August 7, 2023
Ulvik, Norway to Utne, Norway (August 7, 2023)
Seeing the Hardangerfjord in the Rain
We knew from the weather forecast that this day would be bad, and it turned out to be a bit better than expected, although it rained the whole time. The route called for us to ride 43 km down the Ulvikfjord to the little town of Kinsarvik and then catch a 28 minute ferry to the even tinier town of Utne. Our terminus was the Utne Hotel.
It didn’t look like it would make too much difference what time we started. We enjoyed an excellent breakfast buffet (after a very nice dinner the night before) and set off at 10:15 am. Our plan was to ride as hard as we could all the way to Kinsarvik and stop for lunch there before boarding the ferry because the first afternoon ferry wasn’t until 2:15 pm. The first 15 km it rained steadily but was tolerable. We rode over the recently (2013) constructed Hardangerbrua (bridge) which was very cool, even in the rain. The Norwegians built it with cyclists in mind and we were amazed at the effort that went into doing so. To avoid a tunnel used by cars, the builders constructed a separate paved path that went around the car tunnel and followed by a short cyclists-only tunnel to reach the bridge span. Awesome. Dave scrambled up some wet rocks in his cycling cleats to take some pics.
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After crossing the bridge the highway became busier, had no shoulder and the rain picked up for good measure. There was a fair amount of trailer and truck traffic. However, as is common in this part of Norway where the fjords meet the mountains, the engineers don’t build the roads with enough space for cars to go by each other; rather, the roads are about a lane and a half wide. On this road, every 5 or 7 km or so, there was a light to stop and allow the traffic going the other way to proceed. This sounds problematic and wouldn't work well in the US, but it actually works in Norway, mainly due to the fact that there are fewer cars and trucks on the road. The reduced road width kept the traffic speed relatively low and allowed us to ride our bikes without feeling like we were taking our life in our hands! We figured out that, once the single lane control light turned green for us and all the vehicles waiting behind us, if we allowed all the vehicles going in our direction to proceed first, we rode at the back of the line, and didn’t have to worry about any traffic behind us. The complicated traffic patterns also had the added benefit of distracting us from the rain coming down. We arrived in Kinsarvik at 12:30 and had plenty of time to split a Caesar salad for lunch at a little deli cafe across the street from the ferry terminal. We were pretty wet. The lunch allowed us the chance to get the lowdown on how the ferry worked from the kind server (just go over and board after the gate lifts, and the ferry is free to peds and cyclists; fyi, that’s about the only “deal” we have found in Norway!)
The lounge in the ferry was toasty, and helped us warm up. We arrived in Utne and rode about 20 meters to our hotel, the historic Utne Hotel. It is the oldest operating hotel in Norway, running since 1722. It feels like your grandma’s house; lace curtains, creaking floors, lots of weird little corners, but also cosy and warm. We got a tub and a view of the fjord, which, given it was pouring, didn’t turn out to be too significant. The cost of the room was a real splurge- even by Norwegian standards, which is saying a lot- but it included a five course very fancy dinner (trout tartare, braised calf, raspberry white chocolate mousse) which, as Dave noted, proved to be a signature meal. They served various ciders with a number of the courses, as the Hardangerfjord area is a big local producer of cider. Before dinner the hotel held a cider tasting hour where they poured a tiny communion pour of cider in our glasses and then our host spent a solid hour talking about local ciders and the history of the hotel. This would have great except the entire lecture was in Norwegian, with no effort to provide a few facts in English. Given that at least half the group was non- Norwegian we thought that was a little lame, and one of the few times on the trip we felt felt treated like outsiders. However, we met a foursome before the tasting (one couple was from Seattle, the other couple Norwegian). Afterwards the Norwegian women in the group spent a little time with us and reported that the Queen of Norway, Sonja, likes to visit the Utne Hotel. This is possible if she comes alone, because she only needs two secret service people. The hotel isn't big enough to support the extra security detail that always accompanies the king.
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The meal ran long and we didn’t retire until 10:30, which is late for us!
Today's ride: 43 km (27 miles)
Total: 1,349 km (838 miles)
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