Sweden – CHECK.
This feels totally surreal: I’ve reached my Swedish finish line! Yesterday, exactly two weeks after I started pedaling from Sundsvall, I made it to Helsingborg and the end of my journey through Sweden. These weeks have been absolutely amazing on so many levels and I’m so so happy and grateful for everything I’ve gotten to experiene so far.
To see the path I’ve been taking, you can always check out the bottom of this page: The Route
Since leaving Skinnskatteberg and my grandmother’s, I’ve had 7 straight days of cycling. A combination of amazing weather, a well rested body and a great urge to get out of Sweden made long days in the saddle more enjoyable than most would probably imagine.
I’ve loved watching the landscape change as I’ve steadily been moving south. The snow is now long gone and instead of passing snowmobiles and deep forrests I’m now rolling past green open fields and spring flowers growing like weeds in dithes and peoples’ gardens. I’m really getting to experience a spring on steroides and thinking about how much things will have changed in two more weeks makes me so excited. Probably not that many days left before I’ll be riding in a T-shirt for the first time.
Apart from homestays with wonderfully helpful and generous people I’ve met along the way, I’ve had some amazing camping since last time I checked in with you. Thanks to the Everyman’s right, Sweden offers some of the easiest and fuzz free camping there is, and I’ve had a few absolutely dreamlike mornings watching the sunrise or sunset straight from my sleeping bag. The nights are still a bit cold, but with a few extra layers of clothing I’ve been enjoying myself to the fullest.
So far I’ve really been spoiled with problem free days. Everything has been going my way, and even when the rain and rough wheather finally hit, it did so in my favor. Yesterday was supposed to be a bit though with 80 km, including climbing Hallandsåsen, in headwind and heavy rain. Luckliy though the winds changed to give me a 8 m/s wind in the back, allowing me to pedal to Helsingborg in record speed. Here I’m spending my time at the house of my relatives, taking a day off to hang out, rest and just take my last breaths of Swedish air before leaving home.
Tomorrow I’ll be taking the ferry to Denmark, and in a way be starting this adventure for real. As always, I’m leaving my route open for change, but Denmark, Germany, Czech Republic and Austria are sure to get a visit from my rolling circus in the next couple of weeks.
I’m smiling just thinking about what awaits.
Cheers!