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Fly, fly away. There’s always a train. Or so a Norwegian saying goes. These days, planes seem to be catching up though. There has never been more flights per day. But just how many daily departures, and arrivals, are there world-wide? More than ever. 2014 is first year we see more than 100,000 flights a day! Related articles: World’s Least-Touristy Countries 2018 / Is it safe to fly? Let’s dig into the numbers a little. The passenger airline industry is dominated by three alliances; Star Alliance, One World and Sky Team. Adding their average daily operations should give a good clue of daily air departures. Star Alliance: 18,043 flights per day One World: 14,011 flights per day Sky Team: 15,723 flights per day Accumulated total: 47,777 flights per day But there are a lot of other passenger airlines and cargo transport happening too. More than twice the number of the three big alliances, in fact. Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) released Aviation Benefits Beyond Borders, a detailed report on the aviation industry, in April 2014. The report shows that there are 37.4 million flights scheduled in 2014! That is up 2.7% from 2013. And it means an average of 102,465 flights per day. The number of daily flights has never before passed 100,000.In 2013 we saw “only” 99,726 flights per day. 102,465 flights sound like a lot, but keep in mind that there are 49,871 routes being served globally. Some are served many times a day, others only once every two weeks or even just a few times a year. There is no sign of a decline in passenger or flight numbers either. Flying in developing markets like China, India, the Middle East and Africa is growing fast. People are making more money and seem willing to spend it on travel. I don’t blame them. The number of passengers is estimated to fall a little from 3.1 billion in 2013 to just under 3 billion in 2014, despite the increase in flights. Competition is becoming more fierce, and airlines are struggling to fill their flights. 79.4 percent of seats were occupied on the world’s airliners in April 2014, according to IATA. The comparable figures for trains, buses and cars are 40%, 60% and 30%. The airline industry spends 210 billion USD on 273 billion liters of fuel every year (that’s just 0.77 USD per liter) and is responsible for 2% of the world’s emitted carbon dioxide. Do take into account that there are 1,397 commercial airlines out there, owning a total of 25,332 aircraft. I also dive into the numbers. Is it really safe to fly?

My book “198” was published in Norwegian on September 18, 2014. I get a lot of questions about the English version, and it is finally out, under the name 198: How I Ran Out of Countries*. Find out where to buy it. If you are a publisher outside Norway, you may want to release it. The first reviews are already out. The book retailed at $48 in Norway, the world’s most expensive country. The suggested retail price for the English print version is $14.98, whereas the eBook retails at $6.98. Virtually everything but caviar is cheaper outside Norway.

Eg var så heldig å verte invitert til å halde hovudtalen i Naustdal på 17. mai, 2014. Talen følgjer under i skriftleg form for spesielt interesserte. This is the speech I did on Norway’s national day May 17, 2014 in Naustdal. It is, for obvious reasons, in Norwegian. Ja, her står eg no. Og veit ikkje heilt korleis eg skal begynne. Mine damer og herrar vert for dansk. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls vert for australsk. Kameratar vert for russisk. Kjære landsmenn er ikkje kjønnsnøytralt. Medsamansvorne manglar eg bevis for å kunne seie. Kjære sambygdingar. Ja, for sjølv om eg lever eit ganske så fjell- og naturfritt liv i Oslo-eksil og stadig reiser verda rundt, så kjem eg her ifrå bygda. Og det er eg stolt av. Eg er og stolt av å ha blitt invitert hit på sjølvaste 17. mai og halde tale til dykk. Vi er 200 år i dag. I alle fall grunnlova. For det var det dokumentet som la grunnlaget for den nasjonen, det landet vi er i dag. Gratulerer så mykje! (Vi er ikkje i kyrkja, det er lov å klappe.) Det er ingen av oss her som hugsar 100-årsjubileet, og eg tvilar på at mange av oss vil få oppleve 300-årsjubileet, så dette er verkeleg spesielt. La meg heilt kort ta historia. Og vi må tilbake til strategen Napoleon. Den franske keisaren herska over store delar av Europa i mange år, men måtte til slutt abdisere. Som eit indirekte resultat måtte danskekongen gje Norge til Sverige som krigsbytte. Men danskekongen hata å tape, og han visste å formulere seg. I staden for å overlevere Noreg til Sverige, så sa han ifrå seg den norske trona. Eit sjakktrekk av ein detalj. Og tidleg i 1814 møttes 22 menn på Eidsvoll Verk for å diskutere Noreg si framtid. Ein av dei var Georg Sverderup. Han hevda at sidan danskekongen hadde sagt frå seg trona, så betydde det at suvereniteten hadde gått tilbake til det norske folk. Og at våre forfedre skulle få velge eigen konge. Kontroversielt. Men Sverderup hadde spelt poker før, og han fekk til slutt gjennomslag. Det vart lyst ut til val av konge og av dei som skulle lage Noreg si grunnlov; 112 menn totalt, tre av dei kom frå Sogn og Fjordane. Ein bonde frå Lærdal, ein prest frå Holmedal og ein jurist frå Sogndal. Ingen nordfjordingar der, altså. Frå 10. april jobba dei på Eidsvold kvar einaste dag i seks veker. Lange og knallharde forhandlingar. 17. mai, 1814 var dei til slutt einige. Og Eidsvolleden vart avsagt. ”Eining og tru til Dovre fell” sa dei. Og Dovre står framleis støtt. Dovre. Eg har vore der. Eg er både nysgjerrig og rastlaus av meg, så eg har og vore i alle verdas land. Det er 198 av dei. Likevel så er det ikkje noko tvil. Grunnlovstradisjon vår her heime, 17. mai-feiringa, gjer meg stolt og glad. Den gjev meg til og med gåsehud. Og det er ikkje berre fordi vi går i tog, treff gamle kjende, utvekslar talar, kler oss i fine klede og viftar med norske flagg. Heller ikkje berre fordi vi har så fantastisk natur som bakteppe. Dei feirar 17. mai i Oslo óg, sjølv om naturen der ikkje kan måle seg med kva vi har her i Naustdal og i Sunnfjord. Nei, eg vert stolt og glad fordi nasjonaldagen vår er heilt unik. Ingen andre land feirar den sånn som vi gjer det. I Frankrike, Turkmenistan, Brasil og Nigeria er det dei vaksne sin dag. Det gjeld å vise fram våpen, makt og styrke. Dei viser fram dei største rakettane, dei raskaste flya og dei tøffaste militæruniformane. Dei har imponerande paradar der vaksne menn med våpen over skuldra driv ein form for synkronsvømming. Misforstå meg rett. Dei er flinke og samkøyrde, og må ha trent i veker eller månadar. Men det dei driv med i nesten alle andre land på nasjonaldagen er ikkje noko meir enn avansert penisforlenging. Pappaen min er sterkare enn pappaen din. Militæret mitt har større patronar enn militæret ditt. På 17. mai treng vi ikkje å vise fram kanoner, tanks, flammekastarar eller jagarfly. Vi nøyer oss med is, pølse med brød, rebusløp, spikrar å slå ned og hestesko å kaste. Nasjonaldagen vår, 17. mai, er ungane sin dag. Vi feirar at vi vart frie og sjølvstendige, at våre ungdomar og våre ungar alltid skal få vere frie, slik som vi er det. Vi feirar framtida. Vi feirar friheita. Vi feirar at alle framtidige generasjonar skal få mogelegheita til å oppleve det same. Til og med dei mest umodne av oss skal bli vaksne og ta over våre tradisjonar og føre vidare vårt demokrati, gjennom samarbeid, kreativitet, gjenomføringskraft og stå på-vilje. For vi kan ikkje berre feire dei unge. Dei må óg bidra. Med arbeid og innsats. Med å setje seg mål. Og ikkje nødvendigvis lette mål. Georg Sverderup hadde eit nesten umogeleg mål. Og utan samanlikning, i fjor nådde eg mitt hovudmål. Å besøkje alle verdas land. I år når eg snart målet om å gje ut bok. Og for ni dagar sidan mislukkast eg med eit mål om å setje verdsrekord. Det gjer meg berre meir svolten på å klare det. Vi prøvar igjen i september, og då kan de igjen følgje oss direkte ved hjelp av GPS på eit kart både frå kommunestyresalen og andre stader. Eg saknar eit målsettingsfag på skulen. Kunsten å gjennomføre idéar, å nå mål. Det nærmaste er kanskje sporadiske entreprenørskapskurs på enkelte vidaregåande skular. Utan mål kan ein verken lukkast eller mislukkast. Begge deler er lærerikt. Men i Noreg no vert ein nesten premiert for tiltakslause. På grunn av oljepengar og freistande trygdeutbetalingar som er for lett tilgjengeleg. Sjølvstendigheita vår er viktig, men ikkje sjølvsagt. Vi lever i eit fritt land. Det er det veldig mange som ikkje gjer. Dei lever under ulike regime som bestemmer korleis dei skal leve liva sine. Om dei får leve. Eller kva for ein religion dei skal tilhøyre eller følgje reglane til. For eksempel korleis kvinnene skal kle seg. Om ein kan kalle tekstilfengselet burka for eit klesplagg. Eg har sett mykje rart i verda, men eg har aldri verkeleg følt meg trua. Som reisande har eg vore relativt fri der eg har reist til ulike land og observert. Og eg har alltid kunne reise vidare når eg ikkje ville meir, når ting vart ubehagelige eller eg ikkje likte måten eg vart behandla på. Eg var på visitt. Med norsk pass. I Noreg er demokratiet eit viktig prinsipp for vår kultur. Og la oss verne om det for einkvar pris. Det bidrar vi til å gjere ved å løfte fram og hylle ungane våre, ikkje våpna, på 17. mai. Eg reiser altså relativt mykje. Hittil i 2014 har eg vore i 28 land. Nokon kallar det galskap. Og det er det. Men sjølv meiner eg at galskap er bra for kreativitet og fantasi. Og ei slik omfattande reiseverksemd gjer at eg har mange heimar. Eg brukar å seie at heime er i Oslo eller der ryggsekken min er til eikvar tid. Men HEIME, det er i Naustdal. Det er her. Og når folk spør kvar eg kjem ifrå, så svarar eg Naustdal. Sjølv om det ofte fører til nokre sekunds stillheit. Få på Austlandet har høyrt om kommunen vår. Er det nær Førde, spør mange. Førde ligg i utkanten av Naustdal, seier eg då. Ja, det er her eg har vakse opp, spelt fotball, gått i speidaren, leika med søskena mine og blitt meir eller mindre oppdratt av mamma og pappa. Smalahovud i Vevring, stølsbesøk på Jonstad, demningslaging i Naustdalslida, skihopping på Ramsdalsheia og orientering i Instedalen. Minna er mange. Naustdal er óg den einaste plassen i verda kor ein kan gå på Blåfjellet og gå på Blåfjellet og gå på Blåfjellet. Namnekreativitet skal vi ikkje skryte på oss. Det er tre Blåfjell i Naustdal, inkludert det høgste fjellet i kommunen på 1390 meter. Og berre for å heilgardere så har vi Blånipa og. Kommunen er i det store og det heile så blå at eg er overraska over at ikkje Høgre har fleire representantar i kommunestyret. Skjønt det kan jo ha noko med miljøtrusselen på Engebø å gjere. La meg no ta på meg utanlandsbrillene mine. Det er ikkje til å kome frå at det er mange og store kulturelle skilnadar i verda. På tur prøvar eg ofte å finne likheitstrekk med den stereotypiske sunnfjordingen. Vi sunnfjordingar går kanskje for å vere litt treige. Men ikkje så treige som i Uganda. Der går ikkje bussen før den er full. Eg sat meg på bussen i ein landsby. Då eg etter nokre minutt vart lei av å vente og spurte kva tid bussen skulle gå, så svara dei berre TIA. Eller T.I.A. Det betyr This is Africa. Dette er Afrika. Det betyr at ting tek tid. Bussen gjekk fem timar seinare. Så lang tid tok det før dei andre 49 seta var fylt opp. Av ei dame med høner i plastposar, ein mann med ei geit på fanget og to smågutar utan bukse. Slik at dei enklare kunne tisse i flaska til faren på den lange turen. Vi sunnfjordingar går kanskje for å vere litt sære i matvegen. Men ikkje så sære som i Ecuador. Der er hamster ei delikatesse. Og det same er kattekjøt. Eg har ete hamster, men ikkje katt. Hadde eg gjort det hadde søstrene mine sagt opp slektsskapet. Vi sunnfjordingar går kanskje for å vere litt gjerrige. Men ikkje så gjerrige som på Jamaica. Der brukar dei eldfloger som leselampe for å spare straum. Dei fangar ein sverm med floger i ei glasflaske. Når dei skal lese held dei flaska over boksidene. Men lyset frå eldflogene vert etterkvart svakare. Då er det berre å riste på flaska slik at eldflogene vaknar til live igjen, og det er lys i nokre minutt til før ein igjen må riste på flaska. Vi sunnfjordingar går kanskje for å la oss bli underkua av vår betre halvdel. Men ikkje så underkua som i ein øynasjon i Stillehavet. På ein restaurant vart eg invitert til å sitje med bordet til to lokale karar. Vi fekk god kontakt og begynte snart å snakke om laust og fast. Etter ein times tid ringer mobiltelefonen til den eine. – Hei, kjære seier han. – Ja, sjølvsagt kan eg gå i butikken og handle. – Nei, eg skal ikkje gløyme å kjøpe såpe. Eller å vaske heime. – Ja, og eg kan godt hente ungane i barnehagen. – Eg elskar deg og. Ha det bra! Så la han på og banna stygt nok til å få einkvar finnmarking til å verte forlegen. Og så ropte han. – Eg hatar den kjerringa! – Er du gift, Gunnar? Bra! Og gift deg aldri! Før han gjekk på do. I sinne. Då nytta eg høvet til å spørre kompisen kvifor han ikkje skilte seg. Han hadde det tydelegvis ikkje så bra i forholdet. – Nei, sa kompisen og rista på hovudet. – Det kan han ikkje. Han gifta seg med feil dame. Ho er dottera til presidenten. Vi har aldri hatt president i Noreg, men mange andre heltar. Og dei veit vi å minnast. No står vi her og feirar grunnlova sin 200-årsdag. Her rett ved bautasteinen. Det var mellom anna ungdomslaget i Naustdal som tok initiativ til å få reist steinen, og den vart avduka 17. mai 1914. Den er 100 år i dag! (Vi er framleis ikkje i kyrkja, det er lov å klappe.) Ikkje ein gong Harald Runde i sogelaget veit om det vart gjort noko formelt vedtak om bautaen i kommunestyre eller formannskap, men dåverande ordførar Ola Schei hadde i alle fall eit avisinnlegg i “Nordre Bergenhus Amstidende” ti dagar etter. Urovekkjande nok var det på bokmål, men vi får la det passere i godt lag på ein slik kombinert 300-årsdag. Han skreiv fire setningar: “Gjennem varaordføreren er jeg gjort bekjendt med at bautastenen som reistes og avdukedes 17 mai i Naustdal til minde om de tapre fædrelandsforsvarere fra vor bygd i 1814, blev ved nævnte anledning overleveret til Naustdals komune.” Fire lange setningar. “På kommunens vegne må jeg herved sige alle, som har bidraget noget til reisningen av dette vakre mindesmerke, min store tak. Det skal være Naustdals kommune en sand glæde og pligt ned igjennem tiderne at bevare, hegne og frede om dette minde. Så stande da bautaen i fred, talende fædrelandskjærlighetens mægtige sprog til slægterne som går og kommer i vort elskede Naustdal.” Avslutta han. Han og tenkte altså på ungane, eller slektene som går og kjem i vår høgt elska kommune, Naustdal. Og la oss ta dei 100 år gamle oppfordringane med oss vidare under feiringa i dag. 17. mai er for framtida, for komande generasjonar. I eit demokrati er framtida like viktig som historia. Og i dag begynner dei neste 200 åra. No er det framtid, om nokre generasjonar er det historie. Lenge leve ungdommen. Hurra for Noreg sin 200-årsdag! Hurra for bautaen sin 100-årsdag! Hurra for oss! Tusen takk for meg og fortsatt god 17. mai.

We did, in other words, equal it. But no one has visited as many countries as us in the same day. Our attempt started at 00.00.01 on May 8. The two maps showing our journey in detail will be uploaded as soon as I get into a country where my carrier Netcom offers roaming (that old Samsung S3 doesn’t connect to Wifi). You mean you cannot wait? Well, here it goes: Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Bulgaria. Only Greece stood between us and world record stardom. Oh well, we secured one other record too. Øystein Djupvik drove single handedly to all of the 17 countries in 24 hours. No one else can equal that. And I guess that I can claim to have tweeted from 17 countries in 24 hours. That’s always something. I’d of course rather see the 17 countries in 24 hours beaten, but we had an amazing time, heard from so many people and could really feel the enthusiasm. So, thank you, all! The twitter tag #recordrun was litterally overheating, boosted by a lot of media interest. The interest really made my day, our day. So, we are actually celebrating in a little holiday in a tiny town in Bulgaria. With quality Champagne. We had the best of times, and the feeling continues.

Four friends managed to visit 17 countries in 24 hours in 2012. Can the record be beaten? I have no idea, but I’ll try. It’s going to be a long and hectic Thursday. I have even somehow managed to convince two friends to take part in what is essentially a slightly manic project. Neither Øystein Djupvik from my hometown Naustdal nor Tay-young Pak from Oslo are strangers to creative madness, and they are certainly up for the task. Supported by petrol hungry cars, unmentionable amounts of caffein, a bit of sugar and some very loud music. Bios at the bottom. Some of my friends call me restless. Driving on the Autobahn doesn’t exactly help. No speed limit. We managed 17 countries in 24 hours, which is the record. No one has in other words been to more countries than us. Kind of cool! The maps below tell you were we drove. There are two maps as we flew from Milano to Dubrovnik. We tweeted from the trip, using #recordrun. We are @garfors, @oysteindjupvik, @taysadventures. Øystein Djupvik lives in Naustdal in Norway with Lee-Heidi Lauritzen and their two children. The 40 year old is a part of the management team of Transferd, a logistics company. He is also a local politician and enjoys sports fishing. Djupvik works against planned dumping of 300 million tons of waste mixed with chemicals, planned to be done by a mining company in the fjord he lives next to. Tay-young Pak is on a mission to visit every country of the world and to engage in extreme activities while at it. Please follow him on taysbucketlist.com. He has worked years as a consultant within business and management. Pak is 41 years old and from a Korean family. He was still born in Iceland and has lived most of his life in Oslo. Gunnar Garfors is the youngest hobby traveller to have visited all 198 countries of the world. The 38 year old has six younger siblings and is from Naustdal . Garfors currently lives in Oslo, works with DAB digital radio for NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) and writes a book on all his travels. The book is due to be published in Norwegian by Samlaget in September. Countdown Clock from Counting Down To. Map and tracking by Endomondo. Feel free to embed the map if you link to garfors.com. Use the following code:

Eg er endeleg ferdig med mi aller første bok som straks vert given ut av Samlaget. Ho heiter noko så kort og konsist som “198.” Ganske enkelt fordi det er dei tre siste siffera i telefonnummeret til Samlaget sin marknadssjef, Siri Ifarnæss. Og fordi det er 198 land i verda, fordi eg har vore i alle, og fordi kvart land får sitt kapittel. This post in Norwegian is about the launch of my book called “198”. It is, as of yet, only available in Norwegian, but we are working on an English version too. Pre-order it or read the reviews. Det gjer óg at ho kjem rett før noko meir kjende “1984” av George Orwell i bokhylla. Boka er på 500 sider og er truleg blant dei dyraste bøkene som nokon gong har blitt skrive av éin forfattar. Det var naudsynt med reiser og tilhøyrande research til alle verdas land for å kunne skrive ho, og det har kosta meg det aller meste eg har tent dei siste ti åra. Heldigvis samlar eg heller på gode minne enn på gode vinar. Boka sin undertittel er “Mi reise til alle verdas land.” Du kan kjøpe boka her og vere garantert ei førsteutgåve. Om du ønskjer det signerer eg sjølvsagt også boka. Gje eventuelt også beskjed om du ønskjer at eg skal skrive ei helsing i ho. Første omtale kom i Reiselyst. Magasinet gav terningkast 5. Den engelske versjonen er under oversetjing, og har allereie blitt omtala. “198” kostar 299 kroner i butikken. Det er 1 krone og 51 øre per land! Latterleg billeg. Du er sjanselaus til å kome deg jorda rundt for noko i nærheiten av ein slik sum. Berre passet kostar 450 kroner. For 32 usle sider og eitt bilete. Om du bestiller boka her får du same pris, og då signerer eg gjerne, men sendekostnadar på 76 kroner per bok kjem i tillegg (boka veg 830 gram). Om du er i Oslo kan eg treffe deg og overlevere boka. Då slepp du sendekostnadar. Du kan bla i boka her. Bestill boka ved å sende meg ein epost herifrå, og eg sender deg ein faktura i retur. Hugs å skrive postadressa di, kor mange bøker du vil kjøpe og om du ønskjer boka signert. Om du vil at eg skal skrive ei spesiell helsing må du skrive ned denne. Og så kan du sjølvsagt bestille ebokversjonen til ulike nett- og lesebrett.

Four friends had a mad idea in 2012. They wanted to see how many countries they could visit in 24 hours. They managed 17 countries in Europe, narrowly breaking the former record of 16. Australians Todd Hepworth and Philomena O’Brian, Swedish Liselott Martynenko Agerlid and Dutch Yvo Kuhling started in Bosnia and Herzegovina before crossing into Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and finally the Netherlands. The entire trip took them 23 hours and 30 minutes on June 1-2, 2012. They started at 20:18, following six months of planning. There are three rules to follow, according to Recordsetter.com: 1. must physically stand in each country 2. must complete visits within any consecutive 24-hour period 3. must provide media evidence So, can this record can be beaten? If so, how many countries can be done in 24 hours? Hmmm…and I still haven’t booked my summer holiday…

What do I do when I not travel? I am, contrary to popular belief, actually quite fond of Oslo, the city in which I live. I have walked, hiked, biked and jogged almost everywhere in town and written articles about what to do here. One of the things you really ought to do is walk along Akerselva, or Aker River. It’s probably the most beautiful and peaceful walk in town. The river’s source is a 3.7 square kilometer large lake called Maridalsvatnet, 149 meters above sea level. It flows into the Oslo fjord 8.2 kilometers away. There are paths on boths sides along most of the river, and it is excellent to hike along all or parts of it. You will then notice a number of bridges and other constructions crossing the river. Most of these you can use. But how many bridges and man-made constructions do actually cross the river? I decided to find out on a beautiful Sunday in May. Spring has come to town. I was equipped by nothing more than a camera and a bike. I biked to the lake and started my slow decent. But how to count? A bride or a construction counts as one as long as it is is not somehow split up. In other words, if sunshine comes between two constructions, they no longer count as one. The river is covered by buildings and bridges that have “melted” together on two places. Even though they are very wide, they still count only as one each. And a person must be able to cross. I managed to cross all of them, but four. Access was blocked off, but they are still technically crossable if permission is obtained, and I have therefore counted all four. Then, to the count. Any other ace walks in Oslo?

On June 18, 2012 I travelled to five continents in one day together with Adrian Butterworth from the UK. We had the honour of visiting Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and South America, all in the same day. A world record. We celebrated accordingly. In Caracas. I have previously summarized the trip. Or you can watch the preview of the documentary. It was made by Adrian’s Adelia TV. Now there is time for yet another celebration. Guinness World Records has approved the record. I received the news on March 14, 2014 via email: “We are delighted to confirm that you have successfully achieved a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for ’Most continents visited in one calendar day’. Record text: Gunnar Garfors (Norway) and Adrian Butterworth (UK) visited five continents in one calendar day, taking scheduled transport between the east side of Istanbul in Turkey (Asia), Casablanca in Morocco (Africa), Paris in France (Europe), Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic (North America) and Caracas in Venezuela (South America) on 18 May 2012. The entire trip took 28 hr 25 min, but the changing time zones ensured that Garfors and documentary filmmaker Butterworth cleared customs in each country in the same calendar day.” My bucket list is shrinking. Read Guinness World Records’ own article about the world record. Back then I had visited “only” 174 countries, but on May 8, 2013 I landed in the very last one, Cape Verde. What now? Watch this space. I seem to have a fetish for crazy or borderline idiotic plans. But first, a pint of Guinness to celebrate the Guinness World Record. I will coincidentally go to Ireland in a week.

Norway will switch off FM as the first country in the world in January 2017. Digital Radio Norway is a non-profit organization that provides information about the shift in technology. It also deals with marketing of digital radio and consumer law considerations. Yesterday they sent out a press release encouraging retailers of FM radios to inform potential customers that FM radio sets in Norway will go quiet in a few years’ time: All major radio channels will stop transmitting, and Norwegian retailers are now being encouraged to inform customers that FM radios will soon be “useless”. Norway is in a transition period where radio distribution is being changed from FM to DAB, from analogue to digital. The exact switch-off date is yet to be set, but car and radio dealers are now encouraged to proactively inform customers about the possible consequences of purchasing an FM radio. – FM switch-off is less than five years away, and retailers need to be aware of the facts to properly inform customers. Products such as radio sets come with a five years guarantee, and potential buyers deserve to be given an accurate update about known changes in available programmes and channels, says Jarle Ruud, Marketing Manager at Digital Radio Norway. This is an important message, but the signal is in my opinion neither strong nor clear enough. Why not? FM will be switched off in 2017. The switch-off can in theory be delayed, but under no circumstance longer than to January 2019. This is however not likely as the five governmental requirements for the switch-off will be met by the end of 2014. The requirements will be evaluated in early 2015. The easiest way to prevent unhappy customers is of course to stop selling FM radios altogether. Retailers should be asked not to sell FM radios at all, unless customers specifically ask for a non-DAB radio. To keep FM radios in stock on shelves is fooling the customers as they will be “useless” before the end of the five year guarantee. 800,000 radios are sold every year in Norway. Last year 59% of those were DAB radios. Do keep in mind that every DAB radio in the market supports FM, so anyone buying a radio for usage abroad or to pick up ultra local stations may still take advantage of the FM functionality. The Consumer Ombudsman argues that to market FM radios without information about the consequences of FM switch-off, could from now on be considered misleading. And it is. But why market and sell them at all? In 2013 328,000 FM radios were sold. The people who purchased them will be disappointed to find that they will no longer be usable in Norway (with the exception of some ultra local radio stations) from January 11, 2017. And it isn’t only about functionality. It is also about getting access to those new channels that cannot be received by an FM radio. It is about introducing people that do not know what DAB is to its technical advantages and its increased number of content. Most retailers of radios are in my opinion fooling their customers by selling FM radios or cars with FM radios. Such behaviour never calls for a lasting relationship.

What do you mean you are not impulsive, adventurous, restless or hyperactive? Well, bloody do something about it. Why? Because it is the only real way to travel. I’ll give you a few tips. Inspirational ones. I hope. Not because I am a nice guy. Just because I hate seeing miserable people when on the road. Coincidence has it that has only happened nearby resorts (aka. all-inclusive hell holes), beaches that resemble canned sardines (because of sunbathers, not because of fish), packed pools that smell of pooh or so called holiday villages where no one but people from your own and a neighbouring country seem to reside for a week or two (plus some Brits of course, they are in every holiday village known to mankind). Too much planning has killed millions of holidays. Why? Because you can’t really plan everything when going somewhere you don’t know. Too much planning will be counter productive and make you or your travel companions annoyed. Annoyed about everything that does not go according to plan. “Because whenever you make a plan it will get a name. It will forever be known as plan B. Such is the curse of travelling plans.” I once said. And it is true. It doesn’t really take much to become an impulsive traveller, to travel on impulse. Just a little creativity. And a few tips that may help boost it. 1. Travel with hand luggage only. It is the only way to be free, flexible and have more fun when on the road. How else can you jump onto that tiny bus to N’Djamena the last minute, be allowed onto a canoe on The Senegal, ride a horse from A to B cia C, D and F in Pategonia or hike through a jungle, forest or park in Guyana, Madagascar or London? That suitcase just won’t allow you to do it. Not even if it comes with wheels. More here. 2. Go to the airport without a ticket. Buy one when there. It won’t necessarily cost the world either. After all, no one does that. So, you may very well be given a fair deal. My good friend Arve Grønnevik perfected this tactics together with a friend. He once travelled to the airport, sporting nothing but hand luggage, of course. “May I have a ticket to abroad?” He politely asked at the ticket counter. The lady behind the desk spent a minute or so to comprehend. I mean, how hard can it be? Dozens or hundreds of flights go there every day, from most airports of any size. They ended up in Berlin. You know, that city abroad. 3. Subscribe to airline newsletters. Go to the first destination that sounds like a real deal. It is of course too easy to claim that there are no real deals. Of course, if you haven’t picked a city, you will have to go to the 11th one. It is the law! Cheap ticket tips here. 4. Pick a letter. Go to the first destination you can think of that starts with that letter. Again, you will have to book tickets instantly. If on a budget, limit your choices to a continent, a country or even a region or city. 5. Visit a website or watch the news. Go to one of the countries mentioned within ten minutes. Then again, you may want to skip the top stories. Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia are often included in those. Of course there is almost always a safe spot in any country. 6. Hang a map on a wall. Throw a dart. Go to the country/city neareast your target. This also makes a great present. Give a map and three darts to your better half. Promise to take him/her to wherever the dart hits. If on a budget, mark certain cities and go to the one nearest to where the dart penetrates the map. 7. When driving, pick a number, i.e. 14. Take off on the 14th exit. Got to the next town. Stay the night. So easy, yet so difficult. Do you dare? Impulsiveness on a shoestring. 8. Go somewhere without a guidebook. You know, people who live there will have a much better idea about what is hot and what is not. That travel writer was there a year or two ago, spending a day or three. He or she missed many spots, and certainly does not know what has changed to better or worse. Be your own travel writer and ask around. You can do that to people on the street, via Facebook, Twitter, Couchsurfing or any other website that has the ability of connecting people. 9. Start a travel club. Not a normal one, of course. You should not be more than 4-5 people. Decide on dates, it can be a week or a weekend. Play rock, paper, scissors. The winner will be the first organizer. Everyone deposits an agreed amount into a joint account, to the organizers Pay Pal, etc. He or she will decide on where to go, how to travel, where to stay and what to do there. You will know nothing about the destination or what will happen. The day before the big day you will be told about the point of departure, when you have to be there and what you need to pack (i.e. warm clothes, swim gear, etc.). Show up and enjoy the surprise. No guidebooks, no maps, no nothing. Just an open mind and trust in your friend. 10. Order a minibus taxi with some friends. Pay for 2 hours. See what happens. This is primarlily for local travels. Have the driver take orders as normal and pick up random passengers. Tell them the ride is for free, and start a conversation. If you get along, you might be invited to get off at their destination. If not, repeat the excercise. This may work best on party nights, and possibly with a few drinks. 11. Travel in an offbeat manner. Would you expect to drive? Then bike. Would you expect to fly? Then board a cargo vessel. Would you expect to go by boat? Then swim. You get the drill. There are many other ways of travelling on impulse, of course. The clue is about doing random stuff, about letting the wind blow you somewhere. About feeling a new place. About giving it the possibility to surprise you, enlighten you, pleasure you. About seeing what happens and where it takes you. You only live once, don’t let planning deteriorate the relatively few experiences you will be blessed with. Impulsiveness is a skill, but it can be learnt. The tips above may help you enjoy and appreciate the adventures of impulsiveness. I will be happy to hear your stories.

Forget in-flight movies, magazines, on-board internet, meals or drinks to help pass time in the air. There simply isn’t time for any of the options above on the world’s shortest scheduled flight. Two minutes in the air is as close as anyone will get to real island “hopping.” Do you still want to fly it? Just don’t bring too many friends. The Loganair plane operating between the islands of Westray (WRY) and Papa Westray (PPW) in Scotland only takes 8 passengers. The distance between the two airports is 2525 meters, 35 meters shorter than the main runway of Edinburg airport. How to travel? You will first have to travel to Kirkwall (KOI), the capital city of Orkney Islands, serviced only by Loganair (a subsiderary of FlyBe) from a dozen of other Scottish towns and cities. “The regular all year route is actually run by Loganair on behalf of Orkney Islands Council for the people who live on the islands, but spare seats are sold on the day of departure”, Jackie Delaney told me. She is Station Manager of Kirkwall Airport. There are however special sightseeing roundtrips targeting tourists every Tuesday and Thursday in June, July and August. From Kirkwall, the tiny aircraft will take you to Papa Westray for a short stop. Then comes the record breaking flight to Westray before the aircraft returns to Kirkwall. The full roundtrip takes 45 minutes. “Every flight so far this year has been full,” Delaney said. Experiencing this world record won’t cost you a fortune either, given that you have already made your way to Kirkwall. The roundtrip costs 39 pounds (61 USD). That includes a commemorative certificate and a miniature bottle of whisky from Highland Park, the world’s northernmost distillery. Getting off the aircraft to spend time in both Westray and Papa Westray comes highly recommended. The islands can offer ruins, lighthouses and the spectacular and wild scenery only found in these parts of the world. And Kirkwall should not be passed by too quickly either. It is a lovely little town of 8,500 people, with a surprisingly good restaurant scene. The Orkney Islands are also known for sheep, fish, wind, sea birds and whisky. Flights must be booked via email or phone. Schedule and contact details here. Youtube video of the flight. I originally wrote this article in August 2012 for TerminalU.com, a magazine that specialized in aviation news.