Some pictures for the last post

Road through the archipelago of Äland

Castle walls on Äland

A nice spot for a coffee 

Niclas and Steve showing me how it's done on Stiga soccer. I sucked

Branko, Niclas and I ready for a ride around the south of Gotland

It was great to ride without panniers for a day 

Medieval Visby 

Scenery along the way. It's been a lot like this back on the mainland. 1000's of oak trees line the roads

Kalmar 

Sunset at Karlskrona campsite 

The ferry over to Brändo

Nearing the end

Hello all.


It's been a week since i last wrote anything but all is good here. I can't put any Pictures up this time but hopefully will be able to soon.


I am currently just outside Karlskrona which is in the SE of Sweden. I have one or two more days riding left Before I head over to Kopenhagen for my flight home.


Since I last wrote I have been through the islands of Äland off the coast of Finland. They are really flat and linked up by lots of bridges and ferry's. I spotted some good wildlife including an Otter with a pike ( I Think) in it's mouth and a monster sea eagle. It must have had a wingspan of well over 3 meters!


I got the ferry back to Stockholm from Marinehamn. It was quite an experience. I got on at half 8 in the morning to an enormous cruisleiner but it was deserted. After a while people started appearing. It turns out it's a booze cruis boat from Stockholm and no one actually gets off the other end. They party all night then stay on the boat, Wake up around ten and carry on drinking. There were some right sorry states including a guy who I watched take ten minutes to put his shoes on the wrong feet whilst security waited for him.


Darryl kindly put me up for the night when I got back into the city and the next day I was heading South to Nynashamn to get the ferry to Götland to stay with my friend Niclas and his family. This has been the highlight of my trip. They stay in a Lovely old Chapel in the South of the Island. They looked after me so well and made me fell really at home. I owe them a big favour when they make it to the UK. I stayed for a couple of nights and enjoyed going for a ride without the panniers on with Milieana's father.


The day after I headed back up North to Visby, the capital city of Gotland. It is a walled medieval Town and really beautiful. I stayed in an hostel which is an old prison. Niclas and Mauri joined me for the day and we had a walk around, great food and a few beers. Götland is a really party Town at this time of year. I woke up a bit groggy the next day.


The ferry took me back to the mainland and Oskarshamn. Since here I have been riding South. The scenery has changed and is a lot more agricultural. The roads are lined with Oak trees, the sun's been sihing and it's been stunning. The two Towns I have stahed in, Karlmar and Karlskrona are both castled towns and verry pretty.


My plan is to ride to Karlshamn today then head over to Helsinbourg on the train to catch a football game before heading over to Denmark for my flight home.


Sorry I can't get any Pictures up. I will as soon as I can. All's good here


Cheers,
Sam

Pictures from last post

So I have made it to Kustavi where I will get the ferries through the Archipelago to Äland. I have found a better computer so here's some pictures

A spot of nature camping. I got a bit scared by animal noises!

These flowers are everywhere along the road in Sweden. I like them but don't know what they are called 

Two views of the bridge in Sundsväll

The Jetboil in action. Been stopping for coffee here and there along the route which is a habit I am enjoyong 

A bridge in Finland

Another Bridge in Finland 

Thanks for looking.

Sam

Finnish? Nah, not even half way through yet

Hello from Finland.

Please excuse the terrible pun but your mind does funny things to you spending 6-8 hours a day in the saddle.

Sadly this computer doesn't read my photo card so I can't put any picture up. Hopefully soon.

I am currently at Uusikaupunki just about to set off for the day where I hope to get some way towards the Archiepelago of Aland. It will involve a series of ferries and riding a few miles here and there, I am looking forward to it. That's if the heavens don't open again, looking out of the window I'd say there was thunderstorms brewing.....

Since the last post I have covered a fair few miles but not all of them under my own steam. I made it to Sundsvall after a day of battling into 15mph headwinds all day, not fun with the anchors that are fully loaded panniers. This was where I was going to get the bus / train North to Umeä. I had some time for a look round the museum there which i enjoyed.

The coach driver North was not very helpfull and wasn't going to let me put the bike on despite me wrapping it up in a monster plastic bag (glad I kept it from the way out). Thankfully me fellow passangers and another coach driver told him to stop being a prat and he put it on. It was a 5 hour coach journey and although i felt like I was cheating a bit I was glad for a day off the sadlle and to gain a few days back as that would have been 3 days riding.

I crossed into Finland on the ferry without too many dramas arriving at half 2. I went to Tourist info to get some ideas as to where to stop for the night and was told of a good place 60KM away. Perfect. It turns out it was twice that far and a lot of it on busy roads, nopt so perfect. I arrived just before the shop and campsite closed and promptly passed out. It rained throughout the night but it was comforting on the tent and thankfully it has stopped in the morning.

I don't have a specific route to be following here so am sticking to proper raods which although pretty deserted are a bit dull. Ocaasionally you get a good climpse of the coast but mainlty they are long, straight and flat with nothing but trees for company. I am howvere getting 120KM or so in relatively easy during the day.

It absolutely hammered it down yesterday whcih was not much fun but managed to get to where I wanted to be for the night and had my first sauna of the trip which was great after a tough day in the saddle.

Hopefully i will get some pictutres up soon.

Nice one,
Sam

Melting

Hello from Hudiksvall.

I am currently sheltering out of the heat and sun in a library. It's pretty warm out there and the tarmac is pretty sticky in places.

I have a bit more time on my hands this time so can let you know a bit more what's been happening.

The first days's ride was tough and I was greatful to arrive at my stop for the day

Bridge to Lindigö and Darryll and Emily's

The 2nd and 3rd day of the ride I have been riding with a friend, Darryll. It's been great to have a local alongside me, especially navigating out of Stockhölm.It would have been very easy to have got hoplessly lost otherwise. The city is surrounded by water and some great spots on the outskirts

Outskirts of Stockholm 

 We didn't make it as far North as we were expecting so pitched up at Norrtäjle.

The next day I felt much better on the bike and we headed on our way . We had a bit of a time to keep as Darryl needed to be back in the city for the vening so we ploughe on at a fair pace. Towards the end of the ride we ended up on some great stretches of road, just as the sun came out . A lot of the section of the route I am follwing heads along roads like this with no car for 2 hours sometimes. I hope that I don't get a mechanical on a section like this!

Darryll enjoying the ride 

When we arrived at Öosterbybruk we siad out goodbye's and Darryl headed off to get the train. I was now back to being a solo rider. It was great to have company but it also felt good to be on my own for the next few days at least. The village had ana amazing campsite and I went for my first swim in the lake. I didn't have the balls to jump off the diving boards as it was full of kids jumping from the top one.

Night swimming 

A few of the villages I have been passing through are old steel / iron works from the 19th century and they have been well preserved and turned into tourist attractions with small cafe's

Axmar Bruk

Axmar Bruk 

It's been great riding in sunshine and hardly any wind.

It's looking likely I will get a bus train from Sundsvall to Umeä as I am a bit short of time at the pace I am going. This allows me a little more time to explore places and go for swims in the lakes rather than aiming to do 160KM a day which is hard going.

All in all though things are good, the people are friendly and the roads interesting. Here's a few more pictures to finish up

Cheers 

Dry stone walling, Swedish Style 

Thankfully no headwind on this section. 5 miles , no turn 

Two of my favourite things combined 

Well worth the effort

Hello all,

I am currently at Gävsva library which is about 200 miles north of Stockholm. I did try to post from my brand new tablet but it appears to be broken already, oh well! Sorry I can't put any pictures up

It's been tough going but a lot of fun. I had forgotten how hardt was riding a fully laden bike weighing 50KG, also I think the pilot of the bike is also a feew KG's heavier than last time!

All the travel went smoothly and the bike arrived in one piece. The fist bit of maintainance was pumping up the tyres and managing to snap a valve off the tube, not the best start.

The first days riding was from Skavsta airport to Darryl's hous on Lindingö which is an island in Stockholm. I thought it was going to take 5 or 6 hours, it ended up taking 8. I was spent by the end of it! I was well looked after and fed there.

Next day was ridingt North along the cykelspäret which is the route that I will take all the way whilst heading up to Umeä. I could barely trun the pedaös over at some points, I was finding it really tough.

I've just noticed I am about to run out my 15 minutes in the library so will have to cut it short.

An overview
I am feeling much happier on the bike after 4 days riding
Sweden is (so far) incredibly beautiful
The cycle route I am following is stunning and sometimes a little close to mountain biking!
There are a lot of lakes
You can only buy beer up to 3.5%!!!

I hope to be able to write more soon and hopefully add some pictures.

Cheers,
Sam

Heading Off

It's been 3 years since my last cycle tour which I was sure wasn't going to be my last. Today's the day I set of on tour number 2. The plan this summer is 3 and a bit weeks around Scandinavia, an area I have never been to but always wanted to. It will take on a different format to the last one as there is no set finish point, I just need to get my flight at the end of the trip.

I fly into an airport outside of Stockholm then plan to ride to Stockholm and then spend a week riding North along the Gulf of Bothina. After that it is not so concrete but I will get a ferry across to Finland, tour there for a few days, pass through the Archipelago on my way back to Sweden and then eventually end up in Copenhagen for my flight home.

Again it is just myself and my bike but I do have plans to meet with a couple of friends on route.I am on the same bike as three years ago. As of last year it has been a bit of a rush job getting ready but I feel a little more prepared as I have a bit more experience of what to take with me this time. I have even managed to get my Aero press and stove packed this year so I will be able to enjoy a coffee in the morning.

I am really excited about seeing a new part of the world at the perfect pace of travel. I am also looking forward to some solitude as I find solitude is good for me on occasions. It's going to be sad being away from home at sometimes but a good adventure!

The bike fully loaded

All packed up and ready to go. Please look after it Ryan Air

I hope to be able to keep up to date with this blog over my trip so if you are interested have a look every now and then.

Speak soon
Sam