ARRIVING INTO EUROPE: Finally the day came when we were on the ferry in sight of the Rock of Gibraltar. Africa's shores were fading into the haze and we felt an important chapter of our life was fading to become a mere memory. Information overload was the first shock. With so many signs everywhere and choices of things to buy we felt exhausted just to go shopping. We first went to a large Safeway supermarket in Gibraltar and spent over an hour in there bewildered by the huge variety, only to not know what we wanted and leave feeling exhausted with only a couple of items. As we continued through Europe we felt overwhelmed by the images on the television, so many people walking around talking into tiny mobile phones, the changes in computer technology and so many private cars. It was a relief to get service without a fight but at the same time it was sometimes like doing business with robots without any personality.

[ Emi passing from Andora to France]

Tue Sep 1 1998
NORDKAPP and the cafe at the end of the world
Thirty seven thousand two hundred and four kilometres, ten chains, thirty tyres and 66 punctures, in forty-four months from Capetown, South Africa to Nordkapp, Norway. Another leg of our world journey by bicycle is complete.
It was a strange feeling to arrive. There was no fanfare but inside we felt the satisfaction to have had the journey to get there. We had to wait for a busload of Italians to do their several different posses at the globe that is a symbol of the most northern point of Europe. Then it was our turn.
In the last 200km I had caught a cold and had to spend a day in the tent to get over the worst of it. Emi took advantage of the carpet of blueberries around us. She had sore calf muscles for days afterwards, from crouching down to pick the berries. The berries tasted great.
In the last kilometres there were some long climbs over the 350-meter high treeless cape. It seemed we weren't meant to have it easy, even down to the last kilometres. The weather held out though. It had been the best summer for years.
We weren't the only cyclists at Nordkapp. With us was Martin Gagnon "the man from Quebec". Some other cyclists arrived; a Frenchman (Fillip), a German (Peter Stolz), a couple from The Nederlands and a Japanese man (Saito san).

[Steve at Nord Cap Norway]

So we sat in the cafe at the end of the world and it seemed everyone was coming.
At this time it was an Italian majority coming by bus and campervans. (We had many close encounters with the Italian campervans on the road). Next were the Germans, followed by the French and Spanish. On the road even a motorcyclist having ridden all the way from Australia had passed. A group of Brits from the Land Rover factory also came. They were on a 50 day 50 country challenge in aid of UNICEF. They had a group of 4 Land Rovers and a lot of energy to go on their way to Capetown.
The fog eventually moved in, obscuring the view over the sea with the fishing boats on the calm water's surface.
We camped behind the car park, out of the wind on a rocky spot amongst the rubbish thrown there by people who don't see the beauty of a clean environment.
Apart from the car park the countryside was very clean. We were always drinking straight from the rivers and streams without a problem.
So we have returned to our friends here in Alta. We are in the home of Sedolf Slettli who has bred racing sled dogs that have won the world championships.
It would be interesting to see the Arctic winter or go with dogs to... Naaa....
We'd miss our bikes.

[ Mondern Windmils]