CCF Trustee Patrick Boggon is undertaking a mammoth 3,000km cycle challenge through Europe, in aid of the Foundation’s Sharing Fund. Here is his account of Weeks 2 and 3 of his epic ride…
From northern Norway through northern Finland and down into the north of Sweden, all the way to the Baltic’s northern shores – it’s been roughly a thousand kilometres of trees, trees, and… well, more trees. As far as the eye can see. It’s made playing “I spy with my little eye” a touch predictable, but the scenery has been nothing short of stunning.
Aside from the occasional mirror-like lake, things have started to change – ever so slowly – as we head south. Silver birch and rowan trees make an appearance. Fields appear with small patches of barley and wheat. Eventually, we even spot cattle and sheep as if to reassure us that civilisation still exists. Houses and farms become more frequent, and from our perspective, perhaps the most celebrated development of all: the odd café pops up.
The Swedes take their coffee and cake very seriously – they even have a word for it: fika. It’s not just a snack; it’s a moment to pause, reflect, and, most importantly, eat cake.
The main artery carrying people and goods from Sweden’s far north to the south is the E4. It’s busy enough to make cycling on it a deeply unpleasant affair, so we’ve made it our mission to avoid it whenever humanly possible. This strategy has led us on some… let’s say… creative detours.
One particularly inspired choice saw us veer off towards a national park famed for its virgin forest and glorious beaches. Google Maps promised a path straight through it, sparing us 20km of the dreaded E4. “What’s not to like?” we thought.
What Google depicted as a friendly trail turned out to be a boulder-strewn path stitched together with a spaghetti of thick tree roots. Riding was impossible, so we spent four hours pushing, heaving, and occasionally carrying our bikes and luggage through what was – to be fair – a spectacularly beautiful forest. The hikers we encountered were all unfailingly cheerful and non judgmental, greeting us with a friendly “hej” before strolling off into the distance. Only one woman laughed out loud… and honestly, we couldn’t blame her.
Sweden has thrown up a few other curiosities along the way. First and foremost: saunas. Every accommodation we’ve stayed in, and most houses we pass, seem to have one – a small hut a short stroll from the main building. The Swedes, it seems, are committed to sweating. So committed, in fact, that we’ve even spotted floating saunas on pontoons anchored in the middle of lakes. The logic escapes me – perhaps it’s to allow for a more dramatic post-sauna plunge? Answers on a postcard, please.
Then there’s the cars. Swedes have a thing for pimped-up vehicles – especially massive American classics from the ’50s and ’60s, gleaming monsters with fins, aerials, and chrome polished within an inch of its life. Even Volvo, the nation’s car, usually the poster child of sensible motoring, gets the full treatment: lowered suspension, disco lighting, booming sound systems, and occasionally a conversion into a pick-up truck. Come the weekend, these beasts cruise the high streets of even the tiniest towns, piloted by Swedes of all ages and both sexes.
Three weeks and 1,800 kilometres into this journey, we now turn inland towards Gothenburg on Sweden’s west coast. I’m pleased to report that we’ve suffered no injuries – unless you count tired legs and slightly bruised egos after the forest fiasco. But nothing an extra slice of cake at fika can’t put right.
- Support Patrick’s cycle challenge at https://cumbriafoundation.enthuse.com/cf/patrick-s-pedal-power