It was the day Remy discovered that "tagging along for a day at Gea's work" is deeply tiring. And that the research for the Coastal Pilgrims' Route is now completely done. And the day we decided that having a proper holiday in Norway is too complicated. Far too complicated. We're changing course!
"This is what I've always wanted, Remy. A chauffeur-driven car while I'm in Norway. Someone to drive me around while I sort out all sorts of things on the way." It was meant as a joke, but that's basically how it's gone. In the beginning we still swapped now and then, but ever since we left Lars's place, Remy's been driving. Because yes, there was quite a bit that needed sorting out.
After Trondheim we wanted to head south along the Coastal Pilgrims' Route. That's not strictly necessary, but it's useful for the guide that's coming. What was necessary, though, was cycling a stretch of the route near Brekstad. That was the very last bit I hadn't done yet.
Yesterday I managed to tick that off. In the rain, with a decent wind. Remy cycled along dutifully. Yes, dutifully; and I was grateful for it. We took four hours over an 18-kilometre stretch. There was sightseeing (Austråttborgen and Ørland church), photographing, note-taking, a small detour, a small change of plan… and Remy pedalled along at his own pace, waited patiently time and again, and was occasionally my photo model on request. Even when I asked him to "just act like you've completely had enough of this." Surprisingly, it turned out he was rather good at that.
That was yesterday afternoon. In the morning we'd been hunched over my laptop in our hytte at the campsite. We checked Yr, Norway's go-to weather site, and typed in Smøla. Rain. Then Molde. Rain. Then Selje, Bergen, Avaldsnes, Stavanger. Rain, rain, rain, rain… "Well, it can only get better from here" is our usual line. But this time neither of us said a word. We could see a month ahead of us filled with nothing but sightseeing and social calls. Sitting indoors with everyone, hoping for better weather in between so we could actually cycle. Logistically it was already a challenge as it was. Because we'd arrive too early at X (still on holiday), too late at Y (only just on holiday), and Z was only available between such-and-such a time. It turned into an absolute puzzle. "Doesn't fit"… I kept muttering with every piece.
"Remy, I don't want this. I want a holiday!" As much as I'd love to see everyone - and honestly not, or especially not, purely on business terms - I also long for one care free cycling holiday. Blissful cycling, tent in tow. No arrangements, just stopping somewhere in the afternoon or evening, pitching the tent. A bit of rest. Some real pilgrimage. We're so ready for that! Our last proper holiday was in May 2024, in England.
We looked at Yr again and typed in "Åland." Sun! And around 20 degrees. That's where we're going! The Åland Islands had been on our list for ages. Even on my list before I met Remy. It had already been on the cards for this summer before we changed the plans a dozen times over. We looked at the St. Olav Waterway website [link] https://stolavwaterway.com/en/ and the inspiring little film by Sacha on the Nordic Pilgrim website [link] https://www.nordicpilgrim.com/st-olav-waterway#anchors-mhp0yf986. And yes, it is a pilgrim route, even an Olav path, and maybe a guide will come out of it one day, but we have no obligations there, nothing required.
And now we're on our way to the east coast of Sweden. Since we'll be back in the car for a good while again, and therefore not moving nearly enough, we're stopping over at Joar and Magni's in Voll. We're staying two nights here and tomorrow we'll walk a stretch of the Olav path. A stretch you can't reach by bike, and one I've never done before. It should be mostly dry tomorrow. The next day we'll carry on, driving to Grisslehamn in two days, about 150 km north of Stockholm. There we'll leave the car behind and take the ferry with our bikes to Åland, the largest island in the archipelago between Sweden and Finland. And yes, that's Finland! A first for us, as we've never been to Finland before. We'll first cycle a route of our own devising across the islands to Turku, mainland Finland. Then back via the St. Olav Waterway. That's the plan for now, anyway; though a lot can still happen in three days…
Photo's
Trondheim. We had a meeting there with Guro, the interim manager of Pilegrimsleden.
The loop near Brekstad. When the weather's good, it's a beautiful loop:
In Brekstad, we were queuing for the ferry. I’d know what to do if I were a hooded crow, too. A boat like that is much easier than flying the whole way.