Part 9 -Bicycle Tour Hobo Style. Dals-Ed, Sweden. En-route to Oslo, Norway.

For people just joining..

My 2 dogs and I went on an adventure because we hadn't for a while and the feet were itching! I decided to go see a friend who I met traveling and they live in Oslo. I left North Germany (Flensburg) with a bicycle and camping gear and a guitar to pay my way. I wrote a diary, and include diary entry's Exactly How It Was Written so don't get mad at punctuation etc - Original Content! I had no GPS, just a map and compass. I never travel like you would think. Most are taking trains or planes, or buses, and stay in hostels and buy food, and most are on a "limited period of time from work"- to squeeze in many places they want to see before returning to the shackles. I have been traveling for 8 years, the first 2 were in a van and the last 4 years I have slowed down pace even more than I already was. I travel slowly compared to others because I was always limited (financially)to the cash in my pocket and anyway was used to having no spare cash, even when I too lived in a box- which was definitely much worse by far!

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PART 9

10th May 2016 Diary Entry

Fuck I forgot to send postcards. Woke up at 4am today perfect with the weather and hit the road at 5am. We've done 50km and I wanted to get to "Ed" but, that's another 27km or so and the suns hot again, no clouds. 10.30am, Now we make siesta.
Fuck,the bins have all been locked up and im running low on food. Sat in a house/restaurant between Rannelanda and Lerdal. Its a place on the side of the road and is nice for a siesta, there are sofas and tables. Its very abandoned and the doors already kicked in. Now water though :( BUT its very cool temp in here and there's toilet paper, babywipes and some heavy duty black sacks that will be coming with me.
Now its 13.30, I just ate some soup and listened to an audiobook. Had a great sleep on the sofa. THERE ARE REGULAR SMALL CLOUDS IN THE SKY! My legs are hurting but I think we will go soon as there are clouds. Yeh we will, I WANT hahaha fuck..

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We were riding on long winding roads and we were in forest land. It was very hot and luckily we went passed a building that was in the shade of trees. I was so hot that even just the overgrown grass in the shade was a great place to stop at. I put the bike up against the building and remember there were forest workers clearing trees in the area and layed on the grass for some time to cool down. I had already see the door was open but couldn't be bothered to get up and go check it out straight away. When I had cooled down I got up and went to the door to investigate. It seemed to be an old fish restaurant with a small kitchen. Nobody had been in there for a long time, not even a passer by as there was no signs of people staying one or two nights. It was well needed. Very cool temperature inside, and lots of chairs and sofas. I was so amazed of all the empty places I had rode past. If it was the evening and I found this place, it would have been perfect for staying the night. After a siesta it was time to head on..

Diary Entry Continued

Really am hoping that the bins in Ed are golden, shining and full of nice organic meat and veggys. Then camp by the lake! (Theres a huge lake there) Ok, just one more sleep, I just looked at Sniffy and she's deep asleep which is good, we will stay here more then. I let her sleep in the day because she doesn't really sleep when we sleep outside as she is a good guard dog and stays half awake all night.
Just saw a grill from an oven casually leaning against the way here. I'll take that too to replace this annoying round grill that I have and use it for the meat and veggys in Ed :) Haha, Ed , sounds like a friendly dude, its small and picturesque apparently.
20.50 and Im sat waiting for a family sized pizza! Decided to spend my last money on it 170kr. Im so hungry and we just stopped at a campsite. We went past the sign ED and then there it was, a huge sign saying PIZZA. Decided we will stay in Ed tomorrow and if its cloudy then head off to the border of Norway around 1pm , but actually need to

PIZZA!!

Ah wow im stuffed! the thing was like 50cm 2. Still have some for tomorrow, well for later at least. I think ill just sit here until its dark then go across the road and sleep under the stars again. Or maybe ill just wait for here to close and sleep on the decking of the pizza takeaway. Tomorrow I should play some and find some free food and relax by that lake that I haven't even seen yet. Ended up finding a shelter at the back of a campsite which is a free place to camp. Quiet weird that you must walk through a camp site to get to a free campsite! Its overlooking the lake.

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Sometimes like buying the pizza, its not so bad to spent a lot on a pizza or some fast food. I think this was the 2nd time on the trip I had got a pizza, and apart from that all the nice food I was eating was recycled from the back of a supermarket. I was very hungry and so especially after the eyes saw the pizza sign, there was no chance to ride past and "save some money" ha.
I remember the guys at the pizza place asked me where I was going and why whilst the pizza was cooking and they gave me a free coffee. The place was quiet and I was waiting to go check out the campsite when everything was closed hoping to get a shower. I still hadn't found the lake but according to the map it was out the back of this camping site and, there was also a free camping place dotted there as well. I thought it was on the beach but it wasn't, my map had no contour markings and so I never really new what to expect, like here the camp was up on the side of a hill leading down to the lake. When it was time to move I went and check out the camping ground and took the bike to find the free place to sleep. We had to go through the whole campsite getting very lost to find it but then there it was, just behind someone's camping wagon. A huge shelter with a lean-to roof and a fireplace. I set up my bed and 2 German guys came and put up their tent. They were on a road trip in a small car and driving around Scandinavia. They sat drinking beer but they didn't talk much to each other and so I didn't bother to start a conversation and just laid down with my pizza belly to sleep.

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11th May Diary Entry

Our chill out day in Ed after checking out all the containers, they are all locked up. Had a great day, I sat since 8am on a bench outside a supermarket. And im carving spoons! I was told not to play guitar. Met some cool guys and they brought me lunch and I learn now how much one krown is worth. They don't have any pennies here, just whole krowns. Instead of getting money with the guitar, peoples curiosity ended up with them giving some cash after a chat. Gunna head to the lake, find a place to sleep and lay down and then tomorrow head through what seems to be a beautiful national park and hopefully be in Norway for midday.

We went and found the cycle path we wanted and after a short distance along it, the was an opening next to the lake. Perfect stillness.

Now we are at an empty mooring spot along side the huge lake. Will sleep on a bench tonight as they are extra wide, they are huge benches! Great- wont have to pack up the tent again, and the compass says ill have shade from the morning sun :) Just got to do 40km tomorrow then 140km to oslo! I need a hot shower.

12th May Diary Entry Evening

Bit cold last night on the bench and now my body clock has already changed to waking me up at 4am! The day was great we crossed the border a few hours ago and as usual there was nobody there! Its amazing views here , nearly stopped off at a place by a lake, but decided to go a bit more and stay at the next good spot. Wow, this place im at now has little islands, stoney ones, like 8m2 but with pine tress somehow growing on them!
I'll make a fire soon, I just spent my last swedish money at a campsite in Noosemark and have got pasta and eggs for dinner, nothing at all fancy tonight, but thats what happens when the bins are locked and you have to buy it! We are now by lake trollnestjen or something, Ive marked it on the map! Tomorrow I must look first on the map. Stop at "Halden". Hopefully get some bucks and see how much the ferry is to "orie" if its not that much ill get the money and use it! FUCK by the water, the size of the mozzys aint right!

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I cant remember how and where I was by this time, but the next main place was called Degernes I think Ive lost some of the diary!

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Map images are from google