Tag Archives: Baltic

25 May 2015 – a day off in Stockholm

A whole day off to do some sightseeing, and generally just be a tourist, what a luxury. It did feel a bit strange waking up in the hostel and not having to pack everything onto my bike for another day’s riding, however I was refreshed after a good night’s sleep, even if I was woken up by drilling from next door at 07.30.

Stockholm is well worth a visit, and no doubt warrants a few days exploration, however I only had one so picked just a few places to go and see. I started with a general wander about, heading vaguely South East towards the Vasa museum on one of the islands.

Kungstrad Garden

Stockholm is built on lots of different islands, and there are bridges, ferries and canals connecting it all up.

Lots of open water, canals, and ferries

Plenty of cyclists too, and cycle lanes everywhere, all clearly marked so you know where to walk as a pedestrian, and where to cycle, and never the twain shall meet. We should do this more in the UK.

Cyclists abound – parliament building in background

It was quite a long walk to the Vasa museum, so much for a rest day, however it was nice to be using different muscles, and not be in any particular rush. On the bike front Stockholm has its own version of the Boris bike scheme by the looks of it; lots of the same hire bikes whizzing about anyway.

Lots of nice looking older style boats too

Monuments indicating water quality and pollution levels; I think, pretty funky

I got to the Vasa museum about 10.15, just as loads of coaches were arriving and depositing mostly Chinese tourists in their droves. Luckily they were in a different queue, and mine moved pretty swiftly anyway.

I could go on about the Vasa museum for a while, it was great, but better if you go and visit it yourself should the opportunity arise. The Vasa is a Swedish warship built in 1621, that sank on its maiden voyage, but was raised in the 1960’s and is now housed in a museum. It’s a massively popular tourist attraction and I could see why; my first thought was ‘it’s the Black Pearl’, from Pirates of the Carribean.

First look at the Vasa

I was called upon to take quite a few photos of couples posing in front of the Vasa, but here’s one of me on my day off.

Me at the Vasamuseet

The Vasa was commissioned by King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, to assist in the war versus Poland-Lithunia which was raging at the time. In fact Sweden seemed to be at war with several of its neighbours; the 17th century was perhaps its period of military might. The ship was finished too quickly, as the King was demanding its presence as flagship of the reserve squadron immediately, lest someone suffer his royal displeasure.

The Vasa – panorama

From what I learned the Vasa set sail too early, without enough ballast on board meaning it was top heavy. I don’t think they could put more ballast on board otherwise the lower gun ports would be underwater; basically the ship was structurally unsound. The gun ports, all 64 of them, were all opened to fire a salute as it left harbour, which was a bit over the top as usually just one cannon was fired. A squall hit which pushed the ship over to one side, letting water into the lower gun ports, and whilst the ship righted itself it was doomed and sank shortly afterwards with the loss of 30 to 60 hands. It sank after sailing just 1.5km; not really an auspicious moment for a ship bearing the Royal Family’s name – Vasa means sheaf of wheat I believe. I learnt a lot of this by latching on to coach party tours, but there are also free tours in English you can join at set times.

Here are some pictures of the Vasa, in all it’s glory, a truly amazing vessel to have been raised from the seabed and restored. It’s cannons were salvaged in the 17th century, via a primitive diving bell, but it was then largely ‘forgotten’ about (probably due to embarrassment), until it was ‘discovered’ and raised in 1961. Excuse me for not accurately naming bits of the ship; don’t have all that knowledge, or time to look them up.

: Back of ship, wonderful carvings.

: Some of the gilded carvings from the Vasa – include representations of the king

: Back of ship 2

: Wouldn’t want to have to clamber up that rigging in a storm

: Representation of Vasa sinking

: The Vasa – panorama

: Vasa model showing her in all her glory

: Vasa Titus carving

: View from the upper gallery

: Vasa – one of the most powerful warships of its time

: Gun ports all decorated with lion motifs

: Urr, Lobster on a cannon

: Bit dark – anchor

: Loved the front of the ship; might be called the bowsprit, maybe

: Another side view

: Vasa panorama 2

: Life boat

The pictures probably don’t do it justice, but you get the idea; more impressive than the Mary Rose. There are lots of exhibits on topics such as life on board, the sinking, the raising and archaeology, Sweden at the time; 1 in 10 people were ‘recruited’ into the armed forces apparently. Aside from the Vasa there is a side exhibition which is equally interesting, that goes around the world telling you what was going on in other countries in the 17th century, such as:

30 years war in Europe – big armies with modern weapons, pretty horrific
North America trading and colonisation – disease kills lots of Native Americans
Gallileo versus the Inqusiiton – the Earth goes around the Sun
Trading in new and exotic goods – the world opening up
India and the Mughal Empire in ascendance, religious tolerance
Ottoman Empire expands, stopped at battle of Vienna – learnt about the fierce Jannisaries
End of the Ming dynasty in China – Manchus seixe power, Emperor commits suicide, Qing dynasty starts
Japan opening up, then closing up (Edo period)
Africa – slavery and exploitation
Persia and Baghdad

I think I spent about 2 hours there, but could have stayed longer. Well worth a visit.

After the Vasa I grabbed a hot dog and hot chocolate, and continued my wanderings around Stockholm, heading over to the old town or Gamla Stan, where the Royal Palace is, via the Parliament building.

: Vasa Museet

: Nordiska Museet

: Theatre, lots of gilding

: Many a statue in Stockholm, reminded me of Paris

: Parliament building 1

: Crossing to Gamla Stan

: Parliament building

After having spent nearly 3 weeks in the ‘wilds’ the architecture is pretty impressive, and a nice contrast. I headed on to the Royal Palace, passing some guards marching around its perimeter.

Swedish Guard on the march

I’m assuming these guards are professional soldiers and not cadets or actors; they marched well, but weren’t keeping very still at their guard post – not like the Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace. They had cool helmets though.

Swedish Guard on the march 2

I went into the free bits of the Royal Palace, which included the Royal Chapel – very ornate – then continued my wanderings, stopping for another hot chocolate to refuel.

: Streets of Gamla Stan 1

: Royal Palace 1

: Royal Palace 2

: Royal Chapel

: Royal Chapel 2

: Roof of Royal Chapel

: All seeing eye over door to chapel – very symbolic

: Audience chamber

: Tulips in bloom

: Streets of Gamla Stan 2

: Another heroic statue

: Other end of Gamla Stan; Stockholm continues

By this point I was getting a bit tired, having walked 12km on my rest day, so decided to head back to the hostel for a rest, before heading out to get some food somewhere.

Heading back to hostel – these lions are everywhere, thought they looked like Dougal from Magic Roundabout

Whilst sightseeing I also played a bit of Ingress on my phone, Stockholm being full of portals to explore. It’s quite a good way of getting around and seeing bits you might miss, as has a map and portals are usually interesting places. By the end of the day I’d levelled twice due to unique hacks and captures; this won’t make sense to anyone who doesn’t play Ingress, and needless to say I won’t be playing it much on tour!

Ingress level 12 – got to 13 by the end of the day

I forgot about this picture of a map from the Vasa museum, which I liked because I could see how far I’d come.

Map from Vasa museum – I’ve pedalled a long way

After chilling out and updating my blog in the hostel, which was a lot busier today, I headed out to find food.

Double thumbs up to Stockholm

I initially thought I’d grab some Sushi, however that plan was quickly set to one side when I discovered the Dubliner, an Irish pub in Stockholm, full of ex-pats, or people working here a lot, or people like me who are on holiday and just stumble upon it.

The Dubliner

It has a friendly atmosphere, good beer and good food. I settled on the Swedish meatballs, figuring I really aught to have some whilst in Sweden.

The Dubliner – Swedish meatballs

I discovered shortly afterwards that Monday night is pub quiz night! I joined a team consisting of two Aussies, over here for a sports competition, a Brit working here for a week, a Swede who works for Quatar Airlines, and a slightly mad Finnish woman; great company all round. The Brit, who’s name I think is Paul (sorry if my memory is failing), knows Norwich and the Fat Cat pub, as his Dad lives or lived on Nelson Street; small world. All interesting people anyway; chatted to Gordon (Swede – again sorry if name wrong) for a bit, very interesting life living in Quatar, which doesn’t sound very pleasant, and travelling a lot in between work.

New Aussie friends

The pub quiz was long, and needless to say quite a lot of beer was consumed. We didn’t win, or even come close, but it was great fun and a great break. Paddy and Alan ran a very witty ‘multi media’ quiz, with lots of banter with the locals; a lot of Irish.

Dubliner pub quiz – run by Paddy and Alan

Despite an invite to go on to another bar I said my goodbyes post quiz, and wended my way back to the hostel. If I’d stayed out I know it would have just got messy and I’d have felt terrible the next day; not good with lots of kilometres to pedal.

So a great day out in Stockholm; thoroughly recommend the city for a visit. Could see myself happily working there for a while should the need arise.

Also got some planning done; think I know the way to Copenhagen now. I’ve adjusted my handlebar grips a bit too, which will hopefully fix my wonky hand problem, or at least ease it a bit, just need to sort the saddle now.

Apologies for any spelling or grammar errors; Stockholm was two days ago and I’m in Linkoping now, having pedalled 250km since, quite tired, but should be getting a new saddle tomorrow which’ll help.

19 May 2015 – riding the High Coast of Sweden

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I think I’m now roughly on the same line of latitude as the bottom of Iceland, having pedalled nearly 1000 miles from the Northernmost point of Europe in 2 weeks; no wonder my legs are aching tonight. Nordkapp seems like quite a long time ago, and the scenery has certainly changed. The frozen lakes and snow have given way to pine forest, and clear blue water glittering in the sunshine.

Sunshine on the lake at Mosjon Camping

I was chatting to the campsite owner this evening and he reminded me that I’m still in northern Sweden really, having pedalled to the Snibbens Campsite near Ramvik; Harnosand is the nearest big town. This country really is very long! I think I’m only about 300 miles from Stockholm, depending on to what degree I avoid the E04, so definitely getting there.

Leaving Mosjon, clouds about making it chilly

Here’s a link to today’s ride; 120km down the High Coast, which lived up to its name as far as hills go:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/779203970

It took me 7.5hrs of pedalling, with climbs totalling 1,355 metres; this could again be why my legs, and especially my knees for some reason, are aching. And my hands, did I mention my hands? And my arms. In fact most things.

It rained overnight, quite hard. You hear these things in a tent, in fact you can hear anything and everything in the immediate vicinity pretty well. There was one particular bird that didn’t shut up all night, flying around the lake tweeting constantly; not tweeting as in Twitter, but twittering as in squawking, if you see what I mean, or hear what I’m saying, or something. It didn’t keep me awake long but it was definitely a flying varmint! I was consequently a bit slow setting off this morning, not leaving until getting on for 10.00.

I initially joined the E04, having little choice in the matter, and rode to Ornskaldsvic, a medium sized pleasant town.

Ornskaldvic, looking at it from the South

On the way in I almost literally bumped into another cycle tourer, Tomak (sp?) from Germany, who has cycled up from near Hamburg, and intends to travel around the whole Baltic coastline before returning home. He mentioned Estonia, somewhere quite a few cycle tourers have spoken about lately; sounds like a place to add to the list to visit. We both took a break to exchange tips on the routes ahead. Tomak told me he’s been following the black cycle route signs, which I’ve only seen a few of so far, but apparently get more frequent. These take you on routes that avoid the busy main roads, like the E04, but add on a lot of kilometres as a consequence; so more pleasant riding but will add on a lot of time. It was good to meet another tourer; we’re a scarce breed up here at this time of year. We wished each other luck before pedalling off in opposite directions.

Blossom out in Orsnkaldsvik

Leaving Ornskaldsvik I passed a rather incongruous sight; the Bishops Arms, down by the docks, maybe pubs will be increasing in frequency now. If so beer could be back on the menu; abstinence is over-rated.

The Bishop’s Arms, Ornskaldvic

Ornskaldsvic docks

I left the E04 after Ornskaldsvik, taking quieter roads for a bit. In fact I reckon I spent at least 50% of today’s ride off E04, which although introduced more hills and distance, was a welcome relief. I saw this sign riding up out of the town; not sure what it was about.

Cycling sign out of Ornskaldsvik

The side roads are so much quieter, and the scenery was lovely to cycle through, if a little taxing on the legs.

Pausing to admire the view near Ornskaldsvik

I compensated for tired legs by eating lots of Haribos. These were a staple on my Bike around Britain tour, and I’m pleased to report they sell them in even more varieties in Europe; great for topping up your energy levels.

Ski slope without the snow

As I cycled along winding roads, up and down hills, passing lakes and glimpses of the Baltic, I saw much wildlife. A fox regarded me suspiciously as I rode past, before dashing into the undergrowth. I can also report Sweden has hedgehogs and badgers, although I only know this because I’ve seen them squashed on the road, sadly.

Some dramatic rock faces – there’s a via ferrata at this one

The Hoga Kusten (High Coast) has lots of interesting places that would be good to come back and visit over a few days. There’s a centre in the park in the above picture, where you can climb a Via Ferrata; I haven’t done one of those in years, and would love to again. I might see if I can do a bit of climbing when I get down to southern France, where I hope to visit a few old friends from when I lived in Marseille.

Blue waters of the Hoga Kusten

Back on the nature front; I saw some of those Emus again, although I’m not pretty sure they’re not Emus but White Storks. They’re really big, and a couple flew off as I rode by – enormous wingspan. I spotted a Swallow too, or it might have been a House Martin. Now I’m cycling a long way, however these birds can give me a run for my money, migrating over 10,000km from Africa.

Break by a lake, more Haribo power required for hills

Here are a few more photos from my ride along the back roads away from the E04.

: Hoga Kusten – many lakes to be found

: Beautiful views over sparkling blue water

: Road continues away from the E04, nice break

Sadly no beavers to report; I kept an eye out for them as they’re supposed to live in these parts, but they must of all been hiding from Lobster.

The alternative route meant I covered more kilometres than I expected to. One advantage of the E04 is it does get you down the coast quickly, relatively speaking, but you can miss a lot if you stay on it all the time. Saying that several of the sections I rode on today were quite nice, with a wide hard shoulder; it’s just the constant lorries which get annoying, and their buffeting.

I passed under the E04 and pedalled up to a town called Klockestrand, then crossed the high bridge over the River Angerman; think that’s what it’s called. It’s a really wide river, and it was a long way down from the bridge.

Crossing the river Angerman

There were actually two bridges to get over this river, the second being a bit further on over another section of it, and even higher. The campsite owner later told me this is the old bridge, and there’s a newer one on the E04 you can cycle over, but there’s no cycle path so you take your life into your own hands; glad I went the way I did.

Made it over both bridges, phew, and first day I haven’t had to wear a coat!

Feeling tired I stopped at a service station for a hot dog, and bought some Pringles for extra calories, before completing the final stretch down to a campsite near Ramvik – Snibbens campsite. The owner was out walking his dog as I pedalled down to reception; the 2 year old labrador greeted me enthusiastically, finally a dog that doesn’t bark at cyclists.

Snibbens campsite – lakeside view

I can recommend Snibbens campsite. It’s a lovely peaceful spot, next to a lake, with friendly owners who live on site. I had a great chat with the owner about my ride, and about northern Sweden. One of the things he mentioned shows how people have the same concerns all across northern Europe; immigration. On my cycle down I’ve been noticing a lot of people begging outside shops, on the street and probably living rough. He said that this is a relatively new thing, only having started in the last few years as more people move to Sweden from eastern Europe and beyond. We both agreed it’s a sad thing to see so many people living rough, probably having come here seeking a better life, or escaping something worse at home. It would be good to do more to help them, but it would be better perhaps if the problem could be fixed at source, so people don’t feel they have no alternative but to move to wealthier countries, and then find themselves homeless and penniless. It will be interesting to see how this varies as I progress through Europe; I know it’s the same in France.

Snibbens panorama

Being the only camper on site I had use of the communal room to myself for the evening – a chance to chill out after a hard day’s ride, and look at my maps. I need to work out where I’m going after Stockholm, and how to get over into Denmark.

Double thumbs up to a hard won day

Off to just South of Sundsvall tomorrow, if all goes according to plan. Hopefully I’ll be in Stockholm Sunday or Monday.

17 and 18 May – the Gulf of Bothnia

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The last couple of days have got me quite a way down the coast of Sweden, alongside the Gulf of Bothnia. I made the mistake of looking at an overall view of my planned tour, and realised how far I have to go, so figured I’d put a few big mile days in now to speed things along, and to allow me a few recreation days when I get down to France and Spain. I’m still planning on visiting Stockholm so I’ll probably have a day off then anyway.

The 17 May turned out to be be my longest leg of the tour so far, covering 165 kilometres, which is about 102 miles, in 8 hours and 20 minutes of actual riding. Here’s a link to my route and ride stats:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/777328369

I wasn’t sure where I was going to stop for the night when I set off from Byske. There are allegedly two campsites around a place called Bygdea, according to my map, but I didn’t know if they’d be open or not, which left wild camping or cycling all the way to Umea. Quite a few of the campsites round here don’t open properly until June; not much call for it until it gets a bit warmer.

Preparing to leave Byske; Lobster on laptop route planning

Pedalling off from the campsite I stopped in by the beach, looking out over the waters of the Baltic/Gulf of Bothnia.

Looking out over the Gulf of Bothnia, very peaceful

Gulf of Bothnia 2 – ready to ride

It was all very peaceful, but I felt like I was being watched, and not by a Russian submarine; sure enough the stalkers from home were at it and had spotted me on the webcam. I gave them a wave then set off; it’s fun seeing where they might spot me next!

Byske – under surveillance

I couldn’t find the back road the girl at reception had mentioned, or at least couldn’t be sure I wasn’t about to embark on a massive diversion, so I rejoined the E04 after a brief tour of Byske town.

River crossing out of Byske

I stayed on it for most of the day, therefore not a lot of interest to report unless you like big lorries with two trailers, dust, and slightly hair-raising narrow sections with crash barriers closing you in.

Brief pause on E04, very picturesque lay-by

I had a bit of a break from the E04 around Skelleftea, for about 20km, taking quieter roads that run alongside it, and didn’t take me too far off course. Unfortunately there don’t seem to be many roads that run parallel to the main route, they all branch off North or South.

Break from the E04 near Skelleftea

Someone at the Byske campsite, I think one of the rather inebriated dog show attendees, told me you pronounce Skelleftea like ‘She left you’; they found this hilarious. I took a couple of cut throughs, hoping for the best, to join up the small roads.

One of my adventurous cut throughs

The E04 wasn’t in fact too bad compared with previous days. A lot of it turned out to be single carriageway, with a good hard shoulder at least 1m wide, and with a slight tailwind and not very many hills the kilometres flew by.

E04 redeeming itself slightly – fields appearing

I set a new record for the fastest 40km on Smaug; 1hr 48 mins, not bad for a fully loaded touring bike.

Swedish speed camera – bit different looking to the ones in the UK

The scenery did start to change, with the appearance of meadows, and even a few fields being ploughed by tractors. There was still many a pine tree in evidence, and at times it felt like pedalling through Thetford Forest at home, albeit on the wrong side of the road, and with more hills.

Snack break – many bananas being consumed today

I also saw a lot more birdlife again, including a few really big birds; do they have Emu’s in Sweden? I really think they don’t, unless they’ve escaped from somewhere. I could have sworn I saw an Emu, but maybe it was a big stalk, or a pigeon in disguise. There were the usual geese, migrating somewhere, as well as swans, and quite a few what I can only assume were Curlews from the look of it. All good stuff for twitchers, however my bird identification skills have somewhat lapsed since being a member of the Young Ornithologists Club as a kid; did see a few cool hawks I’ll have to look up.

Daily double thumbs up – one for the Emus

Another different thing about Sweden; the cars. For one thing some of the tyres sound odd. Some cars still have their snow tyres on, which make a very distinctive noise compared with normal tyres, the small studs rattling down the road. And then there’s all the classic cars around. It must be a popular hobby in Sweden, restoring old American classics; I’ve seen several old Chevrolets and a wonderful Pontiac. Moving into the modern era I’ve also been passed by a few muscle cars; Corvettes, a Farrari, and lots of cars making satisfying growling noises, if you’re into that sort of thing.

After discovering there really aren’t any campsites around Bygdea, I put my head down and pedalled for Umea. It was getting late but my legs felt fresh, and I was in the zone, so I decided to head for the First Camp campsite. The E04 stayed relatively kind and the kilometres continued to fly by.

Final 40km on E04 to Umea

I pedalled to the outskirts of the city, Sweden’s 12th largest and a big University centre, and found the campsite just off the ring-road, very convenient.

Tired but I’d made it!

Reception was closed, it being Sunday and gone 18.00, but I pitched up anyway and would sort it in the morning. The one drawback of this is you can’t get into the toilet blocks for a shower, or the kitchen, as you need a key card. With a all the dust and grime from the road a shower would have been welcome, however I settled for a wash from an outside tap instead; needs must.

It wasn’t long before I decided to get some kip, after demolishing bread, cheese, salami, a ready to eat expedition pack of curry, and of course chocolate; it’s quite hard to keep eating enough calories to replace what you burn off, but also quite enjoyable. I fell asleep pretty swiftly, after a very satisfying day’s riding.

—>18 May 2015

I wasn’t aching in the morning, which I was somewhat surprised yet pleased about. I say wasn’t aching however my posterior was, and still is a bit; lots of hours in the saddle tends to have that effect – padded shorts help, as does chamois cream to prevent chafing. I think I’ll need to change my saddle at some point as this one isn’t quite right. The bike in general is performing very well to date, with nothing needing fixing. It’s just a matter of keeping the tyres pumped up, and things lubed.

Like yesterday I wasn’t quite sure where I’d be stopping today, however there were allegedly several campsites en-route, and if all failed I’d find a quiet spot amongst the pines, away from any ants nests; some of them are huge, must get a pic.

It was raining when I packed up; not a good start, having to pack away a wet tent, however with many kilometres yet to pedal I thought I’d better get underway. There was a big hare hopping around as I stuffed things into panniers; nice to see, and not the first I’ve seen in Scandinavia. It reminded me of the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, but I decided not to follow it, not today anyway. I haven’t seen any rabbits at all so maybe they haven’t gotten this far North.

At least I was dry, but I needed to get pedalling to stave off the cold. The expedition beard is coming along but doesn’t provide much insulation as yet, must concentrate harder on growing it.

Another day on the road, expedition beard progressing

I’m not sure I’ll keep the beard very long. It’s nice not having to shave when it’s cold, but I’m not a massive fan. I’ll keep it going until I leave Sweden, then have a beard review session and see what the consensus is between Lobster and I on keeping it, or going with a more streamlined affair as I pedal through Denmark.

On the way out I stopped at reception to pay, and had to buy a Swedish Camping Key (SCR) card too. This meant a night of camping with no facilities cost me 310SEK altogether. I should have just wild camped, although the card will hopefully be useful elsewhere in Sweden, as you need to have them for a lot of campsites; not sure why.

Pedalling out I passed a backpacker who’d been staying at the campsite too, marching resolutely into the city in the drizzle; we exchanged glances indicating mutual dislike of the rain and chill. I rode through the University area, which was awash with people on bicycles, attracting curious looks from pedestrians and cyclists alike, no doubt due to all my luggage and hopefully not my pirate look.

Umea, the biggest city in Norrland, has roots going back many centuries. It was probably first a Sami settlement, but they didn’t tend to have permanent bases, being nomadic. In the 14th century it was settled by Germanic people, but the Vikings were there before then. For a while it was just a place to trade with the Sami, and the last inhabitance before the wilds lot the North, but was made into a city in 1622. You can look up the rest on Wikipedia; it has an interesting history.

There’s all that history, and then there’s the fact it has a Mcdonalds, the first I’ve seen in Sweden. Whilst this is in some ways, slightly disappointing, in other ways, such as on a damp and chilly morning, it’s an important feature. I opted for a second breakfast to wait for the rain to ease off; it was meant to according to the forecast. The sausage and egg muffin and hot chocolate was a welcome calorie boost, and the free wifi a bonus.

The rain eventually started to ease up, so I bid Umea goodbye and rode out of the city over the river, getting slightly turned about by the numerous and maze like cycle paths; they loop around under the roads and it’s easy to lose your sense of direction. Cycling must be a very popular method of transportation in Swedish cities, as there were again bikes everywhere. I eventually found the E04, joy, and passed the same backpacker trying to hitch a lift. He would’t fit on my bike, with all my panniers, but I wished him good luck anyway.

I probably pedalled 15 to 20km more than I needed to today, due to taking roads running parallel to the E04, rather than staying on it for ages. I say 15 to 20km more, it doesn’t really matter, and the smaller roads are far more pleasant and interesting to ride on, however I don’t want to extend my route too much as I do have a bit of a schedule I need to maintain. After a couple of hours I took a break in the woods.

Break time in the woods

Wood pic 2

And of course, there’s always time for a thumbs up moment.

Double thumbs up with Lobster head-ware

I crossed several bridges over fast flowing and turbulent looking rivers, which would no doubt be fun to raft or kayak down; I think I’d just capsize.

River crossing near Haknas

River crossing – turbulent waters

At one point I decided to risk it and took a cycle track down a clay path through the forest, hoping it linked up with a road on the other side; this is after all supposed to be adventure. I’ve got a video of this I’ll try and upload, however here’s a picture in the meantime.

Clay road through woods, post Haknas

The road surface was pretty claggy and slow, but traffic free and made for pleasant riding, aside from the odd sneaky pothole. After a while I began to think I’d taken a wrong turning, but thankfully was able to join a fully functioning road near Nordmaling. I continued to loop around the E04 on smaller roads, but eventually had to rejoin it after Logdea, as I ran out of options.

Back on the E04, again

It was okay riding, but again the narrow single lane bits where you’re enclosed by crash barriers can be unpleasant when you’re passed by the really big lorries, especially wide loads transporting houses! Some of these lorries come very close and there’s nowhere to go, so you just have to hold on and hope for the best; there’s probably more room than I think but it’s still not very nice cycling. As mentioned before the lorries also kick up a load of dust, so I was regularly having to wash my mouth out, and felt rather grimy by the end of the ride.

I stopped prior to Ornskaldsvik, after covering 110km in 6hrs and 4 mins, at a slightly slower pace than yesterday. Here’s a link to my route and stats:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/778246976

The Mosjon campsite sits on the edge of Mosjon lake, and looks to be a big fishing venue; lots of places in Sweden are big fishing venues. It’s a lovely spot, if a little close to the main road so you can hear the traffic.

End of today’s ride at Mosjon campsite

I was fortunate that the campsite owner turned up shortly after I arrived, as reception was closed. She needed to give a cabin key to the only other person here; I’m the only camper, which isn’t an unusual occurrence so far. Lots of campsites aren’t fully open yet, and won’t be until June.

Mosjon campsite 2

A hot shower to wash away the day’s grime and dust was most welcome, as is the warm kitchen for typing this up in, and to cook up a noodle feast. I’m trying to dry a few clothes I’ve washed through, but it’s not working too well; can I microwave them?!

Mosjon Lake

I’m in the High Coast area of Sweden now, a World Heritage Site, so I’m hoping for lots more beautiful scenery, coupled unfortunately with a few more hills to contend with.

Mosjon lake – pontoon looking back at campsite

I did my best not to fall in the lake.

Pontoon a little rickety

The High Coast is so named because it’s slowly rising at about 8mm a year, after being massively compressed by the last Ice Age. Lots of cool wildlife to look out for tomorrow, including Beavers.

Campsite has pedalos, that would be a cool self propelled mode of transportation for an adventure

That’s all for today, tomorrow I head towards Sundsvall, probably stopping in Harnosand.

One thing, on cycle tours you have a lot of time to think, and sometimes sad thoughts can return. Yesterday I spent quite a lot of time thinking about Lu, my ex-wife and best friend, who passed away from cancer in 2012. Sometimes you just want to meet them for a coffee and tell them what you’ve been up to, and even though that’s not possible physically, I rode along telling Lu about my latest adventure anyway. I started off sad, then got inspired and motivated and pedalled on, one of the reasons I hit 100 miles yesterday.

The Big C were a great help to Lu whilst she was getting treatment. They provide support to patients, equipment to hospitals, and fund research. If you’re enjoying my blog please consider making a donation via the link below:

http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/james

Thanks to those who’ve already been able to make a donation.

15 & 16 May 2015 – leaving the Arctic Circle and down to the Baltic

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I’m typing this up in a communal campsite kitchen/lounge type area surrounded by Swedes who are in the process of getting gradually merrier as the evening progresses. They’re attending the dog show that’s going on at the campsite where I’m staying tonight, down on the Baltic coast in Byske; a lovely spot. The beer and wine are definitely flowing, who knows where this evening will end!

Anyway, back to yesterday and the Grand Arctic Hotel, where upon waking in my rather comfy bed, I dashed downstairs to partake of a particularly large breakfast; I love breakfast buffets when cycle touring, sadly they’re a rarity as I’m usually camping. Eggs, bacon, sausages, ham, cheese, bit of salad, bread and jam duly consumed, I felt ready to tackle another day’s riding, this time down to the Baltic coast, and out of the Arctic Circle.

Grand Arctic Hotel

Speaking to Jon over breakfast, one of the cycle tourers I met the evening before, I learnt he has a house near Orleans, or it might have been Biarritz, I’d better check that; sure I wrote it down somewhere. He invited me to drop in if I pass that way on my tour, which could be a very handy stopover…pretty sure it was Biarritz.

As I packed up I noticed with some envy that Jon and Tim were travelling light, not needing all the gear I have as they’re staying in hotels or hostels along the way. Tim has also sent a couple of his panniers on ahead, which isn’t a bad plan if there’s kit you’re not going to need until later. They were heading East into Finland, then up not Norway, so a slightly different route to me. I guess I can be more flexible as I have my tent, so don’t need to rely on finding accommodation; both methods have their merits and flaws.

Good luck to both Jon and Tim on their ride up to Nordkapp; hope the headwind eases up.

I pedalled out of Overkalix taking the road down to Svartbyn, passing a field full of old tractors, a bit of a strange sight. Feeling energetic after my Famous Five level of breakfast, I determined to try to stay above 20km/h, hoping that the wind continued to favour me.

Tractor Graveyard

Svartbyn, but no Svarts in sight, so thankfully no massacres; only people who have played Baldur’s Gate will get that reference.

Svartbyn – but no Svarts to be seen, unless they were hiding, or already massacred

Cloudy day but sun attempting to make an appearance

I crossed the wide and fast flowing River Kalixalven, before rejoining the E10. The river is pretty much at its highest at the moment, with all the melting snow and ice; not one to try to swim across – took the bridge option.

The River Kalixalven – fast flowing and looking very chilly

The E10 slowly took me down towards the coast, a gently undulating route through pine forests, alongside the river.

Views of the River from the E10

All the logging activity could lead to only one conclusion; I started singing ‘I’m a lumberjack…etc’. Thus ensued a whole repertoire of Monty Python songs, not a bad way to make the kilometres fly by.

Lots of logging going on; I wonder if they use the river to transport the logs at all

It was lovely cycling through the pine scented valley, with the sun coming out and no rain; wonderful to have a dry day after yesterday’s damp and chilly ride.

Lobster providing Dime bar energy top up

I was however rapidly running out of E10, and was slightly nervous about the E04 after what Jon and Tim had told me; not really any options to avoid it though.

Final pitt stop on E10

At Tore I joined the E04, a much busier road. There’s a crash barrier in the centre meaning vehicles aren’t able to give you so much room, coupled with barriers often on your right hand side, which means you don’t have an escape route. They’re those nasty cable barriers too, which would slice you up if you hit them at speed, say from a motorbike.

I caught my first glimpses of the Baltic as I pedalled along, but couldn’t see any sign of the Russian submarines I’d been reading about in the news; apparently there have been suspected sonar contacts in Swedish waters. Swedish peace activists have responded by lowering a ‘Gay Sailor’ into the Baltic, a neon sign which transmits an anti homophobic morse code; pretty novel approach to defence, and might just work versus the notoriously homophobic Russians. You can read the article from the Guardian on it here:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/13/swedish-peace-group-trolls-russian-submarines-with-gay-defence-system

To be honest I wouldn’t have spotted a submarine if there’d been one with its periscope up and firing flares, because I was concentrating on the road and on not getting buffeted into the crash barriers.

After a while I got bored with the E04, and decided to try an alternative route, one that would add-on a few kilometres but would hopefully be more interesting, and lead to slightly less frayed nerves. I turned off at Ranea, following instead back roads to Lulea, a far more pleasant option.

Taking the back roads to Lulea

I passed through several small villages as the road wound through the Swedish countryside, up and down small hills and through more pine forest, passing more logging activity.

Swedish village – route more interesting than E04!

This far South there’s hardly any snow left, something I suddenly realised as I pedalled onwards; no more frozen lakes either. The lack of snow didn’t stop one person from practicing his cross-country skiing; he was out on his road skis (like roller blades), speeding the other way as I rode along one of the cycle paths that run through most towns.

The convoluted route probably added on at least 10km, taking me into Lulea. Feeling pretty tired I was keen to get to the campsite, so didn’t stop to look around.

A small bit of Lulea

I did pause to take in my first proper view of the Baltic, or at least an inlet thereof.

Pausing in Lulea to take in the Baltic

Waving to a few other cyclists; MAMILS had made an appearance now I was in a city, I rode across several bridges and out of Lulea, to the First Camp campsite, my stop for the night.

Camping at First Camp in Lulea

I camped down near the kids play area, as suggested by the lady on reception as it was close to the kitchen. This initially turned to be a slightly flawed plan, with gangs of children roaming the area, but they soon quietened down; Lobster scared them off apparently. Bit annoying that I had to pay for Wifi access, unusual these days, and might as well just use my phone and roaming, which costs me £3 a day on the Vodafone Eurotraveller deal, when I use it.

Today’s distance covered was 126km; 6hrs and 40 mins of riding time. Here’s a link to my route:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/775296622

Before a fast becoming traditional dinner of noodles, I mended the holes in the bottom of my tent, made by the ‘Vitangi Varmint’.

Holes pre-mending, Lobster for scale

Holes post mending; bits of CTC plastic bike carrier bag and gaffer tap

And had a quick look around.

Beach scene at First Camp

One of the bridges I pedalled over earlier

Safe in the knowledge I was once again sleeping in a varmint free zone, aside from a Lobster, I got an early ish night. Must remember to adjust my brakes soon; cables have probably stretched slightly, coupled with blocks wearing down.

I did have a midnight snack; found a leftover from the Cycle Tour Fest in my panniers; yum.

Cycle Tour Fest snack

—> 16 May 2015

Today was a mixed day, but on balance mostly a good one. It’s getting even rowdier in the lounge area where I’m typing this up, so might have to retreat to my tent soon. Scandinavians can be quite reserved, and always polite, but they get pretty loud after a few beers; similar to us Brits I guess! There’s some definite swaying going on, and there’s been at least one drinking song – think they’ll be a few sore heads at the dog show tomorrow morning. All good fun.

i was glad to pack up and leave First Camp in Lulea, after not a a very comfy night due to pine cones under my tent; must remember to ensure they’re all moved before setting the tent up in future! At least pine cones don’t gnaw through bits of your tent.

Grumpy after broken night’s sleep

Lulea – packed and ready to pedal

I adjusted my brakes slightly, but will need to do it again soon, then got on my bike and pedalled off. I was back on the E04 unfortunately, but not a lot of choice, or so I thought. After I’d been riding for a bit I noticed a small track running parallel to the main road. It was tarmac’d, and had no traffic on it; looked ideal, and got to be better than being buffeted by lorries and worrying about crash barriers and vicious rumble strips. I turned onto it at the next available opportunity, taking a bit of a risk on it not being a dead-end as it wasn’t marked in my map, and my Garmin just helpfully said ‘Riding on unpaved road’.

Off the beaten track – leaving the E04 behind for a bit

Thankfully the track continued, up and through a village, and was even signposted as a cycle path at one point, with lamposts!

Cycle track, with lamposts

Unfortunately the surface deteriorated a bit after this, suggesting it’s not really finished yet. Fine for a mountain bike, but not so much a fully laden tourer where every jolt goes up through you wrists, not to mention your posterior.

Bike track surface deteriorates

I stopped for a break on a bridge, pausing for thought for a few minutes, and enjoying the quiet. Sometimes you can travel along without a pause, forgetting what you’re here for; sometimes it good to stop and stare…

Bridge break 1

What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.

I love that poem by William Henry Davis:

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

I had to get back onto the E04 for a bit, then joined a well-marked cycle path that avoided the motorway, and took me into Pitea.

Back on the E04

The road into Pitea took me past a Max burger joint, must have been fate; I stopped to refuel on one of their Chilli burger meals. Very nice eating that sitting out in the sunshine.

Max meal in Pitea

These fast food restaurants often have wi-fi too, which is handy to keep in contact with people. Took a photo to keep folks updated with how my pirate look is progressing, although I’m pretty sure it’s meant to be a parrot on the shoulder, and not a Lobster.

Pirate look in Pitea

I pedalled through town, stopping to buy few bits of food at the Co-op (not sure if it’s the same one as in the UK). I needed more noodles and cheese mainly, but also found some doughnuts.

Pitea pedestrian precinct

The town also had free public wi-fi, wish more places did.

It was a nice ride down from Pitea to Munksund. I was pointed in the right direction by a helpful older cyclist; didn’t speak a word of English, and me very little Swedish, but we got there in the end.

Riding down from Munksund

I was once again avoiding the E04. The small road took me along the coast in the sunshine, next to the water, through pines, past wooden cabins and houses, all very picturesque and peaceful; apart from the big chemical smelling factory I didn’t stop to take a photo of.

Then the road ran out next to a big river.

Out of road, need to get across river

And I needed to get up on this bridge.

Bridge; not immediately obvious how to get up onto it

I had to back-track a bit, then cycle through a campsite to find the road up on to the bridge. I successfully made it over the river then had to rejoin the E04, trying to keep to the narrow strip of hard shoulder between the deadly crash barriers and vicious rumble strip. It wasn’t actually too bad, as there seemed to be less traffic now, however the big lorries that did pass me kicked up a lot of dust that was pretty unpleasant, covering me and Smaug in a layer of grime.

Back on the E04, again

My stretch destination for the day was Skelleftea, however I decided to stop at the campsite in Byske; ‘Byske Havsbad’. This is probably one of the nicest campsites I’ve stayed at so far, and cheap at 120 SEK, as it’s still low season. The girl at reception gave me a few pointers on a route for tomorrow, which will avoid the E04 for at least the first 10km, after that we’ll see. I could try to push for Umea, but that would be just over 100 miles which is doable but not really necessary or that enjoyable; not much time to stand and stare. There are other campsites marked on the map on the way, so I’ll stop at one of them, or wild camp.

Thumbs up from Byske

Lobster is slightly worried about the connotations that come with the word ‘Byske’, however I’ve assured him it’s spelt different, probably, he’s looking nervous. It was bad enough with the sauna the other night, which is far too close to being cooked for his liking.

A gorgeous sunny afternoon with clear skies means it’s going to be cold tonight, so it’s thermals again for me. I’ve escaped the now raucous Swedes after chatting to them for a bit as they brought out bottles of dubious looking spirits.

Here are links to my rides today; two links as Garmin turned itself off in Pitea.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/775937942

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/776331230

Total distance= 105.5km in about 6 hours pedalling time, so another 65 miles nailed!

Thanks for following my blog, and for any comments, messages, tweets, charity donations etc. I had a moment today when thinking about all the kilometres that lie ahead of me, even to get to Stockholm, and it felt a bit daunting; only briefly but all the support is appreciated. I’ve found the best way is to chunk it up, and not think of the whole tour and getting to Istanbul, but of the chunks along the way, with small targets.

That’s all for a couple of days, fingers crossed the weather stays good.

Self Propelled

Self propelled adventures through life; blogging on cycling, touring, micro-adventures, general shenanigans, and environmental news