Saturday, July 31, 2010

Kalmar







Had a nice easy ride into Kalmar and even joined a bike race for a while. Took the free candy bar they were giving to the racers. Another walled city with a nice castle on the side. Others had already invaded the castle in force. When to a camp ground for a shower as the last was Stockholm a week ago. The girl told me to just take the shower for free. I think it was a plea and her eyes may have been watering. Then out of town to camp and war with the ticks.
7/31/10
43.2 mile 5:14 hr / max speed 20.7 / avg moving speed 8.3 / stopped time 3:47 / 763 ft total ascent. (cloudy with headwind)
Love & kisses
Steve

Friday, July 30, 2010

Timmernabben



I realized I had not done any planning to determine where I might go or what there was to see.  After a quick bit of reading decided to go south to Kalmar rather than the bike route west I started the night before.  There was more along the coast to see.  At Monsteras there was a concert playing.  I left with the words “have you ever seen the rain?” being played.  Simple answer: “yep”.  It started to rain just outside of town hard.  I made it a quick ride to a old monastery that was a hostel to travelers.  Not much left, but I found shelter.

7/30/10
46.6 mile 4:46 hr / max speed 25.7 / avg moving speed 9.8 / stopped time 3:50 / 1145 ft total ascent. (rained most of the day) 
Love & kisses
Steve

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Oskarshamn














Off to Visby and picked up a ferry ticket. Having a few hours I wonder Visby in the rain. It was still light when I got to Oskarshamn and head off to find a camping spot. I did find one church which only counted the hours as there was no minute hand on any of the clock faces. They did have a backup clock for sunny days.
7/29/10
32.5 mile 3:42 hr / max speed 22.7 / avg moving speed 9.0 / stopped time 4:31 / 602 ft total ascent. (rained most of the day)
Love & kisses
Steve

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Hejnum
















I was on the road at eight in the morning.  Ok, I finished the book.  Looked at some more Limestone rocks then started to work my way back to Visby.  Stopped in a more village churches and made some good time.  I decided to take the bike route across the center of the island.  Did not see any bike route markers even as passes the golf course marked on the map that the bike route went around.  I decided I would go for it thinking the trail might be more for mountain bikes.  The dirt road had large pools of water across it and then it turned into a narrow muddy horse track.  I push through that and came to another dirt road.  Then the road just stopped in the middle of the forests.  I decide to continue working my way through the forest as I did not want to face the horse track again.  It was tricky as I wound my way between clumps of trees and had to ford some streams.  Finally came to an electric fence across my route.  This I took as a good sign as roads usually lead to fenced off areas.   I decided to follow the fence to the right as that way looked easier for the next hundred feet.  After a while I came to a corner and now I was heading in the direction I needed to go.  The forest closed of on my side of the fence.  So I carefully hoped the three strands of electric fence.  Shortly after that came to some pools that my water proof boots would be under water.  I changed into sandals as the deer flies would enjoy more exposed flesh.  The forest opened and then I could see across the marsh I had come to.  I then realized I had just been warming up to the crossing.  The water was 6 inches to a foot across the marsh with thick clumps of grass adding to the fun of push a hundred pounds of bike and gear across the marsh.  I kept an eye on the electric fence with one wire a few inches above the water.  The marsh only lasted 2 miles and then the fence turned again. Another turn and after a while I came to a road that was a river also.  The fence sparked as I put gate wires back while I was standing 8 inches of water.   I could ride in the road/river as the ground was solid under a foot of water.  After a 100m the river and road paths diverge.  I did finally come to a sign an found I need to do some back tracking to get the right road out of area.  After a number off fence crossings I made it to a main road and a sign for the area.  It was a nature preserve and bikes were not allowed along with camping in any of the preserves.  As this was the first place with a sign in English and a guide to all the preserves I had been camping in.  So I was bad and camping illegally the last few days.  I camped just outside the preserve trying to be better.
7/28/10
62.2 mile 6:48 hr / max speed 22.7 / avg moving speed 9.1 / stopped time 5:61/ 694 ft total ascent. (cloudy with a headwind from the south) 
Love & kisses
Steve

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Strawberry fields









I started at one in the afternoon as I was still hanging out and reading a bit. Saw a few more churches and the limestone rock formations. Many churches had their boat hanging from the ceiling. I think the angle had his foot on the scale. I ended up camping in a wild strawberry field.
7/27/10
21.8 mile 2:20 hr / max speed 20.5 / avg moving speed 9.3 / stopped time 2:02 / 231 ft total ascent. (rained in the afternoon)
Love & kisses
Steve

Monday, July 26, 2010

Vallevik







On the road at 5pm as I spent the day reading, but I need food and water.  Saw a couple of churches and stocked up on supplies.  One church had something much scarier than a gargoyle protecting it.  Another had the divas of the choir displayed.
7/26/10
23.8 mile 2:18 hr / max speed 20.7 / avg moving speed 10.3 / stopped time 4:00 / 182 ft total ascent. (rained in the afternoon) 
Love & kisses
Steve