Mandal

I don’t know when it started raining last night but my tent-in-puddle fear came true. But the tent held up surprisingly well. It was so much rain that today I decided to ride in my camp trousers and rain kit. It was a very valid idea before I started biking today, because I wanted to get a feel for the Norwegian terrain, it was supposed to be a short 50km ride to the next city from Kristiansand to Mandal. But the rain never stopped, and it got cold and uphills were quite difficult. It probably will get slightly better with my tire pressure and wheel’s rolling resistance. Maybe tomorrow I’ll try inflating it a little more.

In the morning I realised my eggs were gone, they weren’t in a bag and I found egg shells strewn around my campsite. I left the eggs on a table overnight foolishly, along with some other stuff that I didn’t want to bring into the tent. I blame those sparrows, they have been extra curious since last evening. So it had to be beans and bread for breakfast for me.

A bike mechanic I met at Hirtshals gave me some bike maintenance tips, I wanted to perform them but the rain made that impossible. I had lost a handlebar end cap in Germany when I hit a fence. I had a bit of tape covering the end of the handlebar since; that fell off today. Probably have to figure out a more permanent solution before the inside of the handlebar gets rusty.

For a moment I was considering taking the train to Stavanger or Bergen directly. It was a bit of decision paralysis today morning, as magical as this freedom of look-at-the-map-and-go-anywhere sounds. The weather was absolutely not good for riding a bike. Skipping this southern part of the journey would reduce with the hassle of figuring out places to sleep, buy supplies etc. I have a pretty good route set up from Bergen until Nordkapp that follows the official National Norwegian Cycle Route. But also I wasn’t completely convinced I wanted to miss this part of the journey. Then I rationalised today’s ride as a few training rides before the real ride begins.

So I packed my wet everything in bags, while doing so broke the bag of pasta. So now there’s loose penne in my bag. Better than sleeping in a puddle a second night.

I did not expect so much politeness on the road. Cars won’t pass me unless I tell them to, people would see me crossing and stop to let me cross first. People waving and smiling at me on the streets. A delightful riding experience, only marred by the bloody rain on my face! Again, very impressed by Goretex fabric.

The first time I came around a corner exposed to a fjord, I didn’t realise it was a fjord until I stopped and looked around.

I had stopped at a gas station to satiate my hunger and thirst; I didn’t pack any snacks in the morning which was a mistake, I felt super weak by the end. But while at the gas station, neither did I think I would impress a gas-station employee simply by the idea of riding long distance on a bike, nor did I think I can munch on an entire bag of cashews.

I decided on a Airbnb hoping to dry my stuff. And when I made to the Airbnb, and I got way more than I bargained for; the place has floor heating and an exceptionally considerate host who turned the heating on expecting me to be wet and cold. But I already had recovered quite a bit, at a Burger King in Mandal.

Today is the first time I saw a modern fishing boat up close at the Mandal harbour, turns out Mandal harbour is also a campsite for boats. I saw a tiny boat. I am always fascinated by workspaces from occupations other than mine, specially occupations that has an innate aspect of isolation. This cabin had little trinkets and customisation that was surely meant for the person who works on it. Reminded me of the video game Dredge.

One thing is clear from today’s ride, I will see a whole lot of boats.

P.S. Whatever a random person offered me yesterday, which I thought to be a vada is actually a Smultringer.

Mandal, Norway