tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-249322912012-02-08T23:03:14.403-08:00This is a photo travel journal of Kerri-Jo's Europe trip in 1992:<br> When I was 24 years old I cycled over 5,600 km in three months, somehow ending up at Norway's North Cape.Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.comBlogger221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143582932080599371992-08-04T23:00:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:58:13.570-08:00

23h00 August 4, 92Wow, I'm surprised that I like Berlin so much. I am having a great time here. It's an incredible city with an amazing mixture of old and new. Very modern. And they have the best bike paths around the city so it is easy to get around. We even cycled to a bar. I thought that was cool.August 11, 92Well, today is my last day here. I really enjoyed it and found it very interesting.

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143585417254642211992-07-30T20:02:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:57:42.408-08:00

20h00 July 30, 92I'm on the ocean on the Princess Ragnhild, just south of Helsinki on my way to Kiel.I have just eaten a huge dinner, buffet, it was incredible. After I get to Germany I don't know when I'll be able to eat again so I'm taking advantage of the food here! I think I'm still running on a deficit from Finland. There I only had bread every day but sometimes I had honey as well.Yesterday

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143586051239179401992-07-23T19:48:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:35:38.145-08:00

19h50 July 23, 92Today I hit 5,000 km!I am finally warm and dry now. It was so wet again today and I froze.It was really tough going today and was only making about 10 km/hr for most of the 135 km. The only highlight of the cycling was that after killing myself going steep uphill for a very long time - and I couldn't see anything it was so foggy - and then right in front of me opened up this huge

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143586877820732381992-07-21T17:20:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:57:04.721-08:00

Alta 17h20 July 21, 92And it's raining again.There are neat tunnels to go through. One, the Skarvberg tunnel, was 3 km long and very wet and cold.The altitudes range from 800 to 1200m, but it can seem long and steep up the hills. The fjords are what are frustrating, you can see the road so close and then you have to cycle far around to get back to that point again! There are ferries one

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143588445099268861992-07-20T11:24:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:48:45.517-08:00

11:30am July 20, 92I'm going to wait for my stuff to dry before I leave the hostel.It is actually quite beautiful here. I love the seemingly barren land, just rock really. The soil is still frozen in places. There are reindeer here but other than that I only see birds. There are cormorants in the water and puffins too.I've decided to steal a blanket from the hostel so I won't freeze at night any

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143590397660772141992-07-19T15:39:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:47:32.644-08:00

July 19, 92Well, I made it to Nordkapp today, all the way to 73 degrees north!My high was at the point of getting on the ferry to go to the island of Masgeroy. To that point I had the best day, sunshine and everything was so beautiful. I truly felt I was on the top of the world. I felt so good.The picture is taken from the touristic "North Cape", but the point shown is the true Nordkapp, called

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143591243561552761992-07-18T16:12:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:46:05.003-08:00

9:10pm July 18, 92Well, it took a long time, but I did it - 200 km today! And not an easy time.I froze this morning - critically. All my stuff was wet. Damn this jacket that's supposed to be, but isn't waterproof!I saw a beautiful fawn and her mom, snow white both, but my hands couldn't move so no picture. The cold isn't really the problem, but combined with the wet it is becoming a major problem

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143591892064008411992-07-15T16:16:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:45:40.014-08:00

July 15, 92So I made it!I'm camped right on the Arctic Circle.(It isn't really a good spot - but I have to say I've done it!)It was only 160 km today but through the rain. A really yucky day. ...please don't rain tomorrow! And the mosquitoes!!! I had to keep my mouth shut and still breathed them in my nose. Repellent is useless. I've never set up my tent so fast, less than a minute I'm sure! I

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143592407095288481992-07-11T16:27:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:44:42.519-08:00

4:30 pm July 11, 92Well! I'm finally on my way!!My money didn't come in yesterday but I can now pick it up at any KOP bank on Monday morning. I used the money the Israeli guy gave me to pay off my bill at the hostel. So I was free to start my trip!By 5:30 pm yesterday I was on my way!! I went just past Lahti last night (about 115 km). It was the best. Freedom. An amazing high.I've just had dinner

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143592823534406321992-07-06T16:36:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:36:45.912-08:00

This was the sunset as I sailed on the ferry.July 6, 92Wow, it's nice here. It's beautiful too. And the people on the streets are happy. A different life.At first I was really awed by the wealth - so many stores, so many goods, everyone is wearing such nice clothes. I'm truly awed and then I remember I come from a place like this! I've only been in Eastern Europe 1.5 months.After talking with my

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143593862600058081992-06-30T16:42:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:37:19.725-08:00

June 30, 92Alexander is a guy I met who found me a place to stay and is showing me around town. He is lots of fun and everyone is friendly here too. I am waiting for him right now as we are going to the swimming pool.Today he took me on the French ship, Le Henniff, that is docked here. It was ok, we had fun.Right outside my window a band is playing My Way. This city is so beautiful. The swimming

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143595441899628421992-06-29T22:02:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:38:02.004-08:00

22h00 June 29, 92It is so nice here! I'm staying right downtown and paying 30 EEC (about $2.50) per night. I bought cheese, juice, yoghurt, bread and pâté at a store and it cost me $10!! We ate dinner tonight and it was 6 EEC. So it is cheaper to eat in a restaurant. Although the bread is cheap.I met three cyclists from Stuttgart. They heard about us at the borders from the guards and were able

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143596488223054751992-06-29T09:00:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:38:24.849-08:00

9h00 June 29, 92So that is the trip!Daniel is off to Helsinki and from there he plans to go to Cape North and then down through Sweden, Norway, Denmark and back to Germany. (I didn't know until I returned home but he quit the trip at Nordkapp because of the weather and took a train back to France.)We talked about going on together and I would like to continue cycling but besides needing a new

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143597421746528901992-06-28T18:02:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:38:44.427-08:00

The Lithuanian/Latvian border was no problem for us to cross. They were very friendly, and very young, looked like teenagers. Again we went through numerous checkpoints but no problem.So we take the turn of and end up walking our bikes for one hour (5km)!! I was so exhausted. I dare not say anything as I think Daniel decided to go to the beach for me as I had been disappointed that we hadn't

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143598352028138781992-06-28T18:01:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:39:39.315-08:00

June 28, 92Well, the journey ends here in Tallinn. Today we did our last 120 km (in 5 hrs). Yesterday was 180 km.Going back over the trip:At the Polish/Lithuanian border we weren't allowed to cycle across it. The guy kept letting cars go and ignoring us and saying no so we just waited. Finally a Red Cross van came along and he told us to put our bikes in it and we went across with him. There were

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143598560883929721992-06-10T18:14:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:40:05.960-08:00

Here we are in the square outside of Maria's house where we met to begin the trip.OpoleJune 11, 91Well, insensible me has gone on this wild adventure, but did you ever doubt it?So far so good.The change is the people between Czech and Poland is incredible! It is so nice to be back in a country where people are friendly. At the border I made a mistake (after having stood in line ups for hours!)

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143601128558698181992-06-06T18:53:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:40:30.300-08:00

June 6, 92It has been a good week. I've enjoyed living in the flat and Maria is very nice to me. She is very happy to have someone here as she is not able to look after it herself. I cleaned her apartment when she was gone, not everything as that would take years! It is so dirty. She is very grateful. I am as well as it looks like I may not get paid for working either so I really need the good

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143605294499283401992-05-18T19:36:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:41:03.452-08:00

May 18, 92Well, I'm finally here! But so far I don't like it - it's so big and nobody has been friendly. It sure is a great place to be a tourist and to party though!I had signed up for a student work abroad program and I was told that everything would be arranged for me. That someone would pick me up at the train station and bring me to my flat. So I got there and phoned my contact to find out

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143605861640202261992-05-14T20:11:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:42:32.322-08:00

May 14, 2001I had the best picnic today ever! My plan was to cycle around the lake but after a short time I was so negative I decided, why not stop? So I bought strawberries, yoghurt, really nice bread, 3 kinds of cheeses, sausages, ice cream and gummy bears (which I eat while I cycle). I climbed to the top of this hill where I was all alone - and in an orchard! The trees were still blossoming

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143608826973335501992-05-13T20:54:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:43:00.422-08:00

May 12, 92I began my cycling trek through the Black Forest...The countryside is so beautiful. I really loved it here.St. Peter and St. Margen are two idyllic towns in the Black Forest.This was my first big hill on the trip. But the view was so beautiful.And a perfect place to stop for a lunch break:

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143607822451440101992-05-13T20:32:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:43:33.502-08:00

And into Switzerland!What a beautiful country.And here is the when the nicely marked road turned into a gravel path. And then it went narrower and narrower, and then there were stairs, and I had to carry my bike. And at the end of it I ended up on the wrong side of the lake!!!!!!!but I would never have seen the following views if I didn't!(Boy was I tired though!)I made it to Konstanz in one day

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24932291.post-1143609140502239031992-05-02T13:57:00.000-07:002009-03-01T17:44:04.404-08:00

The BeginningI had taken my bicycle to Europe as almost an afterthought. At the last minute I thought it would be a good way to get around in Prague while I worked there for the summer teaching English. (I had no clue about cobblestone roads either!) So I found a bike box and my bike came with me.May 2, 1992I left Vancouver at 8am and arrived in Frankfurt at 9am the following morning. I had met

Kerri-Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941241108585415531noreply@blogger.com0