Some facts and figures.

Firstly a very big THANK YOU to all who donated to any of the three Just Giving pages or handed over hard cash or cheques, I very much appreciate your generosity.  The Just Giving pages will soon close and their totals will be added to the cash/cheques donated; the final sum will be given in the next blog post.

The North Sea Cycle Route, is a 6000km  journey down the east coast of Scotland and England, crossing the North Sea from Harwich to the Hook of Holland, then north following the west coast of Holland, Germany and Denmark, south along the east coast of Denmark; ferry to Sweden, north into Norway and follow the coast to Bergen; ferry to Shetland then south to your start point.

Since the route was devised a number of changes have been made, some ferry sailings have been taken off and diversions added including a section going south into Belgium.

My route would take me from Burghead to Newcastle upon Tyne, ferry to Ijmuiden, through Holland, Germany and Denmark, across to Norway and flight from Stavanger to Dyce; a lift to Elgin and cycle to Burghead.  Approximate distance: 4000km.  Pedalled 3000km.
                                         

The Bike: A Dahon Matrix folding Mountain Bike fitted with rear pannier frame, Shimano 24 speed with twist grip changers, Shimano pedals clip one side flats on t'other.

Tyres: Schwalby Hurricane, they gave a good low friction road ride on center of tyre and knobbly sides provided traction on off road stuff; also being a fat tyre you got a softer ride.

Saddle:  Selle Royale Italia Jel. 

Bike problems:  Fell off, Note, must remember to unclip feet from pedals!?! 
2 x punctures, 3 if you count the one in Norway when the repair patch lifted but it was the same hole as the first puncture!
1 x broken spoke in rear wheel, repaired at Bike & Sport, Wilhelmshaven.  I've had no problem with the wheel since.

Clothing:  1 set lightweight waterproofs, 1 x windproof top with zip off sleeves, 1 pr Diadora cycle shoes with Shimano cleats, 1 pr cycle overshoes, 1 pr Crocks (bulky but v light), 2 pr cycle gloves (1 pr fingerless), 1 Buff (multipurpose), 4 prs socks (binned some on route and bought others), 2 pr under pants, 3prs padded cycle under shorts, 1 pr outer cycle shorts, 1 ir leg warmers (binned in Norway), 1 pr 3/4 cycle trousers (bought in Norway), 1 pr lightweight Mountain Workshop casual trousers, 1 x T shirt, 2 x cycle shirts, 2 thin fleece tops, 1 x thin fleece gillet.
! x folding tooth brush, sml tube tooth paste, sml bottle shower gel, 1 x micro fibre travel towel.

Equipment: Under saddle bag containing: 1 x spare inner tube, puncture repair kit, strip of Tyre Boot, 1 x brake cable, 1 x gear shift cable, 2 x chain quick links, 2 pr brake pads, slim adjustable spanner, Crank Brothers cycle multi tool, GP multi tool, 2 pr surgical gloves, sml can WD40, piece of rag. 
Tent (Eurohike Backpacker), Vango full length therma rest, Ultra light Quechua sleeping bag, Trangia Mini stove, Thermos mug, Sea to Summit spoon, lighter (for stove), 1/2 ltr spare fuel,
Maps (some free some bought, posted home when no longer required).
1 x Archos cobalt 80 tablet and case.

I never weighed the loaded bike but would guestimate the two panniers, tent etc weighed around 25kg.

The bike is now due a good service, so tomorrow could well be a bike clean and de-grease before booking it in for a proper sort out, though I might just tell them to leave the rear wheel well alone.

Scotland (and home)!

It doesn't feel as though I've been away for three months!  I need to dig out the maps used early on and relate photos to locations, that should stir up a few memories, the 'face fungus' is a bit of a reminder as well though it will soon be gone!!

Tuesday 2nd July.  St Svithun Vanderheim, Stavanger - Burghead Moray via Dyce and Elgin. 
An early breakfast had been asked for so that I could catch the 0700 bus to Sola Airport.  However, breakfast turned out to be unlimited coffee, a large waffle, a banana, an apple and a carton of apple juice.  Apart from the coffee I stuffed the rest of my 'breakfast' into my backpack to be consumed at leisure through the day. 
It was 0645 and I still had to get my boxed bike out of the baggage store and down to the bus stop about 200mtrs away; seeing me manhandle a large and obviously heavy box out of the store one of the desk staff covering reception kindly offered to help carry it to the bus stop (she were a grand lass!!).  At the bus stop with five minutes or so to spare I stood watching the tunnel mouth from where the bus should appear; the receptionist who helped me carry the bike box down had told me that the timetable was wrong and that 0700 was when the bus left city centre, due at SUS 0712, no problem as the journey to Sola was only 17 minutes.  The bus was a couple of minutes late, not surprising considering the amount of traffic on the road at that time.  Hand signals to the driver got me a nod and thumbs up to stow the bike in one of the side storage lockers, that done I stepped up into the bus to pay the driver; the fare from SUS - Sola was 100 krone (£14 Norway is expensive!!) and that price was discounted by 25% to service personnel and geriatrics!
Due to the North Sea oil and all the ancillary businesses that are springing up in its wake Sola Airport is rapidly expanding and it looks as though the planners are actually planning, the bus having a wide lane and good parking area at the terminal.
Box off loaded and onto a baggage trolley, through the revolving door unscathed and aim for the check in.  E-ticket all in order an attendant leads me to the Special Baggage Security Zone; the best part of a roll of Gaffer Tape securing the box has to be cut to insert a 'sniffer probe' presumably checking for drugs and/or explosives!  All clear!  Box onto conveyor and away through a curtained hole in the wall.
A smooth flight with almost completely clear sky, flying over a rig it was possible to make out the gas flare and helipad quite clearly.  Cloud increasing as we approached Dyce and a wee jolt as the plane wheels touched down; nearly home!
Monday 1st July a number of texts were crossing the North Sea; I'd kindly been offered a lift from Dyce back to home!  Hmm??  Check weather forecast....wet!!...windy!!...I've had a gut full of that thanks!!  Txt..Hi Jim, Err yes please a lift would be great thanks, It's very kind of you to offer!!

Smooth landing, small bag was third piece on the carousel and a wait of only three or four minutes saw my bike box appear,  no one covering the 'Nothing to declare' channel and I'm into the arrivals hall.  What a star, Jim is already there.  It doesn't take long to escape the folk shambling around arrivals and once into the car park the bike box is loaded into the car; we're soon out of the airport and on to the A96 west bound.

Bacon roll had cropped up in conversation a number of times so roughly twenty minutes into the journey we pulled into a café/farm shop.  Bacon was side lined in preference of link sausage roll, three very tasty locally made bangers in a brown (healthy option) softy roll along with a large black coffee!  (no cake).
Fed and watered we were back on the road and made good time to Elgin, arriving, would you believe it, at lunchtime!!  Moments later Diane (my wife) drew up by the gateway, she was going to take my panniers and camping equipment etc. back to Burghead while Jim and I finished my journey by cycling the last eight miles back.
Gillian (Jim's wife) had prepared soup and sandwiches for us all, so after a filling lunch and yet more coffee Jim and I stripped the gaffer and parcel tape off of my bike box.  It was a bit like a conjurer's top hat, bits of bike, camping equipment, bags of clothes appearing and piling up and for an encore a pair of cycling shoes, a helmet and a bike frame!
Assorted bike parts were reassembled and checked, bike shoes on, helmet fastened.  Jim was all set, he was going to keep me company for the few miles back to Burghead. 
Overcast and looking grim but managing to stay dry we pedalled off along the road and up the hill past Spiny Hospital.  It wasn't long before we were riding through Roseisle and on to the last downhill stretch into the village, another 300mtrs and I was back home.  No balloons in evidence (good) but Diane had put up a nice 'Welcome Back' frieze!!

Wednesday 3rd July.  A 'sort out ' day, emptying bags, kit for washing, tent repacked, stove and pan cleaned.  Time for a wee bike ride!!!  Just a couple of miles to the next village and a quality control visit to The Primrose Café!!

Looks good enough to eat!

A taste test was equally positive!



Back home and I've stowed my bike away when an incoming text rings on my phone; it's from Francie (of team Kiwi), she and Matt have arrived in Elgin and are staying at a B&B, it would be great to meet up for a drink, they would be eating at The Muckle Cross around 8pm.

Matt and Francie!
The intrepid 'Team Kiwi'

Down through Scotland and on into deepest Englandshire and they've done it!!

Norway Seks.

     Thursday 20th June.  Brusand Camping.  A sunny start to the day.  Breakfast, I'd bought some milk at the Co-op so muesli was back on the menu, I'd also discovered 'squeeze' bottles of jam, light and easy to transport on a bike!  Coffee, bread and jam rounded off my meal.
A walk through the dunes, along the beach and back through the site was most enjoyable, sunshine, a fresh sea breeze, spot on!

I found the 'permanent' caravans on the site quite interesting, in that the owners had erected a solid structure as a conservatory/extension to the basic van.  I must do a bit of googling to find out more; there were also cabins of varying sizes for hire as well, the cheapest around 500nk

Brusand site was a nice spot, clean, tidy and looked to be well maintained but the feeling among the tourers and lightweight campers was that the owners were interested in what you were spending and that was all.  For example, in the 'kitchen' dining room, usually frequented by the likes of me and some motor cycle tourers using smaller tents, there were two cooker rings built into the worktop above a refrigerator.  Great you might think, however nothing was wired up!  In the washing up room there were two large sinks and a good supply of hot water, good; there was also a good quality cooker, four rings, oven and grill but to use it you had to feed it money (There was a notice saying you had to get a token to feed the cooker and electricity was not a gift!!)  It's the only site where I ever came across that kind of thing.  To use the showers cost 10nk for three minutes of hot water, though that wasn't uncommon.  When I have to pay over 100nk for the use of a patch of grass to put my tent on I expect something more than just lavatory and washroom (may be that's just me!).  My usual way of overcoming having to pay for a shower was to get into a wash cubicle early, strip off and run all the hot water I need for a full sponge down.  At Brusand the first evening I used my own stove; the following morning (early) I was poking around and in the laundry room discovered that a key was used to override the coin box so I borrowed the key to run the cooker while I boiled my coffee water.  I was planning to see if the key was there that evening but was invited to eat with Lydia, the ciggy rolling truck driver from Germany who had been sheltering under the eves the previous evening.  We were camping in the same area close to the facilities, while car/motorbike borne campers were way down the site, near the beach but miles from the toilet block etc.
In the afternoon the weather started to deteriorate again, the site did have open Wi-Fi so I sat in the dining area and logged on; it was looking like showery weather for the foreseeable future!
Oh well, can't do anything about it, I'll check last thing as the forecast is updated regularly.
Lydia was travelling by train, coach and thumb and during the next couple of days would be heading back towards Oslo.

The 'kitchen'/dining room.



Lydia.



Around 1800 Lydia went off to put rice on (the meal was to be rice and tomat salat, the rice flavoured with soy and curry paste!).  I was able to supplement the meal with sliced red pepper, baby carrots and cherry tomatoes.  Lydia was a star, along with the rice and excellent tomat salat she had two cold cans of Tuborg!!



Friday 21st June.  Brusand Camping - Vanderheim Hotel Svere, Sandnes.  Another wet night.  0700, cloudy and rubbish forecast; sit it out or go?  Another coffee.  Around 1015 thought that's it, I'm off.
A rapid pack and load up, by 1100 I'm on the road again, a late start but there are a number of B&B's listed around Obrestad, I'll find something!!
High humidity and warm but ok for riding.  The route took me inland a bit through arable farming land and into Vigrestad before cutting back towards the coast.

Wee church near Ha.

Some parts of the route seemed a bit contrived but I guess the object was  to avoid as much of busy route 44 as possible.  At least the short sections of the 44 where the routes came together did have a separate cycle track.

Art at/on Obrestad Fyr.

 

Ah, there's the bed sign, another few metres and I pull into the yard; bike parked in the open garage doorway, I ring the house bell but don't think anyone is home.  No movement from the house, am contemplating just shooting off when a wee furry friend came out to play!

Another ten minutes or so and the lady of the house returned.  Full!  She kindly did some ringing around but two others were also full and a third was asking a lot more than I was prepared to pay.
Press on!!  Time for a plan!  Follow route 1 via Orre to Friestad, right hand junction to Klepp, bound to be a B&B or cheap hotel!
Rain now like stair rods!  No point sheltering all of me is wet!  I ask a few folk in the town centre about accommodation, without exception all say the nearest (affordable) is in Sandnes.  Only another 10k or so the lady said.  Unfortunately the 44 (route she recommended) was now an express way, no bikes!!  Eventually I found a road sign with a destination I recognised, Bore and Voll.  Escaping Klepp put me on, I hoped, the last lap for the day.  Now 2100 I was in no mood for messing, I had the address of Hotel Svere, the Sandnes Vanderheim, went into the first open store I came to and asked.  A customer just leaving the store looked at the soggy piece of paper, took out a phone the size of a small television and keyed in the address, "You don't have a smart phone"?  "Smart, mine's as thick as two short planks"!
Quickly marking in the route on the almost pulp map (Jo that 'space age' pen you got me years ago, writes upside-down underwater, ideal for this job!), the hotel was only about four streets away!
Found it, booked in, stowed bike in back office, moved in and got free coffee off reception!  Turn the heating up and spread kit to dry, finish coffee, shower, bed.  75.2k.

Saturday 22nd June.   Vanderheim Hotel Svere, Sandnes - Mosvangen Camping, Stavanger.
Last lap!!
All clothing etc dried, a first class breakfast to set me up for the day, some good coffee.  It should be around 20k to Stavanger, by the main road would be shorter and quicker but the express way system forbids cycles on the carriageway.
The NSCR has a subsidiary route running into Stavanger as the original route bypassed the town heading instead for the ferries linking the route to Bergen.

Artistic architecture in Sandnes.

I was able to pick up the way by cutting down a side street, turning left, following the road until signs directed me else where.  There were certainly some twists and turns through housing estates and at one point I was back alongside the rail line into stavanger.  I really needed a better map with a wider view of the city and its environs.
Stavanger is locally known as Norway's Aberdeen; while riding from Sandnes the route passes many oil related work places from rig maintenance to high tec R&D companies.

Rig repairs on way to Stavanger.

Three and a half hours and 19.9k later I'm at Mosvangen Camping
quickly putting my tent up before the threatening sky opens up!
Well, I've done what I set out to do,  ride from my door to Stavanger.
So far I've pedalled 2912.3km  (1820miles).
Some time in hand, relaxation and sight seeing time!!

See, I told you some of the roads in Norway were steep!!

 

Oil money shows in Stavanger's outskirts.

Sunday 23rd June.  Mosvangen Camping, Stavanger.  Warm and sunny, what a change!  The city centre is fairly quiet even around the Cathedral.

Stavanger Centrum. Cathedral on right.

Some folks out and about enjoying a Sunday stroll while others are a part of the cafe scene.
A few photos and a walk through the old town, mostly high end shops, a great tourist trap but well worth a visit.

One of Antony Gormley's men; there are a bunch of them scattered around the city.



Part of Stavanger's old town.

A street in the old town .

Bronze, Boy on a pony, a gift to the city.

Back to the tent for a bite, a brew and enjoy the sun.

Mosvangen Camping.

Monday 24th June.  Mosvangen Camping, Stavanger.  Cloudy bright, thought I'd make a quick visit to the centre and see what a Monday brings.  I wanted to call at the tourist info office for a particular brochure but the place was heaving, Two liners worth of folks all seeming to want information at the same time!!

Cruise ships come to town!!  Oceania on the left.

That's it, off back for a ride round the lake and perhaps an ice cream!

More dirty weather brewing, time to  think about flitting to the Vanderheim, get stuff washed and dried; need to contact a bike shop to blag a box to stash my bike in for the flight back.


Things to do and blog to catch up on!


SUS (Stavanger University Sykehus), St Svithun Hotel, Vanderheim and Air Ambulance Base.
 



Magne, Manager at Bike Brothers.

I managed to locate a bike shop reasonably close to the hotel and scrounged a bike box, packing and fork spacers so that I could disassemble and box my bike for the flight back to Dyce (Aberdeen).

 

Busy days!

Tomorrow is bike packing day, along with as much camping kit and clothing as I can stow and still carry!
Time to fire this off to Louise for the last few photos then fly back on Tuesday!  I feel a party
coming on!!

Job done,  bus to airport 0712.  Flight 0900 local time, due Dyce 0905 UK time; a five minute flight! there's time travel for you!!

Last remnants of my wee bike ride to be done when home!!  Bye for now.

Norway Fem.

Monday 17th June.  Bakkaano Camping, Sokndal - Steinsnes Camping, Nr Egersund.
0500 and the promising's of a cracking day ahead.
0800, tent dried and stowed, time to go.  Sunny but still cool in the shade I rode along the leafy glen beside a very good fishing river (so I was told), back to the junction where I re-join
NSCR.
About 3k of pleasant riding brought me to a road junction in Hauge where there was another KIWI supermarket, fresh bread rolls, two bananas, a packet each of cheese and salami. Yes, alright, and a small sticky bun did accompany me for part of the way.
I was aiming for Rekefjord and the old route 44, supposedly a very scenic road.  As I crossed the bridge at the head of the fjord I passed a large yellow roadwork sign, alarm bells were ringing deep in the dopamine deprived mush of my brain!  A few hundred metres further along the rocky sided Rekefjord was another big yellow sign, no mistaking this one!  Road Closed, No Traffic 0600 - 1800 Mandag - Fredag.  Backing the sign up was a 2mtr high security fence closing off the whole road.  No transgression on this one!
About turn, back through Hauge and onto the new route 44.  No cycle track or cycle lane even!  Not being a keen 'roadie' made the 43k ride somewhat unnerving, big trucks roaring by a few feet from your shoulder, cars squeezing past.  I pulled in at a couple of the bigger picnic stops for a break from the traffic and eventually rolled into Egersund around 1500.


View from the road as I was going into Egersund.

In the town I pulled off the main road and walked through a couple of the older streets before spotting the tourist information sign.

In the information office was a Harald, a jovial character who appeared to know just about everyone in Egersund!  He was three years younger than me and had been doing his army service in North Norway at the same time that I had been in that area with the Mountain and Arctic Warfare Training Cadre of HM Royal Marines.

Harald playing at working!

Harald recommended a camp site 2k out of town  by an excellent salmon river, Steinsnes Camping.  A clean and well run site with an excellent members kitchen where it was possible to sit and brew coffee while making use of their Wi-Fi facilities.

A DIY salad with chilli lox (salmon), not forgetting coffee.

Tuesday 18th June.  Steinsnes Camping.  On a mission today. Apart from packing three months supply of Parkinson's medication, I was carrying a sealed pre loaded syringe holding a three monthly slow release implant.  I was happy enough to self administer but the needle is the diameter of a drainpipe and I preferred to have it administered in controlled
surroundings by someone doing it on a regular basis.
I was cycling into town to see if Harald could point me at a Doctor / Nurse who could do the job but as I approached the route 42-44 junction I saw the  Sykehus sign.  A hospital, I'll give that a try, the worst they can do is say no!
Reception were good, the girl looked down a list and pointed me at a corridor with seating along one side, "At 0900 ring the bell on door three".  0900, bell duly rung; a nurse in white scrubs called me in, when I explained what the score was and showed her the injection kit she said that she wasn't authorised to give those injections, she asked me to wait again while she went to see her superior; two minutes and another lady in white scrubs arrived she asked if I had proof that the stuff was actually mine, no problem, as I ferreted through my stuff to locate a photocopy of my prescription and passport to confirm identity; once she'd taken a copy of the scrip for their records she explained that she was a specialist cancer nurse and the senior oncologist had ok'd the procedure and that they used the same stuff with their patients.  Ten minutes later I was back on my bike pedalling into town.
Another chat with Harald, I asked him to recommend a cycle repair shop, as over two weeks ago I'd broken the thin plastic chain wheel protector and wanted a replacement.
Bike sorted I was free to have a look at the harbour and old town; touristy things done it was time for a proper food re stock.  A huge co-op store took up a large portion of  a shopping precinct and had a great choice of goodies but remembering that I was going to have to carry anything not eaten, apart from a packet of biscuits I kept the shopping to a minimum.


Wednesday 19th June.  Steinsnes Camping, Egersund - Brusand Camping.  Another short-ish but hard graft day! and I do believe it will be my last one of such ferocity!!
I'd just about got all kit packed when it started raining, just a brief shower though and soon over.
On the road before 0800 all was quiet; 2k of cycle track to the main road, over the pedestrian crossing to another cycle track and follow the signs.  The route led onto a disused railway which had been graded and resurfaced to make a cycle way running parallel with the new line.  More short steep gravel surfaced hills but with fantastic views and lupin lined cuttings.

The following are views from the old rail line:

The old rail track came to an end at Hellvik to be followed by 2.5k of minor road.  A sharp left hand turn brought me back on  to steep gravel, a bit of intuitive navigation selected straight on rather than what looked to be the more frequented bend to the left.  The trail had some impressive undulations which were a struggle even to push the bike up.  There were information boards at various points along the route, unfortunately only in Norwegian, however, the scenery was amazing, high rock outcrops, numerous lochans, wet land; the place was like Rannoch Moor on steroids!  7.5k of steep ups and high speed downs.  A gate seems to bar the way as the trail comes off the higher ground but is only secured with some twisted wire, the track leads through a flower nursery and it seems as though the owners would like the trail closed off.  A further 4.5k of flat trail by the sea brings you to a big Co-op store and a  little further Brusand Camping.

The rain had started up again and was looking a bit more serious in its efforts; I'd managed to tuck my bike under the eves of the toilet/shower block and decided to leave it there while I cooked tea, fingers crossed for improvement!
Sat at one of the picnic benches, its end in shelter under the building eves, was a young lady busy rolling a cigarette, she also voiced unfavourable comment about the weather and had got soaked getting to the site and putting her tent up, she was going to have a ciggy then a shower to warm up.
Evening meal was soupy noodles with cheese, cherry tomatoes and sliced red bell pepper.
Conditions had improved somewhat so tent up, gear in and get sorted, a final brew and bed.

Norway Fire

Thursday 13th June.  Utsikten Hotel/Hostel, Kvinesdal.  What a place!  A basic room was en suite (with trimmings).  Coffee, tea, TV and open Wi-Fi.
I was Joined at breakfast by the US and NZ crews, they were stoking up for an energy burning day, while I was just stuffing my face!  Mind you I'd be attacking those same hills tomorrow!
Much of the dreich day was spent python like, slowly digesting breakfast, or practising my yoga; laying supine and completely  relaxed, the breathing exercise involved making a noise akin to snoring but subtly different!

NB:  Breakfast was a buffet style 'grazing' experience;  consisting of and eaten in any order; cereals, muesli (a variety), cornflakes etc, an assortment of dried fruits, nuts, seeds, milk, an assortment of yogurts.  Assorted mild pickles, dill, beetroot, pickled herring, salmon  and peppered makerel.  Sliced tomatoes and cucumber, a variety of sliced cheeses and meats, salami, ham in various guises and fresh fruit.  On't other side, boiled eggs, a hot plate with scrambled eggs, bacon (Streaky) and baked beans.  Chef standing by to fry eggs to your liking, a waffle maker (and mix), an assortment of breads and crackers, butter, spreads, jams and marmalade.  Lastly, coffee, teas (a variety), apple and orange juice.  You've just got to pace yourself, I mean, breakfast was on from 0700 - 1100.


Part of the cereal range, top row bowls hold dried fruits

                                                     Assorted cheeses, ham, salami

                                             Eggs, hard boiled, soft boiled and scrambled,

The breakfast foods pictured above were taken at St Svithun Vanderheim, Stavanger (I was too busy scoffing at Utsikten)!!

                         David and Liam about to embark on a damp 4k downhill to Kvinesdal.

Kiwis Matt and Francie loaded up and ready to roll, Francie, unaware she had a duff brake had a white knuckle ride down the hill, survived and was able to get her bike fixed in the town!

                                          Leaving Utsikten for a soggy ride doon the glen!



Friday 14th June.  Utsikten, Kvinesdal - Flekkefjord.  Cloudy/bright, packed and well fed I was all set, first a photo, it was a clear view doon the glen!  I'm so pleased I didn't have to pedal up!!



        So that's what it looks like down there!
Saddle up!  First 4k is down hill!!  An exhilarating run down and through Kvinesdal, reasonably flat for about 6k towards Oye and then the road reared up to near vertical!  Down through the gears, talk about a Granny gear, I wonder if it's possible to get a Great Granny gear??  Lungs and legs burning (think of your chain!) it's GOAP!
From Oye, near sea level, within a kilometre you're at 135mtrs.  Steadily gaining height over the next 3k to 175mtrs, a few more steeper downs and ups to 235mtrs.  Under the tyres it became a mix of asphalt, gravel and back to asphalt with a pleasant descent into Flekkefjord.
Time creeping on, I was thinking about accommodation.  Egenes Camping  shown on my map, was, I was reliably informed, now closed, so that left The Grand Hotel, The Maritime Fjordhotell, or Bjorn Ottersen, a sort of apartment/B&B, not much choice really.
Flekkefjord looked a nice enough place, a boardwalk area by the water, cafe customers sat in the warmth of the sun when it peered through the thin broken cloud.
I had turned off route 1 to walk through part of the town, just to get a flavour of the place, I smell coffee!  A loaded touring bike was on its stand outside a small cafe.  Shall I?  No keep
going!  Stop, smell the coffee, you're only here once!  Coffee aroma won the day.  Tucking my bike out of the way I wandered in and stripped off helmet, gloves and jacket, the other cyclist was a young guy talking on his mobile phone, I went to the counter, ordered kaffee and sticky bun (it doesn't translate) pointing out the biggest and stickiest!  Back at my table I sipped scalding coffee and looked at my map, Bjorn Ottersen appeared to be a kilometre or so out from town centre otherwise nothing for the next 30k or so.
I saw the young guy was using a road map to navigate by and asked him where he was going.  He was planning to meet some college friends to ride for the weekend and had about 60k to do!  They were starting a training regime intending to ride to Spain in the summer break.
While we were chatting about our respective journeys a guy had been wiping down tables, he added to the conversation saying how impressed he was that young guys were planning such a trip and that the aged specimen sat by him was allowed out on a bike without supervision!  He then offered his apologies saying it was after his closing time and the girls behind the counter had an appointment, he had put two cushions on a bench in his yard and had, gratis, poured two large glasses of apple presse asking us if we would mind sitting there while he cleaned ready for the next day; he was Lukas Tytyk, Polish and the cafe was his new business.  He gave me his card and asked if I would e-mail him my blog address!
On the road again but not far to go; following the waterside it was roughly a kilometre before I saw the 'bed' sign, turning off the road I had just got off my bike when Bjorn himself arrived, price sorted I moved in.  The apartment was a bed/sitting room with small kitchen and shower room/toilet off the hallway.  Essentials unpacked I brewed up, had some soup, bread cheese and salami.  Open Wi-Fi meant sending more photos and text to Louise for blog processing.

Bjorn's place, I had the ground floor apartment.




Saturday 15th June.  Flekkefjord - Camping Bakkaano, Sokndal.  Back into town, need some cash and food, no facilities shown on my map for the next 42k!
A KIWI store provided two bananas, an apple and packet of dried apricot.  I got directions to a bakeri just off the main street, two seeded rolls went into the bag plus an apple pastry which cried out to come on the journey; unfortunately it only made it across the street where it joined  breakfast No.1.
My lasting memory of the first 20k to Ana-Sira was of vicious hills, just at the sort of incline to overstress the loaded bike and rider!

Just a flavour of the impressive scenery along the way.

About 5k into the journey proper I got that feeling things weren't correct, a poke at the back tyre confirmed it.  Out in the sticks a junction usually means a bus shelter and there it was no more than 50mtrs ahead, the shelter gave me a flat work area and a bench to unload the
bike onto.
Wheel off, tyre off, careful check around tyre remembering previous puncture!  Spare tube in, reassemble, load up and off again.  About 45minutes, not bad as the operation included an early lunch!
Up to 180mtrs, roadside lochans, woods and scattered houses, big stopping points, most with picnic sites, some with toilets and some with signs indicating safe swimming .  At last a long descent into Ana-Sira (No hotel, no B&Bs and no camping),

Over the bridge and crossing from Vest-Agder into Rogaland Commune.  There was a filling station along with a small Spar grocery store.  Two more bananas, a pecan and raisin pastry (I needed the sugar rush) and a coffee.  I was contemplating finding a spot clear of the village and just sticking the tent up in the woods, then to cap it all big splats of water started falling from the sky!  Waterproofs on, I'm just zipping my jacket when a cyclist goes shooting past, head down, legs going like mad!
That was female!  I'm not having that!  Zipped up, saddled up, I was away!

Descending into Ana-Sira, the road out is up through the trees in the distance.

An easy gradient at first past neat wooden houses, the ground steepening on the right of the road  and held in place by a big retaining wall, well over 4mtrs high and made up of serious sized rocks many well over 2 x 1 mtrs.  Some skilled machine operating to put that together!
Another bend, Ah there she is off and pushing as well.  On the bend a slight increase in gradient was beginning to tell.  Thought!  I really am going to have to get rid of some of this stuff I'm not using!  Another click, lowest gear, Wobble!  Anyway walking is good exercise as well!
A couple more minutes of pushing, she looks back and waits for me to catch up.  She is on holiday with her husband but for the next few days she was following the NSCR then a train to Bergan where her husband would be; at the moment he was with his best friend who has a disabled daughter and for a few days they were touring further north visiting the glaciers.


Anke and new bike.  Jossingfjorden .

More scenery, and Jossingfjorden!!

At 6.4k from Ana-Siera a small fairly insignificant NSCR sign just says 275mtrs, it's the highest point on the route.  Unfortunately it's not all downhill from here, though there were some long swooping twists and turns down to Jossingfjorden.  The road out passed through two tunnels,  the first quite short, 50mtrs or so, the second taking cyclists along the old road, a tunnel with windows!!

The old (cyclists) tunnel at L end of white marking L of main tunnel.

Further height gain to 200mtrs, a few minor up and downs then a really good long run down into Sokndal.  Anke was booked into a hotel in Sogndalstrand 3k further on while I had a 2k ride to Bakkaano Camping.  Good byes were said and e-mail addresses swapped as we had both taken photos of each other against the impressive rock scenery.  We agreed that chatting as we pushed up the steeper hills took our minds off the grind involved in getting our bikes over those high points.
The weather had eased over the last 20k from Ana-Sira but now decided to kick off again.  I waved as Anke took off towards her hotel then quickly pedalled off on the almost flat 2k to Bakkaano Camping.

A small farm now diversified.  Building on L divided into holiday flats.

German neighbours about to depart on their matching Honda Trans Alps.

Sunday 16th June.  Bakkaano Camping, Sokndall,  Wet (very!)  A day spent brewing up and e-mailing!!  Generally known in mountaineering circles as 'festering', I must have nodded off because I'm sure I dreamed about throwing all my kit on board and riding to Stavanger!!