This weekend I spent in the mountains between Finse and Hallingskeid in Norway. Allthough it is midjuly, there is still a lot of snow over 1200 m. And the lakes are still covered with ice. On friday, I took the train t Finse, the highest trainstation in Norway. After a couple of km on the Rallarveg, I pitched my little red tent close to Finevatn. Lucky me, because 10 minutes later, the rain started pouring down. Quite cosy inside my tent. I left the tentflap open.
Next morning, just after two minutes, I had to cross a river, and I stripped naked, and walked out into the icecold water. For myself, I don`t like paths when I am trekking, and I left it. Compass and map, those are my best friends. I had to cross one more river, and it was only the boca that wasn`t covered with ice. Quite cold and quite deep. But the sun was struggeling its way through the clouds, and I was able to dry in sun and wind.
I slept in Dyrehola, a place where the reindeer are cooling down on the snow. Acctually I did`t see them, but a lot tracks. If yoy ever come to this area, and you need to, well, you know, there is a toilet close the only cottage that stands close to one of the tree small lakes here. Lovely, since I like a proper toilet.
On sunday, it was a short walk to Hallingskeid, and back home to the ocean again. Here are some pictures from the trip.

Sweden is a strange country , a lot of bears, moose, forest and only a lonely cyclists from Norway. The only advantage is that it is possible to strip naked after a hot day on the road, and jump out into a nice lake. Just until the mosqitos attack my white butt. Last year, during my trip to Northcape, I tried to wash in the sea. Advice to all who like to do trips by bike, never, never, never use the ocean to wash your butt with. If you don`t understand this, try yourself. But Sweden was different. When you are a norwegian, it is obligated to hate the swedes. But I don`t. I love every tree, and that takes a lot of loving, because there are a lot of them. And if you travel slow, you will see the beauty of the flowers, the birds and, of course the trees. I smelled Sweden, and it smelled quite nice, I heard Sweden, and the birds sang nice for me all night long.



Now and then I went into small towns to shop some food and so called beer. I spent their nationalday on a campingground in Mora. The celebration was not big, I could hardly see a flag. I was told that the swedes just started celebraiting the national day three years ago. Midsummer is the thing in Sweden. I don`t know, I wasn`t there.


I came to Sundsvall a sunday afternoon, the sun was shining, my pay had just entered my bankaccount, and everything was ok. Sundsvall is the start of "Høga kusten", the high coast. My plan was to take the ferry over to Wasa in Finland from Umeå. On the map it was just 200 km more or less from Sundsvall to Umeå. And after more or less 900 km in the forest, I was looking forward to see the coastline, after all it is a part of the UNESCO heritage list. But if you plan to do this part of Sweden, you will not see the sea. The cyclepath takes you to the interior again, and yoy will have the chance to say hello to every tree in the nothern part of Sweden. Along the coastline is E4, the main highway. Not very nice to spend time on.

In Umeå, I had my first night in a bed. It was actually quite cool, because Sweden was playing against Greece in the European championship in soccer. Probably was I the only person in the hostel who hoped that Sweden lost, but they didn`t.

All in all, Sweden was nice enough, the swedes are a little bit stiff upper lip, and I was looking forward to a normal beer in Finland.