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Day 3. Bergen to Lervik.

Distance 76km Average 16.8km/h.

We said our goodbyes to the owner after a brief chat and armed with instructions to find our route headed off into the dewy summer morning. For some reason Damae's bike computer gave up the ghost later we discovered that pouring oil into the sensor seemed to make it better. Grump! Then we got lost a couple of times for different reasons and quickly realised that although the route was officially signed sometimes the signs were not to be found. Grump!

One reason we encoutered was that the Norwegian government seems to be busy improving the road network. Thus where new junctions have been built the Nordsjo signs don't seem to have been reinstated. On reflection from our experience of the LF routes in the Netherlands it could also be that we just missed some of the signs.

After an unplanned trip to the grounds of the home of one Mr Grieg (now deceased) we finally found the route again thanks to instructions from a member of staff. Once back on the flat disused railway line that forms part of the route south of Bergen all seemed good again and we quickly made our way through changing countryside to the first real climb of the tour.

If we had been doing the route in the other direction as described in the book then this would have been our last big descent. It was a very good learning experience. Despite fuelling up at the bottom on yet more chocolate and water, we very quickly realised that we'd have to learn strategies to cope with hills that leave you for half an hour or more in our very low bottom gear. I walked the lasts 500 or so metres and was glad that the sun was not shining.

By the time we reached the top. the mist had closed in so the view we thought we might have got was nowhere to be seen. Still worth a photo. The next goal of the day was the first of the ferries. We stopped for a cuppa at the Lysekløster ruins of a religious community, verdant green. I sat there imagining what this must have been like as a place to live hundreds of years ago.It must have been for the most part an idyllic place to live, the setting was lovely.

Pushing onwards the countryside flattened out as we got closer to Osøyro (known apparently as Os). By now it was gloriously sunny as we found the cash machine and took out some more NOKs. I then sat outside in a square with the bikes watching the world go by whilst Damae hit the local supermarket . After the ritual sampling of newly bought chocolate we headed on to the ferry from Halhjem to Sandvikvåg.

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