Sailing south, cycling home

Bjørn Olav Østeby has planned his trip for a year.

- I heard about One Ocean Expedition last autumn, and decided that I wanted to join in, he says.

The original plan was to travel by train and backpack home to Norway. But his brother's bike ride to Milan a few years ago inspired him. Could he bring a bike on board?

That was perfectly fine for Statsraad Lehmkuhl.

100 km a day

The plan is to cycle 100 kilometers a day, so the trip home via Madrid and Hirtshals takes a month or so. Bjørn Olav is a little bit anxious. He has hardly cycled since he was a child. The bike is brand new.

- It will be a new experience, he smiles. Tough for the butt in the beginning.

Bjørn Olav understands that he needs advice, and has talked a lot with people who have been on long bike rides.

- It is nice to experience how eager people are to share. I sat with my bike in Arendal before leaving, and that alone was enough for someone to come over to have a chat.

Good routes

Bjørn Olav believes that the biggest challenge will be finding a good route.

- Which does not have a lot of traffic, but at the same time is nice to cycle on.

It is hard to plan ahead, which makes him a bit worried about getting enough food and water, and finding places to sleep.

One overnight stay is already decided.

- I am staying with someone named Arthur, in the Netherlands, whom I met on board here. Very nice!

Symbolic

Bjørn Olav is above average engaged in sustainability. He likes the fact that he travelled to Lisbon by sail, and then gets home again by bike.

- One of the UN's sustainability goals is about cooperation, and Statsraad Lehmkuhl is a good example of that. Mixing people from different nationalities and getting them to talk to each other, he says, and continues.

- For me, it is also something symbolic in that I will now cross national borders without this being a major obstacle.

Good memories and new knowledge

The voyage from Arendal to Lisbon has given him new acquaintances, good memories and new knowledge. He has used his spare time to read about cycling, so he now knows more than before of both cycling and sailing.

Bjørn Olav promises to post travel letters on Instagram, here you can follow him on the way home.

UN sustainability goals

The UN sustainability goals are the world's joint work plan to eradicate poverty, fight inequality and halt climate change by 2030.

The 17 goals are meant to be a guide for both states, businesses, and for me and you.

The goals are based on input from countries all over the world. Nearly ten million people had their say through a survey.