欧州自転車レース追っかけ日記

AVP on the Road

AVP on the Road (avpontheroad.be) was very quick delivering the items that I ordered. Its address (or his address) is not too far from my place (Belgium to Luxembourg), so the quick delivery on the local postal service was expected. I was surprised to see a notice paper in the mailbox (physical mailbox). I missed the delivery so I will pick it up at the local post office later.

Ebay Scam aftermath

If you search on the Net (for my case my preferred search engine is DuckDuckGo but you can use Google) for 1. "Fake GeForce GTX 1050 Ti" or 2. "GeForce GTX 1050 Ti", you will find some sites explaining what they are.

A genuine (manufactured by MSI, ASUS or others) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics board does not have an additional auxiliary power port BECAUSE the chip on it was relatively different (in terms of manufacturing methods or process) from previous generations and it got power-efficient. So much so the board draws up to 75 Watts and does need one (additional power port).

Fake GeForce GTX 1050 Ti boards do have an additional power port because they are actually disguised older boards that drew more power and had an additional power port.

Mine does have an additional power port and this clearly indicates that it is not real. One of its video output ports is a VGA port and this is also the indication that this is fake.

I didn't have to test it on a PC. I knew for a fact that this was a fake.

Now the seller (I guess he / she bought it on "Wish" or similarly dubious sites for a very low price tried to sell it and make money. Fuck the scammer!

I complained it on eBay and asked for return. Now the seller offered to refund part of the price I paid and settle it. I get to keep the item but what use do I find for this fake board? Nothing!!!!!

But I accepted the offer thinking that I don't want to use more time or energy for this kind of mess. I lost money but I learned a lesson.

Wiggle purchases

Surprisingly the items that I ordered came quicker than I had expected they would. I am happy with what I found in the box.

You see I bought one item (Topeak Basket Front with 3e Fixer) from Wiggle because Amazon Germany failed to deliver the same item in its entirety. I only got part of the item, specifically only the basket but not the fixer. This is how it should have been but Amazon Germany failed to perform.

The box contained the basket and the fixer. I am happy.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [AVP on the Road, eBay scammer and Wiggle (UK) purchase]の続きを読む

テーマ:車関係なんでも - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2021/05/27(木) 23:22:20|
2. Mazda MX-5
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AVP on the Road

AVP on the Road (avpontheroad.be) was very quick delivering the items that I ordered. Its address (or his address) is not too far from my place (Belgium to Luxembourg), so the quick delivery on the local postal service was expected. I was surprised to see a notice paper in the mailbox (physical mailbox). I missed the delivery so I will pick it up at the local post office later.

Ebay Scam aftermath

If you search on the Net (for my case my preferred search engine is DuckDuckGo but you can use Google) for 1. "Fake GeForce GTX 1050 Ti" or 2. "GeForce GTX 1050 Ti", you will find some sites explaining what they are.

A genuine (manufactured by MSI, ASUS or others) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics board does not have an additional auxiliary power port BECAUSE the chip on it was relatively different (in terms of manufacturing methods or process) from previous generations and it got power-efficient. So much so the board draws up to 75 Watts and does need one (additional power port).

Fake GeForce GTX 1050 Ti boards do have an additional power port because they are actually disguised older boards that drew more power and had an additional power port.

Mine does have an additional power port and this clearly indicates that it is not real. One of its video output ports is a VGA port and this is also the indication that this is fake.

I didn't have to test it on a PC. I knew for a fact that this was a fake.

Now the seller (I guess he / she bought it on "Wish" or similarly dubious sites for a very low price tried to sell it and make money. Fuck the scammer!

I complained it on eBay and asked for return. Now the seller offered to refund part of the price I paid and settle it. I get to keep the item but what use do I find for this fake board? Nothing!!!!!

But I accepted the offer thinking that I don't want to use more time or energy for this kind of mess. I lost money but I learned a lesson.

Wiggle purchases

Surprisingly the items that I ordered came quicker than I had expected they would. I am happy with what I found in the box.

You see I bought one item (Topeak Basket Front with 3e Fixer) from Wiggle because Amazon Germany failed to deliver the same item in its entirety. I only got part of the item, specifically only the basket but not the fixer. This is how it should have been but Amazon Germany failed to perform.

The box contained the basket and the fixer. I am happy.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [eBay scam aftermath, AVP on the Road and Wiggle (UK)]の続きを読む

1. 2021/05/27(木) 23:17:39|
2. Mazda MX-5
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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti??????????

I got it. I went to the local post office and got it. I opened it. When I saw a auxiliary 6-pin power cable inside the box before taking the board out of the bubble wrap , I knew something was wrong.

The chip used on genuine NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti got finer process than its previous generation chips resulting in lower power consumption. There won't be any auxiliary6-pin power plug on the board. So I read.

What is this, then?

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Am I being scammed?]の続きを読む

テーマ:自作・改造 - ジャンル:コンピュータ

1. 2021/05/25(火) 22:51:20|
2. PCs
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Amazon Mess

So I ordered "Topeak Basket Front with 3E Fizer" from Amazon Germany and got only the former, I mean, only the Front Basket but not 3E Fixer. Without the "Fixer" (handlebar adapter), it won't work. It is like "half an arch standing" (Clarice Starling). Of course, Doctor Lecter will say, "Half an arch won't stand."

I just wanted them to send the missing part but the way Amazon conduct their business, it is not possible. I just have to return it and get it refund. There is no customer service that I can talk to. This is the problem. They just want the stuff returned to them and pretend nothing has happened.

If I had bought it from, say Bike24, I can write to their customer service and ask them to send the missing part only. Of course, this way, Amazon Germany have to hire more human staff to handle the matter and doing so would cost them significantly.

Amazon's business model is maximizing the profit by cutting cost. It does not include hiring more human staff but hiring more AI staff (computers and its obligatory programming engineers).

I will sent the package back to them and wait the money to be refund.

Summer Holiday situation

Tourism sites
https://www.visitdenmark.com/

https://www.visitnorway.com/

https://visitsweden.com/

They tell me that;

Norway has updated its COVID-19 border closure / opening policy on May 18 and it's just an extension of its previous policy. Only Norwegian nationals and residents can freely get through the border but others had restrictions. Basically no tourists allowed.

Sweden has not updated its policy since April 12 but it is basically no tourists allowed.

The information above is easily obtained from the links at the top page of the URLs above but Denmark's situation is not easily understood. I had to search extra for it.

Denmark's situation remains the same as before. It is similar or the same as its colleagues.

In addition to the very countries that I want to visit for my dear Summer holidays, I have to check the situation of Germany where I have to drive through to get to the border of Denamrk for more than 500 km. Its border is closed for tourists.

Topeak 3e Fixer

I don't know if these were included in the purchase I made on Amazon Germany. The thing is that the description of the item I bought did not say that these were not included or included. The various reviews also did not indicate that the separate purchase of "3e fixer" was necessary. So the reason that I gave for returning it was naturally the description did not match the product.

Now I am going to buy the very Topeak 3e Fixer from Bike 24 Germany. I will only get the adapter (or fixer, whatever the manufacturer calls it). I will buy some cheap wicker (rattan) pet basket with a wire cover and screw one of the part to it.

Then I will have a pet carrier basket with a proper wire cage cover with a handlebar adapter that will easily detach itself from the bike.

1. This is the rough overview of the product (Topeak 3e fixer). The photo does not include some small parts (wire, screws and etc.).


2. This part attaches to the handlebar.


3. When I remove the basket, it looks like this. It is not pretty but not won't be too ugly on my bike.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [F*cking Amazon Germany and Summer Holiday situation]の続きを読む

テーマ:北欧 - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/05/24(月) 17:27:15|
2. Diary
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Topeak Basket Front "With FIXER 3e"

I had a surprise delivery this afternoon from Amazon Germany delivered by Luxembourg Post called "POST". How do they come into the building? Did the delivery person just happened to be on the front door step (of the building) when some resident came out and opened the door?

Anyway, I opened up the package and found something I had not expected to receive.

Inside the box (Amazon box) there was a front basket and its obligatory wrapping and maybe some air. There was no handlebar adapter.

Hey, hey, Amazon Germany! The basket itself carries a tag which reads "Topeak Basket Front WITH FIXER 3E" but there was no sign of "FIXER". WTF?

so I opened the Amazon app and checked the order status and tried to remedy the situation. This item had a link to the product support. If something is damaged or missing, the buyer is supposed to contact the Topeak German distributor itself instead of Amazon Germany.

I knew that it was one of the Amazon dispatching personnel who made the packing error but I contacted the distributor.

I got a reply to my request. The message was in German although I wrote in English. The Translation read that this customer support would contact Amazon Germany on behalf of me and try to make things right.

So I have to wait another day or another week before this matter settles. I hope the fixer 3e arrives quickly.


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Amazon German Woe!]の続きを読む

1. 2021/05/23(日) 22:30:22|
2. Diary
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Almost 4 years since I bought my Mazda MX-5

It means a lot of things.

First, the first car registration renewal is approaching. It used to be 3 and a half years until the first renewal but a few years ago the regulations changed. I got a letter from SNCT (basically an organization of car registration stuff like DMV in the United States of America) telling me that I needed an appointment toget the mechanical checks and others.

I got one via their site online. It is going to be OK. I hope. I have to swap the wiper bledes and see everything is OK myself.

I have not yet received the confirmation emal from them. It is Sunday evening so they may send it to me on Monday during their opening hours.

Secondly, it means that I will be through with the loan that I took when I bought it. The monthly payment was not too much but I am so happy that I don't have to pay any more when I'm done. There will be more money left in the bank account each month.

AVP on the Road

I have kept my eyes on two items that this site sells. One from CRAVENSPEED and the other from MX5THINGS. They have been on my wish list but they have been out of stock (not at the same time but when one was in, the other was out) for sometime. Now they are both in stock and to save the shipping cost, I ordered them together.

The Stubby Antenna from Cravenspeed looks stubby and practical.

The wind deflector (or Acrylic wind blocker) from MX5TNINGS is appealing. I chose the "regular" shape and "clear" style because it is simply simple.

Their definition of regular is the same shape as the original genuine Mazda one. I prefer clear because the reason I want to replace it with the original one is to see the rear view so why should I choose one with engraving or anything at all?


in Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Car registration renewal, AVP on The Road and more]の続きを読む

テーマ:車関係なんでも - ジャンル:車・バイク

1. 2021/05/23(日) 21:40:14|
2. Mazda MX-5
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One more day to explore the Scandinavian countries!

I found out that I had one more day after all. I can use one more day before I return to work.

My plan B will change like this.

1. Car - Luxembourg to Puttgarden ferry port (Germany)- Sunday, August 8
2. Ferry - Puttgarden to R&gslash;dby (Denmark) - August 9 - 06:00 A.M.
3. Car - Rødby to Copenhagen
4. Sightseeing - Copenhagen - Monday. August 9 - Tuesday, August 10 A.M.
5. Ferry - Helsingør to Helsingborg (Sweden) - Tuesday, August 10 P.M.
6. Car - Helsingborg to Göteborg - Tuesday, August 10
7. Camping - Göteborg - Tuesday. August 10 P.M.
8. Sightseeing - Göteborg - Wednesday, August 11 A.M.
9. Car - Göteborg to Oslo - Wednesday, August 11 P.M.
10. Sightseeing - Oslo - Thursday, August 12

11. Car - Oslo to Norefjell - Friday, August 13
12. Race watch - LTON Stage 3 - Saturday, August 14
13. Car - Norefjell to Bergen - Saturday, August 14 Night

14. Sightseeing - Bergen - Sunday, August 15
15. Car - Bergen to Larvik - Monday, August 16
16. Ferry - Larvik to Hirtshals - Monday, August 16 P.M.
17. Car - Denmark to Luxembourg - Tuesday, August 17


********* Alternative itinerary**********
11. Car - Oslo to Bergen - Friday, August 13
12. Sightseeing Bergen - Saturday - Sunday, August 14 - August 15
13. Car Bergen to Larvik - Monday, August 16

14. Ferry - Larvik to Hirtshals - Monday, August 16
15. Car - Denmark to Luxembourg - Tuesday, August 17
*******************

If I decide not to watch the LTON stage 3, I will have more relaxed time in Bergen.

Here's some useful infomation on how to get from Oslo to Bergen.



Some additional useful URLs:
Norway Train (https://www.norwaytrains.com/oslo-to-bergen.html)
Portal site OMIO (https://www.omio.com/)

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [One more day to explore the Nordic countries!]の続きを読む

テーマ:北欧 - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/05/16(日) 20:34:42|
2. Things European
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Vaccintion

I have not yet received the letter from the Luxembourg government. This letter is needed to make an appointment for the vaccination.

I don't want to be vaccinated personally but the current situation won't allow it. I will be vaccinated in time.

The COVID-19 pandemic is not real. It is fake but the force behind it is strong enough to cover our eyes. Look at the statistics! It kills far fewer people than a good and old Influenza virus have been doing for the last several decades. Why do we make a big fuss about this seemingly harmless "new" Corona virus. There are enough numbers of known Corona viruses that we don't care about.

Scandinavian tours

I believe the Scandinavian countries will eventually (before Summer) open their borders to those who are EU residents (like me) who are vaccinated. I don't know a certain type of vaccination "passports" are issued by the EU countries to make the border crossing easy.

Topeak 3E Handlebar Basket
First, some pictures.
1. Basil Bold Basket and handlebar attachment kit


2. Basil Edo (a clip from its installation leaflet)


3. Topeak 3e system handlebar attachment


4. Topeak 3e system basket (not meant for a pet)


I have been looking for a way to "mount" Hannah on my bike.

There are ways to carry a cat on the move.

1. Front basket
If you have a dog (small dogs like Chihuahua or those under 5 kg), a rattan basket on the handle bar (or on the frame) might be the cheapest and also easiest way to take a dog on the bike.

If you want to carry your cat safely inside the front basket, a wire cover (like a cage) will be mandatory. Cats can jump out of the basket and falloff the bike.

2. Backpack
You can carry a cat inside a backpack-style pet carrier on you back and you can ride your bike.

3. Rear basket
If your bike can take a rear basket on the seat stem or on the rack, you might be able to fix a basket on them.

I have been looking for the best way and have not found the solution but before Summer when I go on the Scandinavian tour, I have to decide on which method I should choose.

Basil Pluto

I have found this and been watching for a better price. Its suggested retail price is around 100 euro for the basic configuration (frame attachment called Edo and the basket). To my greatest woe, the wire cover is an option which cost another 30 euro (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price) . I could find them from a discount online bike store for a bit over 100 euro together.

The Edo attachment clings on the head tube of the frame. It says that it can cling to a round head tube up to 5 cm or so. And the head tube must have minimum 3 cm of round shape section for the attachment to cling.

Pluto's Pros and Cons:
Pros
1. Because the weight the entire system (the attachment, basket and content of the basket) goes on the frame, this Pluto system boasts the maximum load of 15 kg (sizable dog!).

2. Because - ditto -, this Pluto system won't affect the maneuverability of the bike. Imagine a middle size dog hanging on the handle bar! A slight move of the dog will give you and the bike a big stir.

Cons
1. The attachment (Edo) might not fit on carbon (composite) bikes because they (carbon bikes) tend to have a bigger head tube, a non-cylindrical shape head tube or a relatively more fragile head tube than typical steel or aluminum bikes do.

2. Edo needs four bolts and the accompanying bolts are anti-loosening ones with elastic plastic material inserted inside the nuts. This material deteriorate over tightening, loosening and re-tightening. You can use "normal" nuts and this way attaching, removing and reattaching quicker but If you want the basket only when you want it, you will find the work daunting.

3. (on a typical road bike with an obligatory drop handle) Because the basket is attached to the frame, steering the handlebar will find you banging the handlebar into the basket unless the basket is located far away ahead. This is critical flaw of the system for me when I want to have it on my road bike.

Topeak 3e Basket
(Judging from the Cons of Pluto system) I knew that I had to settle with a basket system on the handlebar.

There are one from Basil or KLICKfix with a neat handlebar attachment. Because of the weight limit (???) from the attachment before it gives to the rotating force and slips on the round handlebar making the basket tilt, they don't make a pet carrier basket with the wire cover. It is a reasonable decision on their (manufactures) part but I don't want to use a rear basket.

My Hannah weighs around 4 KG. I want to try this relatively inexpensive Topeak basket system a try to see if it works. If it tilts, I will devise a support between the basket and the head tube. I once bought inexpensive handlebar attached pet carrier with this support. The support attaches to the basket but not attached to the head tube. It slips on the head tube. Let's see if it works when it arrives.

If everything goes as I hope, I will buy another pet carrier basket (shown below) and strip the metal part from Topeak 3e basket and attach it to this pet carrier basket.

This basket is sold on Amazon (Germany).


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Vaccination and Scandinavian tours]の続きを読む

テーマ:北欧 - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/05/15(土) 20:15:32|
2. Things European
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"21 Bridges 2019"

An NYPD movie about a drug heist gone seriously wrong. Two "bad" guys break into a wine store (? as i did not get it right) where a lot of cocaine stashed in the freezer downstairs. The heist did not go as planned and they ended up killing 8 cops and being hunted down by an army of NYPD officers on Manhattan island with all connections to the outside world (including the 21 bridges).

I thought it would be about the hunt but it turned out to be something else, namely corrupt cops who are on the drug payroll.

I have seen the similar plots before in movies.

The movie was good as far as the suspense in it was concerned but the message that might be implied was a bit disturbing.

I wonder why I keep seeing this plot again and again. Are we being made to believe that most if not all cops are "bad"? The protagonist is a black guy. And the cold-blood cop killing guy is white and his partner in crime turned out to be a reluctant and conscientious black guy. Most of the killed and corrupt cops were white.

I wonder who decided on the casting. Was the original story like this?

Do some people want Hollywood make this kind of movies so that certain ethnic groups hate certain types of people (like the police in general)?

Fjord is far away

That was disheartening. I just imagined that deceiving Mercator projection made it daunting to drive up to those Fjords. I thought that driving to Bergen from Oslo was just a half day easy task.

Garmin BaseCamp quickly calculated the distance (Bergen - Oslo) around (under) 500 km. So far so good but when I looked at the estimated drive time, I was puzzled. It said it would take around 9 hours and this does not include the humanly needed occasional stops (toilet stops, stretching breaks or happy Instagram moments). It would take almost 12 hours to get there in reality.

Why? Because the route does not include any speedy motorways at all. You just have to drive making occasional (not to many I imagine as it is rural Norway countryside) turns , stopping at traffic light stops (perhaps no traffic lights but only roundabouts?) or lowering the speed for cyclists, pedestrians or wild animals.

If I decide to skip LTON stage 3 because no favorite riders are riding, only then I might be able to spend an entire day for just driving to and from Bergen only to spend a several hours there. Was it worth? I don't know but I want to think that the Fjords would be truly breathtaking.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Fjord is far far away]の続きを読む

テーマ:北欧 - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/05/15(土) 14:12:32|
2. Things European
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Plan B

Here are some screen shot clips from Garmin BaseCamp.

1. Luxembourg to Copenhagen. Garmin BaseCamp recommended this route. When I magnified it, I realized that there is a ferry connection. Around 960 km.


2. The ferry ride from Puttgarden - Rødby seemed to be a short, thus inexpensive sweet ride to me first. Luxembourg to Puttgarden port: 777 km


3. The ferry ticket for Hannah, MX-5 and me cost whopping € 100. Only a 45-minute ride but it costs considerably.


4. The route to Bergen from Oslo first looked like an esay drive but turned out to be a hard one. Garmin BaseCamp says it take around 9 hours and this estimation includes no stops at all. Because this route does not include any motorways. When I include occasional stops, it takes around 12 hours to get there by car!


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Plan B and I am working on it]の続きを読む

テーマ:北欧 - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/05/09(日) 22:29:43|
2. Things European
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Camping grounds and B&B around Oslo, Norway

What plan B? TOD or not TOD? That's the question. This is a knockoff of that famous Shakespeare's Hamlet quote. Speaking of Hamlet, I might have time to visit his castle. It is located near the ferry port that I am going to use to cross the border to Sweden.

From www.visitdenmark.com

Kronborg Castle – aka Hamlet's Castle!
Kronborg Castle has existed at Helsingør (Elsinore) since 1420.

I checked the camping sites near Oslo, Norway and found them fairly expensive, for me who travel in a small car with a tent. The price can be fair for those who travel in a well equipped motor home (of course two more people inside) when they use the various facilities (getting water, damping the water and the drain the chemical toilet ).

Airbnb, my recent boom, found me various inexpensive lodging possibilities around Oslo. They are even cheaper. I will book one of them when the right moment comes. When? I don't know but I have to wait until the borders open hopefully sometime in June, July or August if they ever do.

The description of the property of one of the hosts I checked tells that the best way of going around Oslo is using a bike. So I need a bike with me.

I am inclined to look for a B&B lodging in Copenhagen, too.


If I decide to skip the Tour of Denmark entirely, the itinerary will be different and I will be able to spend one more day in Norway. I will probably drive up to Bergen or elsewhere. Since visiting Scandinavian countries is not something I can do often, I am inclined to skip the TOD. It depends on the participating riders, too.

It also applies to the LTON, either. If I don't find anyone I want to see in the race, I might also skip the LTON.

Here's plan B.
1. Luxembourg to Copenhagen - Sunday-Monday. August 8 - 9
2. Sightseeing - Copenhagen - Monday. August 9 - Tuesday. August 10 A.M.
3. Ferry - Helsingborg - Göteborg - Tuesday. August 10 P.M.
4. Sightseeing - Göteborg - Tuesday. August 10 P.M. - Wednesday. August 11 A.M.
5. Göteborg to Oslo - Wednesday. August 11 P.M.
6. Sightseeing - Oslo - Thursday. August 12
7. Sightseeing - Bergen? - Friday. August 13
8. Bergen to Norefjell - Friday. August 13
9. LTON Stage 3 - Saturday. August 14
10. Ferry from Larvik to Hirtshals - Sunday. August 15 P.M.
11. Denmark to Luxembourg - Monday. August 16

If I decide to skip the LTON, I will drive up further North to some place.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Plan B and Bed & Breakfast]の続きを読む

テーマ:北欧 - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/05/09(日) 20:35:54|
2. Things European
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Wild camping in Norway or Sweden?

Some URLs:
Wild camping in Norway (https://www.visitnorway.com/hotels-more/caravan-camping/)

Wild camping in Norway (https://realcamplife.com/en/camping-in-norway/)

Wild camping in Sweden (https://visitsweden.com/where-to-stay/camping-sweden/)

Liseberg
(https://book.camping.se/en/lisebergsbyn-lisebergs-camping-askims-camping/resort?cityFilter=False)


Wild camping is allowed in Norway. The land is vast and desolate so they (Norwegian authorities) don't even bother making free camping sites like the Danish do. From what I read and learned I can camp almost anywhere I want. The restrictions are loose and they are written on the pages found at those URLs above.

So I guess there's nothing that stops me from wild camping on the roadside leading to the Norefjell Ski & Spa resport on the eve of the third stage of the "Lady's Tour of Norway".

I presume it (the hilly path) is in the forest so I am not allowed to make open fire (campfire) on site but I don't do that anyway. I can still cook and have cups of espresso with my trusty Trangia (Oh, it is a homecoming for my Trangia cooker set while it is in Sweden!).

How about Sweden?

I looked for relevant information and found out that the camping situation is much like that of Norway.

I think I spend only one night in Sweden near Göteborg. I looked for a camp site near Göteborg. Wow! There is one right in the middle of the city. Lisebergsbyn, what is "byn"? Google Translate tells me that "by" means village. Is it the plural form of "by"? No, the plural form of by seems to be "byar" according to the service aforementioned.

It is a good idea to use Trangia while in Sweden to commemorate its homecoming. The price for a tent pitch with parking is around 33 euro. It is not that bad. At this site you can have a small cabin all to yourself at around 60 euro with a kitchenette.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [How about wild camping in Norway or Sweden?]の続きを読む

テーマ:北欧 - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/05/09(日) 14:13:35|
2. Things European
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That's the question

Here are some 7 screen shot clips from Garmin BaseCamp on my MacBook Pro 13 Mid 2010.

1. From Luxembourg to Esbjerg (Denmark). The route is mostly the German "Autobahn". Some part of it has no speed limit.


2. From Esbjerg to Copenhagen. I imagine this scenic motorway route won't disappoint me. There is a toll bridge on the route.


3. From Copenhagen to Gothenburg (Sweden). There is a short-distance (10 km?) ferry ride between Helsingør (Denmark) and Helsingborg (Sweden).


4. From Gothenburg (Göteborg in Swedish) to Oslo (Norway).


5. From Oslo to Norefjell. Norefjell is a Ski & Spa resort on top of a mountain. I hope it won't snow in the middle of August. Once I drove up the snowy mountain pass of Galibier in the middle of July and overnighted there. So I know anything can happen.


6. From Norefjell to Larvik Port (ferry terminal). On my way back to reality (work!), I will take a shortcut.


7. Hirtshals Port (ferry terminal) to sweet Home. It is a long long drive.



I have a rough itinerary chiseled out of the raw rock. Now I have to allocate time and then integrate the ferry time table to see if it is feasible. I want to spend at least 6 hours to sightsee those big cities with my Hannah.

Sunday August 8

1. Home to Esbjerg (Stage 1 Finish) 940 km

ETD (Estimated Time of Departure) Luxembourg : 06:00

1a. Home to Danish border (Hamburg / Kiel Germany) Sunday August 08 - 700 km - 12 hours

Overnighting at a Gas station along the Autobahn near Kiel / Hamburg ?

1b. Kiel to Esbjerg Monday August 09 - 240 km - 4 hours

ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) Esbjerg : 11:00 Tuesday August 9

Sightseeing in the local area Tuesday August 10

2. Esbjerg to Copenhagen 300 km
2a. Esbjerg to Copenhagen Wednesday August 11

Copenhagen Sightseeing Wednesday August 11

3. Copenhagen to Gothenburg 280 km
3a. Copenhagen to Gothenburg Thursday August 12

Gothenburg Sightseeing Thursday August 12

4. Gothenburg to Oslo
4a. Gothenburg to OSlo Wednesday August 11 - 300 km

Oslo Sightseeing Friday August 13

5. Oslo to Norefjell
5a. Oslo to Norefjell Friday August 13 - 120 km

Overnighting Friday August 13

6. Norefjell to Home
6a. Norefjell to Larvik (port) 190 km Saturday August 14
6b. Ferry Larvik to Hirtshals (port) 3 hours 45 minutes
6b.1. 08:00 - 11:45 € 95*
6b. 2. 17:30 - 21:15 € 95
*with one cat if no Hannah the price is € 88

6c. Hirtshals to Home 1,140 km Sunday / Monday August 15 / 16


In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [To watch or not to watch TOD]の続きを読む

テーマ:北欧 - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/05/08(土) 23:12:12|
2. Bike Races
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Scandinavian Tour - Summer of 2021

I am planning it despite the fact that there is no guaranty that it is possible. Those borders can be closed because of the COVID-19 shit.

So far I have collected a series of URLs that contain the relevant pieces of information. I am beginning to decipher them and gradually the image of the itinerary is taking its shape.

I have to make decisions on important matters. I am wondering if I should take my bike. I wonder when I should take my bike out and use it usefully?

I can use it in big towns like Copenhagen, Oslo and Gröteborg. It would certainly help me go around the town quickly but keeping it safe while I am doing something else (dropping in on the local businesses or some places).

Some useful URLs

The Ministry of Environment of Denmark
(https://eng.naturstyrelsen.dk/experience-nature/sleeping-outside-in-nature/)

1. Wild Camping search (primitive facilities)
(http://udinaturen.dk/)

2. Commercial Camping sites search
(https://www.camping.info/en/country/denmark)


So far I learned that there are various ways to overnight in Denmark. I won't talk about staying at hotels and similar facilities because it is clearly out of my budget.

Option 1. B&B with the help of Airbnb

Option 2. camping at (seemingly) free of charge primitive camping sites found at URL 1.

Option 3. camping at commercial camping sites found at URL 2.

From what I have learned from the site (The Ministry of Environment of Denmark), camping in the nature is a great way to overnight in Denmark where nature is abundant. There are primitive camping facilities scattered over the country maintained by the local communes (a.k.a. municipal). These sites are equipped with, as you have already guessed, bare minimum primitive necessities. Basically there are sheds (lean-to), sinks with running water, non-flushing toilets and open fire facilities.

I guess you can just check in there and stay there free of charge. I don't think they have electricity available. Should I try? It is free. What is lacking is a hot shower but this can be

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Scandinavian Tour - Summer of 2021]の続きを読む

テーマ:北欧 - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/05/07(金) 22:26:09|
2. Things European
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Are you open yet?

The inevitable research. Are they (Denmark, Sweden and Norway) open for tourists? How does this FAKE COVID-19 pandemic affect their respective government policy on traveling across borders?

Here are some URLs that can easily be found from their official tourism sites.
1. (https://en.coronasmitte.dk/rules-and-regulations/entry-into-denmark/legal-requirements-upon-entry)

2. (https://www.visitnorway.com/plan-your-trip/coronavirus-and-travelling-to-norway/)

3. (https://visitsweden.com/about-sweden/information-for-travellers-corona-virus/)


1. COVID-19 rules issued by the Danish athorities valid since May 1 2021 (so it is up-to-date)

Vaccination seems to be the requirment for me to enter and exit from freely Denmark. I hope Sweden and Norway takes the same measures or even lighter ones.

2. Norway is closed. Norway is not part of the EU (Good grief!) and its government acts on its own. For the moment only Norwegian nationals and residents can enter with some exceptions (like commercial pilots of planes and ships, truck drivers who brings necessary goods to Norway and people doing some important stuff). No chance for me even with vaccination.

3. This information is kinda old (updated April 12). Basically it says no touristic visits allowed (or at least they are not encouraging them).

So I have to be vaccinated after all and wait for them to open their borders with less restrictions by, hopefully, Summer.

I really hope that they soon change the rules.

Have you learned what mRNA vaccination means?

[Are they open yet?]の続きを読む

テーマ:北欧 - ジャンル:海外情報

1. 2021/05/07(金) 12:35:33|
2. Things European
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Tourism, Ferry connections and Accommodation

Ferry lines
Hirtshals - Larvik
€ 88 / 3 hours 45 minutes / twice a day?

Frederikshavn - Oslo
€ 186 / 9 hours 30 minutes / twice a day?

Helsingborg - Helsingor
(https://www.forseaferries.com)
€ 57 / 20 minutes / several times a day?

Tourism sites
https://www.visitdenmark.com

https://www.visitnorway.com

https://visitsweden.com

Camping sites search
https://www.camping.info/en/country/denmark

Motorway toll
https://www.kodino.com/uk/tolls/denmark

Storebaelt bridge
The bridge between the two islands on the way to Copenhagen - toll bridge € 19 (single passage for my car)
https://storebaelt.dk/en/prices/

Oresund bridge
The bridge between Denmark and Sweden - toll bridge € 50 online / € 54 at the toll gate (single passage for my car)
https://www.oresundsbron.com/en/start

Norway toll collecting system stuff
https://www.epcplc.com/register#

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Tourism, Ferry connections and Accommodation]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2021/05/06(木) 22:46:22|
2. Bike Races
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Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm Tour?

Is it possible to drive from Luxembourg and back to Luxembourg after visiting Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm while dropping on two road race events (Lady's Tour of Norway and Tour of Denmark) in 10 days?

That is the question I am asking myself now.

TOD (Tour of Denmark)
Tuesday August 10. Stage 1: Struer - Esbjerg
Wednesday August 11. Stage 2: Ribe - Sønderborg
Thursday August 12. Stage 3: Tønder - Vejle
Friday August 13. Stage 4: Holbaek - Kaunborg
Saturday August 14. Stage 5: Frederiksberg (Copenhagen)

LTON (Lady's Tour of Norway)
Thursday August 12. Stage 1: Halden – Sarpsborg
Friday August 13. Stage 2: Askim – Mysen
Saturday August 14. Stage 3: Drammen – Norefjell
Sunday August 15. Stage 4: Drøbak – Halden

If the question is the same but I could exclude "Stockholm" out of it, the answer is "Yes, relatively easily possible." Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is relatively far away from other two capitals.

Here's a rough itinerary.

August 8 (Sun) Luxembourg to Denmark 900 km
August 9 (Mon) to Esbjerg
August 10 (Tue) TOD
August 11 (Wed) Denmark to Sweden sightseeing?
August 12 (Thu) Oslo sightseeing
August 13 (Fri) Denmark to Norway
August 14 (Sat) LTON Norefjell / Norway to Denmark
August 15 (Sun) Copenghagen sightseeing?
August 16 (Mon) Denmark to Luxembourg ? 900 km

Here are the issues and difficulties that I have to sort out and deal with:

1. Is 900 km drive in a day too demanding twice?
2. I get to see only one stage out of either of two stage races?
3. Visiting Stockholm may be a bit too much
4. Do I have time (and any physical strength left) to take out my bike and ride it?
5. I need to collect sightseeing information a lot before decding on the final itinerary
6. How do I do not to spend too much money?

Here are some 7 screenshot clips from Garmin BaseCamp.

1. Almost the entire map of (excluding the Greenland territory) Denmark


2. The left peninsula (sticking out of Germany) seems to have two bridges to the next island here. One is a normal street and the other is a highway (or tollway).


3. This island is also connected by a bridge to the next island where Copenhagen is. This one is long and I suspect it would cost me dear.


4. From this island there seems to be a bridge over to Sweden from Copenhagen area. There is a suspiciously closely choked place above. I suspect a ferry line shuttling frequently there. Let's magnify the choked point!


5. There you have it! I will check the tariff and the availability (how frequent a day) of the service.


6. The tip of the big peninsula aforementioned must have some ferry connections. Yes there are. Those dotted lines are ferry lines.


7. Without magnifying (with the details suppressed), we don't notice the ferry connections. This is the same area as image 6.



In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm Tour]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2021/05/06(木) 19:30:41|
2. Bike Races
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Summer Holiday plans 2021

I have just got the confirmation of the date. My work place closes down the business and let the whole workers have the holidays. I don't get to choose my own holidays but under the recent situations we have been put, the fact that I have a job is a bliss. I don't intend to complain about that. I am just happy.

Anyways, I (or we, the employees) have days off between August 8 (Sunday) and 16 (Monday). What shall I do? What I immediately did was to check the UCI road race calendar and see what events are up during the period.

I found these events.

August 5 (Thu.) to 8 (Sun.) 2021 : Arctic Race of Norway (Nor)

August 7 (Sat.) 2021 : Postnord UCI WWT Vårgårda WestSweden TTT (Swe)

August 8 (Sun.) 2021 : Postnord UCI WWT Vårgårda WestSweden RR (Swe)

August 9 (Mon.) to 15 (Sun.) 2021 : Tour de Pologne (Pol)

August 10 (Tue.) to 14 (Sat.) 2021 : PostNord Danmark Rundt - Tour of Denmark (Den)

August 12 (Thu.) to 15 (Sun.) 2021 : Ladies Tour of Norway (Nor)

It looks like that a lot is on in the Northern part of Europe and also in Poland. I have been to Poland twice and once it was for the very Tour de Pologne back in the days I was working in Germany (probably 2007?). And I have never stepped into those Scandinavian countries so my natural choice will be the latter for my vacation.

Yay!

I will be driving there and it is a long long drive. By the time I cross the border between Germany and Denmark, It will be by the end of August 8 (Sunday). My target will be the events described in the last two lines.

Now I have to plan the routes (bridges or ferries), accommodations (B&B or camping sites) and what to do. There won't be a Swedish events that I can visit to watch but I will definitely visit Sweden.

I am taking my Hannah, the cat with me, of course. I will be taking my bike with me, either.

I am going to occupy myself planning the trip for the next couple of weeks before actually starting to make some reservations (place to stay and possibly ferry tickets).

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ

[Summer Hodays (if COVID-19 won't intervene) 2021!]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2021/05/06(木) 11:47:33|
2. Bike Races
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Real or Fake? Was I scammed?

I am waiting for the arrival of recently purchased obscure self-claimed "Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 ti" card?

The purchase price was slightly lower than those that I saw for other similar cards (of the same chip and memory configuration). After clicking on the purchase (and confirmation) button, I began to be at bit suspicious. It is real or possibly fake?

One thing that I noticed is that the description of the item had contradictory statements or simply errors. The secondly, the brand of the card was some seemingly Chinese transcription name but not like ASUS, Gigabyte or those sounded familiar.

If I had to explain why those errors or typos got into the description, I would say that the seller used other cards' descriptions as a template and then modified it as needed. For example, the chips' process is written as "28 nm (nano-meter)" but the correct one should be "14 nm" or so.

I am crossing my fingers that it will turn out to be a real one.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Is it real or fake (Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 ti)?]の続きを読む

テーマ:自作・改造 - ジャンル:コンピュータ

1. 2021/05/04(火) 10:31:05|
2. PCs
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Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti

I have been keeping my eyes on them for a while on eBay. I did not want to spend too much money on it so bidding only on used and seemingly value (reads cheaper) items that I could acquire in Europe.

I kept missing (or losing to somebody else) items after items as I only "bade" up to my budget. After all my (somewhat outdated old used) PC was and is happily working with "free" Nvidia GeFroce GTX 650 which to my deepest disappointment did not work with "hashcat" as it did not support CUDA support level 5.0 (only level 3.0).

I just lost my bid and almost immediately received an offer from someone who had the same "chip" graphics card on eBay. I considered the offer for a moment and decided to accept it. Before clicking to accept the offer, I briefly searched belatedly on the Net to see if PCI Express 3.0 (which GTX 1050 Ti cards comply to) card were compatible in my PC's PCI Express 2.* slot. They did.

So now I am technically an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti owner. I hope this time (when I install on my system) hashcat works without complaining anything to brute-force my own Huawei's 4G modem / router.

In Japanese: 続きをどうぞ [Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti purchased]の続きを読む

テーマ:自転車ロードレース - ジャンル:スポーツ

1. 2021/05/03(月) 14:24:47|
2. Bike Races
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