5. The fates of King Olav. And a cyclist.

In 1030 King Olav went to war from Sweden to Norway along the route that is now called St. Olavsleden. On July 29 a battle with a peasant army near Stiklestad cost him his life.
If Olav knew this would be a cycling route at some point in the future, he might have chosen a route that was not so steep and rough. But maybe he was not only a warlord, but also a nature lover. The area in between Stiklestad and the border with Sweden is the most wonderful part I have seen on this pilgrim route. And I think that Olav, like me, only had drizzling rain. That discourages people and slows you down in the slippery mud. Ingredients for a lost battle...