Graham Laing decided to retire 10 years earlier than planned to enjoy an epic driving tour with his SLC. The plan, inspired by conversations with his Father, was to drive the SLC from the southern most tip of mainland Europe in Spain to the northernmost tip of mainland Europe in Norway.
When he told his children, they said ‘you should write a blog about it’… So that’s exactly what Graham is doing. Graham approached the SLSHOP and asked whether we would be interested in hosting his work, and we were only too happy to share his story. The SLCenic Route was born!
In this episode Graham and his SLC scour Sweden for Saabs
The SLCenic Route
Episode 26 – Sundsvall (Sweden) to Horten (Norway) 412 miles
A long drive today, not sure if it is going to be too long, only one way to find out. Happy to leave a sunny Sweden and beautiful Airbnb house, it is amazing what little gems you can find.
The rest of Sweden hasn’t changed, still more forests, and lakes, then as if by magic, hills appear. It’s Norway. Once again on this trip, there were no signs saying you’ve crossed a border, but I knew the feel of a Norwegian road, smoother and wider.
Now, I might be biased after my previous days in Norway, but even the forests in Norway seem nicer. I think it is because the trees are cut back further from the road and there is not so much undergrowth; it does not feel as claustrophobic. It felt much more like a Scottish forest.
The cars on the road changed as well. More electric cars and less Volvos. Norway is big on electric cars; the Government pays massive incentives such as free charging, parking, money off initial price etc. Not sure how green this is when it is effectively paid for by oil revenues?
What I was surprised about in Sweden was the lack of Saab’s. It’s 8 years since they went bust, but I saw very few. Talking to the host of Airbnb last night, they said, for the last couple of years before Saab went bust, everyone knew it was going to happen and nobody bought Saab.
I’m now in Horten a small port on the Oslo Fjord where I can smell and see the sea again, lovely. My great grandmother was born here, maybe that is another reason why I like Norway so much. It’s at the same latitude as the Orkney Islands, so nearing the summer solstice the sky is still quite bright in the evening. Tonight it is raining which for the first time in 10 days makes it look dark. Feels strange.
Graham Laing decided to retire 10 years earlier than planned to enjoy an epic driving tour with his SLC. The plan, inspired by conversations with his Father, was to drive the SLC from the southern most tip of mainland Europe in Spain to the northernmost tip of mainland Europe in Norway.
When he told his children, they said ‘you should write a blog about it’… So that’s exactly what Graham is doing. Graham approached the SLSHOP and asked whether we would be interested in hosting his work, and we were only too happy to share his story. The SLCenic Route was born!
In this episode Graham and his SLC scour Sweden for Saabs
The SLCenic Route
Episode 26 – Sundsvall (Sweden) to Horten (Norway) 412 miles
A long drive today, not sure if it is going to be too long, only one way to find out. Happy to leave a sunny Sweden and beautiful Airbnb house, it is amazing what little gems you can find.
The rest of Sweden hasn’t changed, still more forests, and lakes, then as if by magic, hills appear. It’s Norway. Once again on this trip, there were no signs saying you’ve crossed a border, but I knew the feel of a Norwegian road, smoother and wider.
Now, I might be biased after my previous days in Norway, but even the forests in Norway seem nicer. I think it is because the trees are cut back further from the road and there is not so much undergrowth; it does not feel as claustrophobic. It felt much more like a Scottish forest.
The cars on the road changed as well. More electric cars and less Volvos. Norway is big on electric cars; the Government pays massive incentives such as free charging, parking, money off initial price etc. Not sure how green this is when it is effectively paid for by oil revenues?
What I was surprised about in Sweden was the lack of Saab’s. It’s 8 years since they went bust, but I saw very few. Talking to the host of Airbnb last night, they said, for the last couple of years before Saab went bust, everyone knew it was going to happen and nobody bought Saab.
I’m now in Horten a small port on the Oslo Fjord where I can smell and see the sea again, lovely. My great grandmother was born here, maybe that is another reason why I like Norway so much. It’s at the same latitude as the Orkney Islands, so nearing the summer solstice the sky is still quite bright in the evening. Tonight it is raining which for the first time in 10 days makes it look dark. Feels strange.
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