Home sweet home... This year, everything was different. For the first time, I actually felt like staying home. When I left, we’d only been living in our new house for a month, and I was so excited about starting this new chapter! But at the same time, I was also incredibly eager to head off to Scandinavia. And there was more that made this year different.
I had my hair cut for the very first time in Norway. And for Sigrid, who wants to become a hairdresser, I was her first customer. Sigrid is the granddaughter of Wenche, the pilgrim leader of Avaldsnes. I stayed with her and her husband John for a few days last week.
(About the title: Veni Vidi Fietsie / Veni vidi vici… I came, I saw, I conquered. Famous words of Julius Ceasar after a victory in 47 BC. Apart from the fact it alliterates nicely, the last word ‘vici’ sounds like the Dutch word ‘fietsie’ (spoken as ‘feet-see’) which is slang for small bicycle.)
This year, everything was carefully planned, which really isn’t like me at all. I prefer the freedom to manage my own time and to respond to spontaneous or unexpected things along the way. It's just so hard to estimate in advance how long something will take. Cycling 20 kilometres in the Netherlands takes about an hour if you push a bit. But in Norway and Sweden, I’m not only dealing with elevation gain, I also need time for 'research'. I often stop to take photos or videos, and I make notes (by dictating into my phone). I regularly veer off-route to test alternative roads. You simply can’t rely on satellite images or Google Street View, no matter how recent they are. So some days, I might need a whole day to cover just 30 or 40 kilometres. A few days ended up being a bit overambitious in terms of distance, but most of the time it worked out fine. I also had some rest days built in, which gave me space to adjust when needed, and allowed room for spontaneity. "You'll probably find it's actually quite nice to have some structure," a friend said before I left. And she was right. Sometimes it was even genuinely helpful to be able to say, “Sorry, that doesn’t fit into my schedule.” Ahem…
So yes, I’ll be keeping that schedule! The main reason for having one was all the appointments I had along the way. Logistically, it was a real puzzle, I had to coordinate with everyone’s availability (a challenge during the short Nordic summer), and also factor in travel time by car and ferry.
All those appointments were another reason why this trip felt so different. Or to put it better: why working on the Kystpilegrimsleia, the Coastel Pilgrim Path, is so unlike working on my other routes. This is the first guide I'm creating on commission, which means I’m collaborating closely with the four local pilgrim leaders involved. There's a lot of interaction, even outside the summer months. We regularly email and hold online meetings. I’m really looking forward to seeing the final guide! It’s scheduled for release at the end of 2026, so it’ll be a while yet. But first, another guide will be published: the S:t Olavsleden in Sweden. That one’s almost done and is due to be released later this year.
In the last newsletter, I was nearly in Bergen. I spent a few days there before continuing via the key place of Moster Amfi to Avaldsnes. On the final leg, I drove home via Stavanger (where I wanted to cycle a suggestion from a Norwegian cyclist) and Varhaug (where I stayed at a pilgrim accommodation in an idyllic spot). On my last day in Norway, I visited Bøye and Vigdis in Flekkefjord before heading to Kristiansand. From there, I took the ferry to Hirtshals in Denmark. And, right on schedule, I arrived home on Tuesday.
I started this newsletter by saying I’d almost have preferred to stay home. But after seven weeks in Sweden and Norway, I can look back on an amazing, eventful, meaningful and deeply inspiring summer, one I wouldn’t have missed for the world!
For those interested, you’ll find a trip report below covering the journey from Bergen to the end.
Bergen
Bergen is a cyclist’s paradise! The city boasts an extensive network of separate, two-lane cycle paths, with a separate lane for pedestrians. And those mountains? You simply cycle straight through them! There are several bike tunnels that save you a fair bit of climbing. In fact, Bergen is home to the longest cycle tunnel in the world, an impressive three kilometres in length. Thanks to a clever choice of lighting, colour, and temperature, it doesn’t feel claustrophobic at all, and before you know it, you’re through to the other side.
That doesn’t mean you can cycle around Bergen without having to tackle any hills, far from it! For example, I’m staying at Hostel Montana, and to get there from the city centre it’s four kilometres of non-stop uphill. Most neighbourhoods are built on slopes, so be prepared for some serious pedalling if you plan to cycle around.
View from hostel Montana:
The Coastal Pilgrim Path for cyclists enters the city on mostly flat terrain, following a series of separated cycle lanes and passing through one of the tunnels. Leaving Bergen, however, involves some climbing, but that’s a problem for later… Bergen welcomes you warmly and is reluctant to let you go ;-). Especially when the weather’s fine, the city has a cheerful, vibrant atmosphere. And with an average of 165 dry days per year, your chances of good weather are pretty high!
If you're staying a few days, there’s a beautiful cycling route that will let you explore Bergen in all its diversity: the historic city centre with its many narrow streets and colourful houses, two city parks, and the stunning “Løvstien” or “Lovers’ Path”, where you can cycle while enjoying breathtaking views over the city. Of course, “view” often means “climb”, but the reward is well worth it. You can also go through the world’s longest cycle tunnel if you like, though that’s entirely optional.
Løvstien:
The world’s longest cycle tunnel (3 km):
Key place Moster Amfi
Last week, I paid a working visit to Lauritz, the pilgrim leader of Bergen. We met at the Hordamuseum in Fana (just south of Bergen), a small, beautiful open-air museum.
Afterwards, I drove on to the key place of Mosterhamn (Moster Amfi), with its stunning old church and amphitheatre. I didn’t take any photos of the church, as I’ve visited it several times before (and already have plenty of pictures).
In the adjacent religious and historical centre, there is an impressive permanent exhibition titled “From Paganism to Christianity.” However, I found the new exhibition even more powerful: “Frå makt til rett – kven har makt?”, in English “From Might to Right” – Who has the power?” It illustrates how values, societies, laws, and power structures have evolved over the past 1,000 years. The exhibition aims to raise public awareness about the importance of safeguarding the values and democratic principles, that form the foundation of our society today.
I was deeply moved by this exhibition. It offers plenty of food for thought about freedom and equality – values that, under today’s increasingly right-wing Western governments, may well be at risk.
In one of the photos, you’ll see a short excerpt from the 2023 New Year’s speech by the current Norwegian King, Harald. It reflects on the word ‘we’ — a small word, but one that, in my view, speaks volumes.
Karmøy and Key place Avaldsnes
I would have loved to show you just how beautiful the island of Karmøy is, but the mist had other plans. I was there to map out a cycling route, but that quite literally fell through the fog. So: I know for certain that one half of the route is stunning, and I have a strong suspicion the other half is too.
The photos start in the south, in the picturesque harbour town of Skudeneshavn. Then there’s the pilgrim accommodation Fredtun. Åkrehavn and Stol were hidden in the mist. Then the pilgrim accommodation Magesingården and finally the Olav’s church in Avaldsnes
Varhaug
The night before last, I slept at the pilgrim accommodation Huset ved Havet in Varhaug, which is located between Stavanger and Egersund. I had a view of the North Sea. In theory, I could have swum home. So far the theory...
The photos show the church in Varhaug and the accommodation.
