Day 10-11: Mixed feelings

Since eight o'clock when my alarm woke me up at Day 10, there was a beautiful sunshine outside. It stayed such all day, but it was easy to notice the difference to the sunny days in Germany - regardless of the sunshine it was not warm here. The biking experience was very unlike that of Germany and Denmark in some other ways too. Unlike anytime so far on this trip, the road was incredibly straight, big, and silent. I would ride the same road for two whole days at least until the Lake Vättern. The road was the old E-4 ("Gamla E-Fyran"), a previously used main highway between Stockholm and Southern Sweden. Ten years ago they built a new, even bigger highway, so this one was all empty now! The services and shops had already vanished from the old road's side, so at times it felt too silent. Almost like the road itself was lonely. Just endless flat pine tree forests, then some fields, a few red painted houses here and there, sometimes a sleepy little town or village. Compared to their German counterparts, Swedish landscapes were quite homogenous. Part of the reason was of course, that I was not cycling on the scenic Sverigeleden biking routes, which are known for their beauty.

Break on the roadside.

During the first whole days in Sweden, I was getting a bit mentally tired, despite of the nice weather. I felt overwhelmed, thinking about the long journey still ahead of me. In addition to this, I was fretting about money issues, because I knew the costs were exceeding my planned budget heavily. This was due to two reasons. Firstly, the trip was taking longer than I had originally thought. Secondly, it was a daily challenge (especially in Denmark and Sweden) to find an accommodation with less than 50e. On average the accommodation had cost me about 40e per night, quite expensive! Consequently, I was usually eating in burger places, pizzerias and kebab restaurants to spare some money. Pros - I was getting lots of calories, which my body craved! Cons - the food quality in Swedish pizzerias was not convincing. 

For these reasons, I wanted to bike home pretty fast. But I have to say, that regardless of all the mental and budget issues, I still enjoyed the nature, challenge of the journey and the disconnectedness from the outside world. Especially being disconnected is something really rare these days and consequently all the more valuable. It gives a pause, helping to see the everyday routines from a different perspective and to put things in context.

Spring on a Swedish river side.

Back to the events of the first days in Sweden. On Day 10, I got physically much more tired than during the day before. I still got the best kilometer count so far (120), ending up in a town called Värnamo. Partly it was my body thanking me for the 1,5 days break in Copenhagen. But even more importantly I got far because the road was easy to follow and I didn't need to use time to check the route all the time, like in Germany. The second day was even better. I slept a good 9,5 hours in Värnamo and restored myself as well as possible. So from Värnamo I proceeded to Jönköping (maybe 80 kilometers) already before lunch. After lunch my energy only increased (which was  great as the terrain got really hilly).

After Jönköping the route sided the Lake Vättern for 50 kilometers. Vättern is the second biggest lake in Sweden, and definitely one of the most beautiful of the ones I have seen. It is a vast and majestic sight, not least because the lake giant is surrounded by steep hills and cliffs, making it resemble a Norwegian fjord! Viewing from my track on top of the cliffs, close to hundred meters above the shore line, the lake looked like a leopards skin - surface was glimmering in the sun, spotted with shadows created by dozens of clouds in the sky. I could see the steep hills on the opposite side, but could not distinguish the far end of the lake in the distance. Needless to say, the landscape made the rest of the second day a real enjoyment. Adding to the excitement, from my high view point I could see how a storm front was closing on me from the South-West, following me as I hurried north in the dimming evening light. I could clearly see the pouring rain over Jönköping, where I had been just a few hours ago. Eventually I biked faster than the rain and got out of the way. The storm front went North-East, passing me by only a few kilometers. Days journey was again a new record - 140 kilometers. In the evening I accommodated in the only Motel of Ödeshög, a small town on the shore of Vättern. As usually, the night was peaceful - I was the only guest in the whole place.

Landscapes after Jönköping - Lake Vättern.