Scandinavian trip – Heading home

Final installment of the ‘series’, almost half a year after the trip. This time picking up after my visit to Lofoten and heading home.

All of this in a few days: from the ferry landing at Bodø on the evening of the 17th, arriving home the evening of the 20th, about 2700km probably. Mainland Norway is limited to.. 80kmph and has a lot of trucks which you need to pass on the bendy roads.
The bad planning really kicked in here.

But the landscape was good.

Near Bodö (Norwegian Ö)

Near Bodö (Norwegian Ö)

"mainland"

“mainland”

I passed by a national park which I’d love to have visited. Looked great on paper and no, I can’t currently remember its name. The camper park/visitor center/petrol station nearby made me want to leave the car and get walking, but I just didn’t have the time. Blast!

Charge your Tesla and climb he peak in the back for double karma

Charge your Tesla and climb the peak in the back for double karma

Molten snow

Molten snow

 

So there’s an arctic circle visitor center. Who knew? I was surprised. I also didn’t know to bring stickes or train my rock-stacking skills.

Arctic Circle visitor center

Arctic Circle visitor center

Arctic Circle visitor center

Arctic Circle visitor center

Arctic Circle visitor center

Arctic Circle visitor center

More molten snow

More molten snow

11PM, gotta love those nights

11PM, gotta love those nights

0:25 , back below the arctic circle into darkness

0:25 , back below the arctic circle into darkness

Nearly 1AM. Still driving.

Nearly 1AM. Still driving.

Beautiful sunrise

Found myself a nice camping spot.

Found myself a nice camping spot.

20150618_01h50m_DSC_3067 20150618_01h50m_DSC_3070

Good morning, Norway :)

Good morning, Norway 🙂

Trondheim

Trondheim

Clouds nearby Berkåk

Clouds nearby Berkåk

En route to Oslo, sleeping in the trunk again

En route to Oslo, sleeping in the trunk again

The night before I would reach Oslo I found myself in a Norway which was increasingly getting darker and raining. I gave myself about 6 hours on the side of the “highway” to sleep and get going again. Inside the car seemed – for the second time on the trip – the warmer and easier choice. If you ever need to sleep in a V60: get the back seat down and sleep in the length of the car, not on the back seat itself. It’s the better choice.

After.. many days without a shower and pretty much just sitting in a car seat and driving, I *found* an office with showers and internet access. Very convenient. A few hours later I got on the ferry towards Denmark.

Passed Hell, now this? Hmmm…

A photo posted by Jef Verschueren (@arrigi) on

Southern Norway

Southern Norway

There’s no decent photo of my sleeping place in Denmark, but I can share the story.

I’ve been to Arhus a few times before and once, in a search for events over the weekend, talked to a local who agreed to show me some places. I kept her number and when I knew I might end up in Northern Denmark, sent a message. I literally asked for the couch (this is important), she said I was welcome to use it. She wasn’t home though, but I could get in and sleep anyway. So I took my sleeping bag and slept there.

Morning come, her flatmate walks in and I wake up. She heard about me and asks why I’m on the couch (which is shorter than I am). Apparently the empty bed (next to the couch) was entirely free for me to use. If only I’d known.

We had a nice talk, I got my stuff and had breakfast at GLAD. Nom. Final travel day had commenced.

Noms at GLAD, Arhus

Noms at GLAD, Arhus

I’ve also got a friend, Tamara, with a double nationality. She lived in Düsseldorf at the time and moved back to Canada relatively short after. This was our last meeting before she left.

:p

:p

Tamara

Tamara

Dusseldorf at night

Dusseldorf at night

Dusseldorf at night

Dusseldorf at night

From Düsseldorf, home wasn’t far. The trip could only have been better if I had given myself more time. There always has to be something left to uncover though. Next time. 🙂

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