Above : The old Viking churches in Norway are called “ Stavkirker ”, because of the very special architectural structure . This is Lom Stavkirke in Fossbergom where we had a guided tour by a very entertaining and knowledgeable young Norwegian man , who showed us the graffiti in runes , the Viking letters . Below : Heading for the Norwegian mountains through stunning scenery and almost empty roads . The temperature dropped from two to one digit up here in early June , while it is still summer in the Valley .
Kiel for the night ferry to Sweden . Arriving in Gothenburg we had two days of riding through the rocky and picturesque west coast to the endless pinewoods of middle Sweden , before we reached the border to Norway . On our way we stopped for lunch at a moose farm to get really up and close with the majestic animals . When planning the tour we had put in daily lunchtime cultural events , since Scandinavia has a rich and visible history from even before the Vikings . I loved sharing my knowledge of the Nordic countries and the demand was high , since , I quickly learnt , Kiwis are very curious . Another thing I learnt was how sturdy and tough Kiwis are ! One afternoon the rain was pouring down , but , without any complaints , everybody just geared up and got on with it ; in true Viking style . As a Scandinavian I was impressed - no matter how wet , cold or even snowy it became deep into the breath-taking mountains , we all just pressed on with a laugh and a cheer and an “ it will clear up soon ”. And it always did .
NORWAYS SNOWY PEAKS AND HAIRPINS Once into Norway we headed for the mountains west of the Oslo Fjord . The roads climbed up and down the mountainsides and we rode higher and higher up . Suddenly , the mountains
102 KIWI RIDER