Day 324 8th June
74miles (Nykoping to Stockholm) Average speed 12.4 mph Top speed 34 mph
I was up at 8.30 with the school kids laughing at me on their way to school as I was closer to the road than I realised. I made tea and bread and pate and tried to dry out the tent. I packed up and was on the road at 10.30 after catching up with my diary. It was a warm morning and pleasurable to ride through Nykoping. The wind was helping to dry out my feet a little. I met Fabian and his girlfriend again and cycled with them for a while and chatted, but explained that I was going to make Stockholm and would need to push on. I saw a Q8 service station 5 miles ahead and made my way there before too many dark clouds appeared. I had two coffees and a hot dog to charge up batteries and hit the road like a man on a mission. The road ran parallel with the motorway most of the time and although not particularly well kept it was quiet and I set a good pace. I saw 5 German guys touring in the opposite direction as I turned left towards Sodatalije and carried on at a good speed. I paused in a layby and watched as a horse came over to say hi.
A horse came to say hello
Then I realised I had a dry pair of socks and changed into them and it was fantastic to have dry feet for the first time in two days!! I was concerned I might be getting trench foot. As I passed Nibble I topped up on some chocolate .
I took this as an instruction and ate my chocolate
At Sodatalije I ran into a blockage on the cycle path and had to duck under a fallen tree. I then found a Lidl and got a sarnie and 3 energy drinks to help on my way as it was now gone 6 and I still had a way to go. I stopped once on the right road out of town and found a lonely bench to take on some calories. After a few more roadwork detours I made it to Stockholm and found Stephan’s place without too much trouble. I made it by 7.45 and washed, showered and was in the bar with him and Maria by 8.30.
Can’t miss the meeting in the bar
We had a lot to catch up on and sampled a few bars in the process including 2 Scottish bars before a pizza at home from 7:11 as there was nowhere else open.
Stephan’s apartment on his comfy sofa.