No internet access

Hi this is Paul - Kevin's press officer. Kevin has text tonight to say he crossed the Arctic Circle at Jokkmokk midday today and expects to reach Nordcapp next Tuesday.

Looking forward to your next update at the weekend.

Day 8. To Eat an Elephant

No Pictures today. A serious slog to get north. KBO!

I only slept the four hours of darkness last night. I hope my body learns to sleep in the day light, or I'm going to be wrecked a week from now. I phoned ahead and booked a single room to myself for tonight. I want a bit of privacy when I arrive tired from a day in the saddle. That said my room mates so far have been good. The last two nights a Curdish guy, escaping terrorists in Circuk (no idea on the spelling on that one Im afraid). He lost his father to the gun men, then he got out. Emotional stuff even communicated with virtualy no common language. He told me this so I made him a cup of tea! How English is that?

The Bothnian Coast is long, stretching all the way North to the Finnish border. I settled into the rythme. Its a motorcycle meditation. Be in the here and now, or get flattened by a double length timber truck. Elsa says Ohmm. Ride 2 hours. Eat, drink, refuel carefully with the rehabilitated credit card, ride 2 hours more. Do it again. To eat an elephant you take one plateful at a time. Oh for some mountain bends. The scenery is nice. Woods, forest. You hardly see the sea which is close by on my right. The big bike is making light work of the mile. My shoulders ache but the bike is getting lighter. Only 5 lb lighter, but it feels more. I think I may be growing muscles! Onward north as far as Umea, a city of young people celebrating the light summer nights. It's a little chillier here.

Another hour of planning. I wanted a day off at the research station at Abisco, in Swedish Lapland. They have a dorm bed only, for one night. That doesn't give me the convenient base for a days hiking, and I'm not up for another dorm just now (people think I'm odd just because I sleep in my jacket and have herrings in my beard). It's taken a lot of buggering about but eventually I have a private room en suite in a neighbouring hostel.

If you hadn't guessed, I'm dawdling. I like Sweden very much, and there is foul weather in the north that I need to clear before my final run for the Cape. I need to here from a man in Tromso. Arrangements got a little more complicated for next weekend. Bed. Sleep please.

Logistics

Credit Card - reactivated
Accommodation for tomorrow - booked
Provisions - replenished
Water. Petrol. Check
Email Tromso
Wash underpants
Forgot to wash talisman

I have to focus now. Population is sparse from here on up. Two days riding up the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, then I start North West to Lapland and the Arctc Circle. So far this is the easy bit. Gulp! I'm still only 40% of the way there.

There appears to be a photo of me at Myton at the top of the page! All I have to do now is understand how! See earlier posts. I've managed to crow bar a few pictures in. I'm learning slowly.

Clever Dick

At some point the clasp on the chain holding the talisman around my neck, gave way. How exactly the talisman then ended up all the way south in my underpants, I have no idea!

On to Gavle

I rolled the bike to a standstill among down at heels apartments. This is where satnav says I should be for the hostel. I stand up in the saddle, lift my right leg extended to 90%, bend at the knee, heel to backside, lift higher and rotate. Wedged in between tank bag and luggage behind me on the pillion, this is how I dismount. The Lebanese guy comes over with an easy smile of greeting, taking in the bike and registration plate as he comes. From England? Yes I reply meeting his smile with tired eyes. Too long in the saddle. The miles are long at Sweden's 55 mile an hour speed limit. You are a strong man! he told me. I replied that I didn't feel strong. I am, he assured me. The bike and the journey testify. Ill except that with pride and caution.

I thought I had saved my credit card when I snatched it from the petrol cyborg 2 days ago. My provider has blocked it, so 50% of my financial back up is beyond use. I have an Indian call centre to talk to I guess. I'm learning to be independent and mobile. We are used to having a home and an familiar environment. That which doesn't kill me, makes me stronger!

Its Sunday. I'm taking another break to sight see Gavle old town and sort my shit out before the road gets more difficult. I need to be flexible and clever.

Thanks to Andreas from Germany for help with comms, and good company.

Midsummer Party

A day of rest putzing around the harbour and paddling along the lake shore. an afternoon of socialising with new friends as preparations for the party begin. I survivied the party without needing my insurance. Fit to travel the morning after. A supreme act of will power. Real control. I allowed Vatta 2 goes at the singing and schnapps game, then asked him to stop. He did. Amazing! New friends for sure, swapping emails and numbers. Lots of advice for my onward journey and the possibility of a club outing to Gotland island on the bikes, if I come back through in 3 weeks. No reason why I wouldnt. I like these people and this place. We shall see. 1am bed but sober

10.30 start f0r Gavla, 300 miles North East on the coast. I found the rythme of the trip at last. Vatta is sleeping content. I turned Jane's sound off so its just the big girl and I this morning. she hums low, Ohmm, and I roll with her into long sweeping bends. A quartet making harmony. Let it be like this a while.

I need the help of a child to load pictures. still cant do it. ill try again because I have a few to share now. Success. Sort of. No formatting but got some pictures onto my post.

VBMC Motorcycle Club

What a great crew. I found a home for a couple of days while my head catches up with where my body and a very large motorbike has taken it.

I nearly dropped Elsa last night (not in the same way Satnav Jane dropped me on the motorway !). Coming in to stop, lost, checking addresses and the man mowing his lawn looking at us, I lost my male spatial awareness thing. Can't multitask. Elsa gained some of her considerable half tone loaded, and we hang in the air for a few seconds, while my skinny frame took the strain. My poor legs and back !

Evenings with the crew who have wonderful English and are easy company. Tonight is their Midsommer Party and I have an invite. Assuming I survive the vodka, I move on tomorrow, rested and ready for what comes next.

When the petrol pump in front of you is card only, and you can`t understand the language the on screen instructions are in, press cancel and walk away. I am the guy who peed on the electric fence. I am very lucky still to have my credit card. I get stressed easily. No change there then.

Gavle tomorrow on the East coast. "Brave Biker Kev", "Cape Crusader", has to get on with the job in hand. That's for tomorrow. This afternoon I have a party to negotiate. Trickiest part of the journey so far.

Many thanks to the VBMC crew for supporting me and letting me use this terminal.

North East to Jönköping

Photos later, I promise. Today I write from the VBMC bikers club house borrowing their terminal to catch up with what the press have said. 15 minutes of fame etc. But I get ahead of my self.

leaving Mcdonalds ( I will be nice about them. Decent salad and coffee at OK prices, and free WiFi) Satnav Jane put me back on the motorway telling me to continue for 71 miles. Then she flounced off and went silent for the afternoon. Elsa (The big bike) hums along doing what she does, eating miles. Trees endlessly matching north. The forest goes on forever. I (pitta me) concentrate on the monotonous job while vatta me asks "are we nearly there yet?" and watches the sunlight strobing through the trees. Finally at tea time we all (there seem to be 4 of us in this relationship Satnav Jane, Elsa, Vatta me, and me) arrive at the motorcycle camping and a very nice little cabin to stretch out in for a couple of days. Spell check is definitely Swedish. Must look at that soon. My poor spelling is exposed.

Niggles!

Im out of my comfort zone so no surprise. Midsummer revellers kept us awake most of the night. By 6 I decided enough was enough. Early breakfast and away. Last night I failed to connect to the Hostels wifi which wound me up. Sorry Paul if I then wound you up. No c0verage in one part of the complex was the prpblem, not my recurring technoplegia. My new helmet has developed arthritis. The visor lock is playing up and im a long way from home. I chose not to spend ona new jacket for the trip due to escallating costs.,Mistake. The main zip broke this morning. Good news is it does up so I wont freeze. Bad news is I have to sleep in it!

THis morning was COpenhagen. I had no intention of going into the city. Im skittish enough without that. Satnav had other ideas. I should have guessed by theshort given mileage that something was amiss. I was on my way to a ferry I didnt want. The growth of the branches on the trees suggested I was going North. I stopped. Yep. North! Great directional skills but too late to prevent Satnav from doing what she does (Sorry ladies, today all awkward devices are female!). Given more specific instructions ie go via Malmo, she paused and announced RECALCULATING, and then took me sightseeing through the centre of Copenhagen. A is well that end well because here I am sitting in McDonalds at Malmo muk Koffee in hand. Muk ceaser salad coming up. THe crossing was abs0lutely stunning (and windy). Bridge tunnel bridge. Wow.

Love to all who texted messages to me. Why did I ever worry I would be lonely.

Next is the motorcycle club near Jonkoping, a party, and figure out how to recharge this pepper pad ona camp site. Bfn> I may be gone some time.

Ps Met a couple fresh back from Nordkapp. 2 degrees and stormy, and 50 quid t0 park their car!

Roskilde

No sooner into the queue and meeting people. a young couple from Cornwall seeking a new life in Sweden. Property in the north is cheaper than the UK. The Dana Sirena took care of my needs for 18 hours to Esjberg, but my credit card took a huge hit. There's no cafeteria no board. The choice is a sandwich, or a la carte. The guinea fowl was superb, but with a large wine and a coffee set me back 35 quid. (ill get better with this key board I promise).

Day 2. Esjberg at 13.3o. petrol. Shes empty. I should have loaded her on with a third of a tank to clear the port. One of many minor mistakes I bet. The ride over to Roskilde was pleasant and uneventful. it was also a geograghy lesson. as a boy I passed my Geography O Level on Denmark. Ive never visited before! (My spell cheque iz in Danish!!)

Roskilde is a very pleasant town with the youth hostel on the harbour. I couldn't have wished for better. My meal out of cans was in stark contrast to yesterdays. Great company though. An evening stroll along the harbour front, and bed.

Myton

McDonalds free wifi. sucess.

Im pleased i started from the hospice. the only ghost there loves me. so good to meet the team and put faces to names. the press photograghers and staff gave me a wonderful send off and it was great to be finally moving. lunch in cambridgeshire in the sunshine with friends. time to relax after the exceitement of my departure from Myton. Do you know, i felt dad traveling with me until then. another leavetaking and on to Harwich.

Zero Minus One

The last few days I have had pre trip jitters. Five weeks alone is a big deal. So is 3000 miles each way. I'll allow myself the jitters, and get on with it.

Dave Hart came over on Wednesday and performed a biker audit of my kit, plans and methodology. I pass. Dave rides a 1200GS but arrived on a push bike for some strange reason (says a guy who is going to ride to the Arctic) Dave's a good guy. A pep talk from Robert in Switzerland. Thanks my friend. It helped. A last 'phone call from Mum to send me on my way. I have so much support, love and care from those close to me. How could I feel alone with the thoughts of so many to keep me company? Thank you all.


I'm packed and the bike is loaded. little bits and bobs tucked away into every available nook and cranny. She is still extremely heavy. There is no getting around the fact that she is a BMW R1200RT, and I am less than 11 stone wet through. This is also part of the challenge. We are what we are.

Tomorrow I will start me trip officially from Myton Hospice in Warwick. It was a tough call for me. I'm doing it because it gives them the opportunity for publicity, and I want them to get as much money as I can help raise. It is the anniversary of my fathers death on Thursday. I haven't been back to the hospice since that dreadful day in June 1998. He wanted one of the "new" Hinckley Triumphs, but I bet he'd be blown a way by the BMW.

Enough for now. I've nothing left to fidget with. Time to eat, then get some rest. Post soon.

Final Preparations

Not long now.

Last week was dominated by lists. It's how I protect my trip from the effects of my lousy memory. I'm a project manager and it shows in my methodology. My study reflects it with its huge map of Scandinavia, and inspirational stock pictures of some of the places I will visit along the way (a quick thank you to my friend Colin for suggesting the Malmo crossing route months ago). I have flown over the roads of the Arctic with Google Earth. I've looked at the images from webcams. I've spoken to those that have gone before me, via Newcastle and Bergen. A plan can only go so far though as a friend pointed out to me yesterday. You have to be open for the unknown. How I cope with what the road throws at me will shape the trip. Let the road write the story. That's the whole point of going.

I'm also recording my experiences for those who follow later. I have benefited from those who have travelled to North Cape before me. I learn through mistakes, and I have made a lot of them. I'd like to say that I learn from the experiences of others, I try, and when I'm switched on I do. Mostly though I'm the guy who peed on the electric fence. Just the once....!!

I've booked some accommodation ahead. From the ferry port to Vatterbygdens Motorcycle Club and camping, Jonkoping, South Sweden, and on to the Bothnian coast on the 1st weekend. I have three nights with the motorcycle club, and a midsummer party to go to. Scandinavians and Vodka. Gulp!

If you're not thinking of loading a big touring motorbike for an extended road trip, feel free to skip this next bit. I'll try to write interesting stuff later.

This weekend I loaded the bike. I couldn't think of a way of working it all out other than to just do it. I did it three times! It started with luggage piled high on my bed, and equipment sprawled out across the kitchen floor. Shit there was a lot of it! Three hours later it was all on the bike. The BMW R1200RT is a superbly designed and engineered machine. She took everything I wanted. Heavy equipment, food, and cold weather gear low down in the panniers. The huge BMW top box is a suitcase for my clothes and wash kit. Just unhitch it and walk into accommodation with everything I need for the night. No fuss. Tank bag hand luggage never to be left unattended, and tent, bed and sleeping bag stuffed into a 40l dry sack, strapped and locked to the pillion. I weighed gear to ensure that I am not exceeding the design spec'. Worth doing I assure you. No hinges or fastenings strained, and no knuckles removed. It balanced and the centre of gravity was low. A good job. She was way too heavy. Tired and wet at the end of a days riding, parking, with an adverse camber, I could drop her. I also have to haul the whole rig onto it's main stand on ferry decks. A hernian would spoil the trip for sure. I stripped it all down and started again. The soap and shaving kit went, as well as food supplies. The Pinotage stays though. Better, but out of balance now. So I did it all over again seeking out every advantage I could gain. Much better but she is still heavy. The truth is that an RT loaded for a five week trip to the Arctic is never going to be light. She is no ballet dancer, but I bet she can still waltz.

Time to stop fiddling with the bike. Not long now.

We've raised about three hundred quid for Myton Hospice so far. The generosity of people is heart warming. Thank you all.