2017 - Scandinavia by Bicycle

Cycle: 64 km - Total so far: 809 km Start time: 8:45 Stop time: 2:35pm Weather: cloudy but fine, 16 to 20deg  After 1.5km to clear the town we got onto a gravel road through a very peaceful forest. This ended after 7km and we spent the rest of the day on smooth tarmac. Some bike paths, some quiet back roads and a few not-so-quiet roads. Again, everyone was cautious around us. At the 20km mark we came across a shopping complex at Nordby, in the middle of nowhere, which also had a Maccas so that was a good trigger for a coffee stop. Not long after that we crossed the border into Norway, using the Svinesund Bridge (Norwegian: Svinesundsbrua, Swedish: Svinesundsbron), a 704m through arch bridge. Lunch was purchased at a REMA 1000 at Sjkeberg - nice fresh sandwiches and strawberries. About 10km out of Fredrikstad we stopped to check smart phones on how to get off a busy road to the hotel, when a young local on a bicycle offered to show us a bicycle route. We gladl...

Cycle: 86 km - Total so far: 745 km Start time: 8:30am Stop time: 3:15pm Weather: fine, mainly cloudy with periods of sunshine, 16 to 22deg   We decided to do part of the Floral Route today so it was back to the coastline. This ended up being a great run downhill most of the way to Fjallbacka for 28km. It was only 9:30am but the coffee addicts were hanging out for a fix so we pulled into a cafe / bakery. We then took a ride around a very old wooden town which looks like it has been clinging onto a rocky shoreline for a long time. The place was completely overrun with holiday makers so we didn't hang around too long. We then had to ride the 15km to Grebbestad, another seaside town, on one of the busiest roads we have ever tackled. However once again the drivers were very patient and careful; in the main. We couldn't believe the motorhomes and caravans packed like sardines into every van park. The Swedes obviously love their holidays at the beach.   At Grebbestad we ...