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Cycle Exped to Finland & Japan

-- by Mark --

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Cycle Exped to Finland & Japan - Travel Blog

Welcome to my Alzheimers WAI-cycle Expedition - from Swiss to Finland and then to Japan. I’m Mark & this is my re-TYRE-ment project! My aim is to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s and as a candidate myself, discover what I/you must do now to avoid it. - Pebbls Adventure Tracking App

Transport Types Used

  • ferry
  • boat
  • ship
  • river crossing
  • water taxi
  • ferryboat
  • ferry service
  • ferry terminal
  • ferry ride
  • passenger ferry
  • car ferry
  • island ferry
  • channel crossing
  • ferry line
  • catamaran ferry
  • bicycle
  • bike
  • bicycle tour
  • bikepacking
  • cycling
  • bicycling
  • cyclist
  • biking
  • pedalling
  • mountain bike
  • road bike
  • cycling adventure
  • cycle touring
  • two-wheeled travel
  • bicycle journey
  • cycle trip
  • gravel biking
  • urban cycling
  • bicycle trek
  • eco-friendly travel
  • cycle path journey
  • walking
  • walk
  • pedestrian
  • on foot
  • stroll
  • walker
  • hike
  • trek
  • saunter
  • amble
  • Legs of this Journey:

    START Stage 1 ETAP/day1 Apr 27 2024

    Day 1 Luzern - Rapperswil target but only got to Einseideln = 86.5 Total now = 86.5 Up 705. Total now = 705 Down 345

    Stage 1 ETAP/day 2

    Rapperswil walensee and the Rhine Total = 136.4. Total to date = 222.90 Up = 727. Total up = 1432 Down= 1215

    Stage 1 ETAP 3/day 3

    Into Austria and Leukirch Germany Total = 94.97. Total to date = 317.87 Up = 685. Total up = 217 Down = 470

    Stage 1 ETAP/day 4

    From Leukirch my target is Bergheim (which Garmin doesn’t know exists! ) so I hope I find it!! Note - google changed route so I never did! Total = 93.2 Total to date = 411.07 Up = 153. Total up = 2270 Down = 350

    Stage 1 ETAP/days 5&6 1&2 May 24

    Another 2 days towards Marktbreit = 185.2 km 5 total = 90.61. Total to date = 501.68 Up = 926. Total up = 3196 Down = 941 6 total = 92.19 Total to date = 593.87 Up = 638 Total -=.3807 Down = 881 6 total = 92. Total to date =

    Stage 2 ETAP/day 1 27 May 2024

    Leaving Marktbreit & the Alzheimer family home towards Northern Germany and the Nordics

    Stage 2 ETAP/day 2

    Heading North towards Hamburg and hoping the rain holds off. Yesterday was lovely by the river Main and then into the vineyards. 616m of gentle climbing. Rain at the start and rain at the end.

    Stage 2 ETAP/day 3

    Yesterday cooler and windy with a lot of cloud but no rain. Up steep on rough forest tracks eventually down and gentle on old railway. Hard to find a place to stay! Feeling good this morning 👍

    Stage 2 ETAP/day 4

    From Bad Sooden-Allendorf (the town of ancient wood-frame houses towards Hanover and Hamburg. Its a long holiday weekend and raining!

    Stage 2 ETAP/day5

    Rain rain rain yesterday! Cloud but no rain yet and off to Hanover

    Stage 2 ETAP 6 June 1 2024

    Yesterday pm route became an urban drag to Hanover. That can sometimes happen anyway - but especially so if we make the destination more important than the journey. Today I will put journey first 👍

    Stage 2 ETAP 7 Sun 2 June

    Following Garmin from Soltau into Hamburg. Windy and overcast. No breakfast yet!

    Stage 2 ETAP/day8 3 June 24

    Quite a ‘blended’ experience yesterday cycling through Hamburg from south to north and ending at the impressive Hafer-city project. Heading towards the end of Germany in the next days.

    Stage 2 ETAP/day 9 June 4 2024

    It took a few attempts to find a place to stay and they even made a 30 euro donation. Waited for the rain to ease to get started. My goal today is to cycle as close to Sylt as possible My goal today i

    Stage 2 ETAP/day10 - 5 & 6 June

    Long 120 km ride yesterday and eventually found a place to stay. Sunny breezy day today as I head to the furthest north west of Germany and onto Sylt Island and kampen beach to complete Stage 2. Thu 6 I will go the south of the island.

    Stage 3 ETAP1 Sylt 18 June 2024

    The sun is shining through fluffy clouds 🤗 I will ride up to the North of Sylt island and then take a ferry across to the Danish island of Rømø. I cycle across a causeway to Jutland and then SE.

    Stage 3 ETAP 2 June 19

    This morning I head to Fynshav on ALS for the ferry to Fyn and island hop/cycle towards Copenhagen

    Stage 3 ETAP 3 June 20

    The sun is shining. More islands Eastwards: Täsinge - Siø - Langeland - Lolland before crossing to Sjælland and heading up towards Copenhagen

    Stage 3 ETAP 4 June 24

    Long 150 km day yesterday island hopping but less to ride today! About 85km to Copenhagen

    Stage 3 ETAP 5 June 23

    After a weekend in Copenhagen it’s time to head North to Helsingør and by ferry across to Sweden at Helsingborg

    Stage 3 ETAP 6 June 24

    It is sunny here in Sweden, I slept well, had a nutritious breakfast and now heading out to a peninsula to Kullaberg and then North along the coast towards Gothenburg

    Stage 3 ETAP 7 June 25

    It’s a beautiful warm and sunny day to cycle towards Gottenburg

    Stage 3 ETAP 8 June 26

    Sunny and warm. Continuing route 1 towards Gottenburg

    Stage 4 ETAP 9 final June 27

    Blue sky day. Gotta get to Gottenburg!

    Stage 4 ETAP 1 July 9 2024

    Rain yesterday but sunny this am as I head back across the water from Lindholmen to Gottenburg and continue my ride up the west coast of Sweden towards Norway.

    Stage 4 ETAP 2 July10

    The thunder, lightening and heavy rain has paused and so I leave this Swedish fjord and head towards Oslo Norway

    Stage 4 ETAP 3. July 11

    Woke in my tent to the sound of thunder. Rain again today so need to pack up before it arrives! I want to get 100km towards Oslo. Hilly around here though.

    Stage 4 ETAP 4 - July 12

    It would be great to make Oslo today but plenty of buts why it will be difficult. Not least it is hilly and over 120km! Let’s see …..

    Stage 4 ETAP 5 - July 13

    Well, I did make it to Oslo last night after 127 hilly km and 1230m of climbing. I am going to go for the Telemark ‘Kanal Ruta’ from here to Skein - Dalen- Stavanger. It is a sunny warm day to begin

    Stage 4 ETAP 6 - July 14

    Leaving Drammen in the rain and a hilly (100 + ) day ahead to get to Skein and watch the Euros final!

    Stage 4 ETAP 7 - July 15

    Getting to Skien! Rain, wind, fog. I waited. Now it is a pause I set off ready for anything except a repeat of yesterday!

    Stage 4 Final ETAP 7 - July 16

    Telemark Canal to conclude this part of my journey into Norway.

    Stage 5 ETAP 1 Aug 4

    ‘A bit on the side in Norway’ Reunited with her bike and her bag after they were ‘lost’ in Oslo my wife joins me as we cycle on the west coast from Stavenger to Bergen and up to Ålesund.

    Stage 5 ETAP 2 Aug 5

    An Islands ferry and hilly day yesterday crossing Fjords. Stunning scenery and hopefully today will be great too. A long and hilly ride to Stord.

    Stage 5 ETAP 3 Aug 6

    More Island hopping and hills to reach Bergen today

    STAGE 5 ETAP 4 Aug 7

    Leaving Bergen in pouring rain and heading north

    Stage 5 ETAP 5 Aug 8

    A few more islands today and we head north. Rather exposed to weather. It was raining hard this morning and then some sun and now dark clouds gathering as we set off.

    Stage 5 ETAP 6 Aug 9

    Another rainy day as we leave Leivik and head to Åskvoll.

    Stage 5 ETAP 7 Aug 10

    Getting to Forde. Today the old road we wanted to take is closed with landslides so we need to take a completely different route around this island to Forde. Still wind, rain & low dark clouds!

    Stage 5 ETAP 8. Aug 11

    From Førde we are heading to the port of Fløro at the end of a ‘peninsular’ where we need to make the only ferry today to Måløy. It is raining a soft rain but the forecast is to improve later.

    STAGE 5 ETAP 9 Aug 12

    Really in fjord land now! And the sun is shining this morning as we cycle from Måløy to Fiskå for pre-ordered meatballs!

    Stage 5 ETAP 10 Aug 13

    Aug 13 was the last ETAP of this Fifth stage from Fiskå to Ålesund. On Aug 14 was a boat journey from Ålesund through the fjords to Geiranger and back.

    Ship From Ålesund To Bergen Aug 16

    Looking forward to Stage 6 in September

    Stage 6 ETAP 1 September 6 2004

    Back in Oslo and now heading across Sweden towards Finland.

    Stage 6 ETAP 2 Sept 7

    Camped in Skillingsfors Sweden in an old caravan last night and woke up to fog and a flat tyre. The fog has now lifted but late start. Heading sw to Arvika and towards Karlstad

    STAGE 6 - ETAP 3 Sept 8

    Arvika is an area of many lakes. Today my target is to reach KARLSTAD which I think is on the largest lake in Sweden. One of my motivations is I have a place booked with food, as on Sunday all shut!

    STAGE 6 ETAP 4 Sept 9 From Karlstad

    Rain through the night and pouring this am seems to have stopped now. Today 90 km to Karlkoga by…a lake

    STAGE 6 ETAP 5 Sept 10

    Autumn day but hope no rain. From Karlskoga to Köping. Watching google maps carefully today as it cost me 25 km and 3 hours extra yesterday!

    STAGE 6 ETAP 6 - Sept 11

    I really didn’t sleep well after the attack and detention yesterday so starting late again from Köping to Uppsala - another day over 100km. It’s raining!

    STAGE 6 ETAP 7 - Sept 12

    Sun and cloud but cool. From Uppsala to Kepallskär, the ferry port on the east coast of Sweden.

    STAGE 6 ETAP 8 - Sept 13 Finland

    1 hour ahead and off the ferry at Naantali, an old sea-side town famous for it’s preserved village of wooden houses AND apparently even bigger star attraction, Moomin. No, I don’t either, but many Japanese make the pilgrimage.

    STAGE 6 - ETAP 9. Sept 14

    Raining today and cool. Towards Helsinki and expect to arrive tomorrow. Giving bikemaps a turn today!

    STAGE 6 ETAP 10 - Sunday 15 Sept

    Into Helsinki. Remembering why I am here. According to WHO, Finland has the highest rate of Alzheimer deaths per capita on the planet. A stark counterpoint to also judged the happiest place on earth!

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