Thursday, June 01, 2006

 

What to do now ?

After so long in the saddle we are at a bit of loss what to do with ourselves. We have no bags to pack and nowhere to make our way to!

It is nice to relax a little, but our bodies are used to getting up and going. Yesterday we wandered up and down some shopping streets and then saw a film. Had another nice meal and a few beers last night .

Today our muscles were a bit sore, so we went for a gentle 19 mile bike ride to some parks in Stockholm. Took it nice and easy, had a nice lunch and wandered slowly back.

The weather should be quite good tomorrow, so hopefully we will take a boat trip around the many islands that make up Stockholm archipelago . But life is a bit weird just now!


Wednesday, May 31, 2006

 

End of Day 15: Trosa to Stockholm

We were excited because it was our final leg of the trip, but this excitement was somewhat dampened by the rain falling as we left Trosa (which means trousers or panties by the way), rain which followed us most of the day! We only had three dry days on the entire trip!



Despite the rain we made good progress to our first stop at a ferry crossing. Approaching the crossing the wind was really strong, slowing us down and bringing with it driving rain. Another fine day! We were cold and soaked, so we sheltered in the little shop/snack bar while we waited for the ferry, in fact it was nice and warm so we let one ferry go and sheltered for another half an hour, the girl behind the counter laughing at my terrible attempts at Swedish - you try saying ' kokt korv ' ( a hot dog) without getting a smile - its pronounced cookt.

A tiny spell of sunshine after the ferry was followed by more rain, and slowly we started to see more and more signs of civilisation - tower blocks and shopping centers. In fact one at Tumba we saw twice as we somehow took a detour and ended up back where we started 20 mins earlier!

As we were cycling slowly up a hill we both heard another one on my spokes break - this was getting worrying, would the bike make the journey! (It was either weakened whilst cycling when the others were broken, had been overtightened when the buckle was fixed, or I had a whole bunch of duff spokes!)

We were following cycle paths into Stockholm, which were a little bit confusing, which led us through lots of housing estates and parks. Now I sort of expected nice sunny tree lined avenues and riverside paths as we rode into Stockholm, not cycling through the equivalent of the arse end of Neasden in the rain! And then there was the thunder storm and the hail. We waited those out and carried on through the housing estates.

Slowly the areas got a bit nicer, and busier. It was a bit of a shock as we started to get into central Stockholm in the rush hour, after more than 2 weeks in the quiet countryside and small towns! The bike lanes were full of people, some doing some serious speeds with not much room to spare!


We eventually made it to the river, and then on ito the main square in Gamla Stan, the historic old town. We had pictures taken in front of the castle, sort of equivalent to Trafalger Square or Buck House. We had finally made it, through lots of wind and rain, but we were now firmly in Stockholm!

Then we headed out on the short trip to where Stefan lives. The only way Ben knew how to get there was through a busy shopping street, like a pedestrianised Oxford Street, packed full of people. It was a very interesting ride, weaving in and out of the all the people, only just missing them.( I took a small video on my phone but the phone crashed and lost it)

We got to the park where Stephan had arranged to meet us, and he wasn't there! A quick phone call told us he was running late, so we went for a beer! Just as we set off down a steep slope, made slippery with moss and leaves, my phone rang. As I answered it my front brakes locked up and the front wheel slid away on the moss. After 800 miles I took my first serious fall, almost knocking Ben over as well (causing him to bruise some delicate areas!).

I landed very heavily on my shoulder/side as I rolled over, but managed to save the phone (Thanks Paul - or Noddy as he is also known). I did think at first that I might have broken a rib or two, as it was one hell of a whack, but I think the whole area is just well bruised. I did a few stretches to check this out, lots of pain, but nothing serious I think ?



We limped off and had a beer nearby, and then went back to the park, where we were greeted by Stephan and his family, Gunilla and their two little blonde girls Signe and Ragna. They had made some banners and had Champagne and beer waiting for us, which was very touching. It felt as if we had properly arrived!

We went back to Stefans recording studio nearby (where Ben and I are staying) to drop off our stuff, and heard a couple of songs that Stephan had composed for us in a drunken moment. Very entertaining indeed!


Then we headed back to Stephan's apartment block, where we had more beers and a sauna, in fact beers in the sauna. It had only been built 2 weeks previous so we were very lucky, and it was just what we needed. Up to the apartment for some gorgeous food cooked by Stephan, and some wine and beer and good company. We had a fine evening.








Went back to the studio for a little more beer and some appalling attempts by Ben and I to sing Rocky Racoon (an old Beatles favourite of ours) which have been recorded. We finally crashed out at about 3 am. I found it impossible to turn over in bed onto my bruised side, and it is definitely no fun when I cough today, but just bruising ( I hope).

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

 

MADE IT - Stockholm - 55 miles (807 Total)

It's been a long and wet day, but we're finally here! There's a lot to say, but we've had a couple of beers, some champagne and now we are sitting in a sauna with a beer! What could be more perfect! Will say more tomorrow!


 

End of Day 14: Nykoping to Trosa :35 miles (752 total)

As we knew we wouldn't have a very long journey today we weren't in a hurry to set off. Instead of doing essential maintenance like get my rear wheel fixed we headed off after breakfast to spend two hours in an internet café so we could update our blogs! Much more important. We even hassled them to open up - they weren't open at the time it said on the door, so we asked at the Chinese restaurant next door if they could open up, as they owned the internet café as well.

After two hours of blogging we felt a little peckish, and the smell of the Chinese lunch buffet from next door was getting too much, so we had a lunch .

We started to leave town about 2 pm, having had a quick look at the harbour, and then I spotted a bike shop. He was too busy to fix the spoke there and then, so I bought one and a spoke adjuster to do it myself later on.

The sun was shining on first hour of our journey . We had been told by Stephan's aunt Margereta that this area was known as the sunshine coast, and we were beginning to see why. The coastal wind was holding the nasty black rain clouds inland (thank you wind) as we cycled in glorious sunshine, but at the same time the wind was doing it's best to slow us down (damn you wind!)

We could see dark clouds ahead of us too after a while, full of lightening. Not good. We soon started to get a little bit wet from the rain, but somehow we were only on the edge of the shower, so whilst it wasn't exactly pleasant, it wasn't the worst we'd experienced by a long way.

After only about half and hour or so in the rain we had made it to Trosa. It seems like a very well to do little place with lots of character. A bit like a smaller version of the Hamptons in New York , but much smaller .


I started to take apart my back wheel after we arrived at the hostel , to fix the spokes . Borrowed Ben's bike to go to the local shop to buy yet another new spoke - two had gone by now! - and attempted to fix my back wheel.

In theory I knew how to replace spokes, in practice I hadn't done it in over 20 years and I didn't have the tools necessary . Back to the bike shop again with all the bits of my wheel - as Ben predicted I would have to, although he doesn't know how to fix spokes at all - so the young guy in there could fix it for me. If it had been the front wheel I could have done it myself , but I'd have been very slow. The guy in the shop put it in a frame and very quickly sorted the problem. He didn't even charge me. (probably thinking - look at this guy in all the cycling gear and he hasn't got a clue!)

Any road up, the back wheel is now tickety boo, so a less wobbly ride for me.

It is very much a sailing community round here, the hostel we are staying in is a sailing centre. I'm sure it's all a very happening place in the summer, but it's all a bit quiet at the moment. We had a nice meal in a mainly empty restaurant - I had some very nice fish, perch - served by a very pretty young waitress, who Ben insulted by saying she sounded Australian. When they closed we went on to the not very lively sportsbar, had a few more beers, and Ben ordered a pear cider, which he didn't like, but I thought it was quite nice.



Monday, May 29, 2006

 

Site update

I have updated several posts below with pictures etc, back as far as day 7.

 

Bathtubs in fields!

What have the Swedish got with bathtubs in fields. We have passed dozens of them. Mostly tipped over or upside down! I know that they are sometimes used at home by farmers as food or water troughs, but here they just seem to be abandoned in the fields. Only one has had any water in it! Is there something we are missing, do they ward off Trolls or something (or is that in Norway ?) or has there been a special on at Ikea? We may never know!


(three in this one to the left)

 

End of Day 13: Valdemarsvik to Nyköping : 70 miles (717 Total)

Another fine and sunny day to be cycling! After a quick pit stop to buy some oil and lubricate the chain and gears, we set off across mild hills fields either side. Our journey today was going to be broken into three stages due to ferry crossings.

Our first stop was at Stegeborg. 24 miles done in a couple of hours, so it had to be lunch time! A very nice little restaurant sitting by the river watching the cable-ferry go back and forth. Also watching the rain clouds get blown away from us by the coastal winds. Nice! Although we can see the rain falling in the distance and have the feeling we will get wet later on.






A very nice lunch, I had a burger again - my diet seems to have consisted of nothing but burgers (good home made ones I must admit) and pizza recently, not through want of trying something else, menus seem to be a bit limited in what I like at the moment - and we got on the cable-ferry for the ride to the other side.




On the other side we had a couple of resonable hills to climb for a mile or so, and this makes me thirsty, so when reaching for my water bottle I discover that I've left it behind in the restaurant where I had it refilled ! Oooops! Ben relaxes on the grass by the side of the road while I leg it back to the ferry. Just missed one! got back the restaurant and grabbed my bottle and just made it back on the same ferry that I came across on. Back up the bloody hills again and 2.5 miles added to my journey for no reason!

Through more fields and trees to the next ferry at Skenas. A bigger ferry this time (Oooh). A huge queue of Sunday afternoon sightseeing traffic waiting for this one, but we cycle right on by to the front of the queue! Handy thing about bikes. Of course none of those people in the cars were going to get soaked and cold whilst going up hill later on, so the balance is restored!

We could see the rain clouds up ahead, and although the wind was pushing them inland, we knew we would pass quite close to them. Up several resonable hills and then we feel the rain start. We have about 10 miles to do into Nyköping (pronounced new-shopping) and it feels like 20. Just on the edge of the shower but getting nicely wet! After what seems like forever we made it to the centre of town and found our hostel. Feel much better after a nice warm shower.

We wander around the mostly deserted town centre - obviously Sunday night isnt a big event, wouldn't want to live round here! - and decide on Indian food for dinner. The almost empty restaurant was nice and two mixed Tikka meals are very good, along with a couple of beers! Went to a couple of bars, which are pretty empty, but I got given a Swedish flag by a drunk guy who had been to the races and was slagging off some French jockey!

At the second bar, we got talking to the Armenian barman, who was very passionate about football. Much conversation about the world cup, mainly by Ben and the barman, but I was quite entertained by his passion for the game and his thories on FIFA rigging the whole event! Sevral more beers and we head back to the room to crash! Has beena long day.

Sunday, May 28, 2006

 

End of Day 12: Vastervik to Valdemarsvik : 55 miles (647 Total)

A very uneventful cycle through some more forests and fields for the afternoon , some hills but nothing too strenuous. The weather stayed fine and sunny, although there was a fairly strong head-wind, which noticeably slowed us up at times. But all so much more enjoyable than previous cold and wet days!


Arrived with plenty of time at the small town of Valdemarsvik, so sat near the harbour having a couple of beers and enjoying the sunshine . Went back to our B&B (run by a swede with a Thai bride) for a snooze, then we hit the town !

Well, maybe just slapped it lightly. More of a mild tickle actually. The town centres around a couple of bars and restaurants, one of which has a ten pin bowling alley in it! Oh yes, we were gonna have some fun tonight !

After we had eaten we tried out the bowling. It was lit with lots of UV and flashing lights and played lots of hard rock music. Nice. We played a couple of games, Ben getting the the better of me at first with several strikes, but the scores evened out in the end, with Ben just holding the lead.

Then back to the first bar for the live band!


Actually they were pretty good.
A young band playing a mixture of american and sewdish rock to a very young crowd, with one or two very drunk and much older folks (excluding me and Ben that is!). Quite a laugh, although we didn't know a lot of the songs. Guest vocal spot from one of their friends in the crowd - he shouldn't have bothered. It wasn't quite the Inn on the Green, but it was good fun, particularly for a Saturday night out in a very small town in the middle of nowhere.


Saturday, May 27, 2006

 

Something had to give.


Don't worry mum, it wasn't my knees, it was the bike! Ben noticed a quite pronounced buckle in my rear wheel and when I stopped to inspect it I found one of the spokes had broken, causing the buckle. (whatever happened to BOG Standard - ) Not a serious problem, I just loosened off the rear brakes to let the wheel spin freely (back brake are for girls anyway.)

It hasn't stopped us doing a nice and fast run this morning to a little port called Loftahammar for lunch (28 miles in 2 hours), in mainly glorious sunshine!







First time we've really seen the sun for about 10 days! Lovely, sitting here at the marina and taking it all in.

Similar distance to go this afternoon.


 

Rest Day (26/05/06)

A much needed day off from cycling! If
only to buy a new map, as we appear to have cycled off the last one!

Vastarvik is a very pretty harbour town, and a nice place to relax - OK, those who know me know I mean it has some good bars !

The hotel we are staying in is very nice (Best Western - www.stadshotellet.nu/ ) and after buying maps and lunch we spent much of the afternoon in the sauna. Doing it properly, coming out of the sauna every now and then to jump in the very cold plunge pool - trust me, you do get used to it, and feel quite good about it !

After a bit of internet blogging, out for dinner - called Mongolian Barbeque, but actually a Chinese ? - and a few beers. Ben eventually goes home, and I stay the course till late, chatting to the locals. 2am is definitely my time to hit the hay! Much cycling to do tomorrow and to a less than one-horse town, as I had confirmed tonight. Supplies will be purchased along the way!

I've added some more pictures to some of the last few days posts too. (Check out Ben's blog for more photos)

Night, night.


Friday, May 26, 2006

 

End of day 11: Oskarshamn to Vastervik : 69 miles (592 Total)

This is the day that nearly broke me! It has been very long and arduous, and at times I thought about giving in and jumping on a bus - if only we'd been anywhere near any civilisation to do so!

We started the morning by avoiding a rain shower and set off well along some good roads. We decided to take the 'scenic' route rather than just cycling along the main road, which is a bit like a busy A10 in Hertfordshire, not exactly exciting to cycle on, but very fast when we do.

We chose the longer loop along the coast, and headed for Klintemåla, what looks like a little fishing port. We travel quickly along good roads, only to arrive at nothing more than a boat launching point and a closed shop (out of season ). Then the heavens opened and gave us a very heavy hail storm.

Luckily we managed to just shelter under the eaves of the shop. When the storm stopped the air was now very cold and we could see there would be more showers. We carried on, now cold and hungry (Ben hadn't had much breakfast ) and soon the roads we had to take became dirt and gravel tracks through the forests, which were constantly going up and down hill. These tracks make cycling very difficult, and I seemed to have lost all the strength in my legs (Ben was also suffering through hunger).



After numerous hills, which really slowed us down, and hiding in a cattle barn to avoid a thunder storm (pictures of calves that were probably only 1~2 weeks old to follow) we finally made a little village and had something to eat (it was now 4pm, but we hadn't set off till nearly midday ). A very nice - but expensive - arty restaurant gave us the will to carry on, but this was short lived, as we ended up on more hilly dirt roads that seemed to go on forever and just sapped our strength and mental reserves. On several hills I thought about getting off and walking , but somehow made it to the top.

The sun came out around 6pm, which made it a little more bearable, but still a long way to go and lots of hills. We eventually made it to good roads and pushed on (me getting slower and slower on the hills) and got to the main road again, only 6 miles to Vastervik.


Had an ice cream lolly, which boosted spirits a bit, but didn't last long though . We tried to avoid the main road, only to add 3 miles to the day by going down a dead end (looked fine on the map, only to stop at a fence and a farm track). Back to the main road and then we flew along on the good surface (even uphill) and made it to Vastervik very quickly. Got to our nice hotel at 8pm, tired but now happy, and in a right state, both us and the bikes covered in mud!

Checked in to separate rooms for a change (we are staying for two nights as we are finally having the rest day) and I got to have a nice hot bath (only one other hotel had a bath). Strangely Ben's room doesn't have a bath.

Feeling much better and refreshed, we wander round the corner to a very nice bar for some food and beer. The bar is on the very pretty harbour in Vastervik, so we have picked the right place to have a well deserved day off!
(PS - my trip dooberry tells me that I have burnt 1700 calories today!!)


 

End of Day 10 : Kräksmälla to Oskarshamn : 54 miles (523 Total)

Day 10 was originally meant to be our day off, but we decicded to push on rather than spend our day off in the middle of nowhere, without even a pub!


So we set off at a quick pace, and we soon came to a lookout tower at Abooda. Now lookout towers are normally at high points, and this one was no exception! It was at the top of a very steep hill that nearly killed us! It was like some kind of hill-climbing challenge, my lungs nearly fell out! But we made it to the top, had a drink in the cafe and then climbed the tower. 21 metres high, and great views of all the surrounding lakes.

We carried on at a quick pace, and made it to Högsby for lunch. After that we set off through the forests rather than take the main roads, this was where things started going wrong! We obviously missed an unsigned turn off and ended up by some houses at the bottom of a dead end track . I thought I could hear a banjo playing somewhere in the distance! So we turned around and made it back to our starting point 40 mins after we set out! And 7 miles added to the day!

So we decided to take the main roads instead and made very good time into Oskarshamn. And we hadn't been rained on at all!! The first time since day 1! We were happy about this!

Our hotel took a bit of finding, as it was way out past the dockyards and factories, but after a nice shower we strolled back into town and found a nice pub, The Krakan, which did fantastic food.


Possibly the best burger I have tasted, certainly way up there. Had several more beers in there, chatting to a few locals, and then headed home to crash for the night.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

 

A great British tradition

OK, it's time to lower the tone a little bit (this may surprise those of you who thought things were at rock bottom already!)

As Britains abroad, we like nothing better than laughing at slightly rude sounding foreign signs or place names. So never one to dissappoint, here are my favourites so far :-


I wonder what they sell in there ?



















Do you think his name is Bertie ??


and do you think he has a blog too ?!?












I'll leave you to guess what's on display this week ???

















I'll never look at speed bumps in quite the same way !

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

 

My bottom : an update !

For those of you who were so concerned about the state of play with my undercarriage (you know who you are!), the problem seems to have been solved.

It turns out that the seat wasn't correctly positioned for me, so I wasn't sitting on it properly. It was slightly too far back for me, so I was leaning forwards on my more tender areas! Not so good!!

Somewhere in between Trelleborg and Ystad (seems such a long time ago) I adjusted the seat forward about an inch and everything has been much better since! I am now sitting on the bones in my bum - seat bones so I am told - and although they have taken a couple of days to get used to things, and me used to a totally new kind of pain, things are much better, and the discomfort is genererally subsiding.

Hopefully things will be sorted completely by the time I get back to blighty! Nice !


 

Greetings from neils sidekick

Hi tony: mr reardon wants to know where you were for that german o level exam

Hi og: listen, i´m sure you haven´t changed in the slightest either. How is the gearbox on your dads sierra these days?

Hi neils family: i have to admit that annoying as he can be (as in one-upmanship, always having the last word, twitching all the time and talking in his sleep), he has been an absolute star on this trip. His knees have held out, his outfit has improved in a big way, his stamina is superb and his map-reading has saved the odd detour now and then. I have learned the hard way to keep a wide berth when he is on one of his no hands sprees, but hey, whats a few scuffs between friends.

We are well over half way and i am very confident of a happy end. I thought i might be dragging neil along with me, but in fact when i had my borat poisening experience, it was him chaperoning me home.

What a mate.


 

Thanks for all your comments so far

Just a quick thank you to all the friends and family, nephew and nieces, (I can almost hear my sister standing behind you as you type) and random bloggers that have put up comments so far. All much appreciated. Even my Mum has made her first foray onto the Tintewreb! Well done Mum, keep it up - and don't worry, the joints are fine......., it's just some of the muscles I'm having to watch now ;-) . (tubigrip is doing a marvelous job!).

Cheers to you all.


 

End of Day 9: Emmaboda to Kråksmåla : 40 mile (469 total)

Once again the morning was fine and sunny. After breakfast we saw Marly to her train (opposite our hotel) and waved her goodbye as her train to Copenhagen pulled out. We then went to the hotel where we ate last night to use their very kind offer of free wireless hotspot to catch up on emails etc (the local library with internet wasn't open till 11). Just a shame we can't properly update the blogs from our mobile phones, otherwise you would have some more pictures to marvel at! We need to get to proper computers to do that :-( .

As soon as we got on our bikes the heavens opened and we were drenched and cold in under 5 minutes! This is starting to get tedious now! Another day cycling in the cold and wet. The one thing it did do was encourage us to cycle really fast, as the sooner we got to lunch the sooner we'd be dry!

An hour and a half later and 20 miles done over some fairly hilly roads through the forests. We were now sitting in a nice cafeteria at the Orrefors glass-works tourist attraction (yeah living the high life again). Ben and I are feeling happy, warm and dry in our cycling stuff, with a handful of tourists (whether they were happy or not I'm not sure, it didn't look that exciting as an attraction!)

Anyway, after a nice lunch of herring and mash (can anyone spot the culinary theme of the trip so far?) we set off again, now warm, still a bit soggy - shoes still sodden and cold though - but at least the sun was out!

We again seemed to have speed on our side as we kept up the morning's pace. The roads were relatively flat, some mild inclines, with a few hills at the end. We made it to Stefan's aunts guest house in another hour and a half, another 20 miles done.


The house is the same traditional Swedish style as the photos that I haven't yet managed to upload, but you'll see what I mean soon. Like a little yellow doll's house.
Stefan's aunt Margareta is a lovely, interesting lady who cooked us a very nice meal (the only herrings were in the starter, herring salad - a mix of - herrings - you guessed it - mayonaise, egg, onions and gherkins which is actually very nice). We had a good chat and some cake and tea to round it all off.

Margareta has now left us to this lovely little cottage, making sure we knew where the heating controls were, and we are sitting writing up our blogs, as there's not much else to do (I can see horses if I look out the window, but Ben is a bit troubled by a cat outside that is giving him a good staring at!). There's only about 80 people in the village and no pub. We've brought a couple of beers with us and a bottle of coke to accompany the cycle friendly bottle of vodka, so I'm sure the night won't seem too long ;-) .

Just a note on the countryside that we are passing through. It is mainly pine forests, with the occasional farm, so we are seeing lots of cows and little calves, and horses and little foals, all very cute, and lots of piles of logs by the side of the road.


Logging is one of the main industrial activities around these part, but there's even more piles of logs than usual apparently, as there was a big storm early last year that brought down 5 times more trees than they would normally harvest in a year, so they are still clearing up the backlog (no pun intended).

No one can say that I'm not informative, dull yes, but informative ! Just helping you to join me on the journey in words and pictures. And another thing, whenever we stop to check the map or to take a photo the bloody mozzies are on us in seconds, despite spraying ourselves with repellent. Just think yourself lucky that I'm out here doing the suffering for you!


Monday, May 22, 2006

 

End of Day 8: Karlsham to Emmaboda: 60miles (426 Total)

It was a lovely sunny morning when we set out today. With a breeze on our faces and smiles in our hair we were prepaired for anything the world could throw at us! So it didn't. We had a very enjoyable ride through some swedish pine forests (where else would Ikea get all the wood for that oh so indespensible shelving unit and TV holder !) with almost no traffic. Lots of bloody hills though! Up and down like the Asyrian Empire (or a whore's draws, whichever analogy floats your boat!). My leg is still twingeing a bit, so I am using the really lightweight gears to get up the hills. Can be a bit tiring.



Big excitement of the morning was finding a grass snake on the road - I think it was confused, and it was very nearly squashed! (I`ve attached a picture, and will link to a short video of it legging it as soon as I can )




We had a pick-nick lunch today, as the really quaint looking café that was the only place to eat in the tiny village that we stopped for lunch in (Backaryd) was shut on Mondays! Typical! We made do with some supplies from the garage/supermarket opposite. There's only so many pickled herring in mustard sauce sandwiches that I can eat ! accompanied by baby pickled gherkins (actually it was a lot more enjoyable than it sounds).




More pine trees and hills for the early afternoon and red or yellow painted traditional Swedish houses, of which we have seen many on our trip so far.. Then it started to rain, again! Nice and cold and wet by the time we got to Emmaboda ( a slight change in our route due to there being no accommodation in Lessebo).

Emmaboda is very much an industrial town, based on the paper industry. We have passed several paper mills recently.

Had a nice dinner in the hotel that we are not staying in, along with a few beers, before retiring to the room to consume a few more beers (everything round here shuts at 10pm!)

Marly leaves us tomorrow and will be missed greatly, as much for her supply of Green & Blacks chocolate as her interesting conversation, map-reading skills and witicisms. We wish her a safe and enjoyable trip home on the overnight train to Cologne.

So another day`s cycling tomorrow (surprise, surprise ) to the very nowheres-villle Idaho little town of Kråksmåla - pronounced 'krocks-smaller'. ( Mr Stefan's aunt has a place there, and Ben has enjoyed a fishing trip or two there). Apparently there isn't even a pub there (I'm tempted to take Mr Maunder's advice and turn around ), but I have faith in supermarkets and my cycle friendly bottle of duty free Danzka Vodka, which comes in a lightweight aluminum bottle!

Until tomorrow ......


Sunday, May 21, 2006

 

End of Day 7: Kritianstad to Karlsham : 50 miles (366 Total)

We set off rather late about 12 noon after a leisurely morning, all feeling a little bit like we had a beer or threee last night. Not much to report about the journey, a bit longer than expected, but we did take the scenic route along the coast whenever possible, much better than the main roads!

We stopped for lunch around 3 o'clock in a nice little harbour town, and were served by a waiter who sounded exactly like Borat. Ben and I found it very difficult not to laugh, especially when he described the Swedish national dish - " balls meat". Highly entertaining.

Quite uneventful end to the day, although we somehow managed to avoid the rain, despite being contanstly surrounded by very dark,looming rain clouds. In fact we seemed to find the gap in these clouds all day, as we had a fair amount of sunshine.

Staying in a really nice youth hostel (ok - don't laugh!) in Karlsham. (we went a bit further than on our original Itinerary, as Murrum is a bit nowhere). It seems empty and we have room to ourselves. Ben's feeling a bit queasy since lunch and has crashed early, I may go and find a nice bar the hostel owner told us about! You guess.... (It was shut! supermarket time for me.)

 

End of Day 6: Ystad to Kristianstad : 70 miles (316 Total)

Well thankfully the afternoon's ride was not very hilly and the painkillers kicked in, because today was our longest stretch so far at 70 miles (and probably the longest of the trip) and my leg survived it with only minor twingeing, much better than this morning!

Our first stop after lunch was only a couple of miles from the pub, when Ben realised that he couldn't find his phone and camera (both stored in the same little tupperware box - very neat!). He searched his bags and then rode back to the pub and shops, over a couple of reasonable hills! When he came back about 25 mins later he was empty handed! We were trying to work out where he could have left them, and he was contemplating how far back he would have to ride, when one last search of his bags found them buried at the bottom! Somehow if Marly had looked for them in the first place I think it would have saved Ben a trip! (women always find the things that blokes can't see right under their noses!)



Our next litle escapade was cycling across a Swedish Army firing range! We had to lift the bikes over locked gates. Now this may seem a little foolhardy, but the soldier we spoke to assured us we were safe until 9am the next morning as they had to stop firing practice for that day! Although I'm sure there was a little smirk on the normally very straight Scandanavian features! It was a nice ride along the coast though. This is us leaving the firing range, we did shut the gate though, just in case any children should wander in! ;-) (warning signs on the left)

We followed lots of coastal routes and paths to Kristianstad, and I was very happy to get there as my leg was giving me grief after such a long ride! We were booked into a nice hotel in the town centre. A quick shower and change of clothes and we were having our first beer of the night in a cosy bar! We had some food in a little cafe across the road, and started watching the Eurovision Song Contest! Ben was very excited about this, as we had seen the preview show on the ferry from Germany.

Now I normally wouldn't watch The Euro Song Contest. not exactly my cup of char, but this was hysterical! The Finnish Band were fantastic, really giving the whole show a bit of a kick up the arse ! Closely followed by the Lithuanian entry, called - We are the Winners, which was most of the lyrics too! Really funny!

We moved to a little bar when we finished eating and saw the end of the show there. Finland were the runaway winners, although the Swedes in the bar were a little dissappointed!

Had a couple more drinks in another bar then crashed for the night pretty exhausted.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

 

Day 6 : Lunch (35 miles)

We have now done more miles than yesterday's entire route, and it's only lunch time! (in under 3 hours). We've got about another 30 to go ! It has been quite hilly, with a bit of head wind. And to make it worse I've strained a muscle in my thigh (right medial quad if you're interested) which is making things a bit difficult today.

I think it's payback for the extreme burst of effort from two days ago. My right leg is the stronger one, and does more work, and it's now tired!



I've had to put on my second leg brace, and now I'm looking like a bionic Michelin man ! I've taken a pain killer, so we'll see how the afternoon pans out. It does take the enjoyment out of the ride somewhat.

It has been sunny-ish so far this morning and quite breezy. We will be following the coast more closely now, aiming for Kristianstad, via Arhus, home of Absolut vodka. Looking forward to getting to Kristianstad and crashing in a bar.




A big Happy Birthday to my brother Glen (and also our cousin Caroline)


 

End of Day 5: Trelleborg to Ystad : 32 miles (246 Total )

As we left the internet café the rain started again! A light drizzle and cold breeze that stayed with us till late afternoon. We were taking no chances this time, fully waterproofed up!

We actually had a very gentle ride along the coast, as we didn't have that far to go today. Stopped for lunch at Smygehamn, Sweden`s most southern point. It is a very little fishing port, so we had fish - I had a herring burger! New one on me, but tasted quite good (fried herring ).

Carried on at a gentle pace and made Ystad easily. I`ve got some cracking photos of signs along the way, I`ll upload the pictures as soon as I can.

Had a very nice meal for Marly`s birthday and then sat in the bar upstairs listening to a live two piece band (guitar and banjo) who played all the usual coverd, and surprisingly three Pogues songs, so I was very happy!

A long day again tomorrow, so we will have to get an early start.


Friday, May 19, 2006

 

Going nowhere fast

Well we haven't made much progress this morning! Only to a cafe and then the internet cafe! It's raining and miserable again, so we are waiting for the rain to blow over and using the chance to update blogs.



Had a typical continental breakfast type deal, then ended up in a little patisserie waiting for internat cafe to open!

And it's Marly's birthday today, so a very big HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MARLY

Hopefully get going soon as the rain seems to have blown over. Bring it on....

also check out stefans site www.longlongway.com and click gallery for some more more not very flattering photos!

 

Trelleborg

Been for a couple of beers in a local bar and all is well! Had a few on the ferry as well ;-) Trelleborg seems like a slightly old fashioned town, very neat and tidy.

I mentioned earlier that riding up the ramp to the fery was fun, well riding off the ferry was less simple! As we rode onto the ramp, a ferry guy (as they call them locally) was pointing at the joint between the ferry ramp and the dock. Yeah, I'm thinking , it's a bump up and down, I can cope. Less than a second before I hit this 'bump' I realise he is trying to point out that the joining piece is slatted metal, with gaps just wide enough for a bike wheel to fall down! Too late!

The front of my bike has fallen away and I nearly go over the handle bars, coming to an abrupt stop !

Thankfully I managed to stay upright, no damage done to the front wheel and Ben and Marly avoid the same fate, in between laughing! I reckon those ferry guys run a sweepstake on how many cyclists they can catch in a day!

At least we are warm and dry now. Tomorrow`s another day, a nice short one !


Thursday, May 18, 2006

 

End of Day 4: Stralsund to Sassnitz :45m (214 Total)

And now we are three !

This morning started off well as we met Marly at Stralsund train station (she had travelled overnight by train, Eurostar then a couple of connections in Germany).

It went decidedly down hill from there! It started raining and didn't stop till late afternoon, the cycle paths were mainly dirt tracks or bumpy concrete slabs through fields. We got lost following a cycle path sign that was now redundant ( the farmer told us this as we got to the far end of the track!)

We were now cold and wet ( mine and Ben`s high tech, lightweight 'condoms' not being as waterproof as once thought), and we were travelling really slow over the rough ground, so not generating any heat. Also waited too long to put our waterproof trousers on, so soaked by now. A real low point!

Made it back to the right road and eventually found a little café to get a bite to eat and warm up!(2.15pm) We were now behind schedule and had a ferry to catch. If we travelled at some of our best speeds from previous days we`d just make it, but we were all quite dejected by this point.

Amazingly we cycled like wild things (helped to keep warm !) and did 17 miles in an hour, still in the rain and up and down hill, but we were determined not to miss the ferry! We only had 6 miles to go and and and hour and a half to spare.

A leisurely ride along some nice cycle paths on the coast and we arrived in plenty of time and the sun came out. Perfect.



To cap it all at the duty free I found a reasonable hooded top (adidas still, but not looking like the Russian 70's gymnast team) and have solved my warm top problem (now just got to get rid of the other monstrosity!!)

Riding up the ramp to the ferry on our bikes was fun, behind the lorries and ahead of all the cars.


On board the ferry we all had nice warm showers and got changed into dry clothes and shoes - pure heaven, OK, the cold beer did help to cap it all off!

Have now eaten and are feeling much better, beers in hands and enjoying the ferry ride! Been an up and down kinda day, ending on a high as we pull into Trelleborg.


 

End of Day 3: Altentreptow to Stralsund : 62 miles (169 Total)

Another long day and my legs are very weary. It has mainly been a grey, cold and wet day, with drizzle most of the afternoon. We both had to put on our condoms - our lightweight, slightly rubbery see through rain jackets (picture to follow sometime).

Started the day with a quick visit to a bike shop as my gears needed adjusting (well the bikes gears, as my own are way beyond repair ). Very simple adjustment and bike is now running absolutely smooth.



Have fully rediscovered my skills of riding `no hands` (much to Ben`s disapproval - he seems to think that I am some amatuer when comes to bike riding but I spent much of my youth in the saddle or repairing and re-assembling bikes. Despite another fall (admittedly on top of Ben taking him down as well - we did stop rather suddenly to photograph a stork (left) on a traditional German nesting site and I`m still getting used to having peddle straps!) all my little swerves are under full control and he does tend to over react a little ;-) )

After riding along some bumpy tracks and getting cold and wet it was very nice to arrive at the rather nice 4-star hotel Ben had arranged (at a very good price too). A very welcome warm shower and 15 minutes in the sauna put everything right again (sadly the three young fraus who appear on the hotel website were not there ! http://www.hotel-zur-post-stralsund.de/eng/hotels/sauna_solarium.html ) .

After some relaxtion we hit the internet café to organize some accomodation for Saturday night in Kristiantad - I found a nice (hopefully) small hotel in the centre of town. And of course we both had to update the blog and keep you all informed - with several beers to help us with our task.

We then went to a next door mexican restaurant. Now usually these plastic looking chain places serve quite mild food - not this one! I only ordered a basic burito and my mouth was on fire! And they had closed the kitchen when I asked for some ice cream to cool things down! Although I was told this by the most attractive tall blond waitress with the most gorgeous accent, so life wasn't that bad!

That's something that Stralsund doesn't seem to be short of - gorgeous women (admittedly mainly quite young). Stralsund seems to be a rather nice coastal town that's being developed slowly, keeping the local architecture. Along the quayside there are some nice looking bars and restaurants, and I can see why Ben would like to buy a flat here.

We went to a very lively club on the quayside and saw lots more of the beautiful (young) people, heard some good music and had a few more beers - a good time was had by all!

Regarding Bens quote about my writing and thinking simultaneously difficulties, he was being obscure with complicated Spoonerisms whilst I was writing an email, and it sounded like he was speaking foreign, so I had no chance.

My thought for the day was : .......and her knickers remained firmly on !
(quoting myself, is that one of the signs of insanity or just complete up own arse-ness) made us giggle!

(I`ve sorted out the pictures on several of the posts below, so go back and have another look.)

See ya


 

Worse for wear!

I`m a wee bit too drunk and knackered to post up anything of any substance , so I`ll leave it to tomorrow morning. Despite Ben`s best efforts to slur my good name I will resist from replying until I am firing on more than one cylinder !(could be some time ).

I am led to believe that we will be going through some Very rural bits of Sweden , with no pubs !!! Stock up on duty free vodka is the order of the day, so I`m told !


Wednesday, May 17, 2006

 

Day 3: Lunch.


The cycling is starting to get in the way of this eating tour of Gemany & Sweden !

Not so good getting back in the saddle again this morning, still smarts just a little bit ! but is definitely getting more bearable, thank god (should`ve listened to your saddle advice Rose ).

A very grey and chilly day today. Ben`s got his tracksuit top on, as most mornings, but mine is staying safely packed away! I like a nice cool breeze! (wherever it may flow !)

We`re keeping a steady pace today as it it about 60 miles again.

Stopped for lunch in a nice little bistro in a very grey town called Demmin.

Very nice pizza, but I think I may have been a bit over zealous in ordering! Couldn't finish it all! (doesn`t Ben`s tracksuit top look nice, wonder where he got that!?!)

Only 23 miles done so far (2hrs 10) so a long afternoon ahead - PS, Tony, I`m not sure what the meat was on my pizza but I did see some black and white hairs on it !!


 

PS - my arse!

I am not looking forward to getting back in that saddle tomorrow, cos it was sore as !#@& today! I`m just hoping that it is all so numb down there tomorrow that I can`t tell. Small mercies would help !


 

End of Day 2: Lychen to Altentreptow: 45 miles (107 total)

The afternoon was not very eventful, managed to just avoid the rain, and a few more steeper but shorter hills. My legs are a bit sore tonight as we seem to have pushed it a bit by going faster than yesterday and uphill!


Went out for a meal in Altentreptow, which was busier than Lychen, by 12 people, so things are on the up! Went to a local bar and watched three middle aged dorises watching some sort of East German Variety show, hosted by a Geri Halliwell lookalike, except this woman was stretched into widescreen, but she still looked as big as Halliwell once was!


Back at the not so charming B&B now and gonna crash soon. Lot`s of cycling to do tomorrow , but we are staying in a nice hotel tomorrow night, with spa and sauna, so looking forward to a little bit of luxury


 

The tracksuit !

Ok, it was a panic buy. I`d been in that bloody sports shop for about 4 hours and was getting stressed and it was the best of a very bad bunch! Very bad!!!


I was too embarrassed to wear it last night (the top that is, my waterproof trousers are very passable as long trousers - no really ) and despite being a bit cold when we arrived here today I will not wear it.


I only bought it cos Ben said I needed one for warmth in the evenings, he didn't tell me his is a nice (trendy) cotton top with very subtle styling!

Oh no, I look like Zorba the recently released to re-offend refugee !! My black fleecy type jacket would have done fine, except I have sent that to Stockholm already as I was told it would be far to bulky to pack in my bags! Yeah right, loadsa room in my bags, and I look like a rapist !


That tracksuit is going straight on ebay when I get back home ( it was sodding expensive )
Roll on tomorrow ..........


Tuesday, May 16, 2006

 

DAY 2: Lunchtime (eating again!)



Lunch is a traditional German dish called Roulade - which is flattened rolled up beef, with gamon, gherkins and some mustard. very nice.

The weather has been good so far this morning, but the wind is getting up and the skies going grey. There is a possiblity of rain this afternoon, although we`re hoping to miss it. We`re taking the scenic route through the forests this afternoon , so should be nice, and not far to go either !








We set off from the B&B this morning at 9.30 and it`s been a bit of a hilly stretch so far! But we`ve made very good progess, in fact traveling faster than yesterday, 27 miles in 2 hours 10. Fighting the wind a bit too. Been cycling mainly on main roads (A & B roads ), so lots of fun as the lorries thunder by!



German tarmac tastes funny by the way, as I fell off the bike to an audience whilst waiting in a queue at temporary traffic lights! Lost my balance and couldn't get my foot out of the pedal straps in time !! Just a lttle embarrassing , thankfully no photos of that!

(saw a dead badger - no good for you badger fans out there !!)


Monday, May 15, 2006

 

End of Day 1: Berlin to Lychen: 62 miles

5.30 pm: A bloody long day, but I have just ridden 62 miles in one day, and I`m feeling quite good. In fact I don't feel bad at all!

I have to say that if Ben hadn't already ridden the route before we could possibly have done more miles, as at times it wasn't clear which way to go (more later).

Most of today`s journey was through nice countryside, on minor roads and lots of cycle paths, next to canals and generally very pleasant. I did actually enjoy it. It`s been a gorgeous sunny day. Admittedly my nether regions totally disappeared after 10 miles, and after 45 miles my arse finally gave up the ghost, but I`ll live to fight another day! Oh, and don't mention the coble stones! I think I`ve caught them!

I`m just amazed I`m not hurting more! Less than skiing in fact! I have done some serious stretches and my body feels resonably good! But who knows how it will feel in the morning ! (apparently I have burned off 1225 calories so I`m looking forward to dinner).




Now, about 6 of those miles were because we had to double back on ourselves because a bridge was closed on the tow path.

Now there was a big sign just before the turn off, but as I can`t read German I`m excusing myself from any responsibility for what it said, but the photo shows Ben as we pass it for the second time that day ! Make you own mind up if it was a bit on the unnoticeable side?

(The sign says "Diversion Long Distance cycle path" )


 

Lychen - ghost town !

Ben and I are staying in a B&B just outside Lychen. vey nice, very clean and just what we need to relax tonight. We had some well needed showers and then went to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Had a good meal, a few beers and then I suggested that we get a cab into Lychen and sample a bit of the Local fare and nightlife!

How wrong can you be !?! Not a soul to be seen, not a bar open! nada, zip, zilch !

After walking around a bit we got another cab back to the room. We are now posting to the blog for something to do! We are both now shattered, and I think we will retire to our beds soon.

Note to all - don't got to Lychen (former east Germany ) looking for a damn good time on a monday night - You won`t find anything at all.
-
Public service broadcast over !


 

Day 1 : Lunch ( an eating holiday ??)


12.45pm Ben has planned out our rest stops quite well, and quite regularly it seems. We are having lunch in a nice coutryside spot, local speciality - Strammer Max (ham and egg on toast with gherkin).

Now even though we seem to be doing nothing but eating, we have just done 27 miles in 2hrs 20mins (actual cycling) and according to the trip computer used up 530 calories - it`s technology, it has to be right ! Another 27miles or so to go, with no more (planned) food stops ! wait and see.....


 

DAY 1: second breakfast !


10 am. We stop at a café for a quick bite to eat. you can see Ben is enjoying his Bockwurst !


 

DAY 1: Cheating already


I had imagined starting our journey from Ben`s front door, but it turns out we would have to cycle something like Battersea to Enfield to get to the north of Berlin, in the rush hour. So we took tne train to the north. Suits me!


Sunday, May 14, 2006

 

So the transformation begins !

I spent all day yesterday in a huge German sports shop buying all the gear that I am gonna need on my trip. £400 quid on stuff that I can't say that I exactly like (and that's an understatement !) and which I will probably never wear again !

People who know me know that buying clothes is a bit of an ordeal for me - I swear that I have a bit of a phobia - so I was very glad to get back to Ben's and have several cold beers !!

Cycle shorts, shirts and gloves : -




and that's not all padding in those shorts ( although every little helps ;-) ).



A tracksuit!! ( I'm sure I'll wear that a lot down the King's Head when I get back !) It's lightweight and the only warm clothing that I'm taking.


"So how do I get from Lithuania to Oxford Circus ? And where am I gonna get a greasy black perm from at this short notice !!! "

And waterproof gear as well.


I did try on a pair of these all in one cycling bib type shorts -


but decided that they made me look a bit like Shirley Crabtree


















Having spent all this money it'd be kinda funny if I have to bail out after a couple of days !!!


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