Nykoping to Stockholm via Vagnharad, Skansen, Varsta
We took the 219 road through the countryside – no towns, shops, cafes – this is the Swedish outback!
Along the way we came across people dressed in historic costumes with Swedish draught horses and carts. They were on a trek to raise money for children’s cancer.
At Vagnharad we found a supermarket for cold drinks and a cardamom bun – it was another hot day – then turned off towards Skansen where there is a ferry crossing. Here we met Lukas and Alex who are riding from Berlin to Nordkapp. They are raising money for UNICEF. They were very friendly and offered to host us in Berlin, except that they will probably not be back there in time.
After this we went on to Varsta where we stopped for a cooling swim in the lake of Malmsjon before the final push into Stockholm. This was achieved almost entirely on bike paths but it was a long way, it was really hot, it was hilly, we were tired and Stockholm revealed only its grittier aspects. I hope we can appreciate it more after a rest!
We recovered with a cold shower followed by a beer beside Mariatorget, a leafy park where everyone comes out to play boules. There must have been a dozen games on the go! We are staying in a tiny Airbnb apartment – it’s about half the size of our Sunlight Hotel room.
1 August 2018 at 3:31 pm |
Congratulations, you made it.
Your third European capital in a heat wave!
Take care of your bags…..:-)