There and Back Again-Thomas Fibrich Kids’ Corner

There and Back Again …

A Mystical Journey to the Land of Trolls

PART 1 Thomas Fibrich – November 28, 2020

After having a great time in Greece in the year 2017, I suddenly realized that staying in hotels during my vacation was not an option for me anymore. The decision was made – I was going to heavily modify my 2015 Toyota Hilux to be able to stay closer in nature and do overlanding trips, which can last longer and give me the opportunity to stay completely on my own, if I would like to do so.

Then, in 2018, after the mods on my pickup were finished end of 2017, I did it the first time, just by circling the complete European coastline all around. It was an absolute adventure, driving around 10.000 km (about 6,200 miles) and visiting 13 countries.

After another visit in Greece, passing Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and Serbia, my beloved friend and advisor Lisa came up with the idea that I should visit north Europe, because I would love it.

People could never really convince me to go there because I would rather love to use my holidays to visit the south and sit on the beach, enjoying the warm sun. That might not be possible in an area where you have to expect snow and rain in August.

After my amazing experience, I am so glad that I stayed open-minded, listened to the recommendation of my very private advisor Lisa and just gave it a chance. Well, because the target was really to see Denmark for some days and then head to

the North Cape, which is 4500km (2,800 miles) ahead, I just passed the whole way from my home town to the border of Germany to Denmark within a day; this was quite challenge.

But after arriving on day two on Rømø Beach in Denmark late evening, I was rewarded by a breathtaking view and atmosphere right away in the first second.

What was really a pity was that wild camping was not allowed in Denmark. So, it would be wise to find a place where nobody would be disturbed by my parked truck and any trouble can be avoided.

I had on my mind, coming back the very next day, to enjoy this great beach by off-roading a little bit, trying out my new toy drone and maybe taking a bath in the northern sea, at approximately 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).

After enjoying Rømø Beach, time had come to head to the north coast of Denmark and get a booking for the ferry. This is something I would do in the evening in my cozy roof tent, an Autohome Columbus (Black Storm edition small), so I decided to take the SuperSpeed 2 from Color Line Ferries, taking in Hirtshals Denmark to Kristiansand at the south coast of Norway.

Since I never took a ferry for such a long ride (it took more than two hours) and of course never passed the Northern Sea, I got really seasick. The sea was very rough, which is why I, coming from the southeastern end of the Alps, was not used to it.

So, arriving in Norway, it was very much a challenge that first evening to find a camp site and recover.

It was an experience, which was not so nice but I would not have liked to miss; once in a lifetime everything has its first time.

After getting my long-range fuel tank refilled the next morning, I went to the west coast of Norway, passing Stavanger and heading to the Hardangervidda National Park, realizing that this country has an amazing new thing and a new surprise after each and every corner.

People there were very kind, and the traffic could not be compared with anything I had experienced in any other European country; it was very smooth and drivers were very courteous. The number of motorways was very limited so I learned that, to get to the most northern spot of the European continent would be a challenge and take a long time.

Understanding this, I decided to get there as quickly as I could and save time for the way back, just in case, and to not end up running out of time in the last days. That decision was really a good one!

The dimensions of this country were way different than my home country.

While the southern part of Norway had a higher density of settlements and people living there, I was looking for that part of the country where I could be more on my own, with only nature around me and feeling peace. In the middle part, it started to meet this requirement in a very mystical way. After passing Trondheim, landscape was looking like an image of a movie, more and more … mile by mile.

Water in the rivers, waterfalls and fountains, was clear and sweet, so water supply was no issue for me at all. This made the overlanding trip much more comfortable. Being able to wash yourself and the equipment, regularly, was also a big added value for such an adventure.

Also interesting was that the Norwegian people love motorhomes. The streets were full of them, next to an amazing number of all-electric cars, like Teslas and all the others.

Of course, they like pickup trucks as well, and my model, the Hilux from 2015, was one of the most wanted ones there. This fact, and the heavy modifications on my car, led to friendly conversations with natives, at parking lots or gas stations.

Day three I passed the polar circle. It seemed that I could do the driving to the North Cape in five days, which meant an average of 500 - 700km (310 - 430 miles) per day. This was quite a challenge, and in Norway, it took about 10 to 12 hours of driving every day, but it didn’t bother me at all. You get way addicted to the traveling because every other few miles… you explore something new and breathtaking. That leads me to just never stop … what will be behind the next corner?