At the last Swedish campsite in Strömstad, we meet touring cyclists and hikers from Germany, France, Spain and Norway. They come from north and south. We chat in the shared kitchen and lounge. It is lousy cold outside and every now and then is is raining cats and dogs. Twice while I am in the shower.
The next day we set off for Norway. The weather looks good. Forty kilometers to the border, calm, mild, inland across fields and small farms. It is a good ride.
We cycle on the bridge over the border. Norway is one less blank spot on our discovery map. We had imagined a different welcome. The route leads along the 200-kilometre-long Oslofjord through grey towns, industrial areas and bumpy cycle paths, just like in Germany. The first towns look more like service towns. There is work, jobs and supermarkets to buy food. It does not look nice. And the sky is still closing in. Without sunshine, it is immediately cold and then it rains too. It is no fun at less than 10 degrees celsius. Another forty kilometers to the campsite, up the fjord towards Oslo.
We reach our destination at 5 p.m., soaking wet and frozen through. A huge campsite with mostly permanent campers. We are allocated a piece of grass and a key for the service facilities. We cycle straight to the family bathroom and shower for half an hour. We briefly consider whether to spend the night in the bathroom. The campsite is in the middle of nowhere – no stores for miles around. Today we go to bed without beer and with emergency food. The following Sunday morning is not better. Unlike Sweden, Norway does not sell anything on Sundays. We look for a store to buy breakfast in the next larger harbor town – no luck. A gas station saves us – there’s a 6-pack of bread roll.
Oslo, here we come! Our accommodation is in Grünerlokka, the ‘soul of Oslo’, the trendy district where the locals live. Circus performer Sergio and his wife are our friendly hosts.
It seems that every major city builds a fancy opera house. This one in Oslo is accessible and provides interesting perspectives and views.
The rainbow flag is Oslo’s city flag. It is seen everywhere. A multicultural city. Our hosts are from Brazil, the second from India. We see foreign and familiar faces everywhere. Of course, there are also lots of Germans and other tourists.
The rainbow flag also goes well with the weather. Sometimes a cold wind whistles, sometimes it rains cats and dogs. A blue sky with white clouds looks great. The light is fantastic. As soon as the sun comes out, it is summery warm. So, we write about bad weather and take photos with the blue sky.
After three days, we get our bicycles out again and cycle out on the west side of the fjord.
In Rondestrand, we meet Tommy and Iris, our friends from Kassel, Norway fans for some time now. They have just come from the Lofoten Islands which are much further north. A great day together with football and beer.
Their vacation in Norway is coming to an end. They are going to take the ferry to Denmark in the afternoon.
We cycle southwest along the coastal cycle path. We want to reach Kristiansand in the next two to three days. The weather forecast promises almost dry weather until 5 pm.
It turns out differently. At 3.30 p.m. we wait in vain for the last ferry of the day to Risor. It is already starting to gall. We sit in a bus shelter. At some point we cycle on the road. Staying seated does not help. After another tweenty kilometers, already soaking wet, we stop at an old petrol station to see if there is any accommodation nearby. No such thing. Nothing! In 22 kilometers there is a campsite which, when we call, assures us that it has space or even a hut for us. We fight our way forward for another five kilometers and then, without further ado, follow a campsite sign. As soon as we arrive, it starts pouring with rain. We can no longer think about putting up the tent. We find shelter in a somewhat outdated hut.
It is dry. The fact that the door does not close and the only hotplate barely gets hot is a minor matter.
We feel safe outside in the shelter of a larger house during the storm.