Day 42 Cologne to Sundern 110km
Yay Emma is starting to get better. She had a restful sleep with minimal coughing. On the road by 8.00am. Much better and drier trails today so we are happy girls. Met a locked gate today by a dam but it was an easy reroute so no major time was wasted. The sun is shining ✨️ today. We think it's the first sun we have had in Germany. Germany redeemed itself today with mostly great trails beautiful forests and farmland with happy cows. Lots of quaint towns and old buildings today. Still some shitty grassy over grown trails but it's all a lot less muddy and wet. Lots of ups and downs today but felt like we were climbing most of the day.
Day 43 Sundern to just before Horn 112km
Good sleep in the airbnb. Heard rain overnight and woke to cloudy but no rain. The day started like the previous with lots of forest roads and lush green fields but then delighted us with some cute villages, castles, beautiful big trees along the ridgeline and even an icecream stop.
Thunder and lighting threatened throughout the day but we seemed to stay just ahead of it. We rode through a military training ground which included the longest paved street in the area!! Bumpy as
Stopped at 6pm at a nice little 3 sided hutte. Checked train timetable and text Hagen to arrange a visit tomorrow night. It'll be nice seeing him and being in a German home
Day 44
Rode 54km to Hamlen. Then took a train to Gardelegen to Hagis parents.
Just before we got off the train, a guy spoke to debbie and said he liked the look of our bikes. We chatted for a while before he asked who we knew in Gardelegen . As it turned out, he is Hagi's girlfriend’s brother!!! We saw him everday after that, it was very cool
We were able to drop off our bikes with a local mechanic and give him the replacement tyres etc we'd ordered online.
Our first night we went out to a lovely Italian restaurant where we caught up and enjoyed a nice meal and great Italian wine. A different experience to cooking in our pot and sleeping in our tent!
Day 45
We enjoyed this rest day and were able to wash and clean and sort everything. Uwe (Hagis dad) drove us around town and was a wonderful tour guide. We learned about the Gardelegen massacre in the war and also visited his horse stables. A somewhat somber experience.
For dinner this time we sat around Hagi and Katarina's garden and ate delicious cheeses, breads, salad and olives. We biked to and from their place on Uwe and Gudrun's city bikes
Day 46 rest day Hagi birthday 🎂 After another sleep in, two coffees, muesli and bread, we made a NZ style carrot cake with cream cheese icing as we knew Hagi liked it. Emma slept for two hours and Debbie biked out to a hardware store and bought some more gas for the cooker. Its not always easy to find the screw on sort but so far we've always managed to find one when we need it.
We went out to an amazing local restaurant for dinner with Hagi and family and friends. Wholesome and delicious. We've really enjoyed this time to being with a loving German family. We've had regretted not calling in and spending time with Alba and Ricard in Catalonia so this really made up for it.
We have found it fascinating leaning more about the East and West German divide, the wall etc. So hard to comprehend how it must have been.
Day 47 Hamburg to Camp Roland 74km
After Emma treated Gudrun's sore neck we loaded up the bikes and rode to the train station. The train was going to ge an hour late!.... so instead of waiting Uwe drove us to our connecting train so we would remain on schedule. So kind.
Saying goodbye was sad. They have been like parents to us over the last 3 days. Lots of hugs and pampering.
Got off the train and rode back on track in Hamburg. We decided to do an out and back to the Alt Elb..? Tunnel which was pretty cool.
The city was very busy and even though we had cycle lanes everywhere we went, it was still a bit slow to get out due to Al the stopping and starting to link the trails. Hamburg certainly has some beautiful and amazing green areas and big old churches etc.
We rode until 6:30 and found a restaurant for a hearty hot meal and a glass of wine. We had to ride a short distance up the hill to our campground and we both felt the wine. It was worth it though
For the first time we were in a camp ground and talking to others. It was so nice sharing stories with a fellow cyclist and also meeting a couple of Scotland who are travelling with their camper to Iceland. They have been to Nz and even gave us their address so we could visit them when we're in the UK. Yay.
Day 48 camp Roland to the Denmark border 144km
Our last day in Germany was a cracker. Blue sky no wind warm. Great trails : paved bike paths, smooth single track, under water tunnels, fun mtb trails taking us through lovely farms, forests, old towns, new towns, past castles, fiords, yachts, churches, under rivers, past vlcows, sheep, donkeys. What a spectacular end to our time in Germany. Hello Denmark 🇩🇰 opps didn't click we needed a new currency so did a quick exchange with the wises card. Last minute shop before we crossed the border as we have heard Denmark gets more expensive. Stopped to by burgers before leaving Germany by the coast but the kitchen was closed. Emma went to fill up her water in the toilet and got chatting to a lady who was the Cafe owner and had been to nz. She gave us some home made potato salad as a gift. The next Cafe we passed was selling wine and hot chips 🍟 so we stopped in for a drink and chips. Finally we crossed the border and made our way to one of the many shelters
Day 49 Denmark border to shelter just out of Jelling 166km
Woke up to the birds at around 4.30am. The days are really getting long. It doesn't get dark until 11pm and is light again at 4am. A nice dsy offlatish roads and trails. Lots of large farms and cute houses. Stopped off for coffee and some special Danish cakes. Woozer $42 .00 nz. Tried to get a campground in a town called Jelling but instead found a music festival with 35000 people so promptly headed out of town. Found a lovely shelter with a couple of families and two trampers. The sleeping shelters were full so we pitched our tent and had a wonderful time chatting with them around the fire. They even shared their smores with us. Renaud arrived after having tracked us for the last few days he'd done 200kmsto try and catch us. We gave him the link to our tracker when we’d ridden with him in France
Day 50 157km shelter to shelter 16km past Aars
Up and at em. What a beautiful day and a beautiful ride. Lots of bike trails and paths and lots of flat. Green fields and forests. Shelters and BBQ areas everywhere. What a treat. Thunderstorms threatened and one hit while we were shopping! Lucky as it was pretty intense 😬 We found out from the Danish trampers that churches always have toilets aDay 51 nd hot water and power. Went to a church today for lunch. Washed our shorts dried our tent and charged our electronics. Off to find a shelter for the night 16km our of Aars. Great shelter and no rain while cooking dinner 😋
Day 51 Shelter out of Laars to a museum 35km out of Fredericksen and our ferry to Sweden. 146 km
Another awesome day in Denmark. Today we were treated to bike paths, single track galore, mud, sand and gravel. We even cycled along the beach and coast and stopped off for a skinny dip. Thunderstorms surrounded us today but luckily we only got hit by one. Lots to look at today . So nice to be near the sea. Fish chips and cider for dinner before finding an awesome museum building to sleep in.
Emma's cough is back which is a bit of a worry. Nice shelter it's so relaxing knowing you don't have to hide to camp. The most stressful thing about Denmark is the slugs that get munched by your tyre then flick onto your mudguards or drink bottles or face. Ooey gooey yuk.
Day 52
Great sleep in the museum then a quick dash to Fredericksen to do some shopping and restocking of supplies before we head to Sweden where things are supposed to be even more expensive. Some grassy and some non existent tracks today which was a bit of a faff and unusual for Denmark Our time in Denmark has been short but sweet. The highlights have been the shelters, the friendly people and being on the coast again. It has been cool being able to do 140 kms a day in average 🙃 and nice having more daylight hours so it's easier to ride later into the evening.
Ferry to Gotenburg Sweden. Found our airbnb in Gotenburg and cooked a delicious roast garlic potato and sweet Potato salad with broccoli 🥦 😋
Day 53 132km
Hey hey from sweden. First day in Sweden and we are loving it. Getting out of Gotenburg was a dream. Cycle trails and all traffic gives way to bikes at ALL intersections. Wow so amazing. Once out of the city. We were into the forests lakes and gravel roads. Just like nz. Today's quote the people make the country First coffee and sweet treat gets the thumbs up. Beautiful lakes and sunshine. It feels like we are now on holiday and can relax. Found a small shelter to camp at. Not our flashest but in a quiet place with no grass and not many mosquitoes. Nearly swam but not quite.
We love seeing the Swedish road signs in the same colour of their flag!
Day 54 169km shelter to Valfjallet Ski field just before Charlottenburg
Another awesome day of riding on beautiful gravel roads through forests and past beautiful lakes. It rained most of the day but our Rab packlite jackets kept us safe and toasty dry. The mosquitoes are very inquisitive and starting to get annoying hence a day offer stops. The locals are lovely and friendly. We had pitched our tent under the shelter of a sports clubrooms when a guy came over and offered us the staff quarters of the ski field for the night. Hot showers a washing machine and drier and power!
The rhythm of Sweden is quite different from Denmark with fewer towns, more gravel roads, a fewer shelters. It never gets dark and there are mossies. Our riding days are planned around shelters and resupply locations. Our lunch food choices revolve around what can we eat on the move due to mosquitoes arriving as soon as we stop. We have been pleasantly surprised though on numerous stops that there were no mosquitoes and we could sit for sometime in peace.
Day 55 145km
Woke up feeling very happy we were inside a lovely room and the sun was shining. We had our usual muesli fruit and coffee and then headed to the supermarket to restock for the next two days. The larger towns are more scarce so we need to be more self sufficient. Another day of gravel and forests. A bit more climbing today and also a big of single track to mix things up. Had our first swim in a Swedish lake today and also came within meters of the Norwegian border . Mossies were a bit more placid today until about 6 30pm when the attacked all 3 of us with vigour . No fun at all but luckily it only lasted a few minutes. We whipped out the repellent and pushed hard to get up the hills faster than the mossies. Found a really cool cabin down by the river just out of Amberjoy. It's maintained by the local community which is awesome Rain forecast for tomorrow night which is not exactly what we were hoping for.
The cabin had windows and school so we thought we were safe, but at 11pm we aborted that idea and put the tent up in the cabin next door where we had our bikes. Another late night.
Day 56 113km
Omg Sweden we love you. Lakes forests gravel roads no traffic ! Beautiful day with lots to see. Found a dinghy with its oars underneath it at the long peninsula on a quiet lake. We decided it would be pretty magic tovget out onto the water so went for a row on the lake had a swim and enjoyed the stunning location. Great riding on great roads. Camped in a campground at salen ski field. Nice to have a place to cook away from the mosquitoes a shower and to wash our clothes in the washing machine. Great day which was more relaxing and less focused on riding than other days. The weather plays a huge part in how we feel about our surroundings as does the road surface. We are still amazed at how sparsely populated Sweden is and how few towns there are and how few cars or people we see.
Day 57 144km campground to just before the river crossing at lillhardal. Another stunning day with more great riding . Saw a red deer as well as a moose with 2 babies today. Wow. We were so stoked to be able to see a moose and hope there will be more encounters like this.
Met another guy doing parts of the European Divide Trail today which is always cool. Did a couple of out and backs today one to a shop in sarna and one to a waterfall . Did our first wild camp in Sweden tonight. Had a fire 🔥 using wood that has been cut and left on the side of the road. These wood piles are everywhere. Mossies not too bad until after dinner so we are now hiding in our tent. When it never gets dark it always feels like you are stopping too early. However we still have a lot of kms to go and we need to make sure we don't overdo things and get depleted again. We're both feeling strong again and can stand up on the pedals and push hard when needed. For a while we found that way too hard. We're not sure what has helped but we've been taking vitamins, using electrolytes again and eating more.
Dsy 58 camp to windshelter out of Overturingen 170km
Nothing really jumped out at us today but it was an awesome day of riding that went like this great smooth gravel, soft mud, wet swamp, soft sand with bear prints to look out for, soft gravel, deep gravel beautiful lakes, a cooling swim, deer, a burger and chips for dinner then another 40km of all gravel types. The wind picked up which meant no mossies. One thing we a loving is No SLUGS in Sweden. Had a fire and chips at the shelter. Then bed. Another awesome day in Sweden done. 🇸🇪 one thing we have noticed is how tidy the forestry is after they've logged. We're not sure if they just selective log or not
Day 59 wind shelter Overturingen to windshelter Shogun 150km
What a lovely place to wake up in. We had a delicious breakfast at the lake before attacking the 73kms to the town of Bracke. What a dream the ride was. Beautiful smooth gravel and rolling hills.of course there were forests lakes and huts and mosquitoes poised to attack if you ever wanted to sit down for more than 10mins
What a privilege this edt route is . The places we see the experiences we have and here in Sweden the peace and serenity is next level . For the most parts it's us the trees and the wildlife.
Mostly we cycle apart but in sight of each other enjoying our own thoughts and songs Occasionally we come together for a sing song and when we need to get somewhere we work together like a pack of hunting wolves trying to make it to a supermarket or shop before it or a campsite before it get too late or outrun a swarm of mossies .
The not so glamours things about cycling. Not getting a hot shower every day. Not washing your clothes everyday. Washing your hands face legs and cycling shorts etc in public toilets. Having to find water and filling up from public toilets or private hoses if noone is around. Asking people for water from their houses. Not finding shelter in the rain. Not finding somewhere comfortable to sleep. Sitting on the ground all the time. Having a wet tent ⛺️ getting bitten by ants Stealth camping in countries where it is not really permitted
Found a deluxe windshelter in the town of Shugun. Cooked sweetcorn and sausages on the BBQ and relaxed by the lakeside. Were hoping for an awesome sunset but it was cloudy and also the sun sets at 10.30pm and rises at 3am with no hours of darkness in between.
Day 60 Stugun to Stromsund camping ground cabin 135km
Wow 2 months on the road. Two months of wearing our Rab Cinder crank liner shorts and our Rab sonic long sleeve tops daily and they are still perfect for the job. We are so happy with the gear we have it is comfy hard wearing and most importantly keeps you feeling safe and protected from the elements no matter what the conditions throw at you.
Sayings for this leg nice/ there is no hope ! We will never get there.
Sweden has a totally different rhythm to anywhere else with shops few and far between and most of the road surfaces being gravel
Today was head down bum up and about getting the kilometres done. The wind was strong and luckily mostly at our back or side. The mosquitoes were ferocious and the wildlife were keeping hidden today. We were so happy to get a cabin at the campground as the heavens opened just after we arrived at 4pm. It was awesome to be able to dry everything in the campground drying room and be warm and cosy in our cabin.
Day 61 Stromsund to Asele 164km
Today started out a little cooler than normal but nice and sunny. Beautiful forests and roads once again. The clouds gathered throughout the day and 15km from our destination we got hit by a thunderstorm and the temperatures plummeted. We headed straight for the supermarket then to the campground to pitch the tent. Once again it was nice to get inside to escape the mossies when cooking.
Day 62 Asele to camp 70kms north of lycksele 180km
Decided to reroute today due to swampland and mosquitoes and the need to get to the next town to buy spoons and a knife that someone left behind at the last town.
Found exactly what we needed plus some more potent mosquito repellent which hopefully will stop them biting ! We have now entered Swedish Lapland the land of many reindeer. Here's hoping we see some
Found a lovely shelter by a river for the night.
Day 63 shelter to hut in 50km from
What an awesome day ! Woke up to cold but clear blue skies. Treated to nice roads and lots of reindeer. So happy ! Still lots of forests and lakes and the ever present thunderstorms each afternoon but .... so wonderful seeing reindeer in the wild. Shopped in for the next 2 days as towns are getting more and more scarce. Found a great hut to stay in in the Servio nationalPark. . A German group were having a BBQ in the hut and shared their salmon and potato salad with us. What a treat.
Day 64 160km hut in Park to the most amazing house on Lake before Jokkmokk. We set off with gusto intending to do 150 plus kms then look for and hopefully find a shelter near a lake. The forecast was for heavy rain overnight so we were a bit anxious about finding a shelter but hoped things would work out for us. We saw more reindeer and the usual stunning scenery. At lunchtime we sat down on the roadside as we often do and a lovely local guy stopped to see if we were okay. He asked if we had an issue with the bikes or had been hit by a reindeer. As has been the case most days, the day starts out fine then deteriorates and the thunderstorms come in about 5pm. The wind picked up and we were surrounded by big black clouds. We rode pretty hard to the lake where we thought we might stay but no shelters were to be found. We decided to ask at a house for somewhere to shelter and to pitch our tent like a forage or verandah. Emma saw a group of guys standing around a fire so asked them. The guy said - would ypu like a beer? And yes we have shelter for you. We ended up with beer, wine, dinner and a sauna and a cabin. Omg life doesn't get any better than this ! These guys took hospitality to the next level We had a great sleep with black out blinds. Breakfast of eggs toast and coffee. Life doesn't get any better than this!
Day 65 50km
Woke up to cold icey rain. Conditions were not appealing so we decided to sleep in and do a half day to Jokkmokk. It's amazing how much slower travel is in the wet and how bad it is for your bike. The trail was wet and slow and muddy but still beautiful. It was actually nice to be back into 4 wheel drive tracks that twisted and turned, after weeks of wide open gravel roads. After such an amazing night we both felt very at peace and happy We found a nice airbnb in Jokkmokk and spent the afternoon cleaning the bikes , drink bottles and clothes and catching up on this blog. Some times we can get tied up in the trail and getting through the kilometres. Having had the experience we had the night before reminded us that we are here for the journey- not the destination.
Sweden
No slugs
So serene and beautiful
Endless forests and gravel roads
Like being on a wildlife safari with moose reindeer, elk and bear poo everywhere.
Mentally taxing due to long straight roads and remoteness. Towns are few and far between.
No alcohol is sold in supermarkets
It NEVER gets dark.
People are very friendly , cars are courteous.
Musings
The weather changes everything. Gravel comes in many types. Speed of travel can be impacted by many things - wind, rain, road surface,and gradient.
Whi is it that European drivers have respect for cyclists and give us space unlike nz? Is it education? Respect for others? Or the consequences and the responsibility if you hit a cyclist? Wish we knew the answer and could take this approach to nz
Food eaten
Reindeer moose salmon and forest mushrooms.
Clothes most worn
Rab cinder shorts and
Rab jackets
Rab power grip gloves
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