Well, we are a fine pair. We seem strong and fit...we ride everyday, haul our gear and generally feel like we can overcome any challenge. However, both of us are suffering with painful backs. Barry has been suffering for most of the trip, and Mary Ellen is now dealing with the relapse of an old injury. We feel like we are living the senior life when we finish riding for the day as out comes the ice pack, the electric heating pad, Voltaren and a pain killer. We operate in “tandem” helping each other...Barry is like a crane hoisting me off the bike or up out of bed. Alas, Barry’s worst pain is at night when he tries to sleep, so I can only offer sympathy.
The River Inn in Morrum is set in a restored heritage salmon smoking factory. The setting is very pretty, perched over the river which is known for its fine salmon fishing. We are learning how to find good value for our accommodation on booking.com and this interesting character property offers a unique and affordable place to stay. Our room has original brick walls, a coffered ceiling and 3 foot deep window sills. Due to the solid construction of this old building, it is super quiet.
Scenes from the Inn celebrating its history and a photo showing its prime setting on the river.
The exterior doesn’t look like a hotel. It has been lovingly restored to be a character filled boutique inn. Staying in a village like Morrum helps to keep,the costs down.
What a crazy time we had this morning. We were up early and ready to go, but we met such interesting people at the hotel, that we took our time and enjoyed chatting with fellow travel travellers. We wish all of them good and safe travels.
This mother and daughter from Britain have been at the annual Harley Davidson rally in Finland with 10,000 fellow aficionados. They are now on their way home. What fun it was to share stories and hear about their time at the rally. We could relate. Our mode of transport may be different, but the passion is the same and a shared passion with like minded people is special.
We also spent much time chatting with these two Swedish couples who are on a cycling holiday in the area. They gave us many tips about places we are going to, such as Gothenburg. As it was raining when we were all ready to go, we took refuge together and had a great visit.
And then, just as we thought we would make some time, we met Albert from Biberach, Germany. Once again, we had a great visit and shared tips and stories about our travels. What a great morning we are having with these chance encounters.
Another architectural feature of this area is the use of stone. Farmers over time have had the backbreaking work of clearing the fields of rocks and have used them to build fences, buildings and foundations.
We were really lucky to have missed the annual Sweden Rocks Festival held at Norje Boke as it is a huge event and we would have had trouble finding accommodation. Riding through this sleepy community on the sea, it is hard to imagine what it must have been like with the. huge crowds and noise. Our hotel in Ronneby the previous night was a partner in the festival and that huge Spa Hotel was fully booked.
Kathleen ClassenI can think of reasons besides accommodation that you were lucky to miss this festival. The ‘head banging may start here’ made me laugh out loud. Reply to this comment 5 years ago
A few interesting Swedish trends we see in this home are the small lamps in each window, the style of reed roof , wood frame construction and pretty lattice trim.
This was a fun moment for us riding over the longest cyclist/pedestrian bridge in Europe. As well as having a beautiful design with coloured lights built in for night lighting, its functionality is reflective of Sweden’s philosophy respecting cyclists and the importance of their place in traffic planning. This bridge takes you to the centre of the city of Solvesborg.
System Bolaget is an official government liquor store. This type of store is the only place in Sweden where you can buy alcohol with more than 3.5% alcohol content. This includes wine, beer and spirits. This government run monopoly has high tax built in to the price and the hours are quite restrictive.
We asked at the liquor store if they could recommend a favourite Swedish drink. Right away the fellow said that This would be an excellent choice. It is made with cumin, anise and sometimes elderberry! It is usually drunk after a meal at Christmas, Easter and Midsummer. A specific song is always sung by all present and it is drunk as as shot and usually ice cold. It pairs perfectly with pickled herring and new potatoes
We dropped in to this great bike shop (Cykelcentralen) in Kristianstad to try to find replacement pads for our brakes. These guys were great and offered to replace the BB7 pads as well. No charge for the labour! Thanks again Daniel.
