Great things never came from comfort zones
In the nineteenth century someone brought a plant from North America to Sweden: The Lupin. Since that time the plant spread itself in the wild over large parts of Sweden and Norway. These wonderful pink, lilac and purple plant grows pretty much anywhere. Because it overgrows anything other plants disappear and that's bad for the biodiversity. That's wjy it is being called a weed. But it's still pretty isn't it?
So far the weed. Now the other things
I was summing up the inconveniences I encountered during my trip from the Netherlands, but what does it really mater? I arrived safely, only a bit later then planned. For summing up the inconvenience, you only need to read a newspaper. Now on a more positive note.
I stepped on the bicycle on Sunday around two and experienced more during the first 40km than the on the whole of the 2000km by car and boat. I've even been photographed by Olav himself. Well, Olav with a F. Olaf. From Germany. He hikes the Pilgrims path and we met at a nice lady who offered coffee, tea and a sandwich to passing Pilgrims. She maintains a list of statistics in a notebook. I am the 179th Pilgrim and the 57th Dutch person this year. What number of cyclists went before me? She couldn't tell. Not one pilgrim leaves without having a picture taken with her accompanied by a flag of the pilgrims nationality. Her husband Tommy is a cyclist who cycles this Pilgrims route every year. "Come over on the way back, so you can have a chat with him!".
But Olaf. I met him a number of times over the length of a couple of kilometres because I was actually slower than him. I was busy making pictures and taking notes.
This Swedish Olavs path has both a hiking and a cycle route. But I can't be complacent because some parts have issues.
On my first night I stayed at Kjel-Åke en Anna, where I slept in a real closet-bed and where I could take a swim in their backyard. Both of them were very enthusiastic about my plans. Anne would like to find someone to translate the guide from Dutch to Swedish when the time comes. I wasn't thing that far ahead yet, but it is nice to have people that can anticipate possible options. And Kjell-Åke tried to get me in to contact with the cyclist who cycles the Olavs path every year. "He know everything in detail and keeps statistics, I will call him". Ah, the same Tommy? Yes, the same... But Tommy hadn't come home yet. I'll go cycling myself and then I'd like to speak to Tommy myself of course.
Today was a day with a lot of clouds, but the promised rain stayed away (no, I did not copy-paste the sentence from last year). I tested my carpenter-eye and it still works: my tent fits exectly into the shelter. Let the rain come!
Hejdå! Gea
