Bergen and beyond

Day 4 Sat 14th July 18

Ferry and Bergen

Slept well in my luxurious cabin until 05.30 when I was awoken by an announcement for those passengers getting off at Stavanger! 🙁  got up shortly after and had a good breakfast. Outside on deck watched the boat as it sailed close to the shore threading its way through islands and Fjords on the approach to Bergen. Met up with the Swedish bikers and chatted some more as we arrived on time at 12.30. The sea had been calm all the way 👍

Unable to check into the hotel until 4pm so had planned a 70 mile loop around to kill some time and get a feel of riding in Norway. Speed limits are very low, 50kph in town, 60 where there are houses and a massive 80 kph ( 50 mph) on the open road! Soon found out that everyone sticks to the lower limits but will do as much as 90 kph out of town.. Any speed cameras I’ve seen are forward facing, so not a problem for motorbikes and out in the wilds there is so little traffic and no police presence so could push it up to a racy 100kph (62 mph). Actually not much point in going faster as the roads are twisty and there is so much great scenery to see, biggest challenge is not to keep stopping to take pics 🙂

All this is very good for fuel consumption; on the motorway I avg’d 48 mpg, on this loop it went up to 68mpg and my range computer told me I had nearly as much left after 70 miles as when I started 🤣

My hotel was a stones throw from all the town centre action so after a shower went exploring. Bergen is a picturesque place but very touristy with coach loads of visitors and big cruise ships. Saturday night the place was busy. Walked past the picturesque Bryggen area by the harbour with its painted buildings and then down to the famous Fish Market and the fish tents where you can eat freshly cooked seafood, more reasonably priced than the posher restaurants; had a very nice skewer of scampi.

Went to a bar afterwards and had a glass of Chablis at £10 .. Norway is very expensive, I even saw a Tesla salon used as a taxi! Walked around some more seeing the sights and then headed back to the hotel to bed past all the night clubs busy with young people have fun.. does makes you feel old.

Day 5 Sun 15th July 18

Bergen to Hjelle 210 miles

Had a big breakfast and on the road by 09.30. Was cloudy and 15 degs; several people told me I was lucky with the weather, normally rains 360 days per year in Bergen apparently! There was very little traffic on the road, probably because it was Sunday. Out of town the road was all sweeping bends with smooth tarmac through lovely scenery, interspersed with tunnels through mountains; I ignored speed limits but kept at touring speeds. After about an hour or so I was descending on a lovely flowing stretch of road when a tight bend approached and my sat nav said “board ferry”, I rode into the ferry dock as the road now switched to ferry to get across a large fjord! I had read that on a motorbike you should just drive to the front of the queue as the crew like to put bikes in spaces that are too small for cars, so I did. Seemed to work and none of the car drivers seemed upset 🙂 Once on board got chatting to a Danish couple who had been at Wimbledon last week! The crossing cost about £7 and took around 30 mins. So I survived my first road ferry crossing 👍

Quiet a leisurely day today with time to stop and take in the sights, which I did often. Just stunning scenery and great roads; this is what I came for 👍 🇳🇴. I took one of the recommended national tourist routes which did attract more traffic and the dreaded myriad of camper vans, thankfully easily disposed of on the bike 🙂 Quiet a few bikers around, mainly Norwegian and German. Not a British bike to be seen anywhere; not surprising really considering the distance! By now the temperatures was rising to high 20s 

I arrived at the hotel around 5pm; family run in a small place called Hjelle (pronounced “Hell ay “ and right on the shores of a large fjord , surrounded by mountains with snow on the top. My room opened out directly onto a fantastic view, the place is so quiet and peaceful; totally opposite to Bergen!

Dinner in the hotel and then a walk along the banks of the fjord and then a coffee on the bench outside my room looking at the snow capped mountains..one of those moments!

Living the dream 😎