1st July 2023 (sun and cloud, mild, windy in arvo) 68km

I'm in a great sleep, having turned in around 10pm.

But something is making a noise in my dream.
It's a background noise, but I can't put my finger on it.....what is it?
I'm trying to fall back to sleep .....but
There it is again... 

Suddenly.....I'm awake.....wide awake
I lay there wondering what had been going on with the noise in my dream....
Hang on.....there it is again....what the..?
I turn to my left..
Julia's flat out...it's not her.....what the....?
There it is again.
Talking...but trying to keep their voice down
But failing ...badly

I  unzip the inner tent and throw my body into the vestibule area
Glaring outside for the noise
It's still bright daylight outside, yet I know it must be the middle of the night
And there it is.....
Not ten meters from the tent....
There's a teenage girl talking on her cellphone.
I yell out "Hey ssshhhh""
She  looks around and I give her my best Victor Meldrew glare.
She looks surprised, but doesn't really care.
She gets slowly to her feet from sitting on the grass and slopes off.

Un...bloody...believable
What did you think that green thing shaped object like a tent might be, ten metres away...?
In a campground...
At 12.06am....
Oh yeah.....it is a bloody tent.

Now, my yelling for her to be quiet, has suddenly woken every bloody seagull on the beach.
It begins with the one that sounded like Roger Whitaker doing his whistling, then they're all into it and theres a chorus of squawking going on.
The screamer,  the young spoilt child,  the one that sounds like a monkey, the machine gun, all now woken and making as much noise as they possibly can that could wake the dead.

I glance to my left....
Julia is still asleep
Are you kidding me......

Next thing I know, Julia is out of the tent, heading for the loo at 5.15am.
Might as well head to the kitchen and begin our day.
It's a cracker outside, with a chill in the air, but it'll be hot today, so we may as well make the most of it.

Sitting in the kitchen charging our phones, writing, transferring and editing photos, we often wonder where the time goes.
Well, other than riding, shooting, eating and sleeping,  that's our day.
There are so many photographic opportunities, not just in Norway, but most places we go, that you realise how good professionals are to be able to capture those truly outstanding images.

View from the tent this morning. The local viking was in town to do his shopping.

Thought we'd start the morning with a cup of Irena's tea. Drats we've left it in the tent and neither of us can be bothered to go and get it.
"Glass of water?" Pete asks.
"Yes please", but as he grabs our two glass keep cups, one falls to the floor and smashes.  Darn it, we've had those cups for six years and they were awesome.  We take turns using our solitary cup.

Left camp at 8.30am. Still no sign of life from the inhabitants.
Hi de hi...... Hi de ho......

For those that only believe a little. 

A quick stop at the supermarket to look for a replacement keepcup with no joy. But we did buy a tea strainer because up to now, I've been using a bit of mosquito netting and burning my fingers every time I strain the tea.

I made Pete feel slightly better by piercing the strainer with my knife as I endeavored to cut the cable ties holding it to a piece of cupboard.  Luckily it had a top half and bottom half and I think it will work fine with just the bottom.

 

 

This morning we rode 12kms on the opposite side of the fjord that we'd come in on, to catch the ferry at Anda.  The still morning allowed us to capture some stunning reflections and images on this peaceful road.

As we came down the hill to the ferry, it was just pulling in and five minutes later, we were on our way. Julia snagged a cardboard coffee cup so we were set for coffee in the short term.

Wonderful views from the ferry

And off the ferry.

Off the ferry,  up a bloody great hill to our longest tunnel ride so far, of 2.8kms.  We'd been told it was quiet and really only the ferry passengers used it, so it wouldn't be an issue.  We must have hit a busy Saturday.  Twenty two vehicles passed us in that tunnel in 2.8kms.  Fortunately, because of the climb we had from the ferry, the entire tunnel ride was virtually downhill.  It is very disconcerting though when you have any vehicle in the tunnel.  The sound of the engine reverberates off the wall and even if you can see a car coming towards you, it sounds like you have one coming up behind you as well and as the sound gets louder it seems they are both going to pass you simultaneously, never a good thing. 

Safely out the other side and a few kms later, we were in Nordfjordeid, a nice little town, where we stopped in a small park for a morning snack and coffee.  While we ate, we were entertained by Alfred, the automatic lawnmower.  They are extremely popular over here.  He had his name painted on the front and kept coming back to our picnic bench repeatedly.  Then he banged into my rear wheel and was pointed in a direction far away from us.

Had a look in a few shops for a keepcup replacement but found nothing suitable and the only one we thought, mmm maybe, we checked the price tag and it was $50!

Into a supermarket to buy lunch where we also found a keepcup replacement.   We bought a pack of four of those classic cafe glasses for $10, took one and left the rest on a bench outside the supermarket.  Wrapped Pete's rubber protector round it and hey presto!

Headed out of town, initially on a cycle path, then suddenly the path is gone and a climb to 300m takes its place.  It was rather warm by now and we were feeling this one.  When the hill eventually reached its summit, we found the first rest area and cracked into lunch.

The first van that pulled into the rest area, we scoffed at.
" You think you need a rest.  Ha !!!"

After refuelling, we hit the afternoon ride with renewed vigour.  Most of the ride was gorge, lake or fjord.  Because it was now relatively flat, the elements threw in a head wind, which at times was not only strong, but cold.  The scenery however, never turns off and there was still plenty to shoot.

Didn't know they had crocs in Norway. 

By the time we reached Folkestad at 4pm, we only had fifteen minutes to wait for the ferry to Volda on the opposite side of the fjord.  Today we are feeling it and will be glad to get supplies, set up tent and relax.

Volda was bigger than we thought it would be, but not big enough for a campground. 

Ferry took about 10mins and the first thing on our list was shopping.  Once again it's Sunday tomorrow.  God's day.  Doesn't he eat on a Sunday?  Maybe he gets his mum to cook him a roast, but let me tell you, it really is an inconvenience for two weary cyclists having to think about lugging a pile of food up to a new campsite, whilst he's chowing down on roast lamb with a bit of wine to go with it.

Anyway, food collected. Got it in a backpack on my back for the 2km uphill (it had to be ) ride to the campground.  Warning bells as we were slogging our way up.  The camp signs all have a line through them. Every single one.  Turns out, no camp, no other option.  Looks like the camp owners sold their land for a new shopping complex.

Asked a young guy and his girlfriend if they knew of anything in our intended direction.  Turns out there's a camp at Orsta...............10kms away.  It's also on a busy main road, the E39.
Back downhill to the ferry to pick up the required road, which leads us up another hill.  On it for a few kms and we get a cycle path, which was a bonus.  Had that for the majority of the ride and 10kms later.......Bingo

Orsta....a welcome sight!

Straight in the gates and after a beer and nuts, up goes the tent.  Until.......the broken pole, breaks some more.  Any tent suppliers are closed already and obviously, cause he wasn't a big camper in his day, God has deemed tent stores are also shut on Sunday.  Thanks for that.  10am Monday they open.

Ju and I spring into action.  Undo the first repair to find another snap further along the pole.  However, we are in luck.  At least this snap is a clean break.  We try it and it still fits, but is about 2.5cm short.  We put the tent up anyway and it works. It just won't be so neatly fitted, however, if Vango can get to the end of this tour, she'll have done seriously well.

Repaired again.

Finally, home assembled and furnished.  Showers were that extra bit special tonight and I enjoyed standing under it .  Dinner done and dusted, but not before 9pm .
Tonight could be a different one for noises from what I've gathered so far. The camp sits on the main road in and out of town and we've had a few 50cc motorbikes zapping back and forth.