Published: 31.07.2024
'Oh look, the yellow thing in the sky is back' and that already at five in the morning. Well, we don't have to overdo it with getting up early. But it's nice to know that on our 'last day in the North Sea' the sun is shining. We are going back to Lakselv to Anja's swimming spot from yesterday. 17 degrees and sunshine, but somehow the 12 degrees water temperature hasn't changed much, I guess it's just warmer in our heads. Peter also dares to go into the water today. 12 degrees are and remain 12 degrees, and the number of seconds our whole body is underwater isn't going to be longer. There's no one at the fjord and we enjoy the solitude of the fjord once more, making coffee, casually eating cheese, bread, and loads of the delicious Freia chocolate cookies. Yes, there are cookies from Freia too. The wind is blowing quite strongly over the fjord, we enjoy the feeling on our skin, happy that we will have tailwind and sunshine for the journey ahead. Suddenly we hear a bang behind us. Startled, we look at each other, nobody dares to turn around. We both know what the sound means. The question is, one or both? Peter jumps up, it was his bike that fell victim to the wind. With his head down, he inspects the damage. The handlebars are twisted and look quite different from before. Damn... We pack up and head back to the city (Peter somehow with twisted handlebars). A blessing in disguise! The shift and brake levers are twisted inward and he can repair everything himself. Luckily, nothing has broken on the frame, the light gravel grounds are quite sensitive. Quick shopping, packing the bike, there won't be any food for sale for the next 80 kilometers. Shortly after four in the afternoon, we set off with tailwind on the E6 heading south. The landscape changes very quickly the further we go inland. Traffic is moderate. The free, endless view near the sea turns into a dense forest of birches and pines. We ride almost 15 kilometers along two giant, but almost uninhabited lakes - Nedrevann and Øvrevann. Oversized signs warn us that we are in a military restricted area, no stopping, no camping, no photographing (what if the long-awaited moose shows up now?), don't do anything at all. Everywhere there are barracks and now and then we see strange vehicles. It already feels a bit special. The E6 ends in Kirkenes and afterwards begins Russia. So don't drive too far... We won't, we stop in Skoganvarre by the lake for today after 45 kilometers/370 meters of elevation gain, enjoy our little cabin and are glad that the accident from the morning turned out to be fairly harmless. By the way, the yellow thing in the sky from five in the morning is still there...