Dedicated to a wonderful Mother Jean Noble 31/5/1929 - 20/8/2007 - may we never take our mothers for granted. - Goodbye Mum

SWEDEN PAGE 1 OCTOBER 2007

(Updated 16/10/07) The worlds richest Nations (per capita). Out of the ten Richest Countries (based on 2006 GNP per capita in US$)

(NOTE: ***Luxembourg's high GNP per capita is due in part to a significant number of its workforce living in neighbouring countries. Non-residents are not counted in Luxembourg's population which in turn raises the country's GNP per capita score. This effectively places Norway in first spot. (REF: Here)

Still with the “Super Rich” but hoping to survive financially, amongst them :-) Who can forget ABBA.. We know so little about the Swedes and have come here to learn. Will they be as warm and inviting as the Norwegians were? Will corporate Sweden let them down just like “Corporate Norway” does? I will report as always what I see and describe as fairly as I can, our experiences... As always “Warts 'n All”. Thank you Sweden for allowing us amongst your tribe.

Thursday October 4^th 2007 Ferry to Camp ground about 1 k
Approx. 1k's Average Speed kph Cycling time Hr(s) Min. Max speed. kph Max temp we recorded °C (Shade)
Terrain: Hilly. Road Conditions: Very Good, O/night Accom.: $0.00
Short ride to camp ground from the “Color Line” Ferry. Booked into a HUGE

“Orwellian” c/van park. You know the type? Showers set at a temp YOU like and set to give about 15sec per push of the tap. 3 Min SEK20 (About $AUD0.90c) Timers everywhere, lights that turn on by themselves. Signs telling you when to breath... etc.. etc.. Most people just accept these things... some even get angry when “one” complains... Well I am going to continue to highlight those things that demean humanity... We must retain the right to choose. In answer to the “brain dead” that state “you did not have to stay there”... You try exercising choice late at night on a bicycle Dumbo.

The owners/managers are VERY nice people... and the park is VERY clean. The above huts are SEK350 (About $AUD62.00) they contain a bed – no sheets and that's it. NO kitchen, NO shower, NO sink, NO toilet.... Nothing just a bed. It is what we get when we “Just Accept” what we are given...

We have been in clean well run C/van parks, not as many as some people but more than most and KNOW it does not need to be this way. We intend to go to town tomorrow, get maps and plan our journey south.. No cycling planned except to go into town.

Friday October 5^th 2007 Camp ground – Stromstad – Rest Day
Approx. k's Average Speed kph Cycling time Hr(s) Min. Max speed. kph Max temp we recorded 16°C (Shade)
Terrain: Hilly. Road Conditions: Very Good, O/night Accom.: $0.00
Could have cycled on the cycle path the 1k into town but going to completely rest the knee today. We need a bit of shopping and touristy type stuff. So we will walk... Be back later.
Back after a long day exploring Stromstad. The sea is very clear here and marine life very visible.

It seems like a “shopping town” for Norwegians. Prices are a lot cheaper and coupled with the lower “Krona” makes things a tiny bit easier.
Found an unsecured “wifi” connection and “piggy backed” to collect mail and upload our site... Stromstad is a beautiful city, and clearly a wealthy one...

The pic (Bellow) does not show how cold it is. Brrrr it's bloody Freezing

Washed everything including the sleeping bag... and ready for a sleep. Could not get NSCR (or ANY cycle) maps, no one in the tourist bureau had heard of it. They pointed us to the local bike shop.... they too had never heard of the NSCR. So we are left to our own devices.... I think the EU commission has a plan to make a route map for the NSCR – it is to be released – in secret – sometime in 2087 or was it 2097.... cannot remember :-) Catchya Later.
Saturday October 6^th 2007 Stromstad to well now that's a good question, we are not exactly sure.
Approx. 33.09k's Average Speed 10.07kph Cycling time 3Hr(s) 17Min. Max speed. 52kph Max temp we recorded 11°C (Shade)
Terrain: Hilly. Road Conditions: Very Good, O/night Accom.: $0.00
Awoke for the customary pee at about 4am. Getting out of a warm sleeping bag and “traipsing” across to the ablution block, is not my idea of fun. What made this morning a little different was the temperature.. -3C and everywhere frozen, Crunching across the grass I was lucky there was no wind. We got up early (for us) about 0700 and the ice had started to melt in places... It was 2C at 9am and we were well into our routine. The sun appeared and it was soon warm in the “Sun Trap” we were in. We dried everything, cooked breakfast (oats) pumped up all tyres and were ready for off..
The roads are similar to Norway but not as well maintained – at least the one we were on was not.

They also have those dreadful (For Cyclists) “Rumble Strips” on the side of the road.. These raised bits of white paint make a noise if your car strays to the side (or middle here) of the road... Hell for a recumbent cyclist

My left knee is still very troublesome, hence the low stat's again... Until it heals I guess we will have to put up with it taking 3 days to do 100k's.
We followed a “Road Map” - one of those freebie's. It shows all the camping sites in Sweden... Of course when we got there at 6pm it was closed.

There is very low light (dusk) at this time so we had precious few options... bush camping was one but we could not find anywhere.. We were warned about bush camping whilst in Stromstad. It is now the Elk hunting season... a great time for families as animals are slaughtered for fun... Plenty of laughter and lots of stories for the future about those odd injuries “such as”, missing and blowing a leg off... and the animals “funny” run with only three legs, in it's desperate attempt to hang onto life... Absolutely hilarious.... But they need the meat here as they are all soooo poor!

We were spotted (I suspect by the owner of the C/van park) and were offered a 2brm house for ½ price SEK400 ($AUD69.00) a low price, in the lands of the “super rich”... we reluctantly accepted.

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