The Bike Ramble Blog

My reasons for doing this trip are many. In fact explaining them will definitely be a post all in itself one day. This post is just a short one to let you know that as of recently I have a new one. One including an Iranian man called Akbar and a very special 1 Euro coin.

This thing started on my first night in Croatia. After having waited a bit too long in the evening before thinking about where I’d spend the night I found myself checking in at a campsite for the first time since I started this trip. At first this felt like the night was a total faliure, as it seemingly wouldn’t include either beautiful nature nor meeting new people. And sure – staying in a random touristic Croatian campsite sure wasn’t a very scenic experience, but boy was I wrong about the people part!

Luckily another cyclist – Jacques from France – had ended up in the very same situation as me. Being stuck in a way too touristic place to find a decent campspot after dawn that is. Otherwise his situation is really the opposite to mine. Sure, he is also doing a round the world-tour. The big difference though is that he is on his way home. After more than five years on the road he is now doing his last month of pedaling, going back to ‘surprise his mother’ in northern France.

Apart from being a warm, generous and friendly dude with a heavy French accent, having a conversation with Jacques was like going to the movies. The stories he had from his years of adventure were just too many and too good to only have one night to pick his brain. I was just so happy to have ‘failed’ and ended up with my tent next to his that evening.

Jacques…

…showing off…

…the ‘one million degree-hat’ he got from a Turkmen shepherd last winter

However. This is where the coin comes in. When Jacques found out I am headed towards Iran, he quickly set me off on a mission to deliver a note and a coin of luck to his friend Akbar.

Ehrm. OK? Iran is huge. Like really, really huge.

I think Jacques could see my confusion as he handed over the note and coin he wanted me to pass on to his mystery friend in a few months.

“Don’t worry! You don’t have to look for him. He’ll find you.”

And then it all became obvious. I had heard of Akbar before. In fact, he is somewhat of a legend in the bicycle touring community, as he is going out of his way to meet, welcome and take a photo with every single cyclist passing through his town Marand in Iran. With scouting truck drivers calling to let him know everytime cyclists are approaching, he always heads out to meet and welcome them to Iran with open arms.

Apparently Jacques is cyclist number 482 in Akbar’s photo collection. I think that number in itself proofs that my chances of meeting him should be pretty good. And man, I really really want to have my own number in Akbar’s albums :)

So. Delivering a coin of luck Akbar in Iran. Mission impossible?

We’ll just have to wait and see – but I’m definitely keeping my hopes up.

Out of the 8 European countries I passed on my last tour, Austria with it’s amazing landscapes, was my favorite one. So going into it, I knew that I was in for some hard – but always very rewarding – work. I had a physically tough first day with lots of steep and long climbs, and as the sun still was nowhere to be seen, it all initally seemed like a lot more work than reward.

Luckily though, my very first night on Austrian ground ended with a great homestay with a family of farmers who adopted me for the evening. While the parents and kids were so happy and curious to take me in, the grandmother Marie who also lived in the house wasn’t very impressed with the new guest. She simply coulnd’t understand why on Earth someone would travel from Sweden to their tiny, tiny town – ON A BICYCLE?!? And what’s up with the weird German the girl is trying to speak? Something must be up. For sure. I wish I’d have the guts to snap a picture of Marie before she went to bed, still shaking her head.

Magdalena showing off her new favorites on the farm

The next days things really changed and I suddenly got a whole lot of reward for very little work. The sun was back, smiling at me for the first time in what seemed like weeks. And I had a full hour of just rolling downhill, watching the great scenery as I made my way down to the Danube. Reaching the river was such a cool feeling. I was back. Cycling along the Danube is where I first fell in love with bicycle touring, and rolling in my own wheel tracks for the first and last time was a truly unique experience. What if I’d known then, that I’d be back less than two years later? Like this? Absurd.

The rest of my way through Austria has been just what I hoped for. I’ve done a few passes above 1 200 m and the views have just been breathtaking. Last time I was here it was in early fall, so it has been reall nice to also get to experience the spring as the Alps still are totally snowcovered. While I’m doing my best to stay in the moment and take in the majestic mountains and amazing views, I’ve again and again been catching myself with thinking about the mountains in Central Asia and what’s still ahead of me. There really is nothing I’m as excited about as climbing those hills in and around Kirgizistan. But that’ll be a whole other chapter…

The Alps really make you work for it…

…but the rewards are always worth it

Today is my last day in Austria and I’m spending it in Graz. I’ve rolled down from the mountains and it’s so warm down here! The last few weeks I’ve really been dreaming about warm weather and now it’s finally here. I couldn’t be happier and today I’m walking around in shorts and t-shirt for the very first time.

Tomorrow I’m crossing into Slovenia, heading straight for Maribor :)

The last week has been intense to say the least. First off I had a couple of really great days in Berlin. Without a care in the world I was really enjoying myself with the great company of new made friends. One thing I absolutely love about travelling like this is that experiencing a capital or city not only means going to see the main sights and a couple of museums like the typical tourist. To also get to dive straight into peoples’ lives, and tag along with some proper locals – a great group of Berlin students in this case – is nothing but magical. Had I known what I soon was in for, I probably would have enjoyed these effortless ‘roof over my head days’ even more than I did.

When I left Berlin on Tuesday I did so without having checked the weather forecast. And little did I know that the heaviest storm Germany had seen in years would come crashing in just a couple of hours later. Hurricane Niklas came without mercy and was really an extreme experience. I started the day with the mindset of just doing some easy cycling to recover from partying in Berlin, and was very surprised when I suddenly found myself in the middle of a roaring storm. Later I learned that the winds had been measured up to 200 km/h which is totally insane. Over and over again I had to stop completely, just trying to stand still and keep my balance as the wind and rain was whipping my body from side to side.

That my plan of wild camping in the forest was totally out of question became pretty clear as the trees were falling like jackstraws around me. With nothing but these tiny villages surrounded by deep forests around me it was far from obvious how the night would end. But as always, when things get tough, they turn out great in the most unexpected ways.

In the village Kemlitz, consisting of 64 people, I found myself rescued by this amzing family who just happened to have a spare room for the night. In 10 minutes I went from being soaked, totally exhaused and without a clue on how things would turn out, to standing in the shower, with my very own room and lovely people waiting with food and great conversation. Absolutely dreamlike.

The actual hurricane was over in one night, but the stormy weather was constant for the next couple of days. Hail storms, headwinds and snow made the journey to Dresden a lot more demanding than it was supposed to be. But in so many ways I’m grateful for the horrible conditions I’ve had in Germany. Without them I would have missed out on a bunch of people I now feel so lucky to have met.

In Dresden I once again was welcomed into a warm and loving home of some wonderfully generous people. Without thinking twice they not only helped me wash my clothes and fix my gear, but they also let me be part of their Eastern family celebrations. Getting to take join in on their traditions and find myself crawling around on the floor, searching for sweets the Eastern Bunny had left me was the perfect ending to a pretty rough week.

The generousity and kindness people show me is so moving, and it’s really these meetings that make the strongest memories. Sure, trying to ride my bike through a hurricane is something I’ll definitely remember. But having 5-year-old Telli teach me German words before bedtime, and then share a bottle of wine with his parents is simply something I’ll never forget. Same goes for discovering Dresden with my German ‘stand in parents’ while waiting out the last day of the storm.

Right now I’ve already spent a few days in Czech Republic, and a lot has happened since I left Germany. But that you won’t be hearing about until the next blog post, because I’ll probably be fast asleep in like 5 minutes…

Goodnight from Prague :) Take care!

I never know how to begin these posts, as so much always has happened since the last one. Time seems to move slower than ever, and each day on the road consist of like a week’s worth of experiences at home.

Taking the ferry to Denmark was really a highlight so far on the trip. The feelings I had right before, and during the short 20 minute ride reminded me a lot of those I had during Day 1 back home in Sundsvall. Total excitement in combination with some kind of nervousness I’m still having difficulty defining. Crossing the border into Denmark was my first real milestone and it was such a special moment to stand in the back of the deck, watching the Swedish mainland drift further and further away.

I loved getting off in Helsingør! Even though Sweden was still just a few kilometers away, seemingly small changes made it obvious that I was no longer at home. Funny enough, just 5 minutes into Denmark, I reached the 1000 km mark and got another reason to celebrate. Couldn’t have had better timing!

I cycled into Copenhagen where I spent an extra day just being a regular tourist. Going to see a capital is always nice, but the city itself was not what made these two days absolutely magical. That was all thanks to a certain Nicolai Bangsgaard.

This amazingly inspiring guy is a living proof that this crazy quest I’ve started actually isn’t impossible. Between 2006 and 2010 Nicolai rode his bike over 60 000 km around the world, rolling through more than 50 countries before finishing back home in Denmark.

Ever since I first heard of the concept of bike touring Nicolai has been a huge inspiration to me, and the last couple of years I’ve spent countless hours on his website, reading the logs he kept on his journey. So I guess most of you can imagine my excitement when he offered me to come crash at his place Copenhagen?

Spending time with Nicolai has made me more motivated than ever. I’ve gotten to listen to his stories from the road, take his advice and having him assuring me that Yeah, of course I’ll be fine. He more than anyone knows what it is that I’m getting myself into, and him believing that I absolutely can do this means the world. I couldn’t be happier.

I really had a hard time leaving this morning, as I easily could have spent at least a week just absorbing his experience and great energy. But we’ll just have to wait and see when our paths cross next time, right now I’m very confident that sooner or later they will.

After leaving Copenhagen I had a great day in the saddle today. With Denmark being as flat as it is, combined with a crazy tailwind I was just flying south. Clouds made the day pretty grey, but I still really enjoyed being outside. Everything is now so green and even though this was a day of “bad weather” it was way warmer than the sunny days I had a couple of weeks back in Sweden.

Tonight I’m falling asleep just a couple of hours from Gedser where tomorrow I’ll take the ferry to Rostock, Germany. Really looking forward to take on country number three, and start making my way towards Berlin.

Goodnight!

OK!

I don’t really know how to write this post, but here it goes. First off – I’m on the road! And have been for about a week now. A long, intense and absolutely wonderful week. One I for sure will remember forever.

It all started last Sunday when it finally was time for me to kiss my friends and family goodbye. Lots of people came to show their support and I couldn’t have wished for a better way to begin this journey. I don’t think I’ve ever felt such mixed emotions before and tears of both joy and sadness all came at the same time.

After what seemed like just a few minutes (it was actually a couple of hours) of “Goodbye:s” and “I’ll miss you:s”, it was really time. And I’m not even going to attempt to explain the emotions flooding though my body as I took my first wobbly pedal strokes and felt the wheels rolling beneath me.

The sense of freedom that rushed through me as I rolled out of Sundsvall was simply out of this world, and the feeling has been sticking with me for this entire week. I still feel overwhelmed with happiness, relief, pride and excitement about the fact that The Bike Ramble finally has become reality. It’s no longer something I’m just thinking or talking about doing. It’s here!

As if everything wasn’t already perfect I’ve had the best weather anyone could wish for this week. Apart from stuggling with some harsh winds on one day I’ve had perfect conditions. The sun has been shining constantly and daytime I’ve often been able to ride without even wearing a jacket. Not what one would expect from northern Sweden this time a year! I’ve mainly been sticking to these beautiful roads, calmy winding though the Swedish forests. With very few cars around to break the illusion, it’s really been like riding though a real life fairytale. It’s really a warm feeling to be exploring and experiencing my home country like this.

So far I’ve only spent one night in my tent, as I’ve been lucky enough to be invited into the homes of a bunch of friendly people along the road. Even though I love to pitch the tent and crawl into my sleeping bag at night, I’m not going to turn an offer of dinner, nice company and a warm bed just yet.

On Thursday, 5 days into the trip, I reached my first pit stop Skinnskatteberg. A tiny town where my lovely grandmother has been waiting for me since I started pedaling from Sundsvall. Even if it might seem like a small one, it feels awesome to have completed this first leg of the trip. And it’s been so nice to take a couple of days off the saddle to rest my body (and butt), and just stuff myself with delicious food.

Isn’t she the cutest?

On Sunday I’ll keep moving south. It’s already far less snowy here than back in Sundsvall and I’m really excited to keep chasing warmer weather. Today my bike got some minor touch ups at the local bike shop and I know that she, like me, is excited to get going again.

Talk to you later!