Tuesday 10th July 61 miles to Sortland

I feel privileged to be able to cycle up these islands on a day like this. The sun has been shining, the views have been stunning. As I cycle I can hear the seabirds, listen to the waves and smell the salt in the wind.
I started with the short cycle into Svolvaer where there was a proper bakery and cafe so treated myself to a roll and coffee - enjoyed it but the coffee was just the pour yourself kind from the pot- not the fresh cafeteria kind and the cinnamon roll was doughy in the middle.

Then it was north to Fiskebel and a ferry onto Hadseloya and the next island in the chain. Took the recommended scenic cyclists West Coast route - quiet and beautiful. Then another long bridge onto Langoya and up to not Scotland but Sort land.
I met a Belgian cyclist making his way to the North Cape on the ferry (probably faster than me) and saw a lot of cyclists, often in organised groups, coming the opposite way. Now the Belgian and I were cycling in shorts: no Jersey or jacket needed. Everybody else seemed to be geared up for a snowstorm.

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Wednesday 4th July. 53 miles

Continuing on Route 1 Cycle Way North, which is the same as road number 15, the tourist route North. Beautiful, but what a lot of German and Dutch camper vans there are! I check the nationality sticker as they go past: yesterday more Dutch, today more German. A few touring cyclists as well, including another solo female going the 0pposite direction to me. 2 ferries today.When I get off once the vehicle traffic has gone, I have the road to myself. Whilst waiting for the second ferry, I had to cycle some distance away as a controlled dynamite explosion blew up rock to extend the pier area. I visited a couple of places today: First an old 19th century village-actually I think they had moved the buildings to a common site. Secondly a war cemetery for the thousands of Russians killed in Norway between 1941 and 1945. War cemeteries are such poignant places,. ...

Monday 25th.71miles

I returned to Ulsteinvik from my detour campsite. I went into the Remix supermarket, which looked remarkably like a Lidl, although being Norway, the prices are higher. Then it was the main road to the next ferry at Hareid. There was a shared route cycle path which was nice, but I got off it to give space to a group of nursery age children who were walking along holding hands in lines of 3 . Coming off the ferry, my road became busy. Alesund not far away is a surprisingly large place and I hit the dreaded E39 the main arterial road/duel carriageway going North. There are cycle paths and between mio and me we got through.( Though why mio took me off the cycle path, hrough an industrial estate only to return to the same road is questionable). My route then led me along quiet roads up a fiord side, round it and back down the other side. Then I cycled 3 sides of the square which made up a peninsula in order to avoid a large tunn...

Some pics.....

Fish Drying Rack Sunday evening view of the hills from my campsite. Monday morning's treat-coffee and cake!

Cycling North

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