NORTH SEA SUMMER

Between Haugesund and Stavanger the original North Sea Cycle Route has been diverted.  This is because the ferry which used to run between Skudeneshavn, just south of Kopervik, and Kvitsøy, north of Stavanger, has been replaced by a tunnel.  Wikipedia tells me there are over 900 road tunnels in Norway with a length exceeding 750km.  In most of those tunnels you cannot ride a bicycle, though even if you could, you probably wouldn't want to. I had been wondering what to do about this diversion when Gunther, who I'd met in Leirvik, told me he'd simply put his bike on a bus in Stavanger and it had taken him to the tunnel exit just north of Kopervik.  I'd then had a conversation with an English cyclist who had been unconvinced about the existence of a ferry between Nedstrand and Stavanger.  This persuaded me to take the bus, and even though it cheated me of a nice ride and ferry trip it was an interesting experience. The fact that it poured with rain all day and...

The North Sea south of Kvernavik The campsite in Stavanger was in a public park, so dog-walkers strolled among the tents and motorhomes. It rained all night, leaving the motorhomes stuck deep in the mud and my tent surrounded by water. Luckily everything was dry inside, and the sun came out so the tent was dry outside too, by the time I set off. I followed cycle paths to Kvernavik, where I rejoined the official route, and then turned south into a very cold breeze. The route hugged the coast, and there were some interesting surprises, which I leave you to discover. Today was the day I decided that, sometimes, the road was preferable to following the route where it used gravel tracks. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss the section through Hå, but further south there was a very bumpy bit that involved a lot of opening and closing of gates. After a couple of kilometres of that I took to the road.   Romantic, but bumpy I get the feeling that the official NSCR seeks out enti...