Chris's space

Italy, Fraforeano, 09 – 12 August 2023

Posted on Saturday, 12-August-2023 by Chris Desmond

Pfaffnau to Fraforeano – meant crossing the Alps from Switzerland into Italy, this is always a highlight. I never go through the tunnels, always over the top of the Alps, this time through the Gotthard Pass, beautiful views, winding roads and blue skies, motorcycling heaven. There is no toll for the Gotthard Tunnel, I noticed a long queue of traffic waiting to enter, it happens every year at this time.

Heading out

Mountains and Lakes

Tunnels

Enter Italy

Autostrada

I spent a few days in this area looking around.

Portoguaro – a medieval town used by the Doges in Venice to get away from the humidity.

Breakfast

Lunch

Vino Rosso

Coffee

Dessert

Portoguaro

Leaning Tower of Portoguaro

Portoguaro

Nutria

Posted in Italy | 1 Comment

Switzerland, Pfaffnau, 06 – 08 August 2023

Posted on Tuesday, 8-August-2023 by Chris Desmond

Veghel to Pfaffnau, Switzerland – gloomy with intermittent rain, not nice. Stopped here to visit friends.

Hiding in the Bushes

Greenhouse

Enter Germany

Monster

Wind Turbines

Roadworks

Colourful

Basel traffic jam

BASEL

Tunnels

Rosti with sausage

Chocolate

Punjab

Very good

Posted in Switzerland | Leave a comment

Netherlands, Veghel, 30 July – 05 August 2023

Posted on Saturday, 5-August-2023 by Chris Desmond

Gothenburg to Busdorf to Veghel – I took the ferry from Gothenburg to Frederikshavn for a change instead of riding back through Malmo and the Øresund Bridge. Arrived at the Ferry boarding area at 1030, first one there and there is nothing else, just a toilet but they did have free Wifi. A few motorcycles turned up at 1100 and cyclists, no point arriving early, the ferry only came in at 1115 unloaded and we started loading immediately and left on time at 1215. Very slow going at first through the islands then upto 30kph, smooth ride could hardly tell we were moving, ship was packed with people and kids running, screaming, crying everywhere hahaha, off the boat at 1525 early I thought it would be 1600. Straight into rain, miserable for the next 1:50 hours and then fine weather stopped at the 2hr 200km mark and filled up, I was soaking wet and had trouble getting gloves back on, used tissues to dry visor and Garmin and instruments, off again, speeded up to 120-130kph reflected in the fuel consumption which dropped to 17km/L, another fuel stop, struggled again to get my gloves on, arrived at 1925 exactly 4 hrs. After several days of rain and gloves that are no longer waterproof blisters developed on my right palm making it very painful to grip the throttle.

Stena Line, Gothenburg

Express Ferry

First in Line

Big Door

A few more join the queue

Trailer Loader

Open Sesame

Strapped down

Don’t forget your deck

Heading out

Gothenburg

4 Wheels

Sailing

Little Lighthouse

Little House on the Island

Sun Deck Bar

The Bridge

Cold and Windy

Decks

Packed

Screaming

Rain, Rain go away

My prayers were not answered

A few minutes relief from the rain

Enter Germany

Busdorf to Veghel – Not a fun ride with the drizzle and blisters on my right palm, 571km in 5:45hrs. This is supposed to be the height of summer in Europe hahaha. Veghel is where I make my pit stop and my friend who is the pit boss for Dutch F1 legend managed to find a bike shop that was open (most of them close for Summer as all the employees head for the Sun). I had new tyres fitted, rear brake pads, helmet and a new set of Goretex waterproof gloves (total cost €1019).

Enter Nederland

Cameras

Support the Farmers

The Bird and the Kangaroo

Blisters

Vos Oss Motoren – Bike Shop

Posted in Germany, Netherlands | Leave a comment

Sweden, Gothenburg, 29 July 2023

Posted on Saturday, 29-July-2023 by Chris Desmond

Oslo to Gothenburg, Sweden – short ride 3:25 hours, the only reason for this stop was to visit the Volvo Museum and to catch the ferry back to the mainland (Denmark). Interesting museum of not very exciting cars, the complete opposite of the Ferrari or Lamborghini museums hahaha. Volvo pioneered the use of seat belts which are now standard and many other less obvious safety features in cars. In 2020 they restricted the top speed of all their cars to 180kph thus saving millions of lives. I wonder how Volvo would go about designing a motorcycle hahaha.

Heading out of Oslo

Tunnels

Blue Skies

Enter Sweden

Tesla Fuel Stop hahaha

Bridges

Gothenburg

Volvo Museum

Posted in Sweden | 1 Comment

Norway, Oslo, 23 – 28 July 2023

Posted on Friday, 28-July-2023 by Chris Desmond

Trondheim to Oslo – heading inland, no more jagged mountains, many rivers, some holiday traffic, slow going 80kph most of the way, got up to 1000m at one point cold 12c, uneventful ride.

Heading out of Trondhiem

1053m

Only 2.7% available on Sunday

Oslo – capital of Norway, population 1.5 million people, organised, clean, good public transport, expensive, many parks with interesting sculptures.

Oslo has a tradition of sending a Christmas tree every year to the cities of Washington D.C., New York City, Edinburgh, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Reykjavík. Since 1947 Oslo has sent a 20 to 24 m, 50 to 100-year-old spruce, as an expression of gratitude toward Britain for its support of Norway during World War II.

First an oil change on my bike then a tram ride into the city.

Oil change

Many Electric Cars

Colourful

The Cathedral

Inside

The Organ

Art

Oslo Mall

Liquor Store

Only available at Vinmonopolet

“

“

The History Museum, Fram Museum and the Kontiki Museum

History Museum

Silver Horde from 1028 AD

Nobel Prize

The National Treasure

The Bus

Museum Island

FRAM museum

Polar Explorer

Kontiki and Ra Museum

Tour Busses

Vigeland Park and the Monolitten and Blue skies

Vigeland Park

Sculptures Everywhere

All shapes and Sizes

Monolitten

Akershus Fortress and the Resistence Museum

Akershus Fortress

The Resistance Museum

City Hall

Citry Hall Square

.Trams

Street Benches

National Theatre

The Palace

Edvard Munch Museum – most famous painting “The Scream”

Munch Museum

The Scream

The Scream 1

The Scream 2

The Scream 3

View from the top

The Opera House

The Opera House

Posted in Norway | 3 Comments

Norway, Trondheim, 18 – 22 July 2023

Posted on Saturday, 22-July-2023 by Chris Desmond

Tromso to Ulvsvag to Mosjoen to Trondheim – two overnight stops along the way to Trondheim.

Tromso to Ulvsvag – once again a great ride, overcast and cold with a few drizzles, mountains, fjords and a ferry crossing Tysfjorden, there is no other way to get to the other side. I arrived at the end of the road and there was a queue of cars waiting, a guy comes around with his phone and you tap and pay with your phone using NFC cost 5 euro. This is a fairly big ferry because trucks have to cross as well, in fact all traffic has to use the ferry. I was on the top deck and took off my helmet and gloves but after we started moving there was a freezing cold breeze and as my hands and face started going numb I quickly put my helmet and gloves back on hahaha, trip time 30 minutes.

Heading out of Tromso

Overcast 14c

Drizzle

Fjords

Mountains

Glacier

Rivers

A town below

Pretty

Big Bridge

Tunnels

Blue

Bridge

The Ferry arriving

The View

Unloading

Danmark Motorcycle Club

Going the other way

Look at the queue waiting

Jaws opening

Home sweet home

After a long cold day

Cabin by the fjord

Ulvsvag to Mosjoen – another cold drizzly ride with one section at 800m and 12c freezing as I did not have my heated gear on and only heated grips. Many tunnels and bridges and some narrow roads.

Heading out of Ulvsvag

Roundabout Art

Narrow tunnels

Drizzle

805 meters

High Plains

Freezing

Arctic Circle

Blue Skies

Mosjoen to Trondheim – similar to the previous rides, roads a little bumpy, warmed up towards the end.

Shoe Dryers at my Hotel

Tunnel Construction

Trondheim – population 213,000 fourth largest urban area in Norway and home to a number of Universities. Busses are the best way to get around, everything is clean and organised with many restaurants in the city area. It is 63° North of the equator similar to Fairbanks, Alaska but being on the coast the weather is milder.

Still alive

Restaurants

Colourful

Food

Art Deco

Town Square

The Man

Nidaros Cathedral

The Crypt

Scotland

Modern Church

Tyholttårnet

View from the Top

Cruise Ship

Pizza

Art

My Favourite Fountain

Art Gallery

Going for it

A sign of the times

Soon to be a Wall

Kristiansten Fortress

Baby Cannon

Napoleon

Shrapnel

Nazis

Cannnon

The View

Kristiansten Fortress

Food

Posted in Norway | 3 Comments

Norway, Tromso, 15 – 17 July 2023

Posted on Monday, 17-July-2023 by Chris Desmond

Honningsvag to Sorstraumen to Tromso – Instead of heading back South on the same route through Sweden I decided to take the scenic route through Norway. The road follows the coast along the fjords and through the mountains. Slow going with lots of twists and turns, 60-80 kph speed limits enforced with many speed cameras mitigated by there being very little traffic and the spectacular scenery. I made an overnight stop at Sorstraumen on the way and stayed in a farmhouse on the banks of a fjord and learnt a little about the history of this area.

Honningsvag to Sorstraumen – another great ride, cold 18c and a drizzle at the end.

Heading out of Honningsvag

Overcast

Scooter from Germany

That tunnel again

Traffic

G’day

Moving on

Rivers

Bus Stop

Bridges

60 kph and a camera

Who is this

The view

Tunnels

Fish farms

Sorstraumen to Tromso – Beautiful all the way.

Heading out of Sorstraumen

Beautiful and so it goes on and on

Rock Catcher

Road Works

What is that?

Ferry across the fjord

Tunnel up ahead

Inside

The Tromso Bridge

Tromso – is 350 km North of the Arctic Circle, the municipality has a population of over 77,000 people. The climate is not as cold as it should be this far north due to the Westerly winds and the North Atlantic Drift. It has all the modern amenities, good public transport and is even more expensive than the rest of Norway. Cruise ships visit and there are direct flights from various parts of Europe. It is a good spot to see the Northern Lights at the right time of the year. I found Stolperstein here!

Fishing

Tiniest Bar

Theatre

Wooden Cathedral

Town Hall

Cable car

View from the Top

Tromso

Arctic Church

Tromso

Thai Red Curry

Refugees

Cable car

Spot the Dog

There it is

Reindeer

Stolperstein

The Man

Arctic Museum

The Beach

Whale Hunting

Arctic Church

Inside

Olhallen Pub

IPA 500ml = €22

Polar bear inside

Posted in Norway | 1 Comment

Norway, Honningsvag, 13 – 14 July 2023

Posted on Friday, 14-July-2023 by Chris Desmond

Honningsvåg is the northernmost city in mainland Norway, population 2,500.
Coordinates: 70°58′43″N – 25°58′36″E, the sun does not set here in Summer and it is 33 km by road to the North Cape. The Hurtigruten Coastal Express and some Cruise ships stop here in summer. Fisheries and Tourism are the main sources of income.

Honningsvag to Nordkapp

View from my Room

Cruising

Honningsvag

Souvenirs

Corner Spiseri Restaurant

Reindeer Stew

Polar Bear surfacing

Cute

Letters

Posted in Norway | 1 Comment

Norway, North Cape, 11 – 13 July 2023

Posted on Thursday, 13-July-2023 by Chris Desmond

Stockholm to Umea to Akasjokisuu, Finland, to North Cape, Norway. This is the Northernmost point in Europe 71° 10′ 21″ north of the equator. Based on my previous experience travelling North of the Artic Circle to Deadhorse, Alaska (a 1600 km return trip on a dirt road) I was expecting this to be a gruelling ride, freezing, wet and muddy roads. Instead it turned out to be a very nice ride, beautiful warm and sunny weather 24° C (a heat wave) with paved roads all the way. It so happens that this is a popular destination for the rest of Europe escaping the summer heat in the lower latitudes and also a pilgrimage for European motorcyclists.

Stockholm to Umea – This is a populated part of Sweden with a few towns along the way, mainly 4 lane roads with many speed cameras, they all have signs warning you that a speed camera is ahead, speed limit 100-110 kph. Most hotels do not have a reception, check-in is via a code sent to your phone, therefore you need a phone with an internet connection, the same goes for Petrol stations unattended and you pay with a card. You also need both a Visa and a Mastercard as some places only accept one or the other. I have been buying SIM cards from the following website for the last three years, never had any problems.

https://simcorner.com/

Heading out of Stockholm

Farms

Lakes

Elk

80,009 kms still going strong

Speed Camera

Rest Stop

City up ahead

Bridges

Colourful tree

Timber

Big Bridge

Rest Stop

Tractor

Interesting

Pretty

Umea

Pizza

3.5%

Umea to Akasjokisuu, Finland – The road passed through mainly forests and lakes, a few small towns, one drunk Elk wandering down the middle of the road, many camping grounds, crossed over into Finland and stayed at a cabin just off the highway. The key was in a lockbox and I was sent the code, middle of nowhere with no signs.

Breakfast

On the road

Akasjokisuu

Akasjokisuu, Finland to North Cape, Norway – Great ride, definitely in the wilderness now, single lane roads at times with frost heaves, many campervans and motorcycles, herds of reindeer, blue skies and beautiful views.

Reindeer

Mother and Baby

Camping

Hotel

Camping

Souvenirs

Loaded

Finland/Norway Border

New road

Camping

Albino reindeer

Fuel stop

Tunnel Works

Spot the Reindeer

Long tunnel

Loaded

Fat boy

Arrived

North Cape

Honningsvag

At the end of a long hard day

Posted in Finland, Norway, Sweden | 1 Comment

Sweden, Stockholm, 03 – 10 July 2023

Posted on Tuesday, 11-July-2023 by Chris Desmond

Copenhagen to Linkoping to Stockholm – Freeway all the way, stopped at Linkoping for the night just to breakup the journey and also not arrive in Stockholm during the evening rush hour. The ride was wet and cold with intermittent showers. I had to go over the Øresund Bridge which connects the Mainland to Sweden, is the longest bridge in Europe and has a tunnel in the middle Toll €35.

Heading out

Øresund Bridge

Øresund Bridge Toll

The Sea

On the road

Highway Art

Green fields

A colourful tunnel

Stockholm – big city, population 2.4 million, clean, organised, good public transport, there is an interesting old town, many refugees, expect a drizzle everyday. You will need a credit or debit card because cash is not accepted in many places. Sale of drinks with more than 3.5% alcohol is restricted to special Government shops called Systembolaget. Trying to find soft drinks with real sugar is a challenge as well, everything is labelled “No Sugar” and I need the sugar and the energy it provides while riding.

The Liffey

The Metro

0.0%

3.5%

Not bad at all

It’s pure beer

Old Town

Tiny man

Nobel Prize Museum

Nobel Prize

Changing of the guard

Meatballs

Dehydration fluid

Big Church

Inside

Rocky

Royalty

Crypt

Musician

Old and New

Lost

Metro Art

Steep

Art Gallery

Sinners

La Parisienne – Manet

The Palace

Sightseeing

Wood instead of concrete

Snösätragränd Hall Of Fame an abandoned industrial area that has been covered in street art and graffiti quite amazing. Not the easiest place to get to but well worth the trouble.