We arrived at Fäviken dirty and thirsty. A server, a young college girl who worked there in the summers, greeted us with cold beers.
Friends often ask, “How was the food at Faviken?” Well, it’s honestly hard to describe.
This is a restaurant that sincerely pays so much attention to the food, the land, the preparation, the welcoming of guests, the departure of guests--from both the individual and communal experiences--that dinner is not simply about the food. A scallop doesn’t taste like any scallop. Yes, it was sweet like a fresh abalone, crunchy like a ripe apple, smoky like the soup made of a cut of Virginia ham. But this was just one dish of 30, and I had yet to explain that it was presented in its prehistoric shell on a bed of moss with a burning juniper branch. That scallop was unbelieveable.
For many of the guests, dinner at Faviken is a pilgrimage. They journey from all over for the food, and that’s what made the experience so special. At 2 AM, well past the last dessert and all the chefs had left, we all were still drinking and sharing stories in the midnight sun.
Fäviken > Duved > Storlien > Trondheim > Åndalsnes > Oslo/Karlstad > Västerås > Stockholm
If a bike adventure through Sweden demands patience, Norway’s rugged landscape is jarring. It grabs your attention at every turn. We had ten days to get back to Stockholm, during which we ventured into Norway in search of fjords.
Back Home
In California, owning a Firefly is like having unicorn. People stop you and say they’ve never seen one in person. That they did not believe they existed. But on this adventure, I completely forgot that I was riding a Firefly. Maybe because there were so few cyclists on the roads. Or maybe it was about getting to Fäviken. In any event, what I take away from this wonderful adventure is the joy of riding with someone I love.
To have a crazy idea is one thing. Yet to have a crazy idea that lingers and grows more crazy year by year, well, that can only be a love story.
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Packing List
Bikes
2 bicycles (Firefly, Specialized)
1 rack (Trucker Racks)
2 panniers (Brooks, Ortlieb)
1 frame bag (Porcelain Rocket)
1 seat pack (Porcelain Rocket)
2 handlebar bags (Porcelain Rocket)
1 tent (MRS)
2 sleeping bags
2 sleeping pads
1 camera bag (Road Runner)
Clothes
4 bibs
4 jerseys
6 pairs of socks
8 pairs of underwear
4 pairs of pants
2 shorts
2 sweater
1 button down
2 jackers
2 helmets
2 arm warmers
2 knee warmers
Toys
1 fly rod
2 cameras
2 iPhones
2 battery packs
2 flashlights
1 bike tool roll bag
8 tubes
2 patch kits
1 spare tire
1 chain grease
