July 12, 2023
Lofthus to Svasand
I was lucky to catch our new friends Maggie, Stephane and Jenny at breakfast before they literally ran to catch the 8am shuttle, as they were hiking the full Dronningstien today. What outdoorsy ladies!
It was 10am by the time Steve and I had three cups of coffee, breakfasted and hauled our bags down from the third floor. The Hardanger Hostel provided a comfortable respite for two days, with bright rooms, starched white sheets and soft towels.
The stay was made even better by meeting the English ladies, the first night in the kitchen, yesterday on the trail and over hors d’œuvres and then this morning. A highlight of being in a hostel is meeting interesting folks! We will have to take the opportunity to do it more often.
The 11km ride back to Kinsarvik in light rain went quickly as we opted for the lower road avoiding the higher climb through the orchards of Lofthus, so we were at the ferry terminal in plenty of time.
Having had more coffee than food at breakfast, I was keen to have a round of sandwiches on the ferry back to Utne. As a cyclist, what a super way to spend a half hour: eating and admiring the view, all the while moving forward under someone else’s steam. By noon we were on our way down the Hardanger Fjord. We hadn’t been sure which side of the fjord to cycle and once more we were glad of the Aussie camp host in Voss’s suggestion to do the south side. It was hilly but the ride is a dream, almost car-free, with new pavement and spectacular views.
Climbing the first hill out of Utne we passed a fruit processing plant and during the ride we saw apple, plum and cherry orchards as well as raspberry farms. We would have loved to stop and buy from all the unmanned stands but we don’t have any cash and are not set up with the online Vipps payment method. In Sweden we had cash and couldn’t spend it and here there are appealing roadside places to buy fruit, homemade jam and beautifully knitted Norwegian hats, mitts and headbands, but never a bank machine to get cash. What a disappointment.
A little over halfway on our ride there was a killer climb that took us inland around a headland but it was so worth it for the glide into the quaintest of villages, Herand. We stopped for a second round of sandwiches at a perfectly placed picnic table. The sun came out so we basked in the heat as we gazed at the charming village below us. At the end of the 1800s, Herand was one of the most important boatbuilding sites in western Norway. In 1890 alone, 300 new boats were launched at Herand!
We stopped again at the waterfront to use the facilities and there met a Norwegian couple, Stig and Ragnhild who were out for the day on their bicycles. They were heading to Jondal and the ferry to their home on the north side in Strandebarm. When they realized that we’d be passing their door, they invited us for coffee and cake. As they had e-bikes, we parted with a rendezvous in three hours time at their home.
However, a few kilometres later and well before Jondal, we came upon THE perfect wild campsite (see pictures). We couldn’t resist stopping for the night. A phone call to our Norwegian friends resulted in the invitation being extended until tomorrow.
We had planned on buying groceries in Jondal, so supper tonight was on the light side. What we lost on our plates, we more than made up for in our view of the Hardanger Fjord, looking dramatic accompanied by rain showers, rainbows and sunbursts.
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Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 3,332 km (2,069 miles)
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