Safe Return Doubtful

We spent the later part of the morning on Ogna beach, the next one along from Sirevåg to the west. It is a rocky headland with small sheltered areas of sandy beach, good for swimming in the little channels formed, as Roja will testify.

The strong southeasterly wind had eased during the morning, the fine weather set for the week.

It’s been a lot of driving in this first week of the course, and I’m keen to stay put somewhere for a few days. I had hoped Sirevåg would be the place, but it doesn’t offer the hiking options I was hoping for. I decided therefore to drive three hours further north, past Stavanger. I’m on the coast roads, and these are quite slow, with a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour, and often less than that, through villages and built up areas. The road though is quite spectacular, through a set of tunnels, three of which go 270 metres down below sea level, under the sea channels, and also bridges. There was one thirty minute ferry from Mortavika to Arsvågen. This ferry, hopefully unlike most of the others I will take, there was a charge for, 165 kroner, about £12. Stavanger has a spectacular setting; my route was to head north on its islands, rather than back inland.

I had one stop off to make, at XXL outdoor sports shop in one of Stavanger’s malls. I can’t think the last time I was in a mall, maybe it was way back when I was working in Chile. Very reluctantly, we were dumped with the rugby kids on tour in Buenos Aires at malls for a couple of hours; I fought hard against it, and to do something else, but never won. This however, was a quick, and successful stop.

I wanted the latest mosquito deterrent device. The Norwegians are good at these, perhaps understandably. I had toyed with buying one in the UK, but such items, as with the repellents, are much better acquired where they are needed the most. The woman in the store was extremely helpful. She said she was from the middle of Norway, and there, where I am headed, the mosquitos should not appear for a month. A bit sooner around here. I made the purchase, along with some refills of the small gas canister and material, so when they do emerge, the machine can be tested. It’s for the van chiefly, though could work, from what it says on the carton, to clear them for a 20 metre square area.

The driving was so scenic and enjoyable I got to where I was headed easily, and by 4:30 pm. I’m on Stord Island, 450 metres up a small track from the main E road at a hiking car park. I’m here because the hiking has excellent write ups, and enjoyed a couple of miles in late afternoon with Roja in preparation for tomorrow. It’s mid term schools break here this week, so the car park got quite busy about 6 pm, as parents finished work.

Up on the ridge, 350 metres above, are two very popular mountain huts, and a number of families with older children were headed up there for the night. It’s about the first spell of decent weather of the spring, they told me, and there was that element of excitement in the air. There were a few runners, hikers and cyclists heading up also for a bit of evening exercise. The sun sets at 9:41 pm tonight. The views of the surrounding fjords are reputedly very fine. Roja and I are heading up there tomorrow.