TRAVELOGUE
When Solo Adventure Becomes a Life of Freedom
Nomadic Soul
My name is Nata, I’m from Switzerland but have lived nomadically for twenty years. The last five completely on the road (on my motorbike). For me, movement is not just a break, it is my way of living. I choose more nature every day, distance from cities, noise, and schedules. Working on the road gives me freedom of time and place.
This journey to the north follows that same need for freedom and peace. Carried by the sea between Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland.
Travelogue by
Nata On The Road
Destination
Iceland & Faroe Islands
Vehicle
Motorbike
Time of year
Spring
Why Iceland
and the Faroes?
Iceland stayed unfinished in my mind. My first attempt ended before even starting with an off-road crash and an unsolicited helicopter ride. I never completed the route, and it has stuck in my mind since then, I must return, on my own bike, and ride the ring road!
For the Faroe Islands, it’s different. I arrived with no plan and no expectations. I come to see what I will find. Both places offer exactly what I seek when I travel: remote landscapes, clean air, quiet roads, and the feeling of being far from civilization.
The Crossing with Norröna
Since that promise, of returning on my own bike, I knew my only way of fulfilling that dream is taking my motorbike on a ferry!
This is my first time taking a ferry like Norröna, I have quite a lot of experience with ferries, mostly in the Mediterranean, but, let me tell you this is next level!
Boarding was so fast, smooth and simple it feels almost too good to be true. I am experiencing three different types of cabins during the trip, expecting something basic and finding pure luxury instead.
The atmosphere on board surprises me too, many quiet spaces, excellent food, and… I still can’t believe it, a sauna, a hot tub, a gym and even a cinema!
This is not a ferry anymore, this is a cruise!
The sea and my time on board of the Norröna is about to become more than just the link between each chapter of my journey, it is becoming an experience in itself!
The Faroe Islands
And here I am, about to start the first chapter of this journey. We are arriving in the Faroe Islands. It’s May and I am arriving under unexpected spring sunshine!
Here, I’m riding without a strict plan, following roads that pull me in: challenging myself on a dirt track to Sornfelli, falling in love with the valley before Saksun, amazed by the view of Skarðsáfossur, and the peaceful energy of Sandoy.
The landscapes are raw and peaceful, but what I truly fall in love with is… the baby sheep! All those cute lambs by the road make me stop more than once.
The Faroes feel raw, calm and full of surprises.
Iceland:
a Story Left Open
The ramp dropping in Seyðisfjörður, means to me closing a loop I have left unfinished, but at the same time opening a new one.
I feel two emotions at once: the quiet happiness of reaching a goal and fulfilling a dream, a kind of humble pride. At the same time the thrill and excitement of a new adventure about to start, that addictive feeling of stepping into the unknown, with a small touch of nerves.
The road climbs immediately. Snow lines up the pass and it feels like the real beginning. The wide spaces, the cold air, and the first long lines of the Eastfjords remind me instantly why I return. I choose spring for two reasons: to avoid the crowds and because photography is at my core. And there is nothing more beautiful to me than mountains in spring, still carrying snow on their peaks while the first lupins bloom under the early sun.
Photography
and Visuals
For me travelling is about images. I couldn’t imagine a trip without a camera in my hands. And Iceland is a country built for photography: wide valleys, strong contrasts, fast changing light, landscapes out of this planet! This is part of the reason why I travel alone. I take my time to stop everywhere, ride the same road twice, re-visit place, fly my drone, and shoot in silence. Days around Mývatn, Snæfellsjökull, and Austfirðir give me some of my favorite frames of the whole journey, but the place I’ve spent the most time taking photos is probably the Puffin cliffs!
Puffins and Emotion
Reaching Bakkagerði after riding 1h on gravel road made me feel really proud, challenging myself to reach a place I was dreaming of since years.
But I didn’t find what I was expecting! The road is under construction and minutes before arriving, I have to turn back, I can’t handle riding my motorbike in such deep loose stones. What a frustration, my big dream of seeing puffins with my own eyes for first time is broken… It is only later, on the very other side of the island, in the westfjords that I will see my first ever puffin, the reward of a very challenging off-road ride on my motorbike!
I am there alone, no one else, and suddenly I see it: ONE puffin, just one, like it would have been waiting for me. This is one of those moments that will stay with me forever.
Off Road Confidence
My previous trip through Africa gives me the first boost of confidence but Iceland confirms it.
I am riding a modified Royal Enfield Himalayan, which I call “my little tractor” for first time after the time I spent on it in the workshop. Twenty kilos lighter, a new exhaust and new suspension, about to be tested out on all Icelandic terrains!
One day, leaving tarmac, I expect the usual knot in my stomach when hitting Hverfjall volcanic ground. But that day… it never comes. It feels almost like magic, as if Iceland switches something inside me. It fuels me with boldness and confidence. Filling my blood with a new thirst for adventure. Now I feel ready for more. What about a F-roads challenge next time?
Moto Camping
Camping is a key part of how I travel, a way to remain closer to nature and feel for freedom. No need to book hotels in advance, plan the entire route, it comes with a lot of flexibility. A tent, a coffee maker, a gas stove, and solar panel and I feel as free as a bird!
Iceland challenges that simplicity with really cold weather and strong winds. One storm even teared my tent apart! What a story. But I guess, that is what makes us feel alive, isn’t it?
Safety and People
One reason I do camp less than I would like is because of safety. Being a woman alone on the road brings certain challenges, and being a creator means, I am travelling with a lot of values. Iceland and Faroe is one of the few places where I feel completely safe. So safe I still can’t believe it. I trust the environment and the people 200%. I leave my key in the bike at night, all my gear in my tent, and never worry. That safety lets me finally slow down, feel in peace and breathe. Something I wish we could all experience more often in more places around our planet
A Journey
That Is Just Starting
This journey is not finished. I fall in love with both, Faroe and Iceland. I will return soon, for more photography, to explore what I missed and for that new off-road challenge I set up for myself in my head the F roads are awaiting me!
If you are considering doing a similar route, stop thinking, go for it!
Take your bike, take your time, and let the sea carry you to the most epic adventure of your life!
I am currently sharing that journey on YouTube, Follow my Northern Adventure on: www.youtube.com/@nataontheroad
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