Orson

Shropshire County, with its rustic manors and pastoral settings is as nice a place as anyone would want to spend their languid summer afternoons. Crisscrossed with old canal routes and small farming villages, it's the perfect getaway for city dwellers eager for some peace and quiet. Why would anyone want to leave? Unfortunatley, team orson is smitten with the wanderlust bug and can never stay in one place for very long. The fjords of western Norway beacon. We bade farewell from our English hosts and make our way across the Midlands towards Newcastle on England's east coast. Along the way, we pass through the walled city of York, the spiritual capital of northern England for over 2000 years. Here is the famous York Minster, sight of the famous Pudding Rebellion of 1612. We also make our way past Richmond Castle, built by the Normans shortly after William the Conqueror's victory over King Harold. We finally arrive in Newcastle and after getting lost on the wrong side of the river, we finally make it to the ferry port by the 11:00 A.M. check in time for the 2:00 P.M. sailing. Waiting in line to board. After boarding and securing the bike, we make our way to our cabin. The ferry is quite nice with clean, well-lit cabins, several restaurants and even a cinema. We settle in for the 26 hour crossing to Bergen. We arrive in Bergen under overcast skies at around 5:00 P.M. the following day. Surrounded by hills, Bergen is the former capital of Norway and its waterfront is a UNESCO Heritage site. The next morning, we make our way inland to some of the surrounding fjords... I lost count of all the waterfalls. There must be at least a bazillion of the things. This one was encountered on the way to Sognefjorden. First sight of the Sognefjorden with the town of Vangsnes bellow. Notice the GS trying to horn its way into the picture. These guys were everywhere! First of what would be many ferry rides. This one across the Sognesfjorden. Now we're talkin'. The sun was starting to make an appearance. The road along the western edges of the Jostedalsbreen Glacier was bliss for a motorcycle. Still alongside the Jostedalbreen Glacier... By late afternoon, we were approaching the Geirangerfjord. The Geirangerfjord is used in many tourist brochures for Norway. In spite of being well inland, large ships can navigate it. You can just barely make out the road making its way up the opposite side. If you squint, you can just make out team orson's team yacht at anchor A view from the other direction, looking down at the town of Geiranger. Another view... We stay the night in Alesund, a charming fishing town along the coast. The next morning we head out to explore some of the valleys near Alesund. The famous Trollstein Pass... Riding along another fjord. Traffic was relatively light. I seldom encountered another car and if I did, I quickly found my way past it. We'd spent too much time lolling about the fjordland. We needed to start making tracks towards the north. Heading out after a morning rain shower. North of Steinkjer, we leave the fjords behind and the terrain turns to smaller but still respectable mountains and pine forests. After a full days ride from the fjords, we finally cross the Arctic Circle into the land of the midnight sun. By now the terrain has evolved into more worn mountains and rolling hills. It takes another 2 full days of riding above the Arctic circle to reach the ethereal Lofoten Islands. These are the true soul of northern Norway. Even under rainy skies, the majestic beauty of the Lofotens shone through. Some might say that their true beauty is revealed in inclement weather. Just hope you're not on a motorcycle. After several days in a row with at least some rain, I finally needed a break from riding. I took a hotel room in Bodo and took the time to get my laundry done and look about town before heading south along route 17. Route 17 can be compared to California's Pacific Coast Highway if in scenery alone. The road itself is barely more than one car wide in places so, it's not a road you'd want to rail on. There's also several ferry crossings along the way to make you stop and smell the roses. Heading south... Yet another ferry! They didn't seem to run regularly. If you didn't arrive just at the right time, you might be sitting for up to an hour. More views of the Norwegian coastline along route 17. Finally, after 5 days above the Arctic Circle, the sun began to fight its way through the clouds as we approached the fjordlands again. Back in the fjordlands, we crossed the Jotunheimen ice fields... before dropping down to lower elevations. Cruising along the Lustrafjorden. The blue of the fjord doesn't come out in this photo. It was the most vibrant glacier blue. View from the hotel. The road leading down to the valley below. heading towards Oslo finally... The traditional turf roof of the Nordic homes. Approaching Oslo, the terrain began to resemble western Oregon with scenic rolling hills. After Oslo, I headed down the coast towards Sweden. The part of Sweden I crossed resembled Pennsylvannia farmland. In Sweden, I came down with a terrible case of food poisoning. Thankfully, our resident Dane, Tikkanen lives near Copenhagen, Denmark and graciously took me in and nursed me back to health. I was laid out for a whole day before feeling well enough to continue. It was touch and go there for a while with funeral plans being discussed at one point. Many thanks to Soren and his family for helping me out in my time of need. Where would we be without the internet community. Soren even rode my bike down to the local shop to have a new rear tire fitted while I was laid up in bed. A big thumbs up to our v11 community After one last ferry crossing to Germany, I was running low on time so, I Autobahned the length of Germany down to Munich. I was then able to enjoy a day in the Alps before arriving at team orson's home base in Parma, Italy. Recap: 18 riding days / 2 rest days Days above the Arctic Circle- 4 Distance traveled- 8250 kilometers / 5126 miles Ferrys- 16 Reindeer sightings- 0 in the wild Citations- 0 Pucker moments- several Bee stings- 0

...and cornering speeds. 250cc two-stroke gokarts lap Laguna Seca faster than 1000cc superbikes because of higher cornering speeds according to gokart racer Eddie Lawson. regarding consistency...Kevin Schwantz won 6 races in 1989 and finished...4th? I still can't figure that out

What happened to the Scotland points? I thought you took care of those on the Scottish rally. at this rate you should reach 100,000 miles before long!

I think the museum inside the factory is open on weekdays from 4:30 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. or some such odd hours. Definitley a must see Bellagio is a beautiful town across the lake from Mandello. Another favorite town of mine is Merano in the Sud-Tyrol region. It used to be part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and most of the people there are fair-haired. Beautiful town and it's on the way to Passo di Stelvio. The Cathedral in Milan is worth a walk-thru. Hotels near Mandello?...I couldn't find any and had to go north along the lake another 10 kilometers before I found a little hotel near a ferry landing in the town of Varenna. Lots of gas stations close down for lunch from about 11:30 to 2:00 P.M....even though their signs say they're open...be sure to top off your tank before lunch! They are getting more modern convenience stores that stay open 24 hours but don't count on finding one when you need it

...and we'd just about gotten over that McEnroe guy

So, are you supposed to stir it up or leave it settled on bottom?

I'm not much a beer fan, in fact, I rarely drink the stuff. I'm more of a martini guy. 2 martinis and you're set However, I did have a beer once while in Freiburg, Germany that was delicious. I think it was Czech beer but I'm not sure. Anyways...it had some yeast in the bottom of the bottle. I don't know if you were supposed to stir it up or leave it settled on bottom. In any case, it was excellent, like the proverbial liquid bread

I hope he was facing Mandello! Great pictures

Excellent! Thanks all for your help

Yikes! The ferry company doesn't suppy straps? I'll have to remember to bring some rope when I go to Ireland.

Thanks for the road tips now if gthyni can tear himself away from the World Cup, I can get some Swedish road tips

No...I have nothing figured out Nothing set in stone. Just to stay along the coast...I think I read somewhere that it's called Highway 17?...up to the Lofoten Islands. I had originally planned to go all the way to the Nordkapp but I read that there isn't much there other than the claim that you made it to the northernmost point in Europe. I'm not sure if that's enough to lure me up there After the Lofoten Islands, I was thinking of heading back south...I don't even have a map of Norway yet. I was planning on buying a map when I got off the ferry. Not very much planning, huh

I'm trying to secure passage on the July 7 ferry to Bergen. I reckon I'll be in Norway for a week to 10 days before I start heading south. Thanks for the offer. I may take you up on it I usually try to avoid big cities when on bike. They're nice to visit on foot but hell to navigate on a bike Is July a bad time to try to find hotel bookings? I usually travel in June but this year I've had a late start.

you have a surfboard? In Iowa?? just kiddin....beautiful bike

I'm asking assistance from our Scandinavian contingent. I'm hoping to take the ferry to Bergen then head north to the Lofoten Islands before turning south towards Germany. Are there any route recommendations through Sweden & Denmark? Thanks in advance

I think Emilio Alzamora won the 1999 125cc title without winning a race. The only rider to have done so.

Thanks for the info Last summer, I rode thru Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The roads in Romania gave me a beating!...but the scenery was outstanding!...that is if you can get past being stared at as if you just stepped off a UFO! Once they get some E.U. funds for their roads, it will be a top touring destination. I was surprised with the quality of their hotels. Comfy and with English TV stations! Slovakia was great! Friendly people and the High Tatras are beautiful. Prague and Budapest were great. I preferred Budapest as it was further off the beaten tourist path than Prague. The architecture was stunning!

Anyone's plans firming up yet? If not, I may decide to shoot for Norway this year (ants-in-pants mode). Also...does anyone know if you can just show up for the Newcastle - Norway ferry or are advance bookings recommended? I'm not so much worried about bike space as much as being told that there are no cabins available and that I must sleep on a deck chair is Whitchurch, Shrops to Newcastle an easy day's ride or should I break it up into 2 days?

I ride 8 to 10 hour days on my Tenni without any major aches or pains other than the normal fatigue. I came from an FJ-1100. Granted the FJ had a plusher saddle but, I have no major complaints with the Le Mans. As a sport tourer, it does the job nicely for me I'm 6'2" with a 32" inseam.

Sorry to hear this I have 27,000 miles on my Tenni, travelling all over Europe. The only glitch being 2 rear wheel bearings. I have a feeling that having it set up by a good dealer may have something to do with it.

This is just my opinion but... the section of Pacific Coast Highway north of the Golden Gate Bridge is probably the best stretch of road anywhere on the planet you would be remiss to travel all that way and not do at least a bit of it. my suggestion (if you're short on time) is to go at least as far north as Highway 128, then turn southeast towards the Napa wine growing region. The coastal section is absolutely gorgeous. Highway 128 cuts through some lush redwood groves and is also very nice. I've ridden in lots of countries and I've yet to find a road that matches the Pacific Coast Highway for scenery, weather & twisties

HA! That'll learn him!

holy smokes!! They've just showed this race on the telly here in Saudi... That's a "racetrack"??? It looks like some farm lane!! Those blokes are kamikazes! Great racing...wheelies galore and full open throttle followed by desperate attempts at braking. Makes the Isle of Man seem like one of those new "safety tracks"

y'all don't mess around with that "see if she floats" method they use in the states 720 miles on day 3...crickey From the map it looks like you covered all of Scotland in one day! You don't mess around my longest day ever was 675 miles in 12 hours and they had to peel me off the bike after that! Well done!

Interesting to read about the "timekeeping" aspect of your ride. kinda like an off-road enduro. I might fancy a go at one of these things one day