1997 Land Of The Midnight Sun - The Beginning

My good friends Ian and Guzzisue bought their Moto Guzzi in 1995 following a motorcycle accident in the previous year. For two years they toured Scotland and by 1997 were getting itchy feet and wanted to travel further afield. Guzzisue had already done some mileage abroad while Ian had not crossed the waters since the late 1970's with his school, so where to go?

Ian does not like the heat too much and Guzzisue had been down to the south of France and Yugoslavia in the past, which meant that north was looking good. Ian had been into the worlds second largest whirlpool on a boat trip in Scotland the year before while rallying therefore a natural progression would be to go and see the largest. A little delving and the largest whirlpool is to be found at Saltstraumen, Norway, about 100 miles into the Artic Circle. Norway here we come! I say we because I persuaded my rescurers to let me come along for the adventure.

The ferry was booked leaving from Newcastle on August 9th and arriving at Bergen the following afternoon. We arrived in Newcastle with plenty of time to spare in wonderful sunshine, in fact too much sunshine and nowhere to shelter. We all eventually boarded the ferry and while Ian and Guzzisue had a cabin I was left looking after the bike.