My first major motorbike ride was from Noord-Holland to the Nordkapp and back. Since it was the first time I planned going on a multi-day bike trip I had no idea how far I would get, well it ended up being 100030km and lasting 5 1/2 weeks. On my bike, a BMW F800GS, I had an onboard camera that shot a total of 75 hours of video. Sadly even those 75hours are not the full trip, I am missing parts and a few days, because the camera had the annoying habit so shut down when I started my bike, so I always had to remember to restart the camera after getting gas. But even those 75 hours of video provided me with enough material to make at least 5 more videos like the ones below, and I really should cause now the first video start half way in the trip.
The Beginning
The beginning of my trip, but sadly not the true beginning because the first few days I was still trying out the best way to use the camera. So the first video I have is from Denmark (the Great Belt Bridge/Storebæltsbroen) and than the southern Swedish countryside.
From Vilhelmina to Norway
After visiting my friends Kris and Erika in Vilhelmina I headed to the Norwegian coast. This meant crossing the mountains and the very scary Steinfjelltunnelen.
Catching the Train
Trying to catch the train in Norway north of the arctic circle. One of those random moments of my 10000km bike trip that stays in memory.
The beautiful Norwegian Coast
After crossing the arctic circle I followed the beautiful Norwegian coast all the way north until I crossed the mountains in the direction of the North Cape.
Nordkapp
The ride to Nordkapp was already worth the trip, since I was lucky the fog/clouds were not to bad. But after a while visibility went to 10 meter and less. The large group Italians must have been extremely disappointed because they only could make pictures of gray fog. That same fog made the ride back a serious adventure.
Nordkapp time-lapse
A time-lapse shot from the onboard camera of the fog on the Nordkapp coming and going. Timing is everything when visiting the Nordkapp, you can have the most beautiful view or you can be staring in a white wall of nothing.
Lonely road from the North Cape to Tana Bru
You probably have to come from a country like the Netherlands to appreciate this video. Let me explain, in the Netherlands there is no place or time of the day that you can go for a ride without meeting cars, seeing house, hearing airplanes or seeing Chimneys of factories. So when I rode from the Nordkapp to Tana Bru I ended up on a road where I hardly met anybody, which was an very interesting and also a somewhat scary experience.
Visit to the Norwegian-Russian Border
My idea was, after having visited the most Northern part of Norway, to visit the most eastern part of the country. But on my way to Vardø at the end of the E75, the wind got stronger and stronger and I ended up in a serious storm, the wind was so strong I simply could not keep my bike on the road, so I had to turn around. So instead the most eastern point I visited the “almost most eastern” point near the Russian border.
Trying to avoid the Reindeer in Finland
After my visit to the Russian border I headed south to Finland. That was also the first time I had to actually keep my eyes open for Reindeer. Reaching the Arctic Circle again, this time from the north, really made me realize I was on my way home again.
From Finland to Sigtuna
Crossing the Finnish-Swedish border, passing the most northern Ikea on my way to Sigtuna (near Stockholm) to visit my friend Johan. Nice ride in the evening sun.
Flight over Stockholm
After a very nice ride from Finland back to Sweden I stopped in Sigtuna (near Stockholm) to visit my friend Johan. Since he is a pilot we put the “only flying in more fun” saying to the test. I am not really sure if the saying is true, I really like riding my bike, but flying over the Stockholm area certainly was fun.
Heading Home
Nothing much to explain about this, after 5 weeks and 10000km I am heading back home, passing through Denmark and Germany, via the Øresund Bridge, the German Autobahn and the Afsluitdijk.
From Noord-Holland to the Nordkapp and back, 10000km in 4 minutes
As a joke I made a time lapse video of all the material I had, which ended up being the following 4 minute video. To reduce the 75 hours to 4 minutes I had to speed things up 1100 times, so the result looks rather silly. To make it even more silly I added the most annoying music I could find (you have been warned).