Nice, when it’s not obscured by rain. Sitting here, in a 1920’s style lounge, above one of Norway’s most visited natural landmarks, doing a bit of route planning, enjoying a local beer, enjoying even more the view of a magnificent landscape, with my bike in centre stage to remind me how good it is to ride through this country, and helping me ignore the weather forecast and the total lack of available accommodation anywhere near tomorrow’s planned destination. There’s a spider crawling across the floor, and seemingly no-one else here but me and the bike riding receptionist/barman/waiter, and yet yesterday it was fully booked. It’s a fascinating hotel with a lot of history, that’s clear in the photos of its heyday in times where travel to places like this was more popular than package holidays to Corfu. I’m sitting right next to the very piano where Edvard Grieg composed his concertos. I’m also listening to his music, but unfortunately it’s on CD because I’m many decades behind the times as far as this place is concerned. Doesn’t spoil my enjoyment of it though.
PS Day 28 of the original round the world trip, just over two years ago, saw me beginning to suffer heat stroke in the desert of Turkmenistan. Conditions couldn’t be more different in the chill of Norway. Read about the original Day 28 here