It’ll stop raining…or maybe not. That was all the assurance my fellow traveler Kristen, the Norwegian, could give me. This is Norway.

Today I actually looked forward to the half dozen tunnels on the route. They were a welcome break from the rain. Tunnels and two ferry rides helped, but I was pretty much soaked all day. The rain gear did a decent job, but not on the feet or hands. Wet feet, wet soggy gloves. Wet everything from a combination of rain and sweat.

What a day! If I hadn’t felt a little peer pressure from several other cyclists, including Kristen, I probably would have called it a day 40 miles ago. But Kristen assured me that I’d make it to Nesna, piece of cake…this from the one who’s on her way home from the far northern border with Russia carrying about three times as much as I’m carrying. She says she takes off every summer to cycle around Norway. Has done it for the last 20 years. She’d like to cycle in Europe, she says, but that takes too much planning. Norway is easy.

This is the one that’s telling me that 80 miles of cycling in the rain will be a piece of cake. There’ll be hills at the end, by the way.

Well, I did it, but it wasn’t a piece of cake. All I can say is I’m pretty impressed right now with being warm and dry and full. Not full of cycling, but full of pizza. I’ve given up trying to find Norwegian food. Kristen says she just eats hamburgers and fixes the good Norwegian stuff when she gets home. Not much good fare on the road.

I’m learning a lot from Kristen. She knows her way around these parts. All this is from talk on the ferry because everybody pretty much cycles alone. Everybody has their own pace and own schedule for eating breaks. And yet, they made me raise the bar on distance. Maybe I’ll make it to Bergen on time to catch my flight after all.

Finally crossed out of the Arctic Circle. Crossed the line on one of the ferries. I had thought I was already out of it. Nearly 1,000 miles into the ride and I’ve finally crossed it. That’s pretty crazy.

No photos today except one. I was too busy being wet.