Warm water again

Here come the pictures of the installation of my new water boiler. So cool to have warm water again!

The old, ugly, broken thingthe dirt the workers leftand the new, shiny, beautiful water boiler

Karibu Bucketi

Today I had my first bucket shower for almost a year and it felt almost as in Tanzania. Though I had bucket shower delux with warm water - common there is snow outside (almost).
Got an appointment for the craftsmen in two days. Maybe they will even pop in tomorrow if they have time. Going quite well for now...

Leaking pipe

Christmas time is here and Christkind (Austria's Santa Claus) brought me a leaking water pipe and a broken water boiler - found out just now and I thought it's a funny thing to revive my blog with. So now I'm living like in Tanzania without water and almost sweating because winter ins't comming.
I'm gonna document how the craftsmen will do surgery on the walls, break everything and bring in a lot of dirt.
Calm Christmas time everyone!

5 minutes for the glaciers

Would be cool if you'd join the stop global warming virtual march!

Stop the global warming

Scientists have for the first time found evidence that polar bears are drowning because climate change is melting the Arctic ice shelf.

StopGlobalWarming

Finally it's over

Comming back to Oslo, we could stay at Christopher's again. Ida was also there who I first met in Tazania. Then back to Gothenburg and back home to Linz in 24 hours. Start at eight am five hours ferry from 4 to 9 pm and then full speed on the highway. Only at around 2am I had to stop for a rest so I parked my bike at a gas station, sat next to it and slept for two hours. When I woke up some bikers were refuling their bikes looking very sceptic at me, not sure if they should help me or if I was ok. I reached Linz at around eight and fell asleep, tired from a wonderful trip to a beautiful place on earth and the nicest people ever!

Hiking

We stayed one more day in Flåm to do some hiking. Christopher told us about a cool daytrip through the mountains of Flåm and around. In the morning we took the bus to somewhere in the mountains - Norwegian names are hard to remember! And we had a wonderful hike down to Flåm. The funny thing was that after all the days on the bike we had to much energy to just hike like normal people, no, we were running the whole way. The day hike became a four hour run. After some fun in the tent we fell asleep quite early - was a hard day...

climbing the mountain

After an extreme night in the tent - remember cold kili nights? we climbed one of the mountains close to the big glacier to get a good view and we got a really good view! On the way south we passed the oldest stave church in Urnes but we didn't go there. If you saw one you saw them all. Our next stop was Flåm with famous Flåmsbana - " The train journey provides some of Norway's wildest and most magnificent scenery. On the 20 km-long train ride you can see rivers that cut through deep ravines, waterfalls cascade down the side of steep, snow-capped mountains and mountain farms cling dizzily to sheer slopes."
Well, it was a nice ride but expensive (like everything in Norway) and after we saw all the crazy landscape with the motorbike it actually was boring for us. But we got some nice pictures.

National Geographic

We had to get up early to reach the ferry to cross Geirangner Fjord. What a trip! The sun was comming through the clouds, it was getting warm and the Fjord is just poa fucking kabisa! When we reached Geiragner, the village the MS Deutschland a huge cruise ship was there what looked so cool. We took some postcard pictures and I tried some off road driving :-)
In the afternoon we reached Jostedalsbreen again from the other side where we could see it even better. In that remote area Lovisa tried the first time in her live to ride a motorbike and she had really fun - she was driving 120km/h. Crazy!!! There was really a lot happening that day - we also found that area that was closed for public because of a wounded bear that was running around.
For the night we stayed almost on top of a mountain close to Jostedalsbreen. We were completely alone. Only some sheeps kept company. At night even the sheeps left because it was getting really cold up there - no wonder so close to the glacier...

Flo gets sick

the third day the sun was waking us up but when we were on the bike it was raining again. "Three days of rain makes FloFlo go insane." Before we started we visited Seim stavechurch. The entrance was expensive and think it's enough to lok at that churches from outside. After some hours on the bike I got a cold, felt nauseous and weak. On the way we saw a small part of Jostedalsbreen, the biggest glacier in Europe which is very impressing! Lovisa found a factory outlet where we had to stop so she could go shopping for hours. Meanwhile I tried not to throw up - I felt so sick! In the evening we finally reached Hellesyl at Geirangner Fjord where we descided not to sleep in a tent but to recover in a youth hostel.

Borat the movie

Borat goes hunting

what do you think about the big nose people?

dark humor

Look at the video and try not to laugh. The presenter was fired the same day...

Gas station hamna

I liked the night in the tent but Lovisa was getting sick from the rain so she was freeting the whole night but as on our trip to Kili she didn't complain about anything. So we continued to cross the biggest plateau of Norway - still don't know the name. It was raining, snow was lying around and we were both freezing. And we run out of fuel. There are no gas stations on that plateau. I have a reserve tank on my bike that lasts for about 30km but how long does it last fully loaded and with two people on the bike insted of one? I was a bit worried because I really wanted to get out of that cold glacier land down to sea level. As soon as the road was going down a bit I let the bike run idle and we made it. 60 or even 70km with the reserve tank!
The night we stayed in a hut in Seim. The picture shows me completly wet but happy because down in the valley we stopped for the night. Here you find a webcam from that place.

Cruising Norwayland

Early in the morning Lovisa and I started our Norway excursion. One week without the comfort of sleeping in friend's beds. Tent and sleeping bag were our home now.
The first day looked nice at the beginning, only some clouds in Oslo but they soon turned into rain. But I was driving some dirt roads whitch was really cool - some drifts and almost jumps. Poor Lovisa got nauseous and I had to stop or she would have puked into her helmet... After a short break she was ok again (doing some ninja moves) and we continued until we reached the biggest plateau in Norway - don't remember the name - where we built up the tent. Luckily it stopped raining. Right, there was also a super old stavechurch we saw...

KriKri

Next highlight of my trip was when I visited Christopher same same as hamburger in Oslo. One day on the bike brought me from Skage to Oslo where I was warmly welcomed by Mr. Molotov Molstad. To get warm he treated me with deliciouse Danisch beer and even better barbecue. After we saw only the second half of the worldcup final we went out and enjoyed the nightlife of Oslo (Those bastards started the final one hour earlier than the other games). I was especially impressed by the taxi driver who brought us home. He was like a taxi driver in Tanzania and in very good mood. He turned on the music really loud and singing "don't worry, be happy" with us. If only all cab driver were like that...
The next day Lovisa also came to Oslo so we could start a trip to all the natural highlights of Norway. The night before we left Christopher was very helpful and showed us all the good places we had to see and so we set a rout through Norwayland...
Det er veldig viktig a pusse tennene!

Whale fishing

The day I had in Skage Olav, his parents and I spent whale fishing in one of the super sweet fjords. We were going to Olav's cousin who has a cabin and a nice motorboat. It was perfect fishing weather and the fish was hungry. We got far too many so we had to throw some back into the sea. Even that was fun because Olavs cousin knows a spot where the eagle come and grap them out of the water right in front of you!
After cleaning the fish we had dinner - fish.
Never had so good fish before but while eating we got eaten by hundrets knots and mosquitos - memories of my night in ski came up. We tried everything from mosquito repellent, to the smoke stuff they also had at Adis in Dar and some fancy looking yellow tapes you but on your clothes to scare away the plague but at the end we went in. 1:0 for the mosquitos.

Bye bye Trondheim

The time I had in Trondeim was too short for sure! After only one day I had to move on to visit the Norwegian terrorist and halftime Viking Olav in Skage. To find the way Tonje drew me this fantastic map that made it impossible for me not to find the way - lovely double negotiations!
It's fantastic, Olav lives behind some old Viking graves and in the evening elks visit his garden. But the elks did not come when I was there. We even tried to bait them with a tasty piece of meat but without success. Another reason why they didn't show up might be that the smell of the elk pizza Olav's mum made scared them away... Not joking, the day after I had whale burger I had elk pizza - deliciouse!

Headache in Trondheim

The next day I felt terrible with all the ultra expensive beer in my head. My theory is that the intesity of beeing hangover depends not on the amount of alcohol but on the money you spent for the alcohol. That also explains why I could drink quite many beers in Tanzania compared to here...
So much for the theory. I guess Tonje didn't feel much better - check out the sunglasses but we had to do the whole sightseeing program.
First we went to a museum for hm, don't really know - natural science of something where they showed the Norwegian wildlife but no wales :-( and Trondheim how it looked some hundret years ago - Tonje helped an old lady to carry a bucket of water.
Next stop was the cathedral of Trondheim. A tourist fly catcher. They let you pay for the cathedral and if you want to see the crown jewels that are in the cathedral you have to pay again. And there is no reduction for students! How antisocial is that?
Well we paid for everything and I must say at the end it was worth it. But I must warn you - don't go up the tower when you're not 100% sober. That might kill you! Hundrets of steps, really steep and so narrow that there is no turning back - terrible.
To recover we went to the fishmarket where we bought some shrimp and a whale burger. I'm not joking, we had whale. Tasts like beef and smells a bit like fish but I think everything smells like fish when you buy it at the fishmarket.
At night I was watching a football match I don't remember and poor Tonje had to work.

It's Norje time

After a great week in Sweden I was on the way to Norway where I wanted to meet Christopher in Oslo but he was in Roskilde at the great music festival. So I stayed a night close to Oslo in Ski in my tent. I can tell you, the mosquitos in Tanzania were nice pets compared to those monsters in Ski!
After a painful night with thousands of knots, broms and stuff I was moving on to Trondheim. Driving through the most breathtaking landscape ever. Relly, I know mountains from home but what I saw there was really cool because it's so much bigger and wider than in Austria. Also I didn't expect to pass glaciers here and again I was freezing on my bike.

When I reached Trondheim Tonje tried to describe me the way to her pub. Unfortunately she doesn't know the difference between left and right :-) But I found it. What a nice little bar - I even found it in my Rough Guide: Friendly, intimate old coaching inn with a warren of homely dining rooms and a small courtyard. The reasonably priced menu features home-cooked staples, including the renowned bacalao and a super cheesecake.
After a hot shower and a delicious fishsoup I was ready for party with Tonje and a friend of her whose name I forgot - sorry for that.
Was a poa fucking kabisa night - but watch out for the beerprice 8€ for a cheap one in really crazy!

Home alone

Lovisa went away to lake Vättern with school to look at some plants and flowers and stuff and I have her flat for myself now!!!
Well, but what do you do alone in a flat that is somewhere in a town you don't know and people speak a strange language you don't understand and you feel a bit lonely. Right, you call a friend.
So in the afternoon I met my old kompis Patriki from Tanzania to have some Prips (Swedish beer). Poa kabisa, my day was saved. Later on also Karolina came over. Was so nice to see them again!
Actually it was so nice with them that I moved from Lovisa's apartment to Patrick's where I could stay for some days. What a nice guy! He had to work though so I was exploring the town by myselfe during the day. I Saw every museum and tried some of the cafes in town.
In the evening we were watching football at röda sten, meeting nice friends of him at kings head and some other places, going to his band room, playing some music, watching Lahle performing at a concert - a really good concert!

I stayed here for about a week before I moved on to Norway - oh, I must not forget I also saw Robbie Williams live at Ullevi stadion - what a week.

Gothenburg I'm coming

It was Sunday and our plan was to go to Gothenburg. Lovisa and Ida by bus and I by bike. I was really not looking forward to that after the extremly long and cold trip from Berlin to Vadstena. But I was lucky, Lovisa wanted to come with me. That means at least insulation from behind.
But there were also Lovisa's parents who were a bit worried to let her daughter go on a motorbike all the way from Vadstena to Gothenburg and by the way, the day after Midsommar-weekend is usually the day when most traffic accidents happen.
So Lovisa agreed to go only half the way with me and then jump in the bus for the last and most dangerouse part of the way.
Well she didn't tell me about that plan though, so I took her all the way of course.
After a shower to get warm we picked up our stuff from Ida who arrived a bit later at the busstation. Tak Ida for bringing our stuff!
I think that day we went to bed quite early because we both were really tired after that weekend and the next day Lovisa had to leave to her excursion to lake Vättern I think.

RIP Sebastian

Yesterday I heard that Sebastian the horse I was riding in Sweden had gone to heaven because of a bad leg. And then I have to correct me. Sebastian was not only competing in the Swedish championship, also in the European championship!

Rest in peace Sebastian!

Riding the champion

Back to the Scandinavia trip...
The day after Midsommar I went riding with Lovisa and yes, there was a horse too - her sisters horse that was competing in the Swedish championship.
After some western riding in Austria I tried the high school of english riding. Wow, there is a hughe difference! First Lovisa showed us (Ida and me) some of her skills - looked really good and then it was my turn. Completly different way to ride compared to western riding but more interesting and fun! If you know what you do the horse really does what you want it to.
Anyway I didn't fall down and I had lots of fun!

Later Germany kicked Sweden out of the football worldcup. Pole sana, but Germany was the better team for sure.

Back home

The exhibition in Regensburg is finished. I found out there that I Everything is working and looking nice but there was no time to go to the Wiesen, the Oktoberfest :-(
Regensburg is a really nice little town. Probably I'll be there again when we have to break down the exhibition again.
On the pictures you see me, when I just realiced that I have superpowers and can fly like superman. In the middle evil Dr. Black with his space cannon. And the last picture shows the funny alien from Mars.

Interruption

Back from story telling about my Scandinavia trip to my real life (don't worry, I'll come to the Norway part...)
This week I'm in Regensburg/Germany with the Ars Electronica Center - the museum I work at to build up an exhibition.
By the way, here in Regensburg the pope made the not so nice comments about the Islam last week.
The exhibition will be opened on Friday and we are working really hard to get it done even earlier, so we can visit the Oktoberfest in Munich which is close to Regensburg. Lots of rollercoasters and lots of beer!!!
Cross your fingers so we will make it in time!