Twenty-eighth day

Honningsvåg - Tromsø 

0km (at least not on the bike)

Incredibly beautiful summer weather with very few clouds on the horizon

This will probably be a short post. The ride on the Hurtigruten was nice and relaxing, but I was a little too tired to fully enjoy the scenery. I first went on deck to enjoy the sun and the view. I was even allowed to go back to my bike and get my bathing suit so that I could use the pool on deck. It was wonderfully relaxing to sit in the warm water, let the sun shine on my face, and watch the snow-covered landscape pass by. It was a luxury that I didn't even dare to dream of in the past few weeks. I almost felt guilty for being so lazy. But I was so exhausted from the sleepless night that I almost fell asleep in the water. So I found a quiet couch and slept for half an hour or an hour every now and then. Unfortunately, these power naps didn't really make me feel refreshed. It wasn't until later in the evening that I started to feel a little better.

I don't think a cruise vacation is for me. 90% of the other passengers were Germans, 60+. And as beautiful as the landscape is, lying on deck all day and letting the sun shine on my face would be too boring for me in the long run, even with the amazing Arctic landscape. But for one day it was completely fine. I mostly felt like a guest or a stranger in this cruise society anyway.

I thought it was funny when there was a fashion show where crew members presented clothes from the onboard shop - to the rhythmic applause of the audience.

I also liked that shrimps were distributed to everyone free of charge. And I learned something on the tour. Don't refuse anything, especially not when it comes to food. I managed to eat 4 plates.

We arrived in Tromsø shortly before midnight, and while 4 buses were filled with people for a midnight concert, I took the side exit as the only cyclist and headed towards the airport. I didn't know exactly where I would spend the time between 12:00 am and 8:10 am (when my flight departs). I was already prepared for an uncomfortable night on an airport bench when I saw a small piece of wasteland next to the main road about 500m from the airport. I quickly set up my tent there and was able to sleep for 4 hours. Now I'm sitting at the gate, hoping that my bike will arrive safely in Oslo, and waiting to board the plane.