Harwich, Esjburg, Copenhagen, Malmo, Gothenburg, Oslo, the Fjords, Bergen, Newcastle ferry.

The weather dictated that this one be done at the height of summer. The last week of June and first week of July 2004. We had decided on a circular route and for once, planned the trip. The size of the countries and small population didn't fill us with the same confidence that we'd previously relied on, that we could just pitch up anywhere and find a B&B. So our overnight stops were pre-planned and accommodation pre-booked. All found on the internet, Steve had done the research and using the available addresses, typed them into AA AutoRoute to guess some approximate grid coordinates for the most basic type of GPS.

The ride out of London on the A12 on a Wednesday afternoon was dull as we again headed for a late ferry. This time from Harwich to Esbjerg. Ferries crossing the North Sea are much smaller and less frequent than the cross channel counterparts and the trip was planned in reverse. There are only two ferries a week from Bergen to Newcastle, so we estimated number of days for the trip and worked backwards to choose our outbound crossing. Having been assisted in lashing our bikes down, we relaxed safe in the knowledge that no matter how rough the crossing, the bikes would survive even if we didn't and made our way via the cabin, to the bar, for our first taste of Scandinavian bar prices.

The following morning we disembarked for the ride across Denmark to Copenhagen. A comfortable days ride on the relatively empty two lane motorway, punctuated by short petrol and coffee stops where we were served by a stereotypically beautiful Scandinavia blonde. The other stereotype of the day, the weather, torrential downpours, welcome to a North European summer. Our waterproofs were worn daily on this trip !

Copenhagen gave us an evenings sightseeing and entertainment. Much like the rest of the trip, Switch/ Maestro is rarely accepted in Scandinavia and therefore of little use, and photo ID such as passport of drivers licence needs to be produced with every Visa transaction. By midnight I was making a call to my bank, my card already having been blocked for an unusual spending pattern.

The next morning saw us ride over the bridge past Malmo and head north to Gothenburg and despite an A road detour between Gothenburg and Oslo, the roads and scenery were uninspiring. The best was still to come. We took a day off to see Oslo to sight see and our bikes remained safe in the on-street parking outside our hotel opposite the needle exchange. The Police patrols were regular and welcomed.

Escaping Oslo in the Monday morning rush hour and torrential rain we headed north towards the Fjords. Chasing the gaps in the clouds, as we cleared the city the amount of traffic on the road reduced until by mid afternoon, we seemed to be alone. A little detour to visit a Stavkirke (stave church) and we pressed on to one of the ferries that crosses the Fjord and to Sogndal before dark. It's a one bar town, and a one restaurant town, come to think of it, it was pretty much a one of everything town - like the one other customer in the bar.

We rode around the shores of Sogne Fjord and caught the next ferry to Dragsvik where we turned north up a B road to Forde. The road bore around the shore of the Fjord before climbing and turning into an amazing set of hairpins. As I braked hard and turned into a sharp left-hander I noticed smoke from my left foot. I stopped and checked my bike to find the engine spewing oil at a consistently steady quick drip which landed on the exhaust when I leaned over or put the bike on the side-stand. Being miles from a bike shop I topped up the oil and making regular oil check / top up stops, I gently rode the bike back the 100 or so miles to Bergen by the quickest route. My fun sharply curtailed during the best stretch of road all week.

We stopped for couple of days in Bergen with friends before getting the ferry back to Newcastle. It departs late afternoon and first stops in Stavanger before crossing the North Sea and arriving on Saturday evening. The A1 southbound on a Saturday night was the most congested road of the week and brought us firmly back to reality.

Looking back on the trip, as far as interesting riding goes, the first three days was wasted, but we did get to see three cities that we probably wouldn't have otherwise visited. Next time, we probably head straight for Stavangar or Bergen and go north into the Fjords. Each Fjord ferry crossing probably set us back another £15 each and considering that there are 2 or 3 between Stavangar and Bergen alone, choosing your route and departure point can make a considerable difference.

Click here to see the Google Map of the route.