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First thing in the morning, as in the evening: go swimming.

The water splashes against the stone beach, where it meets the boats it sounds a little different, sharper.

I am now a member of the Norwegian Hiking Association.

What should I do next? Should I even continue at all? My need for community is so great that I am even considering ending my bike trip and finding a job with people. Or should I recharge my batteries at a festival? I want to figure that out today. My more tangible goal today: to buy a rain jacket. In the morning, I tested under the shower to make sure that my current jacket had really reached the end of its life. It has. In addition to a few holes that I had overlooked before my departure, the seams are no longer in the best shape. I don’t want to get stuck in the Norwegian rain. Finding a suitable jacket for me will be a challenge. Two large bike shops (at opposite ends of the city) have nothing in my size. My shoulders are too broad for the largest women’s sizes, my hips too broad for the largest men’s sizes. A bit annoying, but also ridiculous. Norwegians aren’t that small. I happen to pass Odlo and find a jacket that is just right and affordable. I chat with the French salesman about cycling routes in Norway. ...

I surrender to the rain. I forgot the hood that goes with the jacket at home, but maybe it doesn’t matter – the rest of the jacket isn’t waterproof anymore either. It’s getting cold in the long run. Despite the rain, I walk around Oslo a little. At least the city is not overcrowded. I like it a lot; I think many of the modern buildings are well done. I buy new gas for my stove. Actually, I also wanted to buy a foldable coffee filter, but I could not pinch myself for the (converted) 40 €. ...

I get up very early. My sleeping place is uncomfortable enough that I don’t turn over again. I had soaked my oats in the evening, so I don’t even have to cook them. Within an hour everything is packed and a route for the day is planned. It will be along the big roads again, but mostly on cycle paths. Yesterday I crossed the border. The Norwegians overtake more respectfully, leaving me 1-2 metres of space, and I don’t feel as if I’m being pushed into the ditch by the next lorry. In the middle of the day I see deer and even a fawn in the distance. ...

The warm chicken broth (vegan) with the ramen noodles is the highlight of the day. Salt, flavour enhancers, fat – what more could you want from life? Today was a similarly frustrating day to yesterday. As soon as I leave my lonely campsite with its vast quantities of blueberries, I find myself wandering across many large roads. If the path does not lead across the road, it often turns out to be impassable or barely passable. ...

The first thing I do in the morning is jump into the lake. With the golden morning sun shining above it, I can’t resist. It’s cool, but very pleasant. After just one day of rain and grey, I’m already enjoying the strong sun that dries my tent. Daniel is already awake and offers me coffee. I pick some fresh blueberries for my porridge and share some with Daniel. Today I leave the European Divide Trail to make my way to Norway. I quickly question this decision when I get stuck between cars, lorries and the roadside on a federal road. I am grateful for my new hi-vis jacket, thanks to this over-fashionable accessory at least nobody can claim to have overlooked me. ...

In the morning, I only leave my tent when it is absolutely necessary. I listen to the raindrops pattering on my tent and spend as much of my morning as possible inside. I cook my porridge (keeping as far away as possible from the heat-sensitive tent walls), catch up on a few blog entries and laboriously start packing my bags. At some point I hear Nick, who has swum across the lake to me, calling out for me to come to them. ...

The last few weeks have been lonely, despite the many wonderful encounters with people. It tires me to have to make so many decisions alone every day, to be solely responsible for my safety, my food, my joy. I assume that northern Sweden is even more remote, with hundreds of kilometres of nothing but forest. The idea of following the European Divide Trail into this solitude doesn’t appeal to me at the moment. ...