Last night I was camping at a wonderful lake, an event at which was greeted with enthusiasm by the local residence: composed of bloodthirsty mosquitoes. The second the bicycle was set aside, they came at my in hordes drooling and wearing bibs around their necks. I rushed to put on my mosquito net over my head and cover myself with mosquito deterrent spray. Good thing that actually works, as they scurry away once they get a whiff of the smell. Then again, it might also because I don't exactly smell like roses anymore.
Meanwhile I'm in Sweden. I just crossed the border which is about a hundred kilometers east of Olso. I am right back in my element: on my bicycle and in Scandinavia. After having fine weather on the first two days, it started raining again. the whole day long. Since it can't be helped, I make it enjoyable for myself by singing loudly what comes up in my mind. That's what's so great about this area: in the border area between Sweden and Norway it's all forests and unpaved roads. No one can hear you. Well, no one... A moose heard me and fled away like his life - or ears - depended on it. I kept look on knowing it was futile to catch my camera. Once I had it aimed the moose would be gone and I would have seen hardly anything from the moose. Sometimes you just have to experience the moment without the need to reach for the camera and register everything. At the edge of the forest it stood still look in my direction. I got my camera and was able to capture him on the sensor (it's digital after all). Wow! What a gift!
This newsletter was typed in a wooden hut on a camping. Up to now I was only camping in the wild without facilities and had a bad internet connection which made it hard to process everything from notes to route changes. So, today was a half day for cycling and a half day of working on the computer. I forgot that today was Saturday and the shops are probably closed tomorrow (at least that's how it is in Norway, I don't remember about Sweden). Luckily I won't starve tomorrow, but I'll be nibbling on knäckebröd.
