Vi er röde, vi er hvide - August 29

I woke up surprised to still be completely by myself. I thought that there would be runners or cyclists passing in the morning as I wasn't far from a little path, but I didn't see a single person the whole morning until I set out. My route continued through Klippan and some other small towns like Bjuv and Mörarp south and southwest. I had to stop and ask for directions a couple of times, but wasn't every really lost. Arriving to the coastal city of Helsingborg I stopped at a MAX restaurant downtown for lunch and also to use their WiFi to call my sister for her birthday! Grattis! In about a week I'll see her and have to 'uppvakta' her properly. The ferry terminal was right in the city center, and I biked up to the booth and spoke to a really nice lady who didn't seem surprised to see a cyclist going on board. She only charged me 35 kronor! The ferry ride only lasted about 20 minutes, it was nice approaching Denmark and Helsingör by sea, and incredible to see again just how close Sweden and Denmark are at that point. Easily swimmable if there isn't any boat traffic! Getting off the ferry was quite surreal, the only other time I'd experienced something like that was walking off the ferry between Tarifa in Spain and Tangier Morrocco. It was just strange entering a new country by bicycle like that, such a sudden change! It was also immediately apparent that Denmark is a great place for cyclists. There was a bike path leading off the ferry and as soon as I got on the road there was a sign for bike route 9 south to Copenhagen. I followed it along Strandvejen, taking me along the shore past beautiful neighbourhoods lined with old classic houses. I learned later that this area is called 'the whisky belt' and is quite the exclusive area. The ride was quite urban the whole way save for a couple of short sections passing pastures and fields. Closer to Copenhagen bike traffic picked up and I rode for about 5km through beautiful broadleaf forests, all the way to Klampenborg. In town traffic really got heavier and cyclists would come out of nowhere and even cut me off sometimes! But when chatting with some at red lights they all seemed to be quite friendly anyhow. I found my cousins apartment with ease and was met with a very warm welcome. They were having guests for dinner which was exciting, so I met some great people and heard about their own travel plans for the next few months! It was a great evening, and a perfect ending to an exciting day. It was especially great to be welcomed by family again, from Akureyri to Copenhagen!

A Windy ride on the ferry across Öresund

Hamlet's castle at Kronborg with Sweden just across the water

Country Nr. 3 of my tour so far!

Cycling along the 'Whisky Belt' south of Helsingör

A Dane skateboarding along route 9 to Copenhagen

Traffic picking up in Copenhagen

All things Denmark - August 30

How nice to sleep in a bed again! I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast with my cousin talking about family back in Iceland, future plans, and what it's like living in Denmark. I was thinking how great it has been on this trip to meet with family and friends along the way, in so many different places and so far apart! Once I packed up and was loading my bike I noticed that I had a flat in the front tire. It must have been a slow leak because I hadn't noticed anything the day before and when I pumped it up it seemed fine. So I set off through the streets of Copenhagen southwest towards Bröndby strand. I reached the coast and there there were numerous bike paths going in many directions so I asked for directions but only spoke to a Danish American here on holiday who sent me the wrong way! It wasn't far though and I soon was back on the road towards Köge. In Köge I headed to the harbour because I'd been told there were some art projects being installed there. Unfortunately it seems like they were in transition so there wasn't much to see, but I had a great lunch on a small dock overlooking the water. I had to end lunch quick because some rain came along, but it didn't last long and soon I was back on the road south through Herfölge and Rönnede towards Vordingborg. This was the the straightest road I'd been on the entire trip, even more so than on the south coast of Iceland. I have to admit that it got a bit boring after a while, especially because there was quite a strong headwind. There was a decent bike path alongside the road and drivers were courteous so although it was a tough and slightly monotonous ride it went really well. Arriving to Vordingborg I saw a giant crane poking up in the sky, and several people on the ground were taking photos. I took a closer look and there was some kind of contraption hanging from the crane, and people dangling from it! It was some kind of acrobatic performance, probably 100 meters up in the air. I hurried towards the base of the crane but by then the people had come down already. I didn't see any other festivities happening though, besides some politicians campaigning on the streets for the upcoming local elections. Leaving Vordingborg I soon came to the bridge across Storströmmen. It was an old bridge but offered a great view of the sinking sun to the west and the other bridge to the east that the motorway passes across. Arriving to the island of Falster I turned off the main route to head towards Eskilstrup where I was going to spend the night. I had found a place to stay via the website www.warmshowers.org and this was going to be my first night trying that out. I arrived to the beautiful small village of Eskilstrup at just about 7pm and pulled up to my hosts house. He had left a sign in the window telling me to come to the neighbours house, where I found a group of happy jolly people having dinner together! They invited me to join so not only had I found a great place to spend the night, but was being treated to a wonderful dinner with wine and Akvavit and got to learn a lot about the area and meet new people. My favourite bit was that in the middle of dinner my host remembered that he had to take the geese in for the evening, so he took me along out about 1km into the countryside and I helped him gather in a flock of geese. For me, that was as Danish as it could get!

Getting some directions from a local in Copenhagen

Lunch spot on the dock in Köge

The straight and looooong road to Vordingborg

Crossing Storströmmen!

Crazy acrobats above Vordingborg

My landmark in Eskilstrup to find my way to shelter for the night

On the road again -  August 27

I'm back on the road! The last three weeks were spent with family at home in Sweden with lots of relaxation, good food, and fun adventures like canoe trips with nieces and nephews to uninhabited islands for an evening of grilling hot dogs and marshmallows!

It was time to head off again though, and I had hoped to leave yesterday already but wasn't quite set on my route so I decided to wait an extra day and not stress. Leaving took a lot longer than I thought. Despite being up at 6:30, the packing, cleaning of the house and all the other last minute things meant I didn't depart until about 1pm. It was sad leaving too. The weather was absolutely perfect and it just felt like such a shame to leave already! I did stop by Norra Sandsjö church on my way out. I worked there the summer of 2001 as a groundskeeper and even helped dig some graves! There are a lot of family ties to the church as well, so it was really nice to stop and reflect for a bit. I met Robert there who I worked with back in 2001, and got to show off my bike to him. After saying good bye to some other friends in Norra Sandsjö I finally headed south in earnest. The road was so familiar that it didn't feel like I was on tour, rather that I was just on some short trip and would return home in the evening. Once I got south of Sävsjö and in particular past Stockaryd, I was back in the groove. I took some smaller roads which was much more enjoyable than the highways, and saw the best that Småland has to offer with dark dense forests, beautiful shimmering lakes, and rolling farmland with red houses alongside. At Lammhult I initially missed my turn so had to backtrack about 3 kilometres, but the rest of the way was not difficult to find. Passing through Alvesta I stopped to take a photo of the Oljeshejkerna Johnson gas station that I remember having passed many times as a kid, without ever getting a photo of the funny picture of two older Swedish guys dressed as sheiks! Outside of Alvesta my route joined again with Sverigeleden, the main Swedish cylo-tourism route and I'm excited about tomorrow as I get to follow it further. I had to find a spot to camp quick though as it was getting dark, so about 10km south of Alvesta I turned down a small track leading into the woods and set up camp for the night!

Saying farewell to home

A shadowy photo of Robert and I at Norra Sandsjö

The second overturned car I've seen in Sweden on my ride so far! 

The Oil Sheiks of southern Sweden

Skååååååne - August 28

I woke up early to the chatter of the squirrels that had probably smelled my food and were looking for a snack! I was relatively efficient in getting started and left camp at about 9:30, feeling good about my chances to make it deep into Skåne today. It was another stunningly beautiful day with sunshine and mild temperatures reaching about 22C in the afternoon. At Vislanda I must have missed my turn, but I followed the signs for Sverigeleden and it took me all the way to Agunnaryd. The town famous of course for being the hometown of none other than Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA. (The A in IKEA stands for Agunnaryd too!) I sat down at a cafe to replan my route, and ended up taking some really nice backcountry roads down to Älmhult, the HQ for IKEA. Their operations there are just massive, with giant warehouse after giant warehouse, and there must have been at least 200 bigrig trucks parked in front of the distribution centre. Not long after I passed by Osby, also a town that has found itself incorporated into a famous brand, BRIO. The makers of wooden toys, including train sets that I played with as a kid. I followed the main road 21 to Hässleholm, and got directions from the locals on how to best cross through town. The road west had bike paths all alongside it through Tyringe and Perstorp to Klippan. I made it all the way to Klippan! 156km for the day, and managed to find a spot to camp by a little stream in a forested area right near the town centre. So, overall very happy with the progress made today making up for the shorter ride yesterday, and excited about taking ferry to Helsingör tomorrow to continue my tour in country number 3!

A great little fika spot I passed west of Vislanda - with their rock 'weather station'

IKEA headquarters - they like to keep things simple

The biggest BRIO toy I've ever laid eyes upon!

Racing west through the Skåne countryside in search of a spot to camp

Hem till Småland!

Klass 1 Varning! - August 8

I left my little refuge in the forest knowing that a larger storm was expected in the afternoon with heavy rain and lightning. So I tried to keep a quick and steady pace and managed to make great progress, passing Nyköping quickly and continuing past the famous zoo at Kolmården to Norrköping. About 20km outside of Norrköping I'd been looking forward to a scenic ride along the water near Bråviken, but by then the rain had really started falling so it was grey and dreary across the water. The road was struck out on a windy and narrow strip between the water and the steep hillside so I was surprised when suddenly I almost ran into a protest march coming through the rain. They were cheerful though, and were marching in support of rights for asylum seekers. At Norrköping the rain lessened, and it seemed as if the major storm that had been expected never quite showed up. Just outside of town I stopped to see some bronze age rock carvings at Herrebro. It was amazing how they were just a couple of meters away from some kind of workshop with only a little sign indicating where they were. I feel like if they had been in Iceland, they would have made a major tourist attraction. But they were cool to see nonetheless! Also they showed how landscape changes as they were originally made in the rock right at the shore of a larger lake, where now was dry land with some marshes. Continuing on I got a second wind and traffic also diminished. Crossing the famous Göta Kanal I knew I was also on the right track and ahead of schedule. I hadn't expected to be here until the following day, but I got so far ahead that I called my cousin to make sure she and her family were home and see if I could stop by. Despite being dirty and soggy wet, they welcomed me with open arms to their beautiful home just outside of Linköping, treating me to a hot shower, a delicious dinner and a comfortable warm bed to sleep in! Turned out to be a wonderful day, ahead of schedule, seeing loved ones, and falling asleep warm and dry!

Even had the pleasure of riding down my own private road today!

Soggy day by Bråviken

Rainy day on the way to Norrköping

Sluggishness at the bronze age rock carvings

Göta Kanal - Helping connect Göteborg to the Baltic Sea

Hem till Småland! - August 9

After a generous and substantial breakfast, and after getting some advice from my cousins husband Henrik on a route change, I took off a little later than expected. The storm had passed on so the sky was blue with a strong sun although the wind was in my face for the first 15km or so. Instead of continuing west towards Mjölby I turned south earlier towards Kisa which was expected to be calmer. I entered a beautiful rural landscape with small lakes, spots of forest and rolling fields and pastures. I had lunch by a sparkling blue lake in the shade of a tall evergreen and continued along a gravel road for quite a while before having to rejoin the main road into Kisa. After having gone about 40 miles I realised it was going to be a long day because it was still quite far to go, and the next two or three hours were tough but I managed through them trying to distract myself with thought exercises. The road kept creeping up and up which I'd expected because our home is up on Småländska höglandet, not terribly high but it meant plenty of uphill cycling without much respite and cruising down. Right at the border between Östergötland and Småland I stopped again for a meal, this time by the deep lake Västra Lagern and watched the sun slowly set behind the trees. I knew I had about 50km left still but the wind was gone, the heat of the day was dissipating and with the goal in sight my legs felt even stronger than before! Dusk in the north lasts almost forever, so it wasn't until Eksjö that it got really dark and where I was glad I had a strong set of lights. Turning off the road to Nässjö onto road 128 there was dark dense forest on either side and hardly any traffic so it was a bit spooky riding in the dark not unlike a tunnel. I did often hear some rustling in the woods so I knew the trolls were about! Rolling through Stensjön was a surreal feeling, arriving by bicycle to such a familiar place where I grew going to swimming school and biking to the local shop for an ice cream and to buy my parents the newspaper. I still hadn't reached home yet though, but the road was now extremely familiar and I knew every rise and every turn so I didn't really need the light. Turning off at Möcklamo the smells of fresh cut hay and manure were delightful! And suddenly… after 158km for the day, I'd arrived! I turned into the driveway for the last few meters but had forgotten about the deep gravel which stopped me in my tracks and right at the finish line I took a spill! I lay in the grass though for several minutes, glad to be home and enjoying the view of the twinkling stars above. The house was dark and empty but I quickly settled in and after a cold shower I climbed into bed for a well deserved rest. I'M HOME!! Hemma i Småland!

Terrific rest stop along the way - Tack för gästvänligheten!

Photo op with a fan :)

Cycling through the countryside of Östergötland

Best seat in the house for dinner

My shadow keeps me company on the climb up to Höglandet

Zooming homewards!

South by Southwest

Stockholm i mitt hjärta - August 5

Country number 2 of my journey! My flight from Iceland left at 01:15 the night between Sunday and Monday, so I arrived to a sunny Arlanda airport at about 6:30. After picking up some maps at the information desk I just headed outside and found a quiet spot to unpack my bike and luggage. I felt like a transformer, going from box and suitcase to bicycle and gear. "Autobots - Transform!" Plus I felt like a robot after a sleepless and stressful night, so the trip down into Stockholm although extremely beautiful and fun was not my best ride ever. The route went through farmland, into small villages, past old churches, and slowly entered the beautiful city of Stockholm itself, right through downtown to the neighbourhood of Bagarmossen where my sister lives. Along the way an Icelander stopped me who had seen my flag so we chatted for a bit, and several people came up to me and just asked about my bike, where I was going, where I'd been - lots of curious Swedes! 

My impromptu workshop at Arlanda

Off day - August 6

The next day my sister and I got to spend some quality time together, and for lunch I met up with my cousin who also lives in Stockholm, who came with her 6 month old daughter! It was great catching up and she showed me some parts of town I'd never been to like the area by Vitabergsparken. In the afternoon I had to pick up some extra gear like a new gas canister for my stove, and some replacement bungee cords that had been stolen by some hoodlums while my bike was outside my sisters apartment for about 30 minutes! The evening consisted of a delicious home made meal by my sister, together with her and her boyfriend who I met for the first time. Followed by some intense map reading to prepare for the days ahead.

South by Southwest - August 7

I woke up early, but still got a pretty late start after just relaxing in the morning with a slow breakfast, hot shower and packing my stuff together. I set off from Bagarmossen towards Huddinge, but my map only went to Flemingsberg so the next stage past Tullinge and Tumba was a bit tricky and I went on a bit of a loop before finding my way back to the route I had planned. As I turned off the main road to bike down towards Skanssund and Mörkö, I was surprised for having to navigate around an overturned car that was blocking the bike path. It must have been a recent accident since there were still personal belongings in the car, but nobody was around! After a rainy morning, the sun now came out in earnest and the route down the peninsula was an absolute delight. After 16km of wondrous cycling I arrived to the small ferry and met a German couple who were on their way home after a tour of Poland, the Baltic states, Finland and now Sweden. Since they retired in 2008 they've gone on yearly bike tours, including Iceland in 2009! I can't help but notice though that most all the cyclists I meet on my trip are quite a bit older than me. I wonder what that means… Mörkö was also beautiful, very quiet with hardly any traffic, just beautiful fields with summer houses here and there. I soon got on another main road that took me through Vagnhärad, and as it was early I skipped Trosa and continued immediately on the road towards Nyköping. With about 90km on the meter, and getting a bit tired I decided to find a spot to camp and pulled off, wandering into the forest and found a perfect quiet spot with soft ground to lay on. Perfect for a good nights rest, after my first proper cycling day in Sweden!

Not an obstacle you often see blocking your bike path

What a contrast to Iceland! - The beauty of Swedish summer

Crossing the archipelago in the Baltic sea

The ferry "Karin" that took me to Mörkö

Finally get to camp in the forest again!

Cycling Kiwis, Black Eagles and Bulldogs

Cycling Kiwis, Black Eagles and Bulldogs

I was eager to get a good look of Skógafoss before the busloads of tourists arrived, so I strolled off the 100 meters or so from my tent and was woken up properly by the mistiness of the spray caused by the 60m tall waterfall. Next to the waterfall is a set of stairs that leads to the top of the waterfall and beyond to a popular hiking trail along the river Skógará between the two glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull to Þórsmörk beyond. Halfway up is an incredible vantage point where you feel like you´re inside the waterfall, although it was a bit treacherous standing there on the the slippery cliff. I got to the top and was tempted to keep hiking but knew I had to turn back soon. Once down I ran into none other than Dan! The Englishman I met at Mývatn who had told me about the secret campsite by Dettifoss. He had made his way down the Kjölur route and told stories of massive thunderstorms he had to avoid there which are very rare. Later, as I´d packed up my gear and was about to cycle off, I ran into my Austrian friends Andreas and Sabine again! They had obviously gotten an earlier start than I and had caught up. We talked for a bit and were told off by an impatient Icelandic father to move further off the road but we just felt sorry for him stuck in a metal box on wheels like he was! As I cycled off I had a great tailwind and was flying along again, but stopped not far away to see Selja

landsfoss, another famous waterfall in the area, this one where you can easily walk around the back of it. After the obligatory tour around, I chatted with another cycling couple that had stopped there. It was Franz and Susan from New Zealand, two Kiwis that work 6 months of the year, and then spend the other half traveling by bike! Last year they were in Japan six months, and have previously gone on trips from Finland to Portugal and the like! They were great fun and extremely friendly, leaving me with their address on the south island for whenever I end up in New Zealand. Continuing on the cycling was smooth and easy until I got to Hvolsvöllur where suddenly the wind from the North grew much stronger. I stopped a bit further on near Hella and lay in the grass reading for two hours waiting for the wind to die down, before continuing east. It was obvious that I was getting closer to the big towns as traffic was getting heavier despite the late hour, but drivers were courteous and I got in to a great clean campsite in Selfoss by 9:30pm. Had a quick dinner of sandwiches and soup before heading to my last night in a tent in Iceland.

The awesome overlook halfway up Skógafoss

My new buds Andreas and Sabine

Behind the magnificent Seljalandsfoss

The Ring is complete!

I woke up early by 8am but was not too eager to head out on the road so I lay around reading for a long time before breakfast and finally packing up my gear for the last time. I was not feeling ready to be done with the tour, and was not enjoying the cycling along the busy road towards Reykjavik. The climb from Hveragerði up over Hellisheiði was one I had expected and dreaded for a while but it wash´t too bad actually and there was a wide enough shoulder to be comfortable next to all the trucks and buses going up the hill. Once across I passed Hellisheiðarvirkjun, one of the largest geothermal power plants in the world. I wish I could say that the rest of the ride was more enjoyable, but traffic was heavy with everyone preparing for the Verslunarmannahelgi holiday weekend coming up so I had to concentrate on staying within the 50 cm shoulder I was afforded and not being blown onto the road by the strong northerly wind. I was relieved when I made it into town and got on the cycling paths, where there were many locals commuting home from work. I found quickly recognised where I was and easily found my way back towards Kópavogur. I rolled into the driveway of my Aunt´s house while she was sitting on the porch enjoying the gorgeous sunshine, thus completing my three week long tour of the land of fire and ice!

Making sure the camera is on!

Holding the line along the narrow shoulder

Arrived in Reykjavík!

What´s next?

The next few days I will be in Kópavogur, visiting family and just relaxing. Sunday night I fly to Stockholm and the plan is to cycle down from there to our home in Småland, not far from Nässjö. Hopefully I'll be writing from there as well!

And finally...

Some stats from the trip:

Number of days cycling: 19

Total distance: 2029km / 1260 miles

Average per day: 107km/day 66 miles/day

Total ascent: about 22,000 meters! 

Number of flats: 0 !

Number of breakdowns: 0 !

Weight lost: about 4kg (still haven't shaved the beard though)