Weekly report: Leave Canada

I have been in St John's for 2 week now. I met 2 other bikers here and spent a lot of time with them. Mike is planning to bike across Canada, but I think may change his mind and bike around the world now.
Adrian crossed Canada last year and raised 200,000 dollar for The Keg Spirit Foundation. It is amazing how he does that. He has really taken care of me and has made me a contact with Planeterra G.A.P adventures.
Robert Collingwood from the Norwegian consulate gave me some work. He has a company who makes water and vodka of iceberg. Iceberg could be 15,000 years old and it is cool to drink water from snow which the Viking's were doing 1,000 years ago. He took us on a boat trip to see the icebergs and we gave it the test Viking style.
There will be pictures of icebergs later as for now my camera is broken.
Margaret Wiig helped me find a cheap air ticket from London to Africa. I love it here.
I will leave St John's tomorrow and go onto London where I will stay for 2 days with some friends, then onto Madeira where I will meet my Brother Stig, The Viking Sailor.

Weekly report: My brother blown to Africa.

This is my twin brother Stig Monstad.

Vikingsailor.
The plan was for him to come to Canada and pick me up. But everything is changed,he ran into so much bad weather and he sailed at the wrong time of the year so he had to stop. He tried to sail to Azorene(middle of the Atlantic Ocean) and was only one day from there when he sailed into a storm and got blown way off course to Africa.
He was worried that his girlfriend will end the relationship if he continued, so he stopped!
My visa in Canada will expire 30 June so I will fly out before then and go to see my brother in Africa and sail around there.

Weekly report: Finally accross Canada in the Winter.

Last night on the road.

Biking in storm and -30 C. Video, click here

Video, click here


I am now in St. John's and am finally cross Canada in the Winter. I'm both happy and a little sad as I really enjoyed biking across Canada and meeting so many nice people who helped me on the road. I have made many new friends. Without them, this would have never worked out. So thank you to all the people who have helped me on the road (I'll write more later). I am pretty happy to be finished though I'm not done yet!!!!!!

I have to stay here for a while and wait for my brother to arrive which will probably be in another month. Then we will sail up to L'Anse aux Meadows. Maybe Greenland and Iceland. From there, not sure. Thats the plan, but in the meantime much could happen. Maybe he will have boat problems or I have to leave Canada..
Either way, I will biking throughout the rest of the world.

Weekly report : Speaking at a High School

Week 22

Pasadena.


It was great being invited to speak at a High School. It was so much fun.


Weekly letter.
Distance.
Relax all week.

Bike related.
Have fixed my bike a little, new handlebar. New seat, and now it's really soft and good. The seat was designed especially for someone who sprnds their time in a wheelchair most of the time so that's is why it is so comfortable. A young man who has spina bifida gave me this seat, when he read about my sore arse.

About the place.
I'm now in Pasadena which is a famous Valley. It is beautiful with a good salmon river. Many rich and retired soccer players live here,like Ian Marshall.

Another things.
Relax with one nice family from Norway here and I helped with yard work. So nice to feel normal sometimes.
Have spoken to some high schools around here and received 55 dollars for the first time for giving a lecture. This was really appreciated.

I played poker with some Newfoundlanders in a basement and am now a member of this klubb for the rest of my life. The Newfie Underground Porker Club we call ourselves, it was fun.

Plan
My brother(vikingsailor) is in Spain with his sailboat and will leave Sunday June 3.
I will go to St John's and ask for an extension on my visa which expires 30 June. Hopefully they will let me stay in Canada longer.
Will stay there and wait for my brother and see what happens.
I have no idea where we will go after Canada. The plan was Caribbean, but now the hurricane season has started...we will need to avoid that!

Invited to my first poker game ever.

Week 21.Newfoundland

Corner Brook, Newfoundland


Poker game, good beer and homemade wine here.

Distance.
Sun 20/5:204 km Antigonish-Sydney. Little rain, slept on ferry.
Mon 21/5:42 km Thomkins. Rain all day, invited to house.
Tue 22/5:152 km St Georg's. Rain and front wind, slept in tent.
Wed 23/5:60 km Corner Brook. Sun, but cold, invited to house.
Thu 24/5: Relaxed.
Fri 25/5: Relaxed.
Sat 26/5: Relaxed.

Weekly letter.
Bike related.
Met two boys from Vancouver who crossed Canada from west to east. They biked about 150 km every day and took 2 months to cross Canada.(see video) It was nice to have their company for 3 days and they pushed me to bike harder. You spend so much time alone when you are biking long distances, sometimes I talk to myself!
I have been invited to stay with some people from Norway that live here.

About the place.
It is very beautiful here in Newfoundland, but is still cold weather and a lot of hills.
There are no indians left here, they killed them all 100 years ago, the last one was a 16 year old girl who was sent to New Brunswik in 1902 and she died of tuberculosis there. People here say they were mixed with vikings and some of them were tall and had blonde hair. Is a sad history. Most people who live here are from England and Ireland.

Plan
There are some problems now. My visa to stay here in Canada expires 30 June. My brother(vikingsailor) is in Spain with his sailboat and probably will not be here in NF until sometime in July, the plan was that he would already be here. But, he was faced with so much bad weather.
Anyway, the plan is to meet him in L'Anse aux Meadows so now I will go to St John's and ask for an extension on my visa and then bike up to L'Anse aux Meadows and wait for my brother.
Hopefully they will let me stay in Canada longer.
I have no idea where we will go after Canada. The plan was Carribien, but now the Hurricane season has started...we will need to avoid that!
Newspaper.
The western star.

Weekly report: Anne of Green Gables.

Cavendish, the house from "Anne of Green Gable"



Economy: This poor dog died the day after I left.

Week 20.
Distance.
Sun 13\5:00km, Economy, relaxed. Sunny all day.
Mon 14\5:78km, Hebert River. Rained all day. Invited to a house.
Tue 15\5:85km, Borden. Rained all day. Invited to house.
Wed 16\5:55km, Cavendish. Rained all day. Slept in tent.
Thu 17\5:81km, Eldon. Rained all day. Slept in tent again.
Fri 18\5:65km, New Glascow. Rained all day, invited to stay in a house.
Sat 19\5:66km, Antigonish, Rained all day, slept in tent.

Letter.
I was invited to stay a few days in a hippie type of town and learned a little about organic food, yoga, art and a peaceful lifestyle which I liked. One of the ladies had a dog that was ill and was in a lot of pain while I was there. The dog would not lay down all day because it seemed he was sure that his bed caused the pain so, after a short time on the floor he moved again because he was still in pain. It was such a nice dog . Sadly he died the day after I left.

I was also invited to stay with a man that has an old style food store. He was quite athletic when he was young but unfortunately he now has problems with pain in his legs. It is so bad and nothing seems to help which makes him feel like giving up. I heard that he is now in the hospital now. I do hope that they are able to help him. We played darts and drank beer with his friend. I really enjoyed my time with them.

I also stayed with a man that was in the army, he was a sniper. He went to Yugoslavia and someone tried to shoot him so naturally he shot back and killed him. East Canada has many people who are in the army .

I saw the house from "Anne of Green Gables," it was a little different than I had expected. There were many tourists golfing around the house which was a little sad.

I am really tired of the bad weather now, there was even snow one day this past week. There has been so much rain that I think I have become mouldy.

Upto now I have been in 5 time zones in Canada.

Vikingsailor:
4 days ago my twin brother left on his own to France with his sailboat and will go to Azolene just outside of Spain. I think he will be in Canada the beginning of July, but meanwhile much can happen. I am sorry his blogg is only in Norwegian, but hopefully it will be in English soon!

Weekly report: Hippies.

Week 19.


Parrsboro.


Invited to stay with people that live like hippies. It seems many people live this lifestyle in Canada.

I've biked a short week, only about 200 km. I plan to relax a few days in Halifax and some days in Economy.

Me on newspaper.

Weekly report: Viking in Novia Scotia.

Week 18, Novia Scotia


1000 years old viking(Runic) stone in Yarmouth. They are not 100% sure that it is the Viking's that have written this. Some of the words they do not know, but I said...that is a Viking's writing, they were only a little drunk or maybe stoned on the famous Novia Scotia mushroom when leaving their mark.



These are the most holy people in Canada with a church every 5 km. If you ask for directions, they answer you like this. "Take a left after church number 4, then a right after church number 2....."

Week 18.
Mon 30\4:45km, 16C, Saint John. Slept in House
Tue 1\5:105km, 15C, Yarmouth. Slept in tent
Wed 2\5:92km, 17C, Clyde. Slept in tent.
Thu 3\5:105km, 15c, Liverpool. Slept in tent.
Fri 4\5:80km, 15C, Mahone Bay, slept in nice hotel.
Sat 5\5:110km, 15C, Halifax, slept in house.

Am staying here for a few days to find some things out - like money, extending my visa here in Canada, and fix my bike- then on to the next plan...

Weekly report: World's Biggest Axe.

The world's biggest axe.


The world's largest covered bridge.


Problem with my feet, trench feet.


In this video, two guys who I stayed with show their firing power.

Week 17
Sun 22/4.96km, +20C. St-Jean-Joli
Mon 23/4.125km,+20C. Pohenegamook
Tue 24/4.95km ,+15C. Edmunston
Wed 25/4.91km, +15C. Perth
Thu 26/4.93km, +23C. Woodstock
Fri 27/4.103km,+13C. Fredericton
Sat 28/4.75km ,+13C. Wesford

Weekly report: Am in the beautiful city of Quebec.

In Quebec City.

This man invited me to stay, he is a writer. I'm not exactly sure what he writes about.

Week 16
Sun 15/4.Berthierville: 75km,3C. Head wind and more rain.
Mon 16/4.Maskinkonge : 20km,0C. Terrible head wind.
Tue 17/4.Champlain :100km,3C. Head wind and rain.
Wed 18/4.Quebec :108km,5C. Head wind and sun.

I am very tired from all of the head winds I have had, day after day up against bad wind which makes it really hard on your legs and mental state. The last 1.5 months I have cycling into head winds.

Quebec city is really nice with such a great night life. I remembered a George Bush city in South USA (Texas) that had no pub or bar, it was actually a big city.

Many people have said I look like a Viking, also like Forest Gump, surfer, Jesus, misjoiner, Chippendales dancer, Robinson Crusoe, rockstar, homeless, hippie, but never like a cyclist.

I've biked one year now without a hearing aid which I have used since I was 4 years old. I lost it in Colombia so now it is harder to understand what people are saying to me, which makes my accent stronger. Sometimes people don't understand me at all and sometimes I don't hear them very well. It is fun communicating while using more of your sensor's. Because I hear and talk better with my hearing aid, I really miss it right now.

I think I will be here in Quebec until Sunday.

Weekly Report: I am in the cool city of Montreal

Here is Margaret from Norway and me.


Kim Gjerstad, his father is from Norway.


Two girls from Norway who now live in Montreal gave me a can of soup for my birthday.

Canada 2007, week 15, 8/4 to 13/4 Montreal


I have relaxed at her house for one week now, this is a cool city. Everything is different here from the rest of Canada. Houses, streets, cultures and people are more European.

I have been invited to dinner, one day on Le Scandinave Spa with hot tub and massage. Partied and met lots of people.

Stayed with a Norwegian guy, Kim Gjerstad who has worked for 5 years in the Congo and he has many stories to tell. Whilst with him he helped me with my webpage.

Margaret Wiig arranged a Spa hotel and dinner for me. Nils drove me around the city and took care of me He has travelled around the world doing extreme sports.
My birthday is tomorrow, 14th of April. This is my second birthday on the road. The last birthday I was alone in my hammock in Central America with a bottle wine.

My twin brother left Norway 1 April with his sailing boat and will pick me up in New Foundland.

Me on Norwegian consulate in Ottawa.

Me on Norwegian consulate in Ottawa.

Sunday 1/4 Deep River-Gobden
80km, 5C Head winds all day and rain.

Monday 2/4 Gobden-Arnprior
54km, 8C. Head winds and rain.

Tuesday 3/4 Arnprior-Ottawa
60km, 10C. Tailwinds.

Wednesday 4/4 Ottawa.
Relaxed all day

Thursday 5/4 Ottawa
Relaxed all day

Friday 6/4 Ottawa-Montebello
90km, 5 c. Nice weather. I was offered a room at Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello. The biggest wood hotel in the world. It was so beautiful.

Saterday 7/4 Montebello-Montreol
100km, 10C. Tailwinds today. Invited to stay with Norwegian people here. They fed me supper and beer.

Sudbery.

Sunday 25/3 Sault Ste Marie-Thessalon
90km, 5C. Wind and rain. Slept for free in a motel

Monday 26/3 Thessalon-Webbwood
142km, 10C. Good wind and little rain. Slept in my tent.

Tuesday 27/3 Webbwodd-Sudbery
80km, 15C. Bad wind and rain. Was invited to sleep in someone's home.

Wednesday 28/3 Sudbury
Relaxed today.

Thursday 29/3 Sudbury-North Bay
110km, 5C. Headwinds all day.

Friday 30/3 North Bay-Mattawa
70km, 10C. Tailwinds today.

Saturday 31/3 Mattawa-Deep River
105km, 15C. Sun all day.

Biking -25/30 Celsius.

One of my warmest day in Canada

Sunday 18/3 Terrace Bay-Marathon
80km, +1C. Sun all day. Slept in tent

Monday 19/3 Marathon- White River
92km, -5C. Good wind and nice weather. Slept in my tent.

Tuesday 20/3 White River- Wawe.
95km, -25C. The weather changed fast today, cold, warm then cold again. Slept in house.

Wednesday 21/3 Wawe-???
50km, -5C. My tyre burst and had to get a lift to Sault Ste Marie, 180km away. Stayed in a very nice hotel. The owner had biked in Africa for 4 months,www.youbetican.com

Thursday 22/3 ????
80km, 5C. One car drove me back to the same place where my tyre burst. I slept in a cabin.

Friday 23/3 ????-Sault Ste Marie
100km,-5C. Nice weather, but bad winds. Slept in the same hotel today. Was invited to go out with people from a bike club.

Saterday 24/3 Sault Ste Marie
Relaxed today, hung around with the owner of a bikestore www.veloroution.com

Me and the police bike patrol.

Photos by the Kenora Daily Miner and News
Me and the police bike patrol.


Sunday 11/3 Dryden-Ignace
120 km, 5C. Bad wind all day. Biked with 2 police bike patrol all day. Stayed in a police officer's house.

Monday 12/3 Ignace-Upsala
105 km, 5C. Bad wind all day. Slept in a garage.

Tuesday 13/3 Upsala-Thunder Bay
135 km, 15C. Nice wind, sun and hot all day. Was so nice, had forgotten how warm weather feels. Stayed in a house of the father of one of the policemen.

Wednesday 14/3 Thunder Bay
Relaxed, a bike club showed me around the city. Stayed over with one guy who had biked around the world. We had a lot to talk about.

Thursday 15/3 Thunder Bay
Relaxed, bike club had a benefit for me with beer and good food. Enjoyed my time here.

Friday 16/3 Thunder Bay- Nipigon.
150km, -5C Bad wind all day. Slept in tent.

Saturday 17/3 Nipigon- Terrace Bay
108km, +5C Sun all day, Slept in tent.

Police take care of me.

I had the pleasure of the company of two bike patrol officers and one police car for a short time. Many accidents with trucks have happened along here. The police enjoyed listening about my trip, so they biked with me for fun. Also, they found places for me to sleep on the road and very often in other police officers' houses. I found them very friendly.
Fishing in Kenora.

Sunday 4/3 Winnipeg-ST Anne
90 km, -25C. Very bad crosswind so I found myself walking. A nice lady gave me a motel room and food. I was also invited to play curling for the first time in my life which was great fun.

Monday 5/3 ST Anne-Falcon Lake
85 km,-20C. Some bad winds today. I got a free room in a hotel today, hot tub.... Luxury!!

Tuesday 6/3 Falcon Lake-Kenora
70 km,-15C. Wind is a little bad, but the scenery is nice.
The last 2 months of biking was over flat terrain with much snow and desert. Now...there are many lakes, rocks and trees, it is very beautiful.
A cycling policeman escorting me to Kenora. (I think the police are afraid of long haired bikers) I've been invited to stay with a Danish family and tomorrow we are going ice fishing.

Wednesday 7/3 Kenora
Relaxed, ice fishing today and I caught one fish. Fun.

Thursday 8/3 Kenora.
Relaxed, was ice fishing all day, I caught a trout.
A bike store here is repairing my bike. I gave lectures at two schools for younger children today and it is very fun interacting with kids. They ask about everything and get very excited!

Friday 9/3 Kenora-Eagle River
86km, -5C. It is beginning to be much warmer now. I've had the company of a police biker, Hotse De Jong and slept at his house.

Saturday 10/3 Eagle River-Dryden
102km, 5C. I think this is the warmest day I've had in Canada. It is so nice to feel sun and warm weather. I still have the company of a police biker who is "sceptical of long haired bikers." Slept at the police officers house.

Biked from pub to pub all night long.

Hola
I was biking all night on a pub crawl with some of the guys from the Woodcock cycle store.

Monday 26/2 Winnipeg I will be here until Sunday, I've been invited to the Norwegian symphony concert which will be fun! So now I hang around and live with people from Scandinavia.

27/2 to 2/3 Winnipeg
Met the Norwegian Ambassador on Wednesday and he invited me to stay in his house in Ottowa. Most of the time I have been relaxing here and spending time meeting people. I've been invited to many places, Museum, airport control room, dinner....all of which is very nice.

Winnipeg, bad crosswind, TV

Global TV

Sidney, Manitoba

Sunday 18/2. Winnipeg.
I spoke to a Norwegian Club as well as to people who have been in ice biking competitions. In the evening I was invited to an Icelander Club dinner.

Monday 19/2. Winnipeg.
Relaxed, worked on my bike today.
Will stay here for a while, work a little and I have been invited to the Norwegian Symphony Orchestra at the end of this month. Must go to that.

Thursday 20/2 to Sunday 25/2 Winnipeg
Relaxed, have been invited to a dinner to speak lecture to a group of people and to go out with guys from woodcockcycle who are crazy on their bikes.

Rune

News

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/story/3884630p-4492711c.html

The conductors know me well.

The conductors know me well. Every time they see me they blow their whistles.

My first frost burn. I got a lot of good food in Canada to.

Sunday 11/2. Whitewood-Moosomin.
45 km, -25 C. A little bad wind today.
One lady stopped me on the road and invited me for some "Lefse" (a Norwegian food) and also to stay in her house. Couldn't say NO to that, but it was a short trip today.

Monday 12/2 Moosomin- Alexander
130 km, -33 C. Crosswinds today, but sunny.
Invited to stay in house.

Tuesday 13/2 Alexander-Sidney
110 km, - 30 C . Nice weather.
Invited to stay in house.

Wednesday 14/2 Sidney-Portage La Prairie
55 km, -20 C, Nice weather.
Invited to stay in a house, hot tub and swiming pool.

Thursday 15/2 Partage- Winnipeg(Winterpeg)
60 km, - 20 C, 50 km/h side and headwind today. This was one of the hardest days of my trip. The Scandinavian Club has been taking care of me here. I think I'll stay here for a few days wher I've been invited to many things. Should be fun.

Friday 16/2 Winterpeg.
Relaxed, met people from the Scandinavian Club. I was interviewed by the tv, radio and newspaper today. It is so much fun that people are interested in my trip.

Saturday 17/2
Relaxed, invited to stay with the President of the Norwegian Club.

Regina, speaking about my trip.

Regina, speaking about my trip.

Sunday 4/2 Regina
Spoke with some people today and had a potluck supper - everybody brought food. Relaxed all day.

Monday 5/2 Regina
Lectured to a Community School as well as a doctor and his son who I met yesterday. They offered to fix my bike because the handlebars were too low which was hurting my wrists and shoulders, so they rasied them. They also gave me headlights, a tail light, new pedals and new winter studded tires. To think, I biked for an entire year with low handlebars! Now I can sit up easier when I bike! Another lady gave me foot warmers.
I also went to a nature museum - some of it even looked like Norway. We also went tobogganing in the middle of the night. It was fun and there was a lot of snow.

Tuesday 6/2 Regina.
Lectured at a highschool for a group of teachers as well as the pupils. I never thought that I would be lecturing teachers. Fun to meet so many people!
The people who I've been staying with gratefully a pair of much needed new pants.
Invited to a hockey game in Moose Jaw and Regina won 6-3, looked like war again - I guess they must be rivals.
Still waiting for my pad.

Wednesday 7/2 Regina
Chilled out.

Thursday 8/2 Regina
Relaxed. Got my pad back.

Friday 9/2 Regina- Indian Head
65 km, -25. Good wind and sun. Invited to stay in someone's house.
Got my first frost burn on my stomach because I pushed myself too hard and started to sweat which can be dangerous when it's this cold. It was a really stupid thing to do.

Saturday 10/2 Indian Head- Whitewood.
95 km, - 20 C. Sun and nice weather.