Safe Return Doubtful

The labradoodle (or Poodle-dor) from the French campervan shrugged off its leash and came over to say hello this morning. He was getting on fine with Roja, but the woman ran over shouting for him to come back. They had no wanted to converse yesterday, but now were forced. I wished her a good morning, and we chatted briefly. They had borrowed the campervan from her parents, and were hating it. They were supposed to be away for six weeks, and at the end of their third, but now intend to cut their time in Norway short and stay in a hotel in Copenhagen for a week.

I felt bad that I had mentally decried them for being unfriendly. It was clear they were not comfortable in an environment I am quite at home in. It isn’t for everyone this life.

I waived my reading session this morning in favour of an early walk down to the beach. I wanted to get into Fosnavåg for 10 am also. The van has been stuttering on cold starts and I wanted an opinion from a mechanic as to whether it was something that needed attention. I had found out there were two garages, basically next to each other, when I was in town yesterday afternoon.

The desk receptionist at the first one I called at was unhelpful, after she finished for five minute social telephone call. At first she said that no mechanic was around, and I needed to make an appointment, and that the first available was next week. Just at that second, a drill sounded, so it was obvious there was a mechanic working. The receptionist came clean, and told me that the guy was in such an awful mood that she really didn’t want to bother him. He was having a very bad day, she told me.

So, I went next door.

Here the guy was the complete opposite, stopped what he was doing, and came outside to hear the engine. The engine starts fine after the initial start of the day. He told me that unless an engine light came on, not to worry. Dirty fuel,injectors, which is what I suspected, will cause an engine light. It maybe that that is what will happen in due course, but it may also be that it will clear.

I took the advantage of a much needed car wash at the building also.

Mulevika was such a good place to stay, my intention was to return, but by way of a hike from there, along the coastal cliffs to the peak of Muletua, at 397 metres, where there is a hut also.

An older couple, who I had met yesterday, had spent Saturday night at the hut, and had recommended the hike. The hit is certainly in a spectacular situation, anchored to the rock by metal cables, as otherwise it would be liable to the same fate as the Gale Farm in the Wizard of Oz. It would be a great place to spend the night, though there are no windows in the wooden structure, and it is a bit dark and damp inside.

And, a short film from the summit..

https://videopress.com/v/Jn2rTPwB?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

It’s primarily here for bird-watching, which is a reason a lot of visitors come to these cliff strewn islands. Puffins, Guillemots, and Cormorants can be seen in large numbers, and the cliffs are one of the best places to view them.

The hike was about 10 kilometres and took us about three hours. We were back at the Mulevika car park for lunch, and then spent the afternoon catching up with various bits of business.

This morning the sun was warm with unbroken cloud. When we returned for lunch I had to arrange some shade for my Cumbrian dog, but more cloud rolled in, and the breeze got up a bit like yesterday, very coastal sort of weather similar to the islands of west Scotland, never warmer than 20-24C, always very pleasant, and with the amount of daylight it remains warmer longer than in Europe to the south. Just after 8, Roja and I took our evening walk down to the beach. Almost warm enough for a swim.. for me I mean, Roja was in of course.