Day 2 We reach Norway at long last

Fast cat from Hirtshals, and it is fast enough to get us away from this dump - you might get the impression that we havent had a good experience of Denmark this trip - might be unfair but thats the way it is.
Strapping down the bikes on the Cat was an experience - theres not a level platform anywhere on the car deck, its all sloping one way or another and the bikes are all parked on across a slope!! Crisis averted as its always been like this but it doesnt seem stable at first until you get the first strap on.

Left over right or right over left?

2 1/2 hours later we disembark at Kristiansand and the E39 to Flekkefjord, followed by 44, 501, E39 again and then 503 to Byrkjedal. Scenery improving all the time with every mile travelled North. We go along Jossingfiord and check out the HMS Cossack memorial, and see the houses under the cliff at Helleren. The most interesting thing we saw was the boulders at Gloppedalsura which were just 2 miles from the hostel - interesting WW2 connection involving the Norwegian army in 1940 that I hadnt heard of before.

Gloppedalsura looking towards Veen

Hostel room at the Byrkjedalstunet Hotel for two nights,  brekkie included at around £36 each. Digs are spotlessly clean. We are self catering with a range of 'look what we found' meals supplemented with veg, bread, beer from local supermarkets.

Byrkjedal Vandrerhjem

Checking out the surroundings we wandered into the hotel bar and had two beers - £14 for the round so we had to go back to the room and break out the emergency grog to calm down. Lesson learned, beer in Norwegian bars and food in restaurants is still expensive!!
When we got back, we found we had neighbours - a family on pushbikes who had just done a 90km day and they were still up talking at midnight!