7th June 2023 (sunny and hot) 37 km

Last night our air bnb host had told us he wouldn't be staying home that night so to just make ourselves at home. He left at 10.30am and we went to bed.

Some time in the night I went to go out in the hall to go to the toilet and heard a strange rustling sound, kind of like somebody dragging a dead body across the floor in a plastic bag. I instantly closed the door and hissed to Pete,  there's somebody here! My mind searched for rational answers but also wondered, did I really hear that?

I opened the door again and all was silent so I zipped across the hall to the toilet while Pete stood guard.  I returned the favour but quickly abandoned my post when I heard someone coming in through the front door.

It sounded like more bodies being dragged down into the dungeon which they could access from the stairs by the dining room without coming down our hallway.

We reasoned that it must be another guest checking in, even though it was 1.30am!  Managed to sleep until 4.30am and then got up and made a cup of tea while we updated the blog.

While we were having breakfast,  the body draggers emerged from downstairs about 6.30am and we got our own back, scaring them to death with a cheery good morning. They instantly scuttled back downstairs before emerging again with all their luggage and leaving.

Pete here: Woke at 4.22am this morning after a restful, but short sleep. Pleased to find that my ankles are back to normal and Julia is almost there as well. (But will she ever be truly normal?)

We used Jon's wifi trying to find bike shops, camping grounds and phone plan places, which took us through to 6.30am when we ate breakfast. Basically the same as last night's meal, but this morning we had some quinoa as it's gluten free. It was fine with milk and some yogurt to flavour.

Our camping site options around here are severely limited, with a lot only taking vans, so it looks like we'll be forced into a lot more freedom camping. Packed our gear and were on the road by 8.30am heading into Oslo city.

Julia had sourced a cycle track, which for the most part did the trick and took us alongside the river which was a very nice alternative to being on the road. 

A nice little resting stop in the shade. It was already very warm.

Stopped to take a picture of a church set back from a park. Some kids from the local school were having a fund raiser and obviously with God looking down, we caved and gave them 40nok, or $6. Normal coffee, black and no sugar. It was disgusting and we both tipped them away discreetly in the foliage. I could hear God laughing as we sat there tasting it and saying  'Gotcha ya bastard'

Pete in his office, blogging while waiting for the bike shop to open.

The lilacs and the church 

Just behind the church, we stumbled across a bike shop.  It was due to open in twenty minutes, so we waited. As I only needed a spring for my front axle, the bike mechanic smiled when I asked him how much and opened a drawer full of them and said no problem, I have many.  I fitted the spring outside the shop and we cycled on. 

Had some things to get including sorting Julia's phone plan, which we did next. Bought a couple of bananas then to a camping and cycle store for camping gas and bike lube. This was a big cycle store and I couldn't believe that they had no lube at all. The young guy who served me gave me his, that he'd only taken a small amount from for half price.

Had a pleasant wander/cycle through town while collecting our bits and pieces.

Cycled down to the front and ate our bananas in a small park. Sun was now out in full force. Down on the fjord, we spent some time getting shots of Akershus. This medieval building, built in the 1300s to protect and provide royal residence, is still an impressive entrance from the fjord.

The wall of Akershus Fortress 

Akershus castle and fortress were originally completed in the 1300's and modernized in the 1600's.  I'm glad nobody decided to modernise it since then.

 

Met two young German guys. Dennie from Dresden and  Jonathon, from a town 70km from him. They had only met on the ferry over from Denmark and were doing individual train and cycle tours of Norway. Both were like us, on the road for three months.

The old boats moored in the heart of the city give Oslo it's own distinct identity.  Even though there's no Eiffel Tower or something similar, we found Oslo to be a clean and vibrant city, easily navigated on a bike and a general pleasure to be in.  Of course the sunny weather always helps.

We wondered if these coveted mooring spots right in the centre of Oslo were connected to the apartments behind them....we suspect so.

The master at work.

Picked up a salad and ate it in a city Square overlooking a massive cruise ship. Brody called us to let us know what he and Gigi were up to and it was lovely to see and speak to him, albeit briefly.
Headed south out of Oslo around the fjord.

Yachts and launches lined the marinas and its easy to see why Norway is one of the wealthiest countries. It's on show in all aspects of their daily lives. Julia had been messaging a guy from warm showers to try to get us some accommodation around the fjord so that was where we headed. With a stop on the way to pick up a USB charging block, we continued. It was very warm in the afternoon sun, but better than snow in Tromso. 

With all the stopping and collecting, the day was moving on. Around 3.30pm as we rode through Sandvika we spied a beach packed with people, mostly on the sand, but the odd ones swimming.  Obviously that meant we had to go join them, being odder than most.  Even though our mileage was only around 25km at this point, the early start and lack of sleep demanded a wake up dip. Couldn't believe how popular it was at this time of day, although the location was gorgeous. Both wondered as we walked toward the water, just what the temperature would be, but we were amazed to find it between seventeen and eighteen. A sunbathe on the beach provided an afternoon nap as well, before pushing on the final 10kms.

The  final one and a half kms was quite a climb, some on gravel and just a very small taster of what's to come down the track.
At the house we were met by two nice young guys, Hokken and Ivan, whose father, Petter, was the host. He had taken another cyclist he was hosting out on his boat, moored down in the bay. To our surprise when he arrived home, the fellow traveller was Jonathon.

We spent a lovely night and enjoyed a nice meal and great conversation, some of which was hearing about Petter's travels all over the globe and his upcoming one year ride through Africa.
I grabbed a late shower and although I went back to chat, found myself very sleepy, which caused an early departure to bed. By this time it was after 11pm.