Eidsborg

As the rain continued through the morning I stayed in bed and read. Then it took half hour of holding the air mattress in a cool creek to find the pinhole leak that had been slowly leaking over the last two nights. Leak is fixed and feeling return to the hands. Next town find a water proof treatment for my tent in one of the stores. That slow drip on my face may stop. Weather cleared in the afternoon. Then I had a nice ride down into Dalen. Brakes are getting weak and only slowing the bike. Killer hill up the other side of the fjord leaving town. The big dinner in town did not help the climb. Some wild strawberries are in season. A real nice Stave Church in Eidsborg. Yes they used wood pegs to hold on the shingles. I was in bed at 11:00.
6/15/10
36.6 mile 4:57 hr / max speed 29.9 / avg moving speed 7.4 / stopped time 4:41 / 3582 ft total ascent. (Heavy rain in the morning and then cleared.)
Love & kisses

Steve

Tunnel - Vradal

I got a slow start as it was nice to hang out.  I worked my way up the valley further.   Nice views and more tunnels to ride through.  It is nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel you are riding through.  Some are long and bend so I get to ride in the dark hoping the next pot hole is not too big.  Stoped at one of the region stave churches.  I decided not to follow the bike route signs as it did not look right.  As I headed out of the valley it started to rain hard.  At a overlook I was trying to hide under the tourist information sign.  A bike touring French man turned up and he repeating he had done 3000 km.  I headed out and up.  As French man past me he said something about LeMond.  Not too much further up I found a good camp site.  I was looking like a drowned rat when I got my self into my tent.  Need to use the tarp as a vestibule and to reinforce the tent as the tent has some drips inside.

6/14/10

30.3 mile 3:41 hr / max speed 33.4 / avg moving speed 8.2 / stopped time 2:50 / 2398 ft total ascent. (Heavy rain in the evening.) 

Love & kisses

Steve

Skien - Tunnel

As I left Skien it started to rain again.  I headed up the Telmark canal into the Telmark region.  Off to make offering to the gods of skiing.  Found a bike in the water and decide not to swim for it.  Hung out at one of the locks as one of the 100 year old tourist boats came through and the rain cleared.  Sort of sad the working blacksmith shop was closed, just because it is Sunday is reason to take the day off.  Then I went deeper into the heart of Telmark region.  I looked down on one caravan camping site.  They still circle the wagons.  Then got my first tunnel and I was not alone in it.  But I here the goblins live further north.  A little further down the road I found my own little bit of paradise.

6/13/10

40.4 mile 4:23 hr / max speed 28.0 / avg moving speed 9.2 / stopped time 5:50 / 2319 ft total ascent. (Rain in the morning then cleared.) 

Love & kisses

Steve

Larvik – Skien

It rained and I stayed in bed reading.  Finally figured out there was a hostel in the area and headed to it.  There are hills and now shifting is coming back.  Signs kept pointing me to churches to see.  They were all locked up.  Pushed on and found Skien and found there tourist office out of operations so it only took an hour to find the hostel on the outskirts of town.  Had the dorm to myself so I got to dry everything out.  Figure out reading the tourist brochures that I was in the telmark region.  Decide not to follow the coast.
6/12/10

32.5 mile 3:48 hr / max speed 33.4 / avg moving speed 8.5 / stopped time 2:18 / 1431 ft total ascent. (Rain all day with a bit more rain.) 

Love & kisses

Steve

Larvik

So after leaving the ferry I headed into Larvik.  They had an information board with maps of the local area you can take.  Head to the east only finding house and no good camping.  So I returned to town and headed west.  After a few miles I found a spot to camp.  It was 5 am when I was finally in the tent.

Next morning I missed and got started at 1 pm.  I headed back to Larvik to find maps and provisions.  The road I came out on had very heavy traffic as this was the one two lane road around the south end of Norway.  It only took ten minutes to find an opening in the traffic to cross the road so I could start my way into town.  The dents in the guard rail next to me reminded me that the trucks and cars did not always stay in their lane.   The Tourist office closed the year before.  I did find food and maps for later in the trip, but none to get me very far out of town.  Found the shops were closed around 5 and so I decided to head on out and work out directions on the way.  Found a nice place to camp in the woods on hill and read my new book.  Spent a few hours at a mall hiding from the rain and found a book to read.

6/11/10

A whopping 18.5 mile 2:36 hr / max speed 25.3 / avg moving speed 7.1 / stopped time 4:07 / 780 ft total ascent. (Rain all day with a bit more rain.) 

Love & kisses

Steve

Ringkobing to ??

I headed north from Ringkobing in a good steady rain.  Went through some nice forest and hung out for a little bit.  I came up with a plan.  Fell of the detail map before getting to the next major town.  Checked out the towns tourist office and found no maps.  Put the plan into action.  Headed to the train station and got a ticket to the northern port.  Notice after getting the ticket that I arrive at 9:30 PM.  Hostels close at 8:00.  I have a general map of Denmark and the boat I want to take leaves at 4 AM.  Hanging out in a station between trains I find that I am trying to picture the people walking by as Vikings as that was their ancestors.  I mentally put a sword in hand, a shield and helm on them.  In did not work as they looked more likely to design nicer seats in the boat.  They would be stylish Danish design and the boat could use them.  When I got to the coast there were some that had that Viking look.  Maybe they need the smell of the sea.  Boat I wanted to go to Kristiansand leaves at 12:35 in the afternoon.  The boat leaving soon goes to Larvik.  After they show me on the map where Larvik is I take the ticket.  Then he tells me we arrive at 2 AM.  I wonder where I will end up sleeping.  Oh I need local money also.  But I just checked and it is in the lonely planet guide book.  I got to run with the trucks boarding.  Nearly last on and with some squeezing between trucks was first off. Found a good spot to get a hour or two of sleep on the ship. An infant showed up with a lovely wail as I try to sleep (where is my sword ... head on pike ... lessen to .... )

6/10/10

46.3 mile 5:51 hr / max speed 26.6 / avg moving speed 7.9 / stopped time 3.26 / 1323 ft total ascent. (Rain and a nice constant rain that soaks everything.) 

Love and kisses

Steve

Esbjerg to Ringkobing

Got an early start and headed off to the tourist office for maps. They did not open till ten so I headed on to the next town, stopping by the white men facing the sea. Ran across a 17 century church (they are into putting dates on the outside of building. There was some nice artwork inside. They did require everyone entering the church to put on booties on over the shoes. Regular attendees I assume have more stylish covers of their shoe for Sunday services. I guess the brick floor is hard to clean. Found some nice forest and almost camp there, but it was still early in the day. I wandered up a long 20 mile peninsula that was supposed to be a nice relaxing recreation area. It was filled with holiday cottages and tourist traps. I should have gone the other way around the fjord in the forest. I got to the hostel just near closing of the office at 8. Of the tourist offices I visited 2 were closed and 4 did not have maps for biking or much of the general area. As I went into the dorm room I had been given there was a distinctive smell and tour de la France hat one of the beds that I recognized from the night before. Then the on guy enters the room from last night. I head back to reception to check out. They give me another room.
6/9/10
80.8 mile 8:01 hr / max speed 19.4 / avg moving speed 10.1 / stopped time 4:00 / 316 ft total ascent. (Gray clouds with the threat of rain all day.)
Love & kisses
Steve