As we were 3km from the border, it didn’t take us long to hit the land of mountains, trees and many fjords. The roads are still alongside wheat fields, with beautiful dark red houses. Another tip – avoid Lillestrøm! The roads around it are a nightmare, quite a while spent on the ring road trying to get out of there (the 22 and the E6), finally managed to hit the road to Hamar and took the left hand route to Gjøvik – MUCH better. The little road is unbelievable, we’re starting to get into skiing country, with sheep in the middle of the road and lorries overtaking on blind corners, the usual.

Heading north, we passed the Olympic ski-run at Lillehammer and hit the 255 – this road possibly takes the crown as a tops biking road – high passes, yes, with snow, hardly any cars and just gorgeousness at every bend. James, binoculars in hand looking for Siberian Jays, was stopped by a local, who came over and told us to go to Hell. Well, OK, she meant Helvete, Northern Europe’s largest potholes, which were well worth the stop off – much clambering about in the super hot weather, with amazing rock formations, and, bizarrely, some medieval singing Canadians on tour, testing the acoustics.

Finished the BEST ROAD EVER ™ running on fumes and re-filled at the Peer Gynt petrol station and supermarket, but oddly, there was no Peer Gynt tourist tat, alas. The E6 is a slow old road and hits Dovre, which is a tourist troll tat mecca by the national parks, where you can see musk ox. We found a free camping spot off the 136 by another lake, looking at snow-topped hills. Oddly, this spot had a rather nice loo with a warm-air hand dryer and picnic tables, as it was an open-air museum of the area which we dutifully explored, so we felt like total winners in life. Slight warning though, when the sun goes down in this area, it does get a bit chilly, so out came a wee dram of our emergency Drambuie, purchased in the Systembogalet.

Started our day with a “Viking” wash (a cheat, using the loo and our folding washing bowl, rather than swimming in lakes!) If you want the typical view of Norway, head up the E136-63 to Trollstigen and Geiranger Fjord. A 12% gradient with many fun switchbacks on the road and some of the best views on the planet. Still climbing so the temperature is dropping – coffee and Li-klenning med kanel (think Lembas bread). To another spectacular fjord, with blue ice floes and quite a few tourist buses, looking at us with a mixture of pity or envy, depending on their viewpoint.

Had fun playing toot tennis with an enormous cruise ship, our cheery AT horn echoing around the gorge.

Camped up at a lovey site on the N.R.60, called Viking Camping, so obviously we had to stay there. No cabins free, but we did sit in the café eating expensive pizza and then by candlelight, chilling on the veranda, soaking up the atmos.

Images: a typical wet day on the road in Norway; luxury free camping spot; the entrance to Hell; Helvete potholes; Imogen by Geiranger Fjord; looking for a camping spot by glaciers; more glaciers; bike on the road; hoping for warmer and dryer weather