Our route continued along the Taurus mountain range. This is one of Turkiye’s three largest mountain ranges. It’s located near the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, therefore you can easily admire the great waters from amazing steep cliffs.

A Plethora of Ruins

The entire southern coast on my map is covered with pins marking where the ancient ruins are located. During our tour, we managed to see just the peril of what Turkiye has to offer.

Many of these ruins are “wild.” No entrance fees or tickets are needed, and there are no tourists there. You just need to know where to look. Adventure anywhere!

These Rocks Have Been on Fire for More than 2,500 Years!

Yanartaş – “burning stone” in Turkish. This is a unique place, with the largest abiogenic methane emissions ever discovered on land. Interestingly, the gas emissions are not of volcanic origin.

It’s believed that the ruthenium present in the magma rocks beneath the flames acts as a catalyst, enabling the formation of methane at temperatures lower (below 100°C) than would normally be needed.

The Element of Water

After playing with fire, it was time to cool down. We headed to the beautiful Düden waterfalls in Antalya, and then…

… we were surprised by a powerful cloudburst. It extinguished our hopes of visiting Saklikent National Park. Almost as quickly as we entered we were evacuated because of the threat of flooding in the canyon.

Of course, we tried to ride even in the rain. Every now and then, however, a short but intense downpour, accompanied by nearby thunder, appeared. In such moments, we waited it out under a roof we found. Turkish hospitality is something that will live long in our memory. Each time, the hosts of the inns welcomed us with a smile and a hot çay, and sometimes even with a snack.

Pamukkale Cotton Castle

They are said to resemble cotton. In my opinion, Pamukkale looks more like an open-pit salt mine. I know there’s no such thing as an open-pit salt mine, but it was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the travertine terraces.

At the site, hot springs rich in calcium and carbon dioxide compounds cool at the surface and precipitate calcium carbonate. This process has been going on continuously for about 14,000 years!

How Much Does the Trojan Horse Weigh?

At the end of our tour, we crossed the remarkable 1915 Çanakkale Bridge. It’s 4608 meters long which makes it the longest suspension bridge in the world.

Interestingly, there are some symbolic figures associated with the bridge. “1915” in the name, the date of the bridge’s opening (March 18) and the height of the towers (318m) commemorate the Battle of Çanakkale (March 18, 1915) and the victory of the Ottoman Empire. The span of the bridge (2023m) symbolizes the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the republic (1923-2023).

There’s another interesting thing associated with the city of Çanakkale. If you are familiar with the 2004 film Troy, in which Brad Pitt played the role of Achilles, you’ll probably recognize the horse in the photos below. This nearly 12-meter giant was given as a gift to the city of Çanakkale after the film shooting ended. And to answer the title question of another – this time Polish – film: this Trojan horse weighs 11 tons!

I’ll Be Back

The closer we got to the end of our trip, the more wonderful experiences I had. All of them made Turkiye etched in my memory as an adventurous place.

This is a country that I would certainly love to return to. What attracts the most is the variety of historical and architectural sites, works of art, cuisine, as well as the great hospitality of the Turkish people. It’s a region where motorcycle travelers are more than welcomed, and so far no European country has made such a positive impression on me as Turkiye.

Let’s end this journey with Turkiye’s most spectacular landscapes.

Read the first two chapters of this adventure:

Post Motorcycle Trip to the South of Turkey pojawił się na AdvAnywhere.

We arrived there in the middle of the night, during a huge downpour and thunderstorm. We found a place to stay the night spontaneously, at the last minute, as befits travelers. Mental and physical fatigue was slowly taking its toll. Nonetheless, after finding a place to sleep, we only managed to take a short nap and already had to get up to admire the sunrise.

We got up and took a walk towards the viewpoint. I, as a night owl, had the biggest problem getting up, but the guys convinced me to go. This is one of the advantages of traveling in somebody’s company – you can motivate each other. Alone I might not have wanted to get out of bed so early but in a group, it’s always somehow better.

What we saw was astounding. Still half-asleep, not fully distinguishing between sleep and reality, we admired the balloons soaring over the wavy rocks. It’s one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen.

The brain was already slowly ceasing to function. The line between dream and reality was blurring like never before. Responsible for this was a remarkable fairytale-like view, but so was sleep deprivation. We felt that it was high time to go to bed. After two decent hours of sleep, we were ready for a motorcycle tour of the surrounding attractions and gravel roads.

Without luggage, we explored local gravel roads and off-road areas.

Love Valley and Its Unique Rock Formations

Our first stop that day was the Love Valley. You may guess where the name came from.

These conical geomorphological formations are called fairy chimneys. They were formed by the erosion of less resistant rock (usually tuff), preserving the harder rock – basalt – on top.

Cappadocia is stunning at any time of the year. We managed to reach it before the tourist season started, so we avoided the crowds and spent two days in Göreme, admiring the natural wonder of the region in a low-key atmosphere.

The Biggest Land Art in the World

Land art – also known as Earth art, environmental art, or Earthworks. It’s an art movement that “works” with the environment. Artists utilise materials of the Earth, including the soil, rocks, vegetation, and water found on-site. They also make use of erosion and various atmospheric phenomena.

Andrew Rogers’s created his megalithic work titled “Time and Space” by placing 13 stone structures along a 2.5-kilometer part of the Kardang mountain valley. On Google Arts & Culture you can see a satellite picture of this site. You can see various land artworks, such as a horse. Let us know in the comments whether you found it! Maybe you’ll find also something else?

As an art enthusiast, I’m thrilled by the fact that I had the opportunity to see this masterpiece. Especially since the movement favoring the process of work creation over the end result was an extremely important factor when it comes to modern art development.

Uçhisar – a City with the Rock Castle

In the Cappadocia region, you can admire the rock-cut architecture, such as houses, churches, or even historical, abandoned areas chiseled in volcanic rocks.

You can see the town of Uçhisar from the distance. Its most dominant “building” is a 60-meter castle, carved in a single rock. It stands proudly as the highest point in Cappadocia. The castle is quite different from most other castles you may have seen before. There’s a plethora of bare rock rooms and corridors that don’t hold any antiques.

Red Valley – the Best Place to Admire Sunsets

We finished our day in the Red Valley. This area is a series of many connected lowlands. A stone’s throw from the Red Valley is also the Rose Valley.

We circled around the place, trying to find a road leading to the highest point. Time was running out and we couldn’t decide where to stop. Not because the views were poor but rather because every corner was phenomenal. It was really hard to make up your mind. We were overwhelmed by the number of marvelous vantage points.

Eventually, we rode up to one of the rocks and from there we switched to feet mode, leaving our motorcycles for a while.

Depending on the position of the sun, the rocks turned various shades of red.

We already knew that we’d also spend the next sunrise in the Red Valley.

Sunrise in the Red Valley

It was time to say goodbye to Göreme. We decided to admire hot air balloons taking off and landing for the last time.

Personally, I would recommend spending at least 3-4 days in Cappadocia. However, we were running out of time and we had to move on to the south of Turkiye.

We completed our main goal – reaching Cappadocia. But it wasn’t the end as more adventures awaited us in Turkiye.

If you want to see more photos of the stunning region of Cappadocia, check out this gallery.

Read how this adventure started and how it ended:

Post Motorcycle Touring in Turkey – Cappadocia pojawił się na AdvAnywhere.

Istanbul and First Impressions

Ancient Byzantium, then Constantinople, and since the establishment of the Republic of Turkiye – Istanbul.

More than 15mln people inhabit this remarkable city that connects two continents. Its most recognizable features are the Bosphorus Bridge and the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.

We stayed in Istanbul for two nights to have time to see at least part of this remarkable city.

I was definitely most impressed by the mosques and the adhan “chanted” five times a day from the minarets. In Islam, it’s the call to prayer (salah) recited by a muezzin. Today, loudspeakers are widely used, so the adhan can be heard very well anywhere.

TET Turkiye

In contrast to the city and the vastness of people, after two days of sightseeing on foot, we set course for the TET route. My favorite part of the trip – the off-road driving – began.

Initially, the TET route winded between small towns and villages, and as we moved further east, the landscapes became more desolate.

The rich palette of colors and vegetation was pleasing to the eyes. In Turkiye, the number of species of flowers is about 9,000. In comparison, there are slightly more in the whole of Europe, about 11,500 species. The national flower of the country is the tulip and it’s from Turkiye that it was brought to Europe.

The west-central part of the route is beautiful and quite easy. It’s a shame that we didn’t have enough time to drive it all the way to Georgia.

For one of the Pauls, this route was a maiden voyage through the wilderness, as he’s more of an asphalt enthusiast. Kudos to him for controlling his motorcycle in different conditions and with road tires on. I, on the other hand, felt like a fish in water with my favorite Mitas E-07+ tires.

During our trip, part of the TET Turkiye route led through a large section of road just being prepared for asphalting. We met road workers who were very surprised that we knew this route. They themselves said that it leads through a scenic area and that they like to come here to work. They also showed us which way to go next to see the coolest places.

Non-Tourist Landscapes

Whether riding on asphalt or off-road, the views are picturesque and surprise you with something different every now and then.

Turkiye, thanks to its terrain and abundant rainfall throughout the year, has a very rich flora. It’s home to approx. 3,000 species of endemic plants, i.e. plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Moving away from the Black Sea into the country’s interior, we started heading to the second largest lake in Turkiye. Along the way we bypassed the larger towns and cities, exploring the more remote, non-touristy regions.

The 39°C temperature and often no place with shade was an interesting experience. Even the high speed on the motorcycle did not provide a sense of refreshment.

As avid explorers, one Paul and I would leave the other Paul for some time in beautiful places, exploring on our own some nearby mountain peaks or places that required off-road skills.

From the top, the view would have been amazing, but at this altitude, the clouds were still lingering.

My new Tenere 700 has basically just left the Yama-Sklep.pl | Wojciechowicz showroom. We haven’t gotten to know each other well yet, but I’ve already discovered that the T7 allows a lot more off-road than the old XT660Z. I will soon write a detailed post with the comparison and modifications. I just need to do some more kilometers in different conditions.

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Yama-Sklep.pl – with AdvAnywhere code, you have a 6% discount from us on purchases of accessories and other products! With a great parts search option, you can easily find any part for any Yamaha motorcycle.

Burj Al Babas Spooky Castles

At the last minute, we added the unfinished Burj Al Babas project to our itinerary. It fascinates some and disgusts others. One thing you must admit is that seeing 732 identical, unfinished buildings, without a living soul around, instills a strange feeling.

Beware of scammers who demand $100 for entry. I recommend reading reviews on Google Maps to find out more

Crossing the Tuz Salt Lake

On the way, we also crossed the Tuz Lake, from which salt is extracted. The lake’s salinity is 33%, higher than the Dead Sea, which has an average salinity level of 28%.

We continued on to Göreme, an idyllic city full of fairytale-like “chimneys”, but I’ll write more about it in the next chapter.

Read the next chapters of this adventure:

Post Exploring Istanbul and Turkish TET by Motorcycle pojawił się na AdvAnywhere.

To the South

On the way back, we tried to take alternative detours on gravel and less subsidized roads much more often. This way we could discover the true, non-tourist atmosphere of Norway.

Nevertheless, we think we managed to find a happy medium between city asphalt and wild gravel.

During our north-south “descent” we wanted to spend even more time closer to nature. Therefore, the priority was to find the most interesting places to camp. With a clear conscience, we can admit that this mission was successful.

We slept on beaches, by rivers and waterfalls, in forests, and of course by the fjords. Such moments as Norwegian fiskekaker eaten at sunset over Rosskrepp lake will remain in our memories for a long time.

Arctic Circle Centre

Since it turned out that we still have some time before the return ferry and we don’t have to rush too much, we stopped at the Arctic Circle Centre on E6. This is probably one of the most popular places, so it would be a shame not to see it. The building itself is quite interesting – it looks a bit like a flying saucer that landed somewhere in the middle of the tundra landscape. The 66’ 33” parallel of latitude runs through the building. In front of the center, you will also find a globe sculpture and the original monument from 1937.

The most eye-catching, however, is the wooden monument said to be reminiscent of a giant troll. Inside the center we can enjoy coffee and flavors of Norway and visit a souvenir store, mini-cinema and an exhibition supplemented with information about the place.

Acclimatization

After almost a full month on the road, we had definitely managed to get used to life as motorcycle nomads. Covering several hundred kilometers every day, cooking, and washing ourselves and the dishes in the river gave us more satisfaction than anything else in everyday life.

During such a trip, without all the conveniences usually available at hand, one feels alive. And that they fully manage their own time. The temperature doesn’t play a role, you don’t need a warm, comfortable bed to sleep, and the food doesn’t have to be fancy.

A Bit of Fun in the Field

The aforementioned gravel roads were not only a great opportunity to explore the trails less frequented by tourists, but also… to let off steam. By the way, we had a chance to take additional, interesting photos, which still showed the raw beauty of Norway, but in a slightly more “crazy” version.

Ålesund

Ålesund was recommended to us at the beginning of our trip by a man we met on the road. He described it as “Norwegian Venice” and that was enough for us. On the spot, it turned out that this Art Nouveau gem impresses not only with water channels but also with unusually coherent architecture. Grey roofs seen from the Aksla Hill give a kind of sense of peace and harmony, so ubiquitous in Norway, and so difficult to find in Poland.

Where do such buildings come from? They were built after a fire in 1904 when a wooden trading settlement was completely consumed by fire and the inhabitants lost their homes. Fortunately, thanks to support from various sides, the town was rebuilt and we can now admire the brick buildings in the Art Nouveau style.

Coming back to Aksla Hill, it is only 189 meters high, so it is not very high and you can easily climb the stairs (there are 418 of them). Along the way, we have several viewing platforms, from which we can enjoy a panoramic view of the city. If you don’t have time or are not willing to do some light climbing, you can get to the top by car/motorbike or the Bytoget train. The most spectacular view is of course from the top. We can see the Ålesund panorama, nearby islands, and the peaks of nearby mountains – the Sunnmøre Alps.

Trollstigen

A must-see place, especially during motorcycle trips, is Trollstigen. The road is one of eighteen National Scenic Routes of Norway (Nasjonaleturistveger in Norwegian).

Literally translated as the Troll Ladder – “stigen” means “ladder” in Norwegian – has 11 sharp turns with gradients ranging from 9 to 12%. The vast majority of them require us to change direction by almost 180°. Its most popular section is the one from Åndalsnes to Valldal and it is 56 kilometers long. The entire road from Geiranger to the bottom of Romsdalen is 106 kilometers long.

Trollstigen is called a masterpiece of engineering, and there are reasons for that. The very fact that it was built on a steep mountainside deserves recognition. The fact that construction began almost 100 years ago is even more impressive. Interestingly, each of the eleven curves has its own name, often derived from the name of the foreman responsible for the curve. The road was opened on July 31, 1936, by King Haakon VII, after eight years of construction.

It is worth mentioning that the road goes over an amazing natural stone bridge, located at the 180-meter high Stigfossen waterfall. We certainly won’t forget it for a long time, as this is where we almost lost our drone.

Driving the Troll Road is a thrilling experience. Some sections are cut into the mountains, some are built on stone walls, and the sharp edges of the road reveal the abyss and valley floor. But this is not the only road in this area that deserves our attention. Continuing south on Route 63 we found a beautiful place to stay for the night.

Since there was still a lot of time left before dark, we decided to put up the tent and go for a mountain climb in search of beautiful shots of mountain views. Unexpectedly, it turned out that this is probably our favorite region in Norway.

We slowly climbed to the top, stopping every now and then to admire the views before us.

When the sun began to set we were already close to the summit, so we sped up a bit to take the best seat in this theater of fiery lights. The sunset itself lasted about an hour. Eventually, the sun hid behind the mountains for a while and practically ignored the night, the sunset morphed with the sunrise.

The journey through Norway was marked not only by long kilometers driven during the day but also by hundreds of photographs taken at night. After all, when to sleep when there are so many views around? It’s best not to sleep at all.

What Would the Adventure Be without a Breakdown?

Everything was going perfectly until suddenly, four days before the return ferry to Poland… we got a flat tire.

It was Saturday after 4 p.m. and no one was working in Norway at that time. We started looking for anyone who could help us, and finally, we called the insurance company. Unfortunately, they weren’t very helpful. They did arrange for a tow truck, but it turned out that the nearest workshop it could take us to was 300 meters away, on the other side of the street. Unfortunately, it was already closed and they were supposed to open on Monday.

It was raining harder and harder and we still had 1000 kilometers to go. In four days it wasn’t a problem, but if we didn’t fix the fault right away, we would have to wait until Monday for someone to help with the repair. Then it would be a problem to catch the ferry to Poland.

Unfortunately, the owner of the repair shop, who showed up two hours later, was not eager to help. After all, he was off duty. We only managed to borrow from him a wrench to unscrew the wheel. Kewin set to work and with the help of basic tools started to remove the tire. However, it didn’t look like the operation would be successful without the use of a tire machine.

The weather was getting really bad. We were about to look for emergency accommodation in order not to stay on the street. And suddenly, an elderly man approached us and asked in Polish if we needed any help. We needed it very much! It turned out that the man was another employee of the workshop and seeing compatriots in need he did not hesitate for a moment to give a helping hand. With his assistance, the situation was quickly brought under control.

It turned out that the inner tube was jammed and broke. Fortunately, the tire was whole. A quick glue-up, reconstruction of the motorcycle, putting on the bags, and off we go! All thanks to our guardian angel. It is amazing how sometimes the world can help us by sending such a good soul.

Farewell to Norway in Oslo

We slowly started heading towards Sweden. Since we had some time, we visited Oslo, which was one of the three Norwegian cities where we stayed for longer. The previous ones were Ålesund and Tromsø. Each of them delighted with architecture, whether more traditional or modern.

In Oslo we were definitely most enchanted by the opera house, followed by the food, as we were tempted to visit the Oslo Street Food hall and My Ugly Baby doughnut shop. After a month of cooking on the road, we deserved a decent meal!

The Last Stop – Husqvarna Museum

In the very end, we went to a place that we found by accident on Google maps. We don’t really know how it didn’t make it onto our list of places to visit from the beginning. Husqvarna Museum! We had a chance to admire all kinds of motorcycles that have been built over the years, as well as shotguns and household appliances. There were even sewing machines fished from the depths of the lake! A really interesting place, perfect for the end of a motorcycle adventure.

Finally, the time came for our last ferry crossing. Not in the Viking country anymore, but from Karlskrona to Poland. Now it is time to plan our next trips and discover new places.

We don’t know yet where exactly will take us next time but we already have a lot of interesting destinations in mind!

Post Norway 2021 – Chapter IV pojawił się na AdvAnywhere.

Senja Island – The First Slowdown and a Moment of Rest

It’s been 11 days since we left. After that time you slowly start to notice what you left behind. A bit like when you eat dinner very quickly and only after a while you feel full. It was only after these few days that we fully understood where we were, what we had seen, and what still lay ahead of us.

It was the first time we camped in one place for more than one night. We unpacked the baggage and met a couple of nice Germans, who were also on the road on their BMW GS. They made some space for us nearby and so we created a mini-camp, from which the next day we went luggage-free on a tour around the island.

You’ll Go Furthest on Foot

We arrived at Segla mountain, which was our climbing goal for the day.

The visual experience of mountain walking in Norway was completely different from that of the Tatra or Beskid Mountains. The paths are wide and give a lot of freedom of movement – we do not feel like we are on a track, but rather like we are on an open sea of rocks.

The beginning of the route was rich in vegetation, and the view of what awaited us above was obscured by a dense fog.

At a certain altitude, we went above the clouds and something amazing appeared to us. It turned out that the whole time we were at the bottom of an ocean…. an ocean of clouds, which flowed freely into the Norwegian Sea creating a spectacular waterfall of clouds.

Mountains always impress with something unique. Such a tranquil, quiet, and pleasant place. You can find such peace only on Norwegian peaks.

Segla has a vertical wall falling straight into the sea. The view from the top is stunning and to some extent stressful. It’s simply breathtaking. More photos from this climb here: Segla Mountain.

The Road to Nordkapp

The higher we were on the map, the more polarized recommendations where to go next we were getting. Those from the north admired the south of the country and advised against Nordkapp, while those from the south often said the opposite. Just like in Poland – people from the mountains love the sea and those from the coast escape to the mountains for their vacations. Yin-yang. Many Norwegians we met on the way advised us against taking the road to Nordkapp. They said the route is boring and not particularly scenic. We have seen similar thoughts on various motorcycle groups, but we always keep our distance from subjective opinions.

The truth is, most of it depends on your attitude. I have often read that someone’s disappointed with Nordkapp, that there is nothing there, that it’s not worth a go, Lofoten’s better, etc. Usually, the voice of disappointment came from those who chose Nordkapp as their main and only destination, they rode 900km a day there for the whole week and only found bad weather there. When the expectations are high, the reality can hurt.

The weather was getting rougher and it was getting harder to ride. Fingers and toes were getting numb, and we still had many kilometers to go. The views, however, were still stunning. The climate in the north is definitely harsher, but it has its charm. We did not go for an easy vacation, we wanted adventure!

The (In)Famous Nordkapp

The 307m high rocky cape is connected to the mainland by an undersea road tunnel. Nordkapp is sometimes mistakenly considered to be the furthest cape in Europe. Knivskjellodden on the same island is 1457m further north. You can see it from the Nordkapp observation deck. However, there is no road leading to it. Since both of these capes are on the island, they don’t really qualify for the title of Europe’s northernmost cape. That title belongs to Nordkinn, which is about 68km east of Nordkapp. Even if we were to take islands into account, the northernmost point in Europe would be Cape Fligely on Rudolf Island.

However, Nordkapp remains the most popular destination due to its location, history, and attraction, among other reasons. It is also an endpoint on the international route E69.

There is a beautiful museum, restaurant, and gift store on site.

After seeing everything we could and having dinner at the restaurant, we slowly started to get going. It was raining, very cloudy, windy, and cold. Fatigue was setting in and we considered the option of retreating to a campsite. We even found a free room in an apartment 12km from Nordkapp, just in case.

On the way to the parking lot, a few times other motorcyclists stopped us for small talk. One of them asked us if we were also staying at the North Cape for the night. He showed us that he had already put up his tent, was going to a cafe, and suggested that we join him.

Daniel, our new motorcycle buddy, came up with the idea that we should sit in the cafe until closing, sleep for two hours, and get up for sunrise. It was supposed to clear up a bit by then and we were hoping for good photographic conditions. Check out Daniel’s photos on his website: www.danielfriedli.com/.

The sky cleared up a bit and while everyone was sleeping in the campers in the parking lot, we managed to quietly roll our motorcycles and take souvenir photos from under the famous globe. A huge thank you to Daniel for the whole evening and for motivating us to live an adventurous life!

Time to Go Back

We’re riding back, or rather we’re changing our direction of travel and starting our Norway tour from the north towards the south. We had a few days left and we intended to make the most of them.

This wasn’t the end of the adventures that awaited us in Norway!

Post Norway 2021 – Chapter III pojawił się na AdvAnywhere.

We tried to ride the vast majority of the route in such a way as to pass cities and areas crowded with tourists. On the one hand, we had a lot of time to travel, but on the other, we knew that we would not have enough time for all the attractions we’d like to see. So we decided that our trip would be a kind of reconnaissance. We’ve passed many great national parks that we’d definitely like to visit in the future with a little more time.

Fv17 – The Route of Many Ferries

This road, over six hundred kilometers long, picturesque, and not as popular as the E6, runs through 28 municipalities. Six ferry crossings significantly extend the travel time compared to the parallel E6, but the whole route is much more charming and leads along the coast.

Restaurant on Two Wheels

Norway is quite an expensive European country when it comes to everyday life. Therefore, we limited visits to eateries to one a week. As big fans of rice and pasta, we knew what our meals would look like. For pasta, we had a supply of various sauces, which we brought with us.

For the first few days, the main course was freeze-dried food. We left two packs for a rainy day.

We also had some pasta, bars, and instant soups with us, which gradually disappeared from our luggage.

We bought food at Rema1000 or Kiwi. These are the two most popular retail chains and the prices there are the lowest compared to other shops. Our daily diet consisted of pasta with sauce and chicken, fish, or shrimps.

For our Jetboil we’ve bought dedicated pan support and also a frying pan and a collapsible pot from GSI Outdoors. Together with the folding silicone bowls, our entire kitchen set took up really little space and it was enough to quickly and efficiently prepare the simplest dishes.

You can read our Jetboil review here – Kuchenka Jetboil Zip. Among all available portable stoves, this one is by far the best and gives the most possibilities. In our opinion.

Catching up with the Arctic Circle 66°33’39″N

The Arctic Circle is often associated with a line on the map as high as 66° 33’39″N or 66° 33’39″S, depending on the hemisphere.

The Polar Circle almost exactly marks the boundary between the polar day and polar night, during which the sun does not set or rise for at least 24 hours.

However, in reality, its exact location changes all the time. Currently (since 2015) it is moving away 15m a year to the north! This is because its latitude depends on the Earth’s axial tilt, which fluctuates by more than 2 degrees in 41,000 years.

Despite the fact that the Arctic Circle was running away from us all the time, we managed to catch up with it and even overtake it, entering the Arctic.

Finally, Lofoten

We took the last ferry from Bodø to Lofoten. It was late, dark, and very rainy, and we couldn’t find a place to stay. Only after 2:30 a.m., we reached the camping site where we put up our tent in the rain and went to sleep. Fortunately, we were greeted by the sun in the morning, so we quickly dried all our clothes and set off to explore our dream archipelago in the Norwegian Sea.

We started, of course, with the town in the Moskenes commune with the shortest name in the world – Å. This is also where the picturesque European route E10 begins, which we headed towards the Rørvikstranda beach and from there to the town of Henningsvær.

The goal was fulfilled. When we looked at the map, we realized that we had traveled quite a long way and we were a stone’s throw from Nordkapp. So we set a new goal – to reach the North Cape.

Lofoten may not seem like a large area. This archipelago is 112km long, but it’s packed with so many striking natural wonders that it is worth visiting this region with plenty of spare time. We slowly moved on, having in our head and memory places that one day we’d like to visit again without haste.

Near the town of Henningsvær, a steel fog seemed to cover some areas of its own choosing. The fluidity with which the visible areas were revealed and covered again, gave the impression of a dream, phantasm. Certainly, this magical feeling was accompanied by normal human sleepiness. We pitched the tent on a rock ledge, from where we had a beautiful view of the sea and the lights of a fishing town emerging every so often.

In Lofoten, an unearthly force brings water, mountains and sky together. Everything seems to be closer together than anywhere else. The clouds overlap the rock walls and melt with them in a liquid mirror in the color of the heavens. Everything spins and morphs quietly. It’s great to be in the middle of this mixture and experience the beauty of nature on your own skin.

Time in Lofoten passed so quickly that in a blink of an eye we were in Andenes, where we visited the space center – Spaceship Aurora. There, we’d play the role of real astronauts. Then we went by ferry to Senja Island, which surprised us very positively, and from which we’ll start the next part of our story – Norway 2021 – Chapter III

Let’s end this chapter with a short video compilation from the trip.

Post Norway 2021 – Chapter II pojawił się na AdvAnywhere.

You have to more or less prepare for each adventure. Sometimes it’s just a matter of deciding what to pack before departure, and sometimes you have to carefully plan the route well in advance.

Originally, we wanted to go around the Baltic Sea, but potential border complications due to the pandemic thwarted our plans. Norway dominated our to-see list of things, so we decided that we’d use the time needed to travel the eastern part of the Baltic Sea coast to visit the wilderness of the western and northern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

In our case, the lack of strict rules gives us the freedom to experience spontaneous adventures, so we did not spend too much time planning the route. Norway was closed to tourist traffic most of the time, so we were following information and checking every day if tourists are allowed to enter. We prepared a list of places that we’d like to see, and about a week before departure, we bought tickets for the ferry to Sweden (Karlskrona). A few days later the big day came and we went on a month-long trip around Norway.

Tenere has undergone a few modifications and has been provided with a handful of accessories necessary for a long journey; especially since this single-cylinder motorcycle was supposed to carry us with a lot of luggage. You can read about the modifications here: Yamaha Tenere XT660ZA – Modifications and Accessories.

Packing Up, but Only by the Skin of Our Teeth

During the trip, we wanted to be as independent as possible in terms of accommodation and food.

For everything to fit nicely, in addition to the side panniers, we needed an additional rollbag for the tent, sleeping bags, and other camping things. Unfortunately, it turned out that the Kriega US-40 we chose was stuck at customs. Dozens of phone calls later we made it! The bag came to us literally at the last moment.

In the end, the bag turned out to be perfect, and you can read its review here: Kriega US-40 Rackpack – review.

We packed our Lone Rider ADV tent, sleeping bags, kitchen set, and some clothes – here is the biggest challenge: what to bring to Norway when the weather can change drastically every few kilometers! We had to be prepared for everything. In the south, the temperatures could be over 25°C, while in the north, in the mountains, we sometimes slept in a tent where the temperature dropped to 3°C.

On Friday after work, we did a general packing rehearsal and… if everything’s packed, why not leave the day before?! We did just that, gaining a little more time for our stay in Gdańsk, where we met with our friends.

July 2021. When entering the ferry in Gdynia, the lady in the window asked only for the passports and the booking number. She wasn’t interested in either the Covid passport or the negative test result. In Karlskrona, there wasn’t a single person checking any documents, similarly on the Sweden-Norway border (we crossed in Svinesund). On our way back it was exactly the same - when entering the ferry we were asked only for an identity document and reservation number.

We chose the overnight cruise so we can sleep in a cabin on the ferry. It would seem obvious that since it’s a night cruise you’ll have your cabin easily, but when buying tickets it turned out that some carriers may not have them available. Fortunately, our StenaLine has a mandatory cabin for passengers so we weren’t forced to sleep on the floor. By the way, this was our last bed night in July. For the next two weeks, we enjoyed camping.

After cruising away from the mainland, we felt a great adventure awaiting us shortly.

Nowhere to Sleep

In the morning we sailed to Karlskrona, from where we set off towards the Norwegian border. We wanted to be there the same day. Over 500km passed quite quickly and in the evening we could start looking for some accommodation. As it turned out, it was the most difficult thing during the whole trip. The southern part of Norway has quite a lot of buildings so wild camping spots are unlikely to be found. Despite the very large reduction in the number of tourists, all the campsites in this area were full.

It was getting late (but not dark) and we couldn’t find a place to put up a tent for three hours. Eventually, someone recommended us a new campsite that had just opened. There was a free spot and it even turned out that a Pole was the owner.

Locals Know the Best Routes

To know which way to go, we decided that the most important place to visit is the Lofoten Islands, and we’ll figure the specific route while on the go.

During the ferry crossing, we met two local, experienced motorcyclists who eagerly showed us the most scenic and winding routes to Lofoten. Not all scenic routes are obvious to tourists. The most obvious ones are often overcrowded and do not fully give the vibe you’d like to experience.

Hytter and Forest Surroundings that We Didn’t Get to Know Fully

Although they invite with their atmosphere, they terrify (at least us) with the price. The cheapest accommodation in such a hytte is close to the cost of a 4-star hotel in Poland. And it’s still the cheapest form of accommodation in Norway. Unfortunately, our budget didn’t provide for sleeping conditions other than those in a tent. But anyway, we enjoyed the forest trolls climate, surrounded by hytter, with our snacks.

In all of Norway, in addition to such commercial cabins, there are also a whole lot of free, publicly available hytter. These, however, are usually located near footpaths in forests, so we haven’t had the opportunity to experience them either.

Norwegian architecture delighted our eyes every time we passed it. We have even prepared a separate collection of the most interesting photos of Norwegian houses – Life in Norway.

The Right to Roam

Driving further north, we saw more and more wild and beautiful regions. From now on, there were so many places where you’d like to pitch a tent that it was impossible to choose the most scenic one. And so we rode and rode, hoping that it’d get dark so we’d be forced to choose a place.

In Norway, Allemansrätten (sv. freedom to roam), applies, which, among other things, allows you to put up a tent anywhere. Of course, provided that you respect nature. To our surprise, it turned out that a one-day overnight stay in a tent is allowed even in private areas, provided that their presence does not disturb the privacy of the landowner. If you wish to stay longer, you must obtain permission from the landlord. You can camp at least 150 meters from the nearest house or accommodation.

The Troll Showed Us the Tongue, or Rather the Middle Finger

We love hiking and we knew from the beginning that we’d spend a lot of time hiking in the mountains. Our first goal was Trolltunga. Unfortunately, we had a miscommunication with the parking boy, who convinced us that if we take the bus, there will be only 1km to reach the top. It was around 10km, which (despite our willingness to do so) we could not cover that day. The weather was bad and we weren’t prepared for the rain trek. So we walked a few kilometers and quickly, in rainproof motorcycle clothes, we biked away on our two-wheeler from the rainy front.

The next day was already very sunny, but we had to move on. We have to visit Trolltunga again when visiting Norway one more time.

Camping above the Lærdal Tunnel – the Longest Road Tunnel in the World

When most of the travelers were focused on a tunnel that is over 24km long, we decided to go to the top of the mountain through which the tunnel passes and set up a camp there. In the end, we passed the tunnel the next day, and the second time on the way back. Before we set up camp, however, we went to admire the late sunset, surrounded by the breathtaking Aurlandsfjord, visible from the Stegastein viewing platform.

That evening the world was bounteous for us. We had the opportunity to observe a very rare phenomenon called noctilucent clouds. These beautiful and unique clouds are the highest clouds observed from Earth because they are 75-85km above the surface! They occur only at the specific latitude (50-70 degrees on both sides of the equator) when the sun is 6-16 degrees below the horizon in summer.

The adventure was just getting started, but we will write more in the next posts – Norway 2021 – Chapter II

We also encourage you to visit the photo gallery, where there are many more photos from this and other expeditions.

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Prepared for a lonely journey through the wilderness, I decided to leave, once again limiting all contact with people. A motorcycle and a tent are all I need to be able to travel and admire the beauty of nature without risking anyone’s health.

The plan is simple but somewhat imposed by the pandemic. Departure from Poland in the morning, overnight stay in Croatia in the evening. This time, without a stop other than at a gas stations. A very specific ones. But more on that later.

On the day of departure (17.05.2021), a stay in Slovakia is limited to the transit of 8 hours only. Hungary, on the other hand, must be left within 24 hours and only on designated highways. In addition, parking is only allowed at designated petrol stations. At the Hungarian border, I received a map with marked roads and stations. Of course, these were toll motorways and state gas stations.

At the Croatian border, a certificate of a negative Covid test performed no later than 48 hours before crossing the border, was required. It went smoothly at the border crossing, after midnight I was already setting up my tent.

The first destination in Croatia, even before the TET tour, was the abstract Monument to the Uprising of the People of Baniovina and Kordun. I won’t outline the historical background; if you’re interested more in the topic, you can refer to Wikipedia and other reliable sources.

The TET route has changed compared to last year. The old route is impassable and now leads through the national park, but it only made me want to discover the unknown more. Before I got to the starting point, however, there was a series of snakey asphalt roads and several off-road sections waiting for me.

Finally, I got to the desired views. Red rocks, sea, and mountains.

The route began with a trip to a rock shelf and then led through great-quality forest gravel.

The most difficult episode of the new TET appeared quite quickly. Muddy terrain that, after heavy rainfall, can actually be a challenge for heavy motorcycles with luggage. The irony!

Fortunately, our Polish TET, which we once rode with Paweł, and once with Przemek from enjoyenduropitbike, prepared me enough for this section. My favorite Mitas E-09 Dakar and E-13 Rally Star tires played a big role there. The latter one is my new discovery, which you can read about in the short review.

Some say that mud will seal each tire and each tire becomes just as slippery. I do not entirely agree with that. Croatian mud hides stones and rocks underneath it, and knobby tires are able to use them as attachment points.

Forest areas in Croatia are still heavily mined. Yes, you read that right. Mined. There are areas where you can only walk and ride along the designated paths, and going deeper into the forest can end really badly. If you are interested, I can point you to Wikipedia again, so you can read about the 90s war in this region.

The farther from the coast, the more often there are mine warning signs along the roads and they should not be taken lightly.

The wonderful day of driving and photographing landscapes was over. Hard to believe that I managed to see all these beautiful views in just one day. Croatian TET is great especially for beginner travelers for many reasons. Apart from the fact that most of the route is relatively easy, it’s also effortless to find accommodation or a shop. You can go down to the coast in no time. And there just find a campsite.

I continued to the south. Stones on the trail were increasing, just like the temperature, which is fine for me.

Although the ride was smooth, it was hard not to stop every now and then to take a photo. Every five minutes there were landscapes that were even better than the previous ones. But if you wanted to photograph them all, the route would take 10 instead of 2-3 days! And I had so many places to see!

I finished the TET route near the city of Zadar.

From there, riding the already well-known roads, I visited the surrounding attractions and headed to my favorite city – Makarska. And just like in the previous year, I set up a camp for a few days there. There are many great spots in the area that are perfect for one-day trips.

It is worth seeing the Blue Lake and the Red Lake, but most of all the Biokovo National Park and its highest point – Saint George’s Mountain (Sveti Jure).

On the way back, I stumbled upon the front. Instead of running away and looking for shelter, I wore the Rev’it! raincoat and moved towards the front. Playing a storm hunter was great and the atmosphere above the helmet was unique. I became even more convinced that thanks to a motorcycle you can be closer to all wonders of nature.

The last part of the trip was the Krk island. As always, I met many interesting people and travelers on the road. Greetings to you all!

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