Obviously our usual style pre-departure is up till 2am, packing and sorting stuff. Leaving Pembury, we hit the lorries queuing on the M20 as part of Operation Stack due to the French ferry workers being on strike (again). At Dover, we met a fellow Africa Twin rider called Tim, who had just finished his tour with the army and about to head off on RTW. So much stuff, including his (new) girlfriends’ helmet, as she will be joining him at some point en route (hands up who believes this one?!)

So, it appears to look a little further than we thought, heading off towards Scandiland. Decided on motorways to cover some kms, luckily there appeared to be no tolls, and a few bonus stops for snacks, including my favourite named place “Sputini Snacks” in Belgium.

First night we decided on a campsite in Holland, turns out we managed to find a Christian campsite, complete with a chapel and a double decker bus from Eastbourne. Worryingly, I had bug-in-ear trauma, the joys of riding, but at least there was a bar, where James managed to sweet talk the waitress into giving us free beer as we watched the bats flitting about.

Leaving Holland, with its flat fields, windmills, sheep and goats, we hit Germany in the pouring rain, where it suddenly became all conifer forests. Ended up on Fehmarn Island after a long wet day on the autobahn. We found Campingplatz Elfenshlucht – I was quite disappointed she saw no elves, but we did get a hedgehog running around the tent. Had our usual wet camping evening snacks of milka chocolate and brandy – who says we don’t live it up? (James claimed he got trench testicle after all the rain – new gear perhaps?)

The feel is different again here – cute villages with red and white houses, lots of strawberry fields, breathing in that glorious smell as you ride past.  We rode through a cloud of white butterflies which was really quite magical as we arrived in Puttgarden for the ferry to Denmark at €52. Tip – do check first you’re on the correct ferry before bundling on, as the boats go to a load of different destinations.

Arriving in Denmark, we managed to not see any tolls again, despite the signs – the roads, whilst some might say they were boring, I found them rather relaxing, watching the rolling fields of wheat go by. Camped up by a fjord near Roskilde – warm weather, lovely scenery, beautiful sunsets and a bottle of the slightly odd local moonshine “Akvavit” – unless desperate, possibly give it a taste-bud swerve.

When in Roskilde, you have to go to the Viking museum – brilliant fun, excellent demos of boat making and general Vikingy goodness. Great shop there too, where James bought a sheepskin cosy for the bike as everyone seems to rate this as the way to go for biking botty comfort.

Images: Tim and James in Dover, Imogen setting up camp in Roskilde, longboat in the Viking Museum, Roskilde; free camping