Sandnes

I haven’t rode the bike for two days, which is giving me an itch. I took the train to Sandnes, didn’t feel like riding on busy motorways. I did meet another bike tourer from Germany today at the Moi train station, she gave me a lot of good tips for the trip ahead, including where to camp etc. She was travelling back to Oslo, too bad my train got there and I hadn’t had a chance to catch her name. Getting the bike on the train was a rather relaxing affair. The conductor was patient, asked me to take my time & load my bike in the luggage compartment. And after she signalled the train to start, she checked my ticket, realised I was in the wrong compartment and said “Just sit anywhere!”. The ride was beautiful, reminded me a lot of Himalayan foothills, but with Fjords, lots and lots of Fjords. The kid in the coach kept me entertained.

Once I reached to Sandnes, I got that overwhelming sense of purposelessness that I got in Kristiansand. Big cities are inherently lonelier than the middle-of-nowhere roadside benches, to me. They are sadder and hotter, due to the concrete. I immediately went to my comfort restaurant for lunch, a kebab place. I asked for a döner. A seagull almost ate it.

The area I am staying in is an industrial outskirt; there is nothing much around. I did find a Dominos for lunch, and had a pizza while it rained cats and dogs.

That’s also when I made the decision to not take the ferry from Stavanger to Bergen, but go island hopping until I reach Bergen.

Sandnes, Norway