We left Riniken at 10.30. The sky looked very ominous – but we got to Basel, via Stein and Rheinfelden, on the German side, in the dry! Very pleasing. We caught the City Night Line to Berlin. It was very comfortable despite the cramped conditions. But it was a bit of a hassle loading and unloading 8 pieces of luggage and a bike – hopefully this will get easier.

The biggest problem of the day was to decide when to leave home. We had all day for a 3 hour cycle ride, but we wanted to do it in dry weather. Unfortunately, the weather forecast was not good with rain showers expected. Eventually, we couldn't bear the suspense of waiting any longer and set off at 10:00 despite there being showers around. We were lucky. We got to Basel in the dry.

As expected, the climb from Riniken to Alt Stalden at the top of the Bözberg road to Basel was tough. After that, it was a simple ride down into Fricktal and over to Stein on the Rhein. We decided to cycle from there to Basel on the German side of the border, mainly to avoid a long hill on the Swiss side between Stein and Rheinfelden, but also in the hope of having a better cycle track.

So, after an hour's lunch break in Stein, we crossed the river and followed the German cycle track to Basel. It was much better than the Swiss route. We arrived in plenty of time to have a leisurely meal and still have to wait at the station for a long time.

The train came in and we loaded the bicycles and all our bags. We were very relieved that the tickets were in order. We had bought them at Waldshut railway station after a very long session at the ticket office. The price (EUR 218) was much less than we had been quoted at the railway station in Brugg. Our 2 berth compartment was the usual cramped City Night Line sardine tin, but it was comfortable and got us to Berlin without trouble.

Arrived in Berlin at about 08.00. Had a quick sight seeing tour - beautiful city, very open. Even the East side looked impressive. Lots of cyclists and we had good weather. Early afternoon we caught the train to Rostock – a pretty town. Spent the day, after having found the quayside, taking buses, S-Bahns and cycling to Warnemünde – a small, pretty, very touristy , place on the edge of the estuary. It was sunny and extremely windy. We are now waiting for the ferry, which we finally boarded at 00.45!

Our ferry from Rostock wasn't until the late evening so, in the morning, we just tootled around Berlin, visiting the Brandenburger Tor and Alexander Platz. In the early afternoon, we caught the train to Rostock. At first, the train was very crowded and it was a bit difficult with the bicycles because of a large group of Italians. Once they left the train, it was fine.

The first thing to be done in Rostock was to find the harbour. This was a nice 12 km cycle ride out towards the coast. Again, the ferry tickets to Helsinki proved to be in order, so it was then a question of what to do for the 6 hours until there was any hope of boarding the ferry. The harbour was definitely not a nice place to stay. There were almost no passenger facilities except a simple waiting room. The lady in the office suggested getting the bus to Warnemünde, essentially Rostock's coastal resort. It was necessary to get a bus because the route there involved going through a tunnel where bicycles were not allowed.

The bus essentially just went through the tunnel to the village on the other side. But the ticket was also valid to continue on the S-Bahn to Warnemünde, which is what we did. It was incredibly windy and very sunny there – not conducive to try going for a bathe! We did, however, find a very good restaurant for an evening meal. We then got the S-Bahn back to Rostock and cycled out to the harbour again. We then had a very long wait before we could finally board the ferry at 00:45.

Rest day at sea – strong winds and huge white horses during the morning and early afternoon. Thanks to stabilizers ( I assume) the ship didn't pitch or roll making the crossing pleasant. By evening the wind had dropped and there were no more white horses. Slept well.

We just spent the day sitting on the ferry to Helsinki in beautiful weather. We had a picnic for lunch and a restaurant meal in the evening.

Arrived in Helsinki to blue skies and warm. David had planned 106 Km. - turned out to be 122 Km!

A lone German cyclist tagged on to us and squealed when D. wanted to take the motorway ring-road (no cyclists). So we asked a local, he, unfortunately, sent us the wrong way. As a result we lost an hour in time and lots of energy and added 10 Km to the journey: we were not amused!After 35 Km I was dead – almost- and ready to give up, but after a break, something to eat and buying some provisions, we set off again. I needed that break. Things improved, we chugged along and the km. slipped by – fantastic weather, beautiful scenery. Had supper in Lahti and then on to the camp site – was I glad to get there! Slept well.

A hard, long day, made 10 km harder by not finding the correct way away from the harbour at the first attempt. It was a blue, sunny day with a gentle head wind. With a struggle, we made it to Lahti for evening meal, and then on to the camp site on the lakeside at Mukküla, where we were able to slake our thirst with lots of tea! There were no cabins available by the time we got there, so we had to put up the tent.

A short day – only 70 Km. To the next camp site Sysmä. The first 20Km were hard – my legs didn't really want to pump. We made it to the camp site just before it started to rain in earnest and we treated ourselves to a hut. David was surprised that huts were so cheap – 30 Euros. Tomorrow is a rest day.

A very nice and easy day, despite one or two steep hills getting away from Lahti, and a ridiculously steep cycle track getting into Asikkala. The weather was fine, cooler than yesterday, but with a front advancing on us from the south. It caught us up and started spitting just 10 km from Sysmä. However, we got there more or less dry and booked into a hut for 2 nights, just before the rain started properly. Tomorrow's a rest day.

Glorious weather all day – short cycle ride after a long lie in, snack lunch and a swim in the lake, then a good meal in the evening – salmon and a baked potato.

Tomorrow, work again.

There's nothing really to report. We tried unsuccessfully to find the museum near the church and had a nice meal in a rather unlikely looking restaurant in the town. The weather was fine.

Left the camp site Sysmä earlyish as it was forecast to be a hot day, but it turned out to be not so hot and a little bit cloudy – ideal for cycling. The first part was nice and gentle, but later there were some tough hills. We had a fry-up lunch of hot dogs at a private boat house by a lake. The owners turned up before we had finished, so we felt obliged to leave early. As a result we were able to catch the bus fro Korpilahti to Jyväskylä, just like that (a young girl was standing at the bus stop informed us were the bus was going to) It was the bus that we wanted – what luck!

Then in Jyväskylä, we found the Tourist Information Office, with 5 mins. to spare and found that there was an evening bus to Pyhäsalmi – we couldn't believe our luck. We arrived at the camp site at 22.45, booked a small hut ,then after a shower joined a Finish group round a camp fire They had been to Inari for midsummer – it was cold. Hope it's not so cold for us.

Met two very pleasant Fins.

One was the owner of a boat supplier, about 10 Km from the camp site, in the middle of nowhere and not a lake in sight. Despite not being able to speak much English, he got to find out where we came from, where we were going to etc, etc. We bought 1.5 l of grapefruit juice from him and discussed all this whilst drinking it.

The second was an invalid. He helped us to while the time away whilst waiting for the bus at Jyväskylä. He was very pleasant and had obviously come to terms with his disability.

The weather started out sunny and hot, but it turned cloudy after an hour or so, so it was perfect for cycling. The hills were hard going, but not as bad as I remembered them from last year.

The hamlet of Luhanka is about 1 km off to the side of the main road. We missed it out since I remembered that it wasn't really worth the detour. Instead, we plodded on up and down the hills through magnificent scenery. At one point we came to a small lake with a run-down little hut, all deserted, so we stopped and cooked hot dogs for lunch. Unfortunately, the owner and his children turned up whilst we were there, which caused us to rush an otherwise pleasant, if rather too large, lunch.

On getting to the junction with the E63 it was bus time, and there was a young lady waiting at the bus stop. What luck, a bus to Jyväskylä was due! We rapidly unloaded the bikes, took off the pedals, turned the handlebars, etc., and there was room for them in the hold of the bus, just!

We got to Jyväskylä just before the Tourist Office closed, in time to discover that there was a bus to Pyäsalmi at 20:05, arriving at 22:45. This gave us 2 hours to have a Hesburger (the Finnish competitor to MacDonald's) equivalent of a fish-mac (we were still rather full from the hot dogs), remove pedals and turn handlebars again, and talk to a very pleasant chap in an invalid carriage in the warm evening sun until the bus came.

Again, there was just room for the bikes and all of our bags. It was a very comfortable and fast 180 km bus ride in a setting sun, which never set! We had front seats. The camp site had a very nice, if small, cheap, semi-detached hut available for us. A perfect end to a hard day.

After a leisurely start we pumped our way to Pyhäntä. Beautiful day – quiet roads, then dirt roads. The dirt roads were a bit rough – lots of stones. The last 2Km was horrendous – never forget it. It had just been 'repaired', and that meant loose gravel deposited on to the road without being rolled in, it was hard work. Cycling on the tarmac road afterwards was like a dream! The hotel was also very welcome when we got to it.

This was a beautiful day cycling cross-country on dirt roads, just like last year. The weather was nice and sunny. We saw some cranes, but not much else. The last 2 km of gravel road were very tough – newly laid, uncompacted gravel. The following 30 km of asphalt were a dream, almost flat and smooth with no traffic. As there is no camp site near Pyhäntä, we booked into the hotel on the lakeside, and had a swim in it to celebrate the nice day. It was very shallow and peaty, but not too cold.

After breakfast, which we had in our room, which was nearly soaked because we had turned the 'fridge' off overnight, we set off along the road to Kestilä – 30 Km. There we had cake and two glasses of milk. Milk, I found , is a very good stoking fuel – lasts a long time. The next stop was Kylmälä, where we had a salad and milk in a shop that sells everything and is also a restaurant. It was easy cycling and the wind sometimes helped. It was then on to Utajärvi, by this time my legs were getting tired, but we got to our hotel and after a welcome swim in the lake we had a super meal. I think that we are the only guests. I'm glad that tomorrow is a rest day!

It was another beautiful day, not too hot, about 6 drops of rain, and the wind, although generally against us, was only very light. There were also no hills to speak of. The only complaint was the last 6 km of gravel road, about 35 km from Utajärvi, which was quite rough.

We had phoned ahead to the hotel so, although there was no one in the hotel when we arrived, there was a note and room key waiting for us. The hotel is just as nice as last year, and the evening meal excellent. It's serious mosquito country, though. The swim in the lake before dinner was glorious, even though the water is incredibly brown.

A very much needed and appreciated rest day. Had a snooze after breakfast. Cycled into Utajärvi for lunch, shopping and Internet. The libraries offer free use of Internet. Sent an e-mail to work. Went for a walk along the river bank – took a while for the legs to start moving smoothly. Weather forecast is cold for the North Cape – 6 degrees and rain!

We just pottered around the small town of Utajärvi, and walked around the area of the hotel. I tried to catch small fish in the lake with a rod and line, but just fed the fish with worms. We went for a short walk on the other side of the lake from the hotel and saw a hare.

After a welcome porridge for breakfast, we set off – cycling on the main road went well and quickly. Then cross country started – i.e. dirt roads, which weren't too bad to start with, but after a while turned into newly laid gravel – but it was course, so course that we had to push the bikes – fortunately , for not too long. The wind was against us, but we found a very good sheltered spot for lunch and the sun shone as well. We were able to shelter behind a big pile of silver birch trunks ( they were everywhere and are used for making paper money). Then we continued to Pudesjärvi where we once again had the good luck to catch the evening bus to our next destination, Rovaniemi – a 2 hour bus ride. We found the camp site and pitched the tent, for the second time. It was a good but expensive site.

This stretch was just as hard as last year, but in different ways. There was a head wind for most of the day, especially the first 40 km of tarmac, which seemed to be a real drag. Then the first stretch of gravel to Olavsjarvi was very nice, but then the following rough stretch to Keinasperä was very hard. Last year it had been squidgy, this year it was rough and stony. One stretch of about 700 m was so bad that we had to push the bikes.

Eventually we were through, but it was Friday evening traffic for the last 12 km to Pudasjärvi, which was very unpleasant. The weather had started to turn cold, as forecast, but we managed all day in shorts with occasionally a wind proof top.

In Pudasjärvi we were rather surprised to find a Tourist Office, and it was open. Again, we found that there was an evening bus that we could catch, this time to Rovaniemi at 19:35. We had 3 hours to wait – no problem! We just went back to the town's by-pass, where there was a not-very-satisfactory Hesburger restaurant, and then prepared the bikes for transport, waited a bit in the cold, and again had front row seats for the 2 hour bus ride.

Eventually, we got to Rovaniemi and found the (very expensive) camp site. Unfortunately, we had to use the tent again.

Slept well and had a late start. It was cold! Over breakfast – a cup of tea – an Australian woman wouldn't stop talking to us, so we didn't leave the camp site till about 10.00. Then it was into town and the Tourist Information Office to find out and make sure about the camp site we were aiming for really did exist. It did, which was very reassuring. Then it was breakfast in a coffee house, then shopping for supper and lunch. It was 12.00 before we finally left Rovaniemi, rather late for a long ride. It was a hard struggle all the way; a cold strong head wind, which fortunately warmed up later on, but still didn't drop, with the intermittent light shower. Once again, we were lucky in finding a sheltered spot for lunch – someone's private drive up to their cottage, but it served us well. Then it was a long slog to the camp site We arrived at 18.00. It was the most idyllic camp site yet. Well cared for lawn, sloping down to the river; 3 huts of varying sizes, plenty of room for tents and campers, shower and loo were little log out houses but with running hot and cold water.

After supper(soup and sausages) we made a fire in the 'gazebo' ,a hexagonal log hut with a fire in the centre and reindeer skin on the benches – very romantic. Hopefully the wind won't blow so strongly tomorrow!

It turned out to be a good night's sleep, but what a cold and windy morning. We packed up, made a cup of tea, and went into Rovaniemi to the Tourist Office. We needed to check that there would, indeed, be an open camp site at Ounasmökit, 80 km away and half-way to Kittilä. The girl in the office found the site on the Web, phoned them to check which side of the Ounasjoki River it was on (the east side), and to see if there were huts available. Everything was all right, so we had a coffee and sandwich as breakfast, bought food for an evening meal, since the camp site is in the middle of nowhere, and eventually set off, rather late.

The cycling was a real grind against a cold, strong, head wind with lots of long, but not very steep, hills. It felt like uphill all the way. Not a single kiosk or coffee bar. Somewhere soon after Rovaniemi, we crossed the Arctic Circle. In the end we arrived. It had rained on and off all day, but never enough to get us wet. It was our first day in long trousers, long sleeves, a raincoat, and spats over our shoes to help keep warm.

The camp site is a dream. It has a huge, emerald green meadow and a nice, heated hut for us (only EUR 30) where we could cook our soup and sausages. Now we're sitting around a camp fire in a small, mosquito-free octagonal hut to drink a beer and write diaries.

Left the idyllic camp site at 08.45 – the wind had dropped, praise be! The first 10 Km were dreadful. We stopped for a coffee and doughnuts. I couldn't get my doughnut down – why does one have these crises, is it psychological or to exhaustion? Afterwards everything went all right. At Kittilä there was a fête – we had a look round, lots of stands and a fairground. At Sirkka the weather looked very ominous. I suggested staying in a hut rather than camping. The hut was more like a semi-detached house in what looked like a newly created village for skiing. It was pure luxury – kitchen, bathroom, TV, dryer, settee. Needless to say, we did some washing with these facilities. No sooner had we got into the hut then it poured – glad that David listened to me. Weather forecast is miserable, hope it's wrong because tomorrow we start to cross the wilderness.

Ounasmökit camp site is really very pleasant. It should do more to advertise itself. We ate a box of muesli and yoghurt for breakfast, and then set off for Kittilä, with Sirkka as our ultimate goal.

The wind was still against us, not as strong as on the previous day but still just as cold, if not colder. At least there was a café after about 20 km with milk and doughnuts, but that was it until Kittilä, 4 hours later. We looked around a fair in Kittilä, had a sausage, shopped, and then had a drink in the town's hotel, before setting off for the last 20 km to Sirkka. All in all it was a fairly dull day, with just 2 reindeer to liven it up.

Sirkka/Levi is a Finnish ski resort and we are here in the off-season, of course. We found a most luxurious hut for only EUR 45, presumably the off-season price, but the meal in the restaurant nearby was a disappointment. We were a bit too late for normal Finnish eating times. The weather forecast is miserable with temperatures down to 5 or 6 degrees with rain. I guess we've got to get wet sometime – it hasn't happened yet!

First day into the wilderness – with great trepidation after the weather forecast predicted +5 degrees and rain. We set off under heavy skies, but no rain. After a while it began to drizzle, then it got serious. Stopped to put on leggings and spats. After a long while could see a break in the clouds and it slowly started to clear up, or rather the rain got lighter. One and a half hours later we risked taking off our leggings and spats and they stayed off. All day we could see showers around us, but somehow we only we only got the fringes of them. How lucky can one get!

The wilderness was beautiful – just like Norway, but flatter. Quite a few cars and campers were on the road. I'm not sure if I felt very superior to them or just plain mad. However, we cycled on and got to our destination. The hut was very nice, but with no running water and no showers. It had a sauna and the owner lit the fire under a huge container of water, so we had our shower – 'Fosslia' style – but also with a warm changing room. Supper was new potatoes and melted cheese on top – scrumptious!

P.S. We saw, very close up, an albino reindeer.

It was another cold morning, 7ºC, and a miserable weather forecast – rain all over Finland, though more in the south than in the north, and staying cold until Wednesday. Today should be the worst, though. It was not very auspicious for setting out into the wilderness to Pokka and then on to Inari.

As we left Sirkka, the clouds came down to ground level and the rain set in. It looked as though it had set in for hours and, given the forecast, it looked as though this could have been the start of an epic. But, after half an hour or so, there were signs of it clearing up, and we were soon cycling in the dry again. The dirt road, which started at Köngäs , about 8 km from Sirkka, was dirty and wet, but that, too, soon started to dry out. After that, although it stayed cold, all the showers passed us by and gave us, at most, only a few drops.

The cycling was as enjoyable as last year. It's true that there are some long, straight sections, which go on for ever, and some very steep, though short, hills, and it's gravel all the way to Pokka, but the going is, on the whole, quite easy. We stopped at about 14:00 for the usual brew-up and sardine sandwiches, but by then we were only 15 km from Pokka. We met an albino reindeer on the way.

At Pokka, there is a small choice of where to stay. We picked Majava, based purely on the quality of its signposting! The hut is very simple, as usual in our price category, and the site has no shower. Running water is also only available from an outside tap. But the hut is very cosy (heated) and only cost EUR 22. There is electricity and good cooking facilities. The owner heated up a huge vat of water with a wood fire in the sauna, which gave us a very good strip wash, just like in front of Fosslia. Afterwards, we went up to the Pokka bar, a few hundred metres back along the road, for a microwaved hamburger, then came back to the hut and boiled new potatoes and melted some cheese on top of them for evening meal. It was delicious.

Once again, heavy skies and cold. It's tough when it's cold, the main difficulty is keeping warm when one stops. It rained, but not too much. The wilderness is impressive, but very boggy, not many reindeer as a result and also relatively flat. Arrived at Inari after 8 hours on the road. Recovered after having had a super meal of soup and reindeer meatballs – all home made. As it was a 3 hour wait for the bus to take us to the camp site and it was cold, we decided to cycle – got there an hour earlier as a result. After a shower one felt like new again. We chatted to an Australian couple, sitting round a fire in a 'wigwam', who had been to the North Cape – said it was foggy and cold. Very pleasant evening.

P.S. Saw 6 reindeer clipping their way over the road, on the way to the camp site Their hooves made a very dainty, almost dancing, click clack sound on the road.

As expected, this was a hard day. There is a sign every 10 km to tell you how far it is to Inari and, since it starts at 100 km, they go on for ever. The cold weather (12ºC when we reached Inari, much colder for most of the day) makes it hard work. When one stops, one gets cold and cannot have a proper rest, which gets to be very tiring.

Apart from one nasty hill after about 50 km, the going was quite easy. The road from Pokka to Inari is asphalt, and there is very little traffic. We had to put on waterproofs for a time in the morning, but otherwise the showers missed us. We're supposed to be in an area where there is 24-hour sun. We didn't see the sun all day! There were a few reindeer around, and lots of bird calls, but the event of the day was to see a crane at very close quarters wading at the edge of a lake by the roadside. It flew off when we got near.

Eventually we got to Inari feeling pretty pooped. I wanted to get to this camp site, Jokitörmä in Kamaanen, because of its nice setting and facilities. The next bus was at 22:05 which, even after having a really delicious meal of home-made soup and reindeer meatballs at the same restaurant as last year (EUR 46 for two), still meant waiting 3 hours in the cold to do just 27 km. Kari eventually worked it out, without my help, that we could cycle it in less time and keep warm as well, which we did. It wasn't very hard, though the road is the E75 again and quite busy, even in the evening. The extra 1.5 hours gained at the camp site were well worth the effort. Again, we were able to get a nice small hut. The price (EUR 33) is a bit higher than other sites, but the facilities here make it worth it.

After all the usual camp site chores of showering and washing clothes, we then sat in front of a camp fire in the camp site's Sami tent (they are like wigwams), and chatted to 2 Australians over a beer until 00:30. This, by the way, is still serious mosquito country. A camp fire in a wigwam gives one a nice escape from the insects.

Rest day – very much needed!

Spent it pottering, checking buses, making plans and washing. It's supposed to be +2 to 3 degrees at the Cape – not much fun when it's so cold. The owner of the camp site is a weaver, her loom was up in the breakfast room. Had a chat to her about weaving – she has woven some of the rag-rugs in the huts.

We did nothing all day, except enjoy breakfast in the camp site's beautiful breakfast room, and have a meal at the restaurant just up the road.

Woke up to blue skies, no wind and warm! What a treat after the last few days. Had a big breakfast, then started pedalling – it felt very easy going, after the head winds from the previous days, despite the steep uphills. We saw two elk – the great excitement of the day - and heard a cuckoo.

Crossing the border was a shock, everything was so expensive in comparison to Finland. On the way, by bus, we saw many reindeer. Suddenly the trees disappeared and the landscape became very bleak but very beautiful. The camp site looked very exposed and the wind was blowing strongly, it was quite a struggle pedalling against the wind. I thought to myself that we are taking a hut whatever the price, and the price was the biggest shock of the day, twice the price of Jokitörmä for exactly the same facilities. I thought David was going to turn it down! The skies were clear and would be a good night to see the midnight sun. Hope we are lucky tomorrow.

This was a super day. The weather has finally warmed up again, so that it is possible to cycle in shorts and short sleeves. We had also had a rest day yesterday and good breakfast this morning, so the km ticked up quite fast, despite the very steep hills in the first 30 km. We averaged 16 kph for our first 50 km, including a stop for a drink (milk) and doughnut.

The big excitement of the day was the sighting of 2 elk not far from the road. They were huge. We also heard a cuckoo and saw a waxwing. Reindeer, of course, are not a novelty any more.

We were at the Norwegian border in Karigasniemi with almost 3 hours to wait for the bus, so of course we continued on to Karasjok to wait for it there instead. It was all very scenic and easy going. The whole cycling exercise today was, of course, not really necessary. It was simply to avoid waiting in Kamaanen all day. The bus that we caught in Karasjok at 18:10 (Norwegian time) drove through Kamaanen at about 17:00 (Finnish time). All we achieved was probably a saving of about EUR 35. As it was, the bus cost EUR 78.80 for the 180 km to Repvåg, not too far from the Nordkapp tunnel. We could have stayed on the bus all the way to Nordkapp, but that would have spoiled the Nordkapp experience for Kari, viz. cycling through the horrendous tunnel followed by the strenuous 25 km from Skipsfjord to the Cape.

When we got off the bus in Repvåg at 21:30, it was bitterly cold with a strong wind. We had about 2 km to cycle out onto a peninsula to the Repvåg camp site and, when we got there, we had the shock of Norwegian prices. This hut cost NOK 490 (including NOK 10 for a shower), i.e. EUR 65, that's about the same as the hotel in Pyhäntä, and that had a private bathroom and kitchen! By the way, between getting off the bus and the 2 km to Repvåg, we might have seen an eagle.

Woke up to clear skies. Is that a good sign? The wind was blowing strongly across the track to the main road. Fortunately the road was in the shelter of the wind – the going was a lot easier than expected. Beautiful scenery, very bleak. Can imagine it would be very uninviting in winter and when stormy. The big event of the day was going through the tunnel connecting North Cape Island to the mainland. It was cold, steep(9%), long (7 Km) and tough(220m.h.d.) One wobbles a lot more easily in a tunnel than out in the open when going up a steep hill. But we made it – once is enough. Whilst resting a Dutch cyclist came over to chat. He had been on the road for 11 months – I can't visualize sitting in the saddle for so long. When we reached Honningsvåg, we decided to go on to the camp site, as opposed to staying in Honningsvåg, it being a little bit nearer to the Cape. But I think it was a mistake – we had to pitch the tent (no huts left) David wouldn't have had one anyway – too expensive and now it's raining cats and dogs and looks very set in. Maybe we won't be going to the Cape tonight.

From Repvåg to Honningsvåg was further than expected, but the wind was also less of a problem than expected, which compensated somewhat. The tunnel is much less terrifying the second time that one does it, but it is still very unpleasant and the climb out, 2 km with a 10% gradient, is endless.

All the huts at the camp site were occupied, so we had to put up the tent. Now it's started raining – not looking good for a visit to the Cape tonight

Later.

Felt a lot better after a snooze, but awoke to find that water had seeped through the groundsheet and the mattresses were wet. We decided to have our spaghetti before doing anything with the tent. I think this mishap occurred because we had not tucked the protective groundsheet completely under the tent's groundsheet, hence when the rain fell, the water collected under the tent and formed a puddle. It wasn't too big a job to dry out and, fortunately, the camp site had electric hand dryers in the wash rooms so we could get the mattresses dry quite quickly.

It stopped raining and looked as if there might be a break in the clouds. So we set off. It was a tough ride and took 2 hours and 20 mins. to do 25 Km! There was about 800m of steep uphill. When we finally reached the North Cape, to our amazement bicycles also had to pay (introduced this year) – nearly turned back in protest. The clouds dispersed and the sun shone. It was really very impressive, would have liked to have stayed there longer, but I didn't fancy the cycle ride back, especially as there was a head wind, so we caught the bus which left soon after midnight.

After a good afternoon snooze listening to the rain on the tent, a good meal of spaghetti with instant tomato sauce, and finding that the floor of the tent was wet under the mattresses, which required a rescue job to dry it out, we set off for the Cape despite heavy clouds. It had stopped raining though, and there were signs of brightness in the sky.

Kari found the going even tougher than I had described, and it took us nearly 2.5 hours to cover the 26 km. However, we did it in the end and were shocked to find that cyclists are now charged entrance, albeit at the discount price of NOK 140 instead of NOK 215. We paid reluctantly, and were rewarded with sunshine at midnight. The video show had changed since last year and was not as good, I thought.

We chickened out of the return cycle trip to the tent and caught the bus back instead. Kari's headlight got broken in the bus!

Up at 04.00 to catch the ferry. Honningsvåg was further than we thought, so we had made the correct decision to go on to Skipsfjord yesterday. Beautiful morning, strongish winds. Coast line is fantastic. Reached Tromsø camp site at 01.00. There was still someone in the office. In bed by 02.00.

After returning from the Cape, we showered and had a couple of hours in the tent before getting up at 04:15, still in sunshine, packing up, and heading into Honningsvåg to catch the Hurtigruten coastal steamer to Tromsø. It turned out to be the Trollfjord again, the same boat that I had caught last year. It cost a horrendous NOK 2436 (EUR 325) for the 17 hour trip. On board, I found a bus timetable. We could have done the same trip by bus in only 11 hours for NOK 1550, but not on a Saturday. As a result, we threw thriftiness to the wind and treated ourselves to a 1.5 hour buffet breakfast in the restaurant.

We survived the 17 hours on the boat quite well – it's easier when one isn't alone. The long breakfast also helped, and the sunny weather. The views really are spectacular. We had our standard sardine lunch on deck and, during a very short stop in Skjervøy, managed to get a take-away hamburger, which we ate on deck. Unfortunately, by this time, it was getting cold and windy, not really at all pleasant.

We docked in Tromsø at 23:45 and left the boat. A bus driver pointed us in the direction of the camp site, which turned out to be just 4 km away. Unfortunately, we first discovered that something had gone wrong with my gears on the boat, which was a pain to fix (unloading all the bags). Then there was the huge hill of the bridge to get from Tromsø, which is on an island, to the mainland, where the camp site is located. The weather had turned showery, but we were fortunately between showers. The camp site reception was amazingly still open, and the site huge and very full. We found a spot for the tent, put it up, showered, and turned in at about 02:00.

Resting after the strenuous journey on the boat! Slept until 09.00. Did some washing and reconnoitred the route for tomorrow. The adventure starts – everything is new, whereas before David knew what to expect. Tromsø is on an island, the northern part is hilly(very) and the southern part is flat. The island is joined to the mainland by a bridge, a big steep bridge (so that ships can sail under it). Tomorrow we have to go over this bridge and another one like it to continue on our way South – a tough start to the day.

We got up late at about 09:00, had breakfast in the camp site's restaurant, moved the tent to a slightly better spot that had become free, washed some clothes, and then went into Tromsø to get information on where to go from here. For me, this is the start of new ground. We had already spoken to an Italian cyclist at the camp site, so knew most of it already, but now we have the sailing times of the ferries as well.

We then reconnoitred the way across the island of Tromsø to the second bridge, which is out past the airport. It was hilly, but we found that a bus runs from the camp site, over the first bridge, and out to the bus terminus near to the airport. We'll use that, if possible, tomorrow. We had a pizza at the bus terminus – quite a good one, in fact – and then cycled back to the centre and on to the camp site via the south coast road of the island. This will be the way to cycle if it's not possible to go by bus, since there are no hills.

The weather is still showery, but warm and sunny when showers are not nearby. So far, we haven't been hit by a shower. Let's hope that our luck continues. Back at the camp site, we had 30 minutes on the Internet for NOK 20 – very stressful working against the clock. Hopefully, Colin and Kathryn got their emails, Georg probably didn't get his. Now we're sitting beside the stream through the camp site in warm sun bringing our diaries up to date.

Got up early, had breakfast in the camp site restaurant, then tried for the bus to take us over the bridge. It worked! The connection was good for the bus to take us over the second bridge. It saved a lot of energy and time taking these buses over the 2 main bridges which join Tromsø to the mainland and the main island. The second bus was driven by an Englishman who had emigrated to Tromsø about 20 years ago. We stocked up with food (as most likely we'll be camping wild tonight) and set off into the relative unknown. It's beautiful. Fortunately there was not much wind. The first hill was tough, then mainly down hill and flattish around the coast. Arrived at Brensholmen with 2 hours to spare – David went for a swim! I just paddled, it was cold!

After the ferry we decided to keep going until we found a suitable spot for camping wild. There were many possibilities. We met a German group of 4 who said they were heading for a camp site, so we tagged on, but it turned out to be 'overnatting'. So we pedalled on a bit and found a beautiful spot near the coast, with picnic table and bench and a spring. The weather was warm and wind still. Everything was ideal. We cooked up raclette, it was good despite spilling the cheese all over the place!

We started the day by cheating again – a bus over the first Tromsø bridge, through the centre of town, and out to the bus terminus near the airport. Then we found that there was a connecting bus available to take us over the second bridge too, so we took that one as well. This got us off the Tromsø island and onto the island of Kvaløya. The bridges represent really serious hill climbs, since they are high enough to let big ships pass underneath.

Our maps of the Tromsø area are not very good, and this made our route finding a bit unsure. We were basically trying to get to a ferry to the next island, Senja, but weren't sure if it went from Hillesøy, as indicated by the Italian cyclist, or from Brensholmen, as indicated by the Tourist Office in Tromsø. It wasn't helped by the fact that, when we saw a signpost indicating a ferry, it said “Senja” rather than the port of departure. It took us quite a while before we realized that the next island was called “Senja”, our maps are so poor. It was also not helped by the fact that the main road seems to have changed its route. On our map, the main road goes down the east coast of the island and a minor road goes across and then down the west coast. In fact, the west coast route would now appear to be the usual route.

Anyway, one basically follows the Rv 862, over a first significant hill across the island to Ersfjord, which one follows for a bit, then over a much more serious hill getting across to Kattfjord/Norfjord, then around the coast, with only minor ups and downs, to the ferry terminal at Brensholmen. During the 2 hour wait for the ferry, there was time for a 2 second dip in the Arctic Ocean and a cup of tea.

On arriving at Botnhavn on Senja at 17:20, we knew that there was no known camp site within reach, but that there were some hopes of finding somewhere to camp on the way to the next ferry at Gryllefjord. We set off, and soon hit the first obstacle, a steep climb to cross over the north of the island to Mefjord at Mefjordbotn. There were then 3 moderate tunnels, before we arrived at the bigger tunnel through to Ersfjord at Senjahopen. We met a group of 4 German cyclists just emerging from the tunnel, who believed that there should be a camp site a few km further down the fjord at Mefjordvær, so we decided to give it a try. It turned out to be just a hotel with some expensive huts. On the way back to the tunnel, though, we noticed that there seemed to be good wild camping country between us and the fjord, so we stopped. There was even a picnic table beside the road. We enjoyed a glorious sunny evening cooking raclette before turning in. We also found a very good spring only about 150 m back along the road. Super.

Woke up to a wind still morning. We've really been blessed with good weather.(I'm very grateful for that) Had breakfast, then set off. Stopped in Skarvar to shop. Timed it well, we arrived there just as the shop was opening – 10.00. Had a snack and coffee before setting off again. Scenery is fantastic – everything looked so fresh in the sunshine. We had two stiff climbs and one small one. Would like to have spent more time looking at the little islands of Hamn. They were very pretty – just lots of small islands near together – but time was getting short for the ferry, so we pushed on to Gryllefjord –where the water was turquoise and we were able to watch a white tailed eagle, a very haughty, majestic looking bird – with an hour to spare. We intended to camp at Andenes and that is where we did stay. The camp site was good, super kitchen and common room. Lots of space for tents and campers. The ferry took 1.5 hours. One felt like a new person after having had a shower, having missed out after a night of wild camping.

Going to bed without a shower definitely makes the night a bit sticky. However, we slept quite well and got up early at about 06:00 to make sure that we would have time to get to Gryllefjord for the 15:00 ferry. We had a strange breakfast: buttered cream crackers, a mug of broccoli soup, and a grapefruit. Then we set off for the ferry, not quite sure of what to expect in the way of difficulties.

The first tunnel was long (2.2 km) but simple, slightly uphill, but not steep. Then we got to a very nice beach at Ersfjord with a very welcome WC. But the tunnel to the next place, Skaland, was much tougher. It involved a long, steep climb to get to its entrance. As it turned out, we got to Skaland just in time for its shop to open at 10:00, and the shop had coffee and cakes. There was then a very easy and enjoyable stretch along Bergsfjord, where we saw a sea eagle (white tailed). But then there was another terrible climb to get up to a tunnel, followed by a long run down to Straumsnes. Time was getting on, and I was no longer sure that we would get to Gryllefjord in time, especially if there were many more hills like the ones, which we had met so far today.

As it turned out, there was another big hill (167 m), but we forced our way over it, fuelled only by a Snickers. We didn't want to risk missing the ferry by stopping for lunch. As it was, we got to the ferry with an hour to spare, time for a late lunch, and then a big tub of ice cream, which we ate on the ferry. The scenery, by the way, is stunning, as are the many colours of blue and green of the fjords and lakes. The weather also couldn't be better at the moment. Let's hope it holds.

In Andenes, which we reached after a trip of nearly 2 hours, the Tourist Office was rather hidden, but eventually we found it and got directions to the camp site, which also turned out to be rather poorly signposted. However, it turns out to be very nicely situated on the coast on the way out of the town, and there's lots of grassy space for tents. There is also a supermarket next door, but we were too late to buy a can of beer, i.e. after 18:00! As with all the camp sites which we have visited since arriving in Tromsø, the camp site is very busy. There are too many other tourists like us, well, not quite like us – most are in campers or on motor bikes. We had rømmegrøt for supper, and a beautiful midnight sun over the sea afterwards.

After a fantastic day yesterday, weather wise, we woke to see everything shrouded in sea fog. It later turned to rain.

We awoke to fog, and it started to rain after we had packed up the tent and were having breakfast. That's not according to the weather forecast, which is good until the weekend.

We waited until it sort of stopped before continuing our journey. The west coast of Andøya was very flat with long, straight roads and a head wind. The clouds lifted slowly. After 30 Km we stopped for a welcome cup of coffee and waffle at Nordmela. Then the mountains helped to shelter us from the wind, the going was very easy and fast. Risøyhamn had no shop, so that put paid to shopping and to David's hamburger (his favourite meal), so it was sardine sandwiches, yet again, for lunch.

We made it to Buksnesfjord in good time – a very expensive but tastefully organized camp site We cooked up our supper in the 'wigwam' (which we weren't supposed to do, but it had a hot plate which we wanted to use: a, because it's easier and b, to get away from the midges – they were swarming!) The clouds came down again after supper and a light drizzle fell.

We sat around in the sitting-room-cum-kitchen of the camp site until the rain stopped, and it was just foggy and grey. We set off in shorts, but with raincoats and spats as well. After a while, it started to rain quite seriously, but soon stopped again, and just remained foggy and grey with very low clouds. The going was very easy, despite a head wind, but it was very dreary and uninteresting, probably because of the cloud. We were plodding along a coastal plain with no mountains to see, and the constant nag of the wind.

Despite that, we covered 30 km in under 2 hours, where there was a very welcome coffee break in a supermarket in Nordmela. From there, it got more interesting as there were mountains near to the coast and the clouds had lifted a bit. The wind was also now favourable. Suddenly, we were at a junction, expecting to turn right to follow the west coast road, when we found that we were only 9 km from Risøyhamn. We had passed the expected junction just after Nordmela without noticing, since our road went straight on. Anyway, the wind was now really behind us so that, despite one small climb, we were soon in Risøyhamn expecting a reasonable shop and, hopefully, a restaurant, since it's a Hurtigruten port-of-call. No such luck!

So we continued over the one significant hill of the day, the bridge from Andøya to Hinnøya at Risøyhamn. After a stop for a late lunch of the usual sardines, we were soon at the camp site on Buknesfjord, which, for the record, is called the Andøy Friluftsenter, still in grey weather. It was a very easy day. Alas, there is no shop at the camp site, and no proper kitchen. However, we found a hotplate in a communal fireplace wigwam-shaped building, and fried potatoes, pepperoni and sausages on it – very tasty. Then we treated ourselves to a beer (NOK 60 each!) in the camp site's restaurant to get away from the knott (midges) until bedtime.

The clouds were still down but the drizzle had stopped. After a rather impressive breakfast (service wise) we set off. It was another easy day, though we had to fight against the wind in parts. There were two bridges to cross, one little and the other big. First we found the camp site – the most expensive of the holiday but their breakfast was the cheapest! – and pitched the tent. Next we went to town and to the library to use the internet so that we could have some idea as to which would be the best way to get home. I was beginning to have had enough of cycling, probably due to the weather, and sometime this decision, of when to stop, has to be made. There were many possibilities, in the end we decided to fly from Bodø to Geneva. Because of the bicycles we had to book by telephone – that turned out not to be as easy as it sounded. Four times we had to try – kept on being cut off half way through the booking. Hopefully it'll work out, the biggest problem is packing all of our sixteen bags down to four bags.

Stortland is the biggest town we've been in since leaving Tromsø, and the camp site was where we saw the biggest camper.( Can anyone tell me why two old (70+) people need a camper the size of a smallish post bus? )

We walked into town for an evening meal – Chinese, with a glass of wine – celebrating David's birthday early.

This was planned as a short day, just along the coast and over the bridge to Sortland. The posh hotel running the Buknesfjord camp site offered breakfast at NOK 100 per person, so we treated ourselves, and very good it was too, with smoked salmon and molte.

There was no wind and not many knott, despite the grey morning, so packing the tent and loading the bikes was easy. The cycling really was easy, with just a bit of a head wind on the return side of the long Forfjord. There was a not-very-high bridge over the next fjord, Hognfjord, which shortened the distance considerably so that, after about 2 hours with only stops for photos, we were approaching the big bridge from Strand on Hinnøya to Sortland on Langøya. After asking at a couple of petrol stations, we soon found the camp site and had the tent up by about 13:30 already.

We had a pizza in town and got Internet access at the library. After discovering the enormous cost of the train from Bodø to Trondheim, we decided to fly home directly from Bodø to Geneva with Norwegian in 10 days' time. Because of the bikes, the reservation had to be by phone, and that meant a trip back to the camp site – up a hill from the town. The phoning was a hassle – hopefully the reservation is OK. Our 16 bags will be the problem. Then it was time to shower and, later, a walk into town for a so-so Chinese meal. Food in Norway tends to be very bland. The sweet-and-sour sauce was neither sweet nor sour! The weather has been grey all day with no sun, and the forecast is not good.

David's birthday. He found my card for him.

The day started with a fine drizzle, so we took our time over breakfast, which was extremely good value for the price. It included a fried egg with crispy bacon and was beautifully cooked. We finally got on our way at about 11.00.

The ride started with a stiff climb up over the pass to the west side of the island. It was good to reach the coast, but the coastal road was quite hilly, albeit small hills, and an added obstacle was that the road was being repaired. Kilometres of gravel of varying degrees of coarseness. It was tough going and a real treat when we finally got back onto asphalt again. The views were fantastic, even with the heavy local showers which we felt sure would catch up with us sooner or later but somehow always managed to miss us.

As a birthday treat from David, we changed our plans and caught the Hurtigrouten to Svolvær. It was the 'Nordkapp' (one of the smaller ships). A detour was made into Trollfjord, a very small inlet off another fjord – it's really spectacular that big ships can go into such narrow places. We arrived in Svolvær and after a visit to the Tourist Information, we wended our way to the camp site which was beautifully situated and laid out with the huts, but very poor with the facilities for tents. It started to rain a heavy drizzle, fortunately after we had pitched the tent.

It's still grey and cold, but the rain is so far only localised. We saw the sun for 2 seconds at about 13:00 today - the first time, it seems, since going to bed an Andenes! The day started tough, as expected, as we had to cross to the NW coast of the island. Crossing islands around here usually involves a climb, often steep. Today's climb wasn't too bad, though. On the other side of the island, we were surprised when the asphalt turned to gravel, and we were then set to task when the gravel turned to roadworks. It was both rough going and hilly – extremely arduous, but rewarded by the splendid scenery. The going was so slow, that it looked as though we were not going to get to Stokmarknes in time for the 15:15 Hurtigruten. We stopped for a Mars Bar break at Grønning. There was supposed to be a café there, but it was shut, of course.

After Grønning, we got to asphalt again with easy going and a tail wind. We made up time and soon saw the big, standard bridge across to Stokmarknes. We found a lovely spot sheltered by a boathouse to have lunch by the water's edge. We then had an hour in which to do the 6 km to the Hurtigruten terminal. We had been intending to take the boat from Stokmarknes to Svolvær, which goes through the dramatic 25 km strait of Raftsund with a quick trip into Trollfjord, only if the weather was good. In the end, we decided to take it anyway, despite the less-than-perfect weather.

Crossing the bridge to get to the terminal was an ordeal, since there was a strong cross-wind on the way up, which turned into a strong head-wind on the way down. We made it all right with 30 minutes to spare. All morning it had looked as though we were going to get caught in a downpour, especially going over the bridge at the end, but we were lucky again, having only a few spots of rain at most.

The stretch from Stokmarknes to Svolvær is one of the best parts of the Hurtigruten route, going through the very narrow 25 km strait of Raftsund with a quick trip into Trollfjord and out again. The weather was quite good enough to be able to enjoy it. On the way into the fjord, we saw a shoal of huge salmon swimming along and jumping like dolphins.

On arriving in Svolvær, the Tourist Office, as usual, pointed us to the camp site, which was about 3 km from the centre, up and down a couple of steep hills. We got the tent up in the dry and went back into the town to shop and eat. We found the same Italian restaurant from which I had got a good take-away pizza last year. This time, it was rather disappointing. By the time that we got back to the camp site, it had turned wet. We had 2 pieces of chocolate cake in the rain to celebrate my birthday and retired to bed. It rained a lot in the night, but the camp site had a heated wardrobe in the gent's wash room, which dried off all our clothes and plimsolls.

The wettest night of the holiday, as of yet. It was so wet we didn't get up until 09.30! Despite getting up so late, we had to queue for the use of the kitchen – it had only one table, but as the sun decided to shine for two minutes, we started by having our cereal on the benches outside. After breakfast we slowly got ourselves together, then went onto Svolvær to check David's email for the confirmation of our flight back. No confirmation, but we could find the reservation as we had the reference number. At least that was reassuring, but there was no mention of the bicycles and my name had been misspelt.

After lunch, hamburger for David and pizza for me, we finally set off at 14.00.We were on the E10 for the first 30 Km – not very pleasant, it was heavy with campers. At Smorten we turned off the E10 onto a minor road which was much quieter. Before turning off we saw a very interesting glass sculpture, the glass was curved and reflected the scenery – so simple, yet so effective.

We stopped for coffee and waffles at a new restaurant called 'Rebecca', one of the nicest we've been in. They've only been open for a month, hope it will be a success. We reached the camp site in a record time of four and a quarter hours – the going must have been good!. The weather is supposed to be improving, but there were still a lot of local showers around. As long as they are local and not widespread.

Because it was wet, we stayed in bed until about 09:30, then we got up slowly. The kitchen facilities were very limited, so it took a while to have breakfast. By the time that we set off, it was turned 12:00, and we first paid NOK 20 for 15 minutes of Internet time to check the booking of our flight home. (It's not completely OK, but we'll wait until we get to Bodø to get it sorted out.) By then, it was time to get something to eat before setting off – pizza for Kari, hamburger for me. The shopping centre where we got them was mad busy – presumably Saturday shopping for the whole island. By the time that we set off from Svolvær, it was turned 14:00, but we were only planning to cycle 50 km or so. The weather had improved considerably in the meantime – still grey, but dry with good visibility.

There was a superb cycle track along the E10 for a long way out of Svolvær, but it ended eventually, so we put on our yellow jackets because there was so much traffic. The going was incredibly easy, so that we covered almost 60 km in just over 4 hours, including a brew-up at a very interesting sculpture just before a big bridge across to the next island at Kleppstad, and a coffee and waffle stop at a café near Vikjorda. We turned off the E10 onto Rv 815 at Smorten to avoid the traffic and get better scenery. It was a good decision.

Apart from a few spots of rain, it stayed dry all the way with fabulous views, even if the highest mountain tops were in cloud. The camp site facilities here at Strandslett are the best for several days, since Andenes, in fact, and the tent is located right at the edge of the fjord on a nice grassy patch. It's started to drizzle again during the evening, but the forecast is apparently good. The evening meal was a very successful raclette – again!

Brustranda was a huge camp site and the facilities weren't too bad either. They had a very good common-room. It had rained quite heavily in the night, but by morning it was just light showers of drizzle. We set off and soon after, the clouds dispersed and the sun came out – it was good to see it again after four days of grey, wet weather. As today was supposed to be a short day, 40Km, we made a detour off the E10 to Stamsund (Hurtigrouten calls there) David climbed a hill whilst I looked in at the local art gallery.

The paintings were very interesting with a tendency towards surrealism, but I don't think that I'd like one on my wall.

We pedalled on to Leknes, where we intended to stay, but found that there was no camp site We had to go on for another 20 Km, including going under the sea again – those are tough tunnels. However we arrived at Flakstad, it must be a new camp site as it's not on the map. Beautiful situation, but the kitchen was a bit limited. A lone cyclist pitched his tent near to ours, he is a Serb living in Hong Kong and comes to Europe for his summer holidays to avoid the heat of Hong Kong. He was a pleasant chap and hopes to take his wife cycling when he reaches retirement. He was asking me all sorts of questions as to how I was coping with the camping and living 'rough'. The camp site seemed to be full of bored looking owners of campers.

P.S. David spotted an eagle sitting on a rock, but took such a long time in finding the binoculars that it had flown away by the time he found them.

We expected this to be a leisurely 40 km to Leknes. It turned into 60 km because this is the next camp site in this direction in the vicinity of Leknes. It was still a fairly leisurely day, mainly because the weather has turned sunny again. It rained in the night and things were wet when we got up at 08:30. As I crawled out of the tent, the sea gulls were making a heck of a din. On looking up, there was a sea eagle gliding along very high up. This was presumably the cause. We had our usual breakfast – commercial muesli mix with powdered milk, hot water, and extra sugar. It doesn't sound much, but it's better than one would think. It was followed by bread, butter and sweet spread, and a cup of coffee. We then packed up the wet tent, loaded the bicycles, and set off. By this time it was about 09:45.

We tootled on along the Rv 815 to Skifjord, and then made an extra loop on the Rv 817 to the Hurtigruten stop at Stamsund. This turned out to be a good idea because: a) there was an open shop in Stamsund, despite it being a Sunday, selling coffee and soft ice; and b) there was a small hill near the Hurtigruten stop that I was able to climb in 20 minutes for a fabulous view. Kari wasn't interested in the hill, she visited an art gallery instead. The Lofoten Isles have many things in common with the Hebrides, e.g. there are artists' studios everywhere.

On the way down to Stamsund, by the way, we got a relatively clear view of a sea eagle perched on a rock and being pestered by a frantic gull. On completing the Rv 817 loop and getting back to the Rv 815, the road went over quite a big hill, which came as a bit of a shock. The roads around the coast are generally easy going, with only short, steep hills at worst. This was more than that. On the other side of the hill, we had a nice run down into Leknes. In Leknes, the girl in the Tourist Office indicated this camp site at Flakstad as being the next on our route. We had our usual picnic in Leknes for lunch, this time in the sun, then it was off on the E10 again with quite a lot of traffic, hopefully because it is weekend and tomorrow will be better. We shall see tomorrow.

The only serious obstacle between Leknes and Flakstad was the tunnel across to Flakstadøya. This was a lesser relative of the Nordkapp tunnel, only 2.8 km long, but a long way down, and a long way back up again. After that, we were soon at the camp site following the coast on the E10. The camp site is idyllically situated but, as is so often the case, its facilities for trekkers and cyclists are rather poor. The kitchen is poky, and there is no sitting room. Fortunately the weather is sunny, so it's not a problem for us. There are breakers on the sea and a nice sandy beach. If we stay up until midnight, we would have midnight sun, probably for the last time this holiday.

We woke to a blue sky, but the wind was strong, fortunately it was with us for most of the time. The Serb was also going South and we played leapfrog him all the way to Moskenes, where he was going to take the ferry to Bodø. The campers came streaming past, all hoping to get on the ferry for Bodø – a good many didn't!

The scenery is fantastic, but it must be tough here in the winter – it's bad enough in the summer with a strong wind blowing but in the winter, when it's dark and cold and stormy …

David had his beloved hamburger for an afternoon snack and I had a whaleburger – the best burger I've ever had!

Later we watched the seagulls roosting on the cliff face.

Last night was the first time this holiday that I woke up cold in the tent! It was a treat to pack up a dry tent. There was a good breeze and short grass and there are no trees around here. It was very dry. We packed away the tent, chatted to a cyclist from Serbia in the next tent, who has lived in Hong Kong for a long time, and then we went to the poky kitchen for breakfast. We were lucky to have it more or less to ourselves, except for a few people from the campers coming to do their washing up. Then it was off on the bikes, with Å, the end of the E10 near the SW tip of the Lofotens, and just past the ferry to Bodø, as our goal.

The wind was ferocious, but mainly in our favour, except for a short stretch just before Finnbyen. Everything was beautiful, and the sea all shades of blue in the sunshine. Then there was a long stretch along the shore of the straits to Sund. There was a tremendous tidal current flowing against the wind. Finally, the going got slow because of short, steep hills and narrow roads with narrow bridges. There were also two tunnels. There's a lot of holiday traffic, lots of cycle trekkers, and also hikers. Eventually, we got to the ferry at Moskenes as the 14:00 ferry was coming in. There was a long queue of vehicles, not all of which got on. We then checked out the camp site at Moskenes, but decided to go on to Å, where we put up the tent. The facilities are again rather limited, but OK if the weather stays dry. The setting is again idyllic, but this time facing SE, so there will be no midnight sun.

Another glorious day. It's a pity to be leaving the Lofotens. There was quite a swell on the crossing – our idea of having lunch on the boat was quickly abandoned. We left at 10.30 and arrived at 14.20, earlier than expected.

First we called at the Information Centre and then on to the airport to sort out our tickets and ask about packing up the bicycles. All our fears were annulled. The staff were very helpful and provide bags and tape for packing up everything. Next we went to the camp site – one of the better ones – then we pottered around Bodø sorting out this and that and organizing what to do for the next four days. Everything fell into place – all we need now is for the weather to hold out. We've been exceptionally lucky with the weather – no really long prolonged wet days.

For supper we had fish and chips – they were good. First we tried an Indian restaurant but it was very expensive and David didn't want to pay all that money if there was a high risk of my bringing it all back up again!

There's not really much to report about the day. We treated ourselves to an expensive breakfast, which could have been better for the price. There were no warm dishes available, and the staff were overworked because of a coach load of Lithuanians, who were also there. Anyway, we ate our fill and headed for the Bodø ferry; it only took 15 minutes and we got there as it was docking. The ticket sales were badly organised and, as a result, we got away for the price of one – they should improve their system.

The crossing was quite rough, so we sat quietly and snoozed until the worst was over. There were quite a few people needing paper bags. It clouded over as we approached the mainland, and it was quite cool when we got off the ferry in Bodø. As usual, the first port of call was the Tourist Office for a map of the town and the location of the camp site. But this time, the second port of call was not the camp site but the airport. Kari's name on our ticket to Geneva was wrong, and we wanted to find out about bags. All turned out to be OK. Norwegian.com have guidelines for packing bikes and provide the requisite plastic bags. They also provide big plastic bags for bundling up the panniers. We left the airport with a load off our shoulders, and 4 extra days of holiday. We had had visions of treking around Bodø trying to find big, cheap sacks to hold our panniers, and thus get our 16 bags down to the required 4.

The next stop was the camp site, just 3.5 km from the airport, where we found the best facilities we've had for quite some while. By this time it was 4 o'clock-ish, time for a belated lunch of sardines. Then we shopped and went into town to find out about buses to Ørnes on the Rv 17 south of Bodø. We intend to use our 4 spare days cycling from there back to Bodø.

Our evening meal was nearly an Indian meal, but the prices were horrific, probably CHF 100 per head, and, since Indian food doesn't really agree with Kari, I vetoed it. We ended up with fish and chips in a fast food joint. They were quite good, actually. Then we returned to the camp site for a shower and bed.

We spent a slow, lazy morning getting things together, booking a hut for Sat. night, going to the library to check emails and flight confirmation (still no confirmation) visiting the cathedral, which was very new and plain. There were some interesting wall hangings , a colourful stained-glass window and a very beautiful rose window – small and simple. The organist was practising as well.

Then we caught the bus to Ørnes – it went the route we intend to come back and I think it will be a tough two days ride with the possibility of wild camping thrown in as well. Hopefully, it won't be as hard as we think it will, if it is, there's always the bus. At Ørnes we did some shopping before going to the camp site. The ride was a dream, beautiful lighting, impressive scenery and not much wind. The camp site had a water problem, which was fortunately solved that evening – otherwise it would have meant going to bed sticky!There was also only one table in the kitchen, which meant queuing for a meal.

This was another rest day to all intents and purposes. The bus to Ørnes didn't leave until 15:00, so we had a lazy morning, packing slowly and having breakfast. Then we went into town to use the Internet in the library and visit the cathedral. Bodø was apparently flattened in May 1940 by the Germans and has been totally rebuilt, including the cathedral. Then we found a sheltered spot at the harbour to brew-up and have lunch, and then we went to the bus station to wait for the bus.

The bus was crowded, and it was a struggle to get the bikes in the hold, but we managed. It was such a crush that we were lucky not to get them damaged. As a matter of interest, it cost NOK 540 for 2 people and 2 bicycles for the trip. On the Hurtigruten it would have cost NOK 666. The bus was full – quite a novel experience on this holiday.

There are some serious hills for us to get over on the way back. It's a bit daunting. In Ørnes, we put the bikes back together again, changed into cycling gear, had a pizza, and set off to do the 20 km back to the camp site at Mevik in glorious evening sunshine. It was an easy ride. The facilities on the camp site are back to normal – tiny kitchen and no sitting area. The setting is delightful though. There are knott – the first insects for days.

As I got up at 04.00 to obey a call of nature, the sky was red – shepherds' warning. As soon as I got back into the tent I heard the first spots of rain, fortunately that is all it was. When we struck camp a few more spots fell, once again that was all it was, despite the threatening look of the clouds.

We pedalled on our way – it wasn't as bad as expected, but there were still enough hills. We played 'leapfrog' with another couple, who were cycling. They were going on to Saltstraumen and had come from Ørnes. At Skaugvol we stopped for a cup of coffee and a lion: at Kjøpstad we stopped for lunch – very good it was too , a minute steak with salad and chips. Soon after we arrived at the camp site, which was beautifully situated. The main house and kitchen-cum-common-room are over 200 years old – it was one of the most 'kuselig' rooms I have seen on a camp site.

After pitching the tent we continued, on bikes, to the end of the road to see if we could see the current flow through the fjords. We missed the peak by about 2 hours, so it wasn't that spectacular, but the scenery is good. What is it like in winter and how do the locals occupy themselves?

David went up another mountain and brought some molte back, which we had for supper. I stayed behind and pottered about doing this and that.

We have 3 days to get back to Bodø, so we are doing it in short, measured stages. We got up and made a bee-line for the kitchen to have breakfast – there's only space for one group to cook and eat, and we didn't want to get behind a French family of 5, who we knew would also be wanting to use the kitchen. It worked well. They had to wait for us.

The price that we had to pay for our rush to the kitchen is that it was spitting when we got back to pack up the tent. However, the day has improved steadily so that now, at 21:30, we're sitting in the evening sun at Kjelling camp site with everything nice and dry.

The cycling started with a 3.1 km tunnel, which was quite easy going once we had climbed the hill to its entrance. Unfortunately, Kari's back light refused to work (damaged on the return from Nordkapp), so she went in front, with my lights hopefully affording her some protection. At that time of the morning there was almost no traffic anyway. After the tunnel, the going was moderately tough, but we had a good tail wind to help. It threatened to rain most of the time, but never did. On getting to Skaugvoll, the turn off to Inndyr and Sund, there was a kiosk, so we stopped for coffee and chocolate. The scenery, as everywhere around here, is dramatic, with lots of bare, granite slabs just asking to be climbed.

After the coffee, there were 3 short, easy tunnels. We managed to get Kari's back light working again for these, which helped our feeling of safety. Then it was simply a case of cycling up and down moderate hills until we got to Kjøpstad, where there's a bridge over to Sandhornøya island. There was a restaurant there, so we treated ourselves to steak, chips, and salad for lunch, before doing the last few km to our goal for the day, the camp site at Kjelling.

The camp site is a delight, with a nice kitchen and sitting room, very Olde Worlde. We have a nice plot of green grass all to ourselves too – there's a ditch which stops the campers from encroaching. We put up the tent, and set off to the end of the Kjelling road, where there's supposed to be a good tidal current to see. We were a bit late for the strongest current, and we couldn't easily get to the best spot for seeing it anyway, so it was a bit of an anticlimax. Hopefully Saltstraumen tomorrow will be more impressive.

Then, whilst Kari had a shower and lazed around the camp site, I dashed up Kjøpstadnakken, 363 m, both for the exercise and for the views. The reward was lots of molte, enough for a small dessert after our “campers' raclette” for evening meal. But before that, I went for a cold dip in a nearby mountain stream, just to save the NOK 10 for the shower, of course. The raclette was delicious, and the weather has turned warm enough to sit outside until turned 22:00. AND THERE ARE NO INSECTS, YET!

The sky was overcast as we woke to the new day. David said that it looked as if it could rain. However, we set off in warm, not too windy weather, stopping for coffee and Mars bars at all the little cafés and petrol stations on the way. The hills were not as bad as we had feared, which was a pleasant surprise. The views, as usual, were fantastic – fjords, mountains, lakes, huts......no elk though.

Spots of rain fell, a warning of what was to come. We reached Saltstraumen in good time for high tide and had lunch whilst watching it increase in speed and volume. The current got faster at a tremendous rate – it was really impressive and frightening, not something to fall into! The spots of rain started to get more frequent, so we went to investigate the camp site – 147 NOK, they wanted for it. David said no, it was too expensive (though the most expensive was 200 NOK) we'll continue to Bodø. Before setting off we rang the camp site to ask if the hut we had reserved for Saturday was also available for Friday. It was, so with lightened hearts we pedalled on our way. Soon after it started raining seriously, but it was still warm. The rain was an incentive to get to Bodø as quickly as possible a) because it was wet and b) to make sure the hut wasn't given away. We did the 30 Km in 2 hours – yes, I was desperate! It was bliss to find the hut key waiting for us. Putting the tent up in all that rain didn't bear thinking about.

Today we got really wet for the first time, but first things first. There really were no insects, and we could have breakfast in the very quaint kitchen-cum-sitting-room, and then pack everything up in the dry. The goal for the day was Saltstraumen camp site, some 30 to 40 km away, but with some big hills in the way. We stopped for coffee and a chocolate bar at a kiosk just before the first big climb. We wanted to be at Saltstraumen for 13:40, which was the time for maximum tidal current.

It was not difficult. After the one big climb, the remainder was not too bad, and we were there in plenty of time. The tide was already on the way in, and very impressive it was too looking down from the bridge. Then we took our cycle panniers down to the fjord side under the bridge and had lunch. Whilst we were there, the current steadily built up until it was awe inspiring. We were lucky with the moon cycle to get a particularly high tide.

Eventually, though, we got cold and it had started spitting quite hard, so we made our way to the Saltstraumen camp site, not far away, to get the tent up as fast as possible. On discovering the price to be NOK 175 for a tent, we changed our mind and decided to cycle on to Bodø instead. We had a coffee in a supermarket first, and Kari had the good idea of phoning the Bodø camp site first to try to extend our hut reservation for tomorrow night to two nights. It worked, which, as it turned out, was just as well. During the 2 hour cycle ride to Bodø, it rained all the way, and the heavy traffic made it even more unpleasant. By the time we arrived, we were wet through and starting to get cold. Shelter in a heated hut, followed by coffee, shower, and a cup of soup were just what we needed.

That was all 2.5 hours ago. Now it's 19:15 and still raining. If we had been in the tent, it would have been really miserable. Sometimes it's worth paying a little extra for some comfort. Later in the evening, it stopped raining and then it was very still and misty, all over the sea.

We woke late to see the rain still falling and sea mist. A miserable, grey morning. But our clothes and equipment were dry or almost dry. After breakfast we caught a bus into Bodø and got rid of the excess fuel – we gave it to a shop that sold Coleman's fuel. We had fish and chips for lunch, then decided to walk back to the camp site. It started raining again. When we reached the shopping centre near the camp site, we decided to buy some rømmegrøt for supper (instead of cycling back into Bodø again for a pizza). Walking is definitely more exhausting than cycling, may be because we're not walking fit, but we both flopped into bed for a snooze!

Later we feasted on rømmegrøt. It was good.

It has been a wet, grey day, which we spent not doing very much. We took the bus into town, got rid of excess Coleman fuel in a sport shop, had lunch, and walked back to the camp site. We're basically just waiting for the flight to Geneva tomorrow.

We woke once again to clear skies and the ground was drying. We breakfasted and packed, then left for the airport in good time. We got there before the counters were open, and it was good to be able to dismantle the bikes in peace and quiet. After we had packed everything up, (which took an hour) in accordance to the rules , we were able to check in, after which we went to the airport café and had coffee and waffles. The journey home had started. Fortunately we didn't have to re-check everything in in Oslo, where we had a 5 hour wait, which went surprisingly quickly. There were lots of shops to look round and a good photo' display of celebrities: sportsmen, pop singers, filmstars and the Norwegian royal family.

We arrived in Geneva on time after having left Oslo half an hour late. Reinhard and Vreni were there to meet us. Vreni with the car, to take our bags, and Reinhard with his bicycle, to show us the way to their house. It was good to see them both again. Vreni had just had the plaster taken off her leg, having fallen and broken her ankle on a walking holiday in Mallorca. They fed us on stuffed tomatoes with rice and salad – very good and welcome. It was strange to experience the dark evenings again.

We got up at 06:30, had breakfast, packed, and cycled the 3.5 km to the airport, where we arrived at 08:00, just as it was opening. We then packed everything in plastic, checked it in. We then sat around all day, first at Bodø airport for 2 hours, then on the plane to Oslo for 1.5 hours, then at Oslo airport for 5 hours, and finally on the plane to Geneva for almost 2 hours. Eventually we were in Geneva on time at 20:20, and both bikes and all the bags arrived too. Kari's gears were unfortunately bent a bit during transport.

Reinhard and Vreni were at the airport to meet us, and guide us to their home for the night. Vreni had prepared a very nice supper of salad and stuffed tomatoes, which we were able to enjoy on their patio until turned midnight.

After a good nights sleep and repacking, after the flight, and a late breakfast, we set off from Geneva at 11.00. We made it to Nyon in good time and caught the train up to Le Cure. From there we pedalled and pedalled, there being no restaurants – they were either closed or for sale, so our nourishment was mainly water and Mars bars. But the good thing was that it was mostly down hill with a tail wind, not often that happens and the kilometres flew by.

In Le Punt we stopped for a beer and a torte. We followed the same route, with slight variations, which we took with Jean, George, Wendy and Simon when we cycled from Geneva to Riniken 5 years ago. We eventually found a hotel in Vuiteboeuf, a charming one too. The proprietor with his Chinese wife were very pleasant and the food was good.

Later in the evening it rained and thundered – it felt very good to be under a solid roof!

This was a very good day. Vreni had a physio session at 08:30 for a leg, which she had broken in Mallorca in May, so we got up late and had breakfast together afterwards at about 09:30. We eventually set off in warm sunshine at about 11:00 to find our way through Geneva and on to Nyon.

Finding the Le Leysin footbridge over the Rhône right at the beginning was not so easy. We had to ask a couple of joggers the way. But then it went well on a NE bearing towards the UN building. From there, it was simple to find the route along the lake to Versoix and on to Nyon. We were there in no time at all, and only had to wait 40 minutes for a train up to La Cure via St Cergue. The train fare was money well spent for the elevation gain. We had a very easy glide down hill with a tail wind most of the way to Le Pont, and then a splendid down hill run to Vallorbe. The only real problem was stoking the furnaces – lots of restaurants were closed (Monday?) and we had no fuel for our stove to be able to brew up. We had a Mars Bar on the way to Le Pont, and an apricot tart in Le Pont – not much for all the km that we did.

In Vallorbe, we found a good route along the railway lines, which we remembered from our hike from Riniken to Geneva a few years ago, and then it was time to find a hotel. Eventually, we reached this very nice Hôtel d'Ours in Vuiteboeuf, not far below St Croix. The evening meal of egli filets was delicious.

The rain had cleared the air, which was fresh once again. It was a good day for cycling and also not too strenuous i.e. not so many hills, just a few short ones at first and one ridiculously steep one later on ( it was a by pass round some houses)

The cycling was easy and the weather was fine. At Neuchâtel we followed the lake path – it was flat, as is to be expected, but very zig-zaggy – obviously cyclists weren't expected to divert from the official path. We had our huge baguette for lunch and put the tent up for a quick airing.

The path along the Neuenburgersee was glorious, apart from when we passed a camp site, it was jammed packed with caravans, all in regimental rows and very close together. It made the camp sites in the Lofotens look very spacious. The cycle track took us round the East side of the Bielersee. We didn't see the lake once, the whole shore line had been privatized. At Täuffelen we saw the Aare join the Bielersee. It was controlled with sluices and looked very dramatic. Tonnes of muddy water was roaring down after last nights deluge.

After Biel we joined the Aareuferweg. That was beautiful and very easy cycling. We ended up at Grenchen, there being no hotel in the picturesque town of Büren. We got a very good room (spacious) at a very reasonable price.

Following the storms of the previous evening, today was sunny, but not too hot. Unfortunately, yesterday's tail wind had changed into a light Bise, i.e. a head wind. We set off from the hotel down a minor road to Onnes, near the Lac de Neuchâtel. It was a delightful road, following a stream down a valley, but with one nasty up-hill into a village along the way.

We were then on the cantonal road from Yverdon to Neuchâtel, and it was quite, though not too seriously, hilly for quite a way. Eventually, it went down to the lake, and then it turned into an obstacle course, weaving its way along the lakeside through Neuchâtel. We stopped first to eat up a small sandwich and tart, which we had bought the previous day, at an old wine-press, with a good view over the lake. Then we stopped to make a big pâté baguette sandwich on the lake side just short of Neuchâtel.

The cycle track continued in the direction of Biel, taking us around the southern side of the Bielersee, somewhat to our surprise. There were cyclists everywhere. The going was easy apart from one ridiculously steep hill to get around a group of houses built on the lake side, and another push over a very dramatic sluice-gate, through which the muddy brown Aare was gushing into the blue-green Bielersee. The lake was disappointing because practically the whole lake shore is privatised.

We were hoping for a hotel in Büren, without luck, so we crossed the valley to the Biel-Solothurn road, and eventually found something in Grenchen. The room is somewhat more expensive than we are used to (CHF 125), but it's palatial, and breakfast is included.

Once again we woke to blue skies. It was wind still, which made the going very easy, otherwise it would have been a head wind, which isn't much fun however gently it blows. The cycle track took us through the flat fields of the farming area and was very good. At Olten I rang Fixit to tell them that I'd be calling in. Most of the group were on holiday, but it was good to see the few faces that were there. Then it was the last half hour back to Riniken.

Home, sweet home!

Despite the heat, we got home in good style. We tried to follow the cycle track signs in Solothurn, and ended up going the long way anticlockwise around the town rather than simply following signs to Olten. Wiedlisbach turned out to be a delightful old town, but we were almost too early for its restaurants to have opened. There was only one open, and it took them an age to make a couple of café glacés for us, but they were good when they arrived.

We followed the Cycle Rout 50, “Jura Süd-Fuss”, to Olten, and it was excellent – flat and direct – so that we were there for lunch. From there, home was in sight. I had trouble with a front pannier due to a screw coming loose and getting lost. We patched it up with cable ties. Then we called in at Fixit to show our faces at Kari's old work place, and for Kari to jump on the scales quickly. To her surprise, she was still over 60 kg. Then we were home.