The Coastal Cities of the West

The day started early with a stunning sunrise out in the fjord. Since the little city of Lysebotn is hidden deep beneath 1,000-meter-high mountains, the sun only reaches the actual city in the afternoon when it approaches from the west. It was a chilly morning, almost cold, as I waited for the ferry to take me from the bottom of the fjord to the first tiny harbor, Songesand. I had the pleasant company of another motorbike rider on the ferry, sharing war stories and praising the roads from yesterday. After an incredibly beautiful ferry ride of almost an hour, we reached Songesand and had a blast on the narrow roads leading out of the mountains. He went inland, and I turned left towards Stavanger and the coast. From there, the rest of the day was an endless passage of tunnels and bridges that combined to make a very special journey through the Norwegian archipelago on the west coast.

The first tunnel I passed through today was the longest underwater tunnel in the world—the “Ryfylketunnelen,” 14.4 km long with a 291-meter drop from entering the tunnel to its midpoint. An impressive construction!

I visited the harbor of Stavanger, but a large cruise ship had just arrived, and the buzz of tourists slightly ruined the otherwise sunny marina environment. :)

From there, I went north, and after another ferry ride and countless bridges/tunnels, I reached Haugesund. Every west coast city on a sunny afternoon with no wind is a blessing, and Haugesund is no exception. You can’t avoid noticing the oil industry presence in the city (oil rigs, the Maersk training center, and a lot of helicopters :)), but it still has a lovely charm.

After one last ferry crossing, I arrived at the last coastal city of the day, Bergen—Norway’s former capital. I decided to let the tent dry for the night and check into a small hostel with an impressive view of the city. A hot shower and a short drive down to enjoy a beer by the harbor, which was filled with people enjoying the last sunlight of the day.

Back at the hostel, I caught up with both Camilla and the Seattle family just in time to enjoy the sunset over the mountains (the last picture). As a ferry man told me earlier today, this was probably the best weather day of 2024—weather karma. ;)Lue lisää