Tour of Britain

Popped over to the Staffordshire moors on the 13th to catch a part of Stage 5 between Warslow and the A53 - I think the cyclists know it as the climb up to Morridge?
I guess the main draw for most folk was Mr Wiggins & Mr Cavendish doing their bit and pretty much using the race to show their faces following the Olympics and TdF. Other big names included Ivan Basso, Samuel Sanchez and up & coming Jonathan Tiernan Locke - he eventually won the race.
As it happens, Bradley Wiggins pulled out on stage 7 so it was the last chance to see him on the road in the UK for a while.

A good day out on the bike - as you can see blue skies. Next outing with a cycling bent will be the Lincoln Grand Prix in May 2013.

Wales & back

Breakfast out the way and time to pack the tent up.

We're heading north to Llanberis for another RBR landmark, and then heading home to Lincoln. Weather is holding (it is August after all) and a reasonably quite and pleasant trundle through Snowdonia stopping for coffee and a bun at the Meirion Mill shop near Machynlleth.

On to Llanberis via Llyn Gwynant. llanberis is rammed with holidaymakers so its a quick picture of the RBR landmark and back the way we came.

Pelton wheel in Llanberis

Home via Whittington Castle near Oswestry

 A good couple of days out midweek - joys of shiftwork!!!

Quick dash to Wales and back

Weather forecast good, got a few days off and Steve A up for a bit of camping so off to Wales we go.
We head for Rhyader, and Wyeside camping - been there a couple of times before and its very convenient being pretty much in town and the associated pubs etc!!

Route out takes us through darkest Shropshire to pick up a few RBR landmarks on the way.

Anchor Inn at High Offley, Shropshire Union Canal

Anchor Inn at High Offley, Shropshire Union Canal


 

Morning elevenses in Much Wenlock
 

Out of Shrophire and into Wales at Montgomery

 

  Finally getting to campsite at Rhayader and gettting a brew on.

 

 Its a really nice evening, so we decide to get back on the bikes and have a spin over the Devils Staircase ( Llanwrtyd Wells to Tregeron) and then back to Rhayader via the Elan valley.

158 Squadron

Next time you head towards Bridlington/Scarborough from the Humber area take time to stop off in the village of Lisset to have a look at the 158 Squadron Memorial. Its about 1/4 mile outside the village at the site of the old airfield, now a windfarm.

 

It's in the form of a seven figures bomber crew. The steel plate figures are 8 feet tall and etched into the seven figures are the names of the 851 members of the squadron that lost their lives in WW2. Behind the memorial is the site of the old WW2 airfield, now a windfarm with windturbines, ironically, made in Germany which 158 squadron bombed in 1945. In one way you could say this represents the peace we've enjoyed in Europe thanks to these guys.
An evocative and poignant sculpture.

Day 11 Homeward bound

Up at 04:00 to get sorted and out the door for 05:00 to catch the 08:00 boat from Larvik to Hirtshals.

Larvik

We get to the port for 06:15 and hang around until boarding starts. Lovely morning, sunshine & blue skies boding well fo rthe nearly 4 hour voyage - our first for today as we're booked on the 18:45 from Esbjerg to Harwich. As we're strapping the bike down, we get chatting to a couple of Italian lads on a scooter who have been on the road for 25 days and on thier way back to Italy from Nordkapp.

Two up on this for over three weeks!!

Boat gets in to Hirtshals for 12:00 and we're on the road 30 minutes later, deciding to take the motorway route all the way to Esbjerg. Couple of road works on the way and standing traffic, but a bit of filtering and we're through. Get to the ferry quay for 16:30 after popping into a supermarket to get provisions and essentials for the ferry trip - i.e. beer and  stuff for tea and breakfast as we are not paying the extortionate prices for grub & drink on the ferry!!
So we have a picnic this time in our cabin, drink our cans of cheap danish beer from the supermarket and fall asleep by 21:00 as its been a long day!
Sea is like a mill pond and 18  hours later we get into Harwich for 12:00 in time for the wettest day so far of the trip - a 3 1/2 hour run back to Lincoln - oh joy, lorries, spray and Friday traffic on the M11, A14 & A1.

Day 10 Down to Lunde

First stage of the homeward trek is down to the hostel at Lunde. Great place near Ulefoss and within walking distance of the Telemark canal. Owned & run by a dutch family, Peter also gave us an additional discount for turning up on a motorbike as well as the YHA discount!! This place is only 90 minutes from Larvik so an ideal last night stay if you want the early boat to Hirtsals - which is why we are staying.

The route down is through Odda on the 13 and then up and over the bleak E134 into Telemark.

Dropping down from the plateau, we stop at Mjonoy Camping where we get a coffee and a bun. Great little place for a stop as it has its own bakery and we're out of the rain for a bit.

Its amazing what a few more miles south make to the weather and the sun comes out as we're coming up to Seljord. Some event taking place here as its full of camper vans and caravans. Sure enough a few more miles out of town we spot a speed trap but we are being very good and sial through all legal. Suspect they're probably after breathylising a few morning-after revellers from the festival goers!
By the time we get to Lunde the sun is well and truly out and we're sweating and glad to get off the bikes and have a brew at the hostel.

Suitably refreshed its off to the local supermarket for some beer and provisions for tomorrow's long drag to Esbjerg.

Day 9 Around Hardanger

Spin around the local areas of Jondal, Kvam and Granvin using the Hardanger Tourist Route as a rough guide. Spotted an interesting looking gravel road off the 550 and followed it to Maele and back, then carried on heading for Jondal where we saw a sign for 'Summerski centre', so we followed that and ended up at 1200m on the edge of the glacier apparently. There were loads of people up there skiing & snowboarding and the 1100m long ski lift up the hill was full. It was about 12 miles from the ferry quay and a right sneaky little road (toll) and well worth a ride up & down if you find yourself around there. After that, ferry from Jondal and onto Norheimsund and then a small detour up the 7 towards Bergen to have a look at the Steindalsfossen - this is the waterfall you can walk behind. We were wet anyhow from the rain, but it was dry as a bone behind the falls strangely enough.
Getting on now so time to head back towards Lofthus. We're passing Kvanndal and the ferry is in so we shoot onto it thinking its the Kinsarvik boat, but it's not it's only going to Utne so it's a bit of a drag back to Odda on the 550 from Utne and then up the 13again to Lofthus and the hostel.

Stone Cross at viewpoint on 550

Gravel road to Maele

Viewpoint on Maele gravel road

Another alfresco dining experience sheltering from the rain in Jondal

Road up to summer ski centre

Road up to summer ski centre

Road up to summer ski centre

Summer skiing 12 miles from Jondal!!

Rain doesnt seem to bother theses guys.

In front of the Steindlfossen

Behind the Steindalfossen

Saw alot of farmers inspecting their cherry crops - maybe the wet weather is causing them a problem with the spraying schedule. Fruits of all sorts are the main crops round here with lots of stalls by the roadside operating with an honesty box.



Todays track

Day 8 Balestrand to Lofthus

Not a direct route but a very interesting and scenic route through valleys, fiords and mountains. Its 235 miles overall and roughly from Balestrand to Sogndal, ferry to Fodnes and then the Aurlandsfjellet mountain road from Laerdal to Aurland. Then along the Aurlandsvegen road 50 from Aurland to Hol, and finally along road 7 across the Hardanger mountain plateau from Geilo to Eidfiord and finally along the Sorfiord to Lofthus.
Bloody cold and a bit miserable in places along the Aurlandsfjellet - it is July after all.
Lunch break in Aurland beside the fiord and then the run along the Aurlandsvegen to Hol with its corkscrew tunnels which today had most of the lighting not working - made things interesting to say the least. The run across the Hardanger plateau was very secenic as the weather had cleared a bit giving the advantage of views to the horizon,but again a bit cool and windy.

Aurlandsfjellet in July!!- time to get the heated grips on

Panorama from Stegastein viewpoint overlooking Aurlandsfiord

Stegastein viewpoint overlooking Aurlandsfiord with two old blokes in the way

Dining alfresco in Aurland - funny how the sandwhiches resemble what we had for breakfast.

Somewhere along the Aurlandsvegen

Hardangervidda and me hands are cold

Hardangervidda

The supermarket in Kinarsvik does whole cooked chickens for around £6, so that and a few veg/salad is tea sorted for one day, but tonight its pasta for Al and 'look what we found' yorkshire sausage casserole and a few baked spuds x 2 for Nige, and half a baguette each. We're trying Skyaergardspils tonight and the jury's out I'm afraid as its a bit bland - but its a Norwegian beer so when in Rome.......