June 18, 2009
Eikedalsvatnet
The blue skies and bright sunshine only lasted a day. Today is quite cloudy and I leave at 10am after a breakfast in little Reitan's campsite café, feeling a little hungover from the two cans of beer on an empty-ish stomach last night. It's 25km - including a thankfully quiet, 4km-long tunnel - cruising beside the waters of Eikedalsvatnet to the junction near the village of Nauste where it starts to rain. No snaps along this grey stretch, except in the dry tunnel.
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Tunnels: the bane of bicycle tourists' lives. Norway, being mountainous, has more than its share of these long, damp tubes and some prohibit bicycles and so riders will have to catch a bus unless there's a side route veering around them... I did this a few times, but the paths are usually a nice quiet ride as they are devoid of other vehicles. The surface may not be in great condition, but that's no big deal. I never did come across one where I had to take a bus, but there are online sites showing where these are and if you are planning a long tour, it may be wise to do a bit of research.
Nauste's Coop service station has a supermarket and roomy café and I sit inside and use the wi-fi, Skype my wife and drink coffee.
And wait.
Eventually it eases and I pedal 7km up a climb to a 500m pass as it rains again and then drop fast but wet to a campsite where a trio of Swiss BMW motorbikers are sat outside a wood cabin. We chat. They offer me the remaining bunk, spliting the 400 krone cost four ways. Done. Thanks very much.
I ride back to a nearby store and buy snacks and beer and one of the Swiss guys cooks a pasta dinner that we share sat at a table on the small, sheltered veranda as the rain continues to fall.
Today's ride: 50 km (31 miles)
Total: 542 km (337 miles)
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