Countdown begins!

[motacyclist]

California coming out of a roundabout just as I was entering it. About to wave and realised the roof was twisted, one side closed otherside a foot in the air at the front.

Obviously doesn't know about the bungee?

 

[WelshGas]

I think it had either jammed or failed to come down on the one side . I would have thought it would have needed a new roof by the time he got to wherever he was going!

 

[WelshGas]

Big Cali shadow.

 

[WelshGas]

Well another day in Sweden. Glorious weather all day until 15 minutes from this evenings campsite and the heavens opened. 308 miles today and it pitched up in a forest campsite on the outskirts of Varnamo.



Definite change in the scenery, fields I between the forests which have changed character, more deciduous trees in full leaf.



Interesting church, built entirely of bricks.


Passed the largest lake in Sweden, more of an inland sea, complete with steam ships and a ferry.


Short drive tomorrow, 200 miles, and I'll be on the coast south of Malmo ready to cross The Bridge on Saturday. I've been told by a few of the Swedish I've spoken to that Malmo has changed and no way would they visit there.

Time for tiffin.

 

[motacyclist]

Seems a bit sad that your adventure is more than half over

 

[Hotel California]

Seems a bit sad that your adventure is more than half over

Yeah , sad we won't be seeing those great pictures anymore......but actualy ....
I am about to leave this sunday on a three weeks trip to Norway ( mostly the south not all the way to Nordkapp) so i get to see those scenes in real life....

 

[WelshGas]

Have you heard of the E1? Something to look up, but I think I might go to the other end in 2017. Too busy next year.
Got The Bridge to look forward too and I hope to video it this crossing. Well at least the weather is fine this morning.

 

[racali]

Morning Welsh gas ...... great trip and photos. As part of my passive security package I have fitted a 'save a deer device' from www.deerwhistle.com in the hope of saving something - a deer if not the van. I wonder if reindeer and elk are on the same wave length. I have folks in Norway so hope to test this out soon.

 

[WelshGas]

The Elk are BIG, and the Reindeer numerous.

 

[WelshGas]

Well, last day in Sweden, Denmark tomorrow. Sunny most of the day but when it rained it rained. Wipers full speed and even the lorries slowed down.
Saw this on the way to my campsite south of Malmo. Can you guess. The clue is in the name.

Got it? Candy Airlines. It was a sweet shop. Old fashioned sweets.

You can see what was brewing.



At my next stop a lady drew up on this.



A Harley..

Now pitched up for the night. Busy campsite, but room for a small one!



Time for tea.

 

[motacyclist]

Denmark tomorrow.

Don't forget to bring home the bacon. And the Lurpak

 

[WelshGas]

Well, left my campsite this morning for The Bridge.

 

[WelshGas]

Oops, pressed the wrong button.
Anyway, The Bridge, was very interesting, unfortunately no photos as no where to stop. But I did video it. The windsock was horizontal and made for an interesting crossing. Next we came to the 2 nod toll bridge in Denmark.

The 18 km long fixed link across Storebælt comprises two bridges and a tunnel.
Construction work on Storebælt took place from 1988-1998. The motorway across Storebælt opened in 1998 and the railway opened in 1997.

There was somewhere to stop this time.


Look carefully.

Then onto my campsite at Monmark Marina. Right alongside a little harbour. With a lovely restaurant. Already had a lager and going back for Fish n Chips, Danish style, shortly.
Early start tomorrow. Sally SatNav says 430 miles - 7 hrs. We'll see. Virtually all autobahn but I'll see where I am at 3pm and might look for somewhere closer.
And no, I haven't got a tree on the roof!

 

[motacyclist]

What are we looking for in that photo (look carefully)? I can see two towers in the distance ...

 

[WelshGas]

The 2 towers are the 2nd of the 2 bridges that make up the total 18km. That's the bit the big ships go under.

 

[motacyclist]

That black cloud looks a bit spooky, I can see a face on the left hand side

 

[WelshGas]

Fortunately it was going away from me!

 

[WelshGas]

Off to Germany shortly. Just have to wash the dishes and put the roof down.

 

[Hotel California]

We are also off to Germany in the next hours , stopping just below Hamburg this evening ....see my topic "three weeks Norway"
Who knows we will be crossing eachother....
Neary over for you ....start for us!
Drive safe home!

 

[WelshGas]

Same to you. Avoid the A7 if you can, Hamburg to Denmark. Kilometres of road works and contra flows. Allow plenty of time if you have to use it.

 

[WelshGas]

Well, busy day. 450 miles in 8 hrs including 4 stops, 2 of which were compulsory coffee and pastry stops. Now down in Southern Germany, at a lovely campsite in Hammer, about 20 miles off the A 4.
Lots of cars but only the occasional lorry carrying perishables. They were all parked up at the service and picnic areas.The A7 Autobahn from Denmark to Hamburg is just one giant roadworks and will be until 2017. Miles of contraflows and speed restrictions.
Sally SatNav said I should have been here at 1637 when I left this morning, then when on the A1 , the dreaded voice - Your route has been changed due to traffic conditions and the arrival time went to 2020hrs. Checking the Traffic messages there was a 1/2 mile of stationary traffic on the A1 and as I watched a new message popped up 5 miles of stationary traffic. As I came over the brow of a hill in the far distance just red lights, but then Sally said - your route has been changed, take the next exit right, and off we went on a 25 minute trip through the the German countryside and completely bypassed the hold up and arrived at 1658 instead. Can't fault her.
So now pitched up, off for a beer. Next to a river again, but deep in the German forest this time.

I know one thing, the Danish and Germans are damn lucky no one has introduced Average Speed Cameras for their road works. Speed limit 80kph, no one was doing less than 90.

 

[motacyclist]

Off to Germany shortly. Just have to wash the dishes

Dirty dishes not tolerated in Germany?

I didn't realise the sat nav had traffic info until it chirped in on me the other day. Where does it get the data from? Radio?

 

[WelshGas]

If you've got tha RNS510 then press the Traffic button on the R . You'll see the messages which it uses to re plot your route. They're always in English as well. She is clever.

 

[WelshGas]

Trundling down the Autobahn at 135kph ( about 85mph ) I was overtaken by a German California, White with black awning and black wheels . My Cali was rocked by the wind buffet as he must have been doing at least 30mph more. Then he was followed by his mates, a Multivan conversion and a Caravelle. I got upto 149kph without noticing at first, just overtaking.

 

[WelshGas]

Just did my MPG calculation, not the final one yet.

4752 miles covered

693.8 litres Diesel. =. 152.615 days gallons

31.137 mpg

The Dashboard board computer says 33.1 mpg

Note - the Diesel heater has been in use for the past 15 nights as has the engine Diesel heater for 7 starts.
This Diesel would not be counted by the Dashboard computer, I presume, but would reduce the calculated MPG from my fill to fill measurements.

Pretty good I think as I've not been tootling along and those long straight empty roads do not help.