Well, most of you know that TWO WHEEL VIEW called me in May with a last minute request for me to co-lead the Norway 2010 trip. Of course I said yes - luckily my work is flexible and I have been able to makeup hours. So here are some pictures of the trip. It was myself, two trip leaders, one from US and one from Canada. We had 6 boys and 4 girls, 6 from Canada and 4 from the US.
Touring the city of Tromso with Jens Ole our host and guide. The American group got to do this the first day while the Canadians were still en route. They had a problem with their flights in Canada so they arrived 24 hours later.
We met the Deputy Mayor of Tromso inside the City Hall. We learned about how environmentally conscious the city is, and that politics in Norway are very equal. It is required that there is at least 40% of one gender. In Tromso it is about 50-50 male and female in office.
This was a yummy reindeer stew meal made for us the first day we were out on the bikes. We biked to Ramsfjord camp where we stayed in cabins and learned about the Sami people while enjoying dinner and a nice fire in a Lavvu (a traditional Sami tent which looks like a TeePee).
Here is a Lavvu frame near our cabins. We also enjoyed a traditional Sauna while we were here.
The reflection of the midnight sun - this picture was taken around midnight.
Biking was beautiful when the sun was out, more challenging when it was raining and there was a headwind, but we faired pretty well.
There were multiple ferry crossings most biking days, here you can see how clear the fjord is - incredible scenery in the Arctic Circle!
This camp I affectionately call "Mosquito Camp". While it was arguably one of the most beautiful campsites I have ever stayed at, it was so buggy, most of us just wanted to get inside our tents! But we were able to see the midnight sun well here. The moss was super thick and soft to sleep on. Great night sleep with a blindfold over my eyes.
I took this picture on our rest day in Storslett. We enjoyed a wonderful cabin and hung around and dried out from the wet ride into town.
Our cabin had grass on the roof which is a typical style of many of the homes in Norway.
We also enjoyed some hotdogs at a fire in another Lavvu. Our host Marit joined us with her two sons.
We had fun telling stories and it was here that the Canadians taught me the geography of Canada. We also tried special Norwegian candy, it looks like it is gummy candy covered in sugar, but when you taste it, it is actually covered in a thick layer of salt! Not very often you see so many people spitting out candy...
Here was a great lunch spot with a scenic view.
We went canoeing in the fjord outside of Storsteinnes on our second day off. A friend named Roy set this up for us, unfortunately the weather got really bad and we were fighting the wind rain and cold so it was a quick ride.
Here is the moss up close.
This picture was taken in Sommeroy which is a resort town that we drove to in order to go to a festival. We also took a short hike up to this point and looked at the view of the Atlantic Ocean. It was magical.
Here is the group - Canadians, Americans, and a few Norwegians in there too
Overall it was a fantastic trip. There were some challenges as usual, but Two Wheel View continues to be a great organization to work for. I value the opportunity to share such experiences with young people from all over.
Now that I am back, it is wedding planning and school prep. School starts for me August 21st. Tito has been going to school and working all summer, so nothing new there. But he is gearing up for a freshman orientation program in August at ODU. That's the news from here!
Hope all is well - if in fact anyone is still reading this!
