipper punches it...




our french marine biologist on the hydrophone getting a fix on the sperm whales in the area...




Blow!




Fluke!




quite a thing...

 

[ST1100Y]

Zig zagged across the Lofoten... they're way more then the mostly presented kitschy waterfront...






















campground restaurant serving some killer fisch'n'chips














another booking via app; you'll receive a message/confirmation with the code for main and room door... done...




view from the porch...




more fresh seafood...








and for the sweet-tooth...

 

[ST1100Y]

early ferry ride back to the mainland...









fjords, rocks, glaciers... the usual up here...










the globe marking the arctic circle... yep heading back south again...

 

[ST1100Y]

heading further south...




after a really awful unpaved road (where they actually dare to charge you for parking... via app of course...)




we head off to another highlight...

... hike safe, always wear a helmet...



one for the druids...



GF underestimated that trail, especially the last bit to the creek is pretty hard, she even went into AWD on knees and elbows in some parts...
(me kinda sensing it and smart enough to leave helmet etc at the ST... )

Marmorslottet














an aeons old geologic formation

in the evening the cutest cabin I'd encountered ever




actually quite cosy...




nifty gadget, as road conditions sometimes not only knock the wind out your lungs...






can you hear it?... exactly...

 

[ST1100Y]

...we kept moving as there was another weather front approaching from the southwest...

... right aside the road...




another online booking with just access code... as was the convenience store right at the grounds... open the http, register, klick the items bought, PayPal or credit card...




right behind the cabin...






the Big Silver Moose...














the firST casualties of those sometimes really rotten road conditions...
not talking about occasional pot holes or cracks, more like 5" high blobs with oil pan and axle case scratch-marks (often oil spill and metal debris right on them), or just as deep recesses (rather trenches) transverse the entire road... right in zones marked with 80kph...






those marine speakers already served in my prev '92 ST, hence have over 160,000km/100,000miles on them...
That's a quick fix though...








spotted them in great numbers aside the roads, that one is tame, came right up to us sniffing, then laid down for a doze... fully chilled...
(signs say don't pet nor feed... should be obvious to let them be though...)




kitchen, bathroom, TV, WiFi... and grass on the roof

 

[ST1100Y]

... and another riding day...

in some places you think you're on another planet...








spotted mink-whales in that fjord, observed them for a while, too far out for a decent phone photo...




another cabin with a view...






me, chilling...




GF, also chilling... and refusing to go home... ever...

 

[Obo]

Looks like a decent trip, other than those poor fork seals. Thanks for sharing the photos. There are some lovely places there!!

 

[Fawlty]

Stunning. Thanks for posting.

 

[ST1100Y]

early, very early start today... special project...




yawn... 0500, way too early...




... remind me again why we're at the ferry port at the b-crack of dawn??!
(catching the 0605 boat through the Lysefjorden...)




sunrise over the fjord...
Slartibartfass really outperformed himself there...




and another one off the bucket-list...
The Lysevegen road...




views from the Eagles Nest Café...




the real benefit of getting there so early: not a single Klingon RV blocking your ways!!
Fought the urge of keep going up and down there

 

[Obo]

Slartibartfass really outperformed himself there...

Did you remember to pack a towel, or at least some cheese for the mice?

 

[ST1100Y]

... pretty much straight to Oslo from there...













Colorline Ferry Terminal... will they let us aboard with those dirtied up motorsickles?...




sunset in the Oslofjord...




the next morning, a supply vessel of the British Navy running aside us into the port of Kiel...




ready to disembark...




the notorious car-train facility in the Hamburg-Altona train station...




GF on her NT700VA with her usual "... I bought the whole tire, I'm using the whole tire...!" attitude
The T32 does show a dawning flat center spot though...




Exedras, beyond any doubt as usual... still plenty of meat left...




back in AuSTria... two days worth of touring home... ah! smooth tarmac again!
(yes, phone is crapping out, lens cover glass curved inward, dunno if it's thermal, chemical or related to the changing air-pressures during us jojo-ing up and down mountain passes...)




another place with a view...







and two pretty mucked up bikes back at the home base



That's it for today...
(and this forum urgently needs a gallery function embedded...)

 

[ST1100Y]

Did you remember to pack a towel, or at least some cheese for the mice?

Yes and yes... after all they paid for this awesome planet, didn't they?

 

[Slammer]

Out of this world pictures, as a total Scanophile I just love them. I noticed that you did take the Autozug.

 

[ST1100Y]

I noticed that you did take the Autozug.

Hamburg-Innsbruck... overnight... saving time, fuel, accommodation, food...
Crossed Czech and Poland on wheels on our way up exclusively over the fact that we just couldn't time train and ferry together, hence the Gdansk ferry...

 

[Uncle Phil]

Thanks - and you included proper food pictures also!
I'd love to go riding there - and may do it one day.

 

[ST1100Y]

Thanks - and you included proper food pictures also!

Just the ones that stood out
Enjoyed lots of burgers and chips on gas stations there...
And their freshly baked/warm cinnamon rolls with a large cuppa joe in ze morning, unbeatable...

I'd love to go riding there - and may do it one day.

Hope you'll ring in when you do so, likely that we could have a meet...

 

[John OoSTerhuis]

Wow… juST WOW! Thanks for the wonderful ridealong, Martin! The hard work to put this RR together and share with your STfamily around the world is very much appreciated.

Random thoughts, other than about the spectacular pictures:
No topcase but one damn big tank bag!
The eroded/sculptured rocks at that stream are amazing!
No ‘chicken strips’ on the GF’s rear tire!
You’re STill an Exedra fan.
Would have liked pictures of you and the GF (faces, not toes, ha!).

Warm Regards, John (Your long-time E-friend and admirer in the USA Heartland)

 

[ST1100Y]

Wow… juST WOW! Thanks for the wonderful ridealong, Martin! The hard work to put this RR together and share with your STfamily around the world is very much appreciated.

Random thoughts, other than about the spectacular pictures:
No topcase but one damn big tank bag!
The eroded/sculptured rocks at that stream are amazing!
No ‘chicken strips’ on the GF’s rear tire!
You’re STill an Exedra fan.
Would have liked pictures of you and the GF (faces, not toes, ha!).

Warm Regards, John (Your long-time E-friend and admirer in the USA Heartland)

LOL!
I rate the Bagster bag more convenient then hauling that rattling topcase along impairing handling and that... and a good decision it was, those darn roads would have only worn down the attaching mechanism...
Yes, it gets in the way during refueling, but on a ferry, train, cabin and any other overnight stay I simply grab the one item, the tank-bag with all the essentials inside...
Ultralight sneakers, Jeans, a polo, softshell jacket, "nightgown" (boxers & t-shirt), necessary pouch, chargers... and anything else I might need right away while sitting on the bike (glasses, etc...)
panniers have spare clothes/underwear, additional thermal layers, netbook, technical stuff like tools, tire plug kit, air compressor, spare GPS, lamp kit, spare fuses, LED flare/strobe, high viz jackets...
GF with her tiny Hepco&Becker tank-bag always had to carry one of her pannier liners as well...



And it's getting stressful handling helmet, gloves and two bags... those ferries and trains a fairly long walks (Murphy's law always applies...)

GF was right to visit that Marmorslottet creek/wild-water, despite the last bit of the trail not being without risks though...
Slip there and you'll tumble right down the mountain face, falling ATGATT into a 4~6°C cold creek doesn't seem wise...

Yes the T31s and T32s on the NT700VA have a pretty flat cross section/arch, easily to wear the rear right out to the very edge... the front not so much...
Them Exedras have a rather tall arch, plus the beefed up suspension... but front and rear show similar leaning wear patterns, they fit that ST1100 so well...

I rarely do selfies but here it comes...



Yeah, she was happy that we made it onto that whale watching boat...

 

[JJames]

WoW ! You two must be made of something stronger than titanium . I was going to brag about my first ST 500 km one day ride - home to home. Think I'll save it for later. Well Done !