The picturest countryside of southern Sweden with wooden farm buildings painted red. Fields of oats and drystone walls. Barren rocky coast swept by wind and lashed by rain. The big lakes and endless forest of the centre and north of the country. A place I found appealing for Summer cycletouring and camping. I was looking for a change of scene. I initially moved to the west coast city of Gothenborg in search of a cycle-courier job, but the prospects for locals were grime never mind a foreiger who didn't speak the lanuage. Most took themselves off to neigbouring Norway with full employment and high salaries. I followed suit and soon began to work in the distribution department of Aftenposten, the biggest media concern in the land. My duties were to deliver their produce, which included newspapers, magazines, books and other print articals during the night to subscribers on a given route on a two or three block quarter. With a trolly as tranport and keys to enter the common area of appartment blocks the produce had to be delivered by the door of the various subscribers. Thankfully the common areas had efficient heating in Winter so at lease it was possible to warm up as it could be minus twentyfive out on a really cold night. The things I liked best were commuting by bike in the snow and ice which was like a technical mountainbike ride and greatly sharpened handling skills. I enjoyed Summer riding too on the forestroads and trails in the parkland to the north of the city known locally as the Nordmarka. I bough crosscountry skis but I was hopeless, kept falling on my backside on the downhill, though that was better than to die crashing into a tree. So the skis were soon disguarded. I had also to learn the lanuage and for that reason I'm probably writing this journal as it greatly increased my interest in literature and lanuage in general.

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