Mora next

Mora is a city in the county of Dalarna in Sweden. It is situated around 350 km NNW of Katrineholm. I will attend a conference of the Swedish Association for Nature Conservation there. I hope I can learn a little more about the environment and climate issues, which is important for me as a candidate for the Green party in Katrineholm.

I got the idea though, that it will be good to go to Mora by bicycle. It is an opportunity to get more endurance, which is useful for my planned bike tour to Egypt. I also applied for a possibility to talk about BikingForFuture to COP26 and my plan to go to COP27. I haven’t heard about the outcome yet.

Furthermore I’ll bike for peace. I don’t have a lot of hope, that it will help, but it’s like my engagement against climate change: If not me, who then?

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It is done! I was going by bicycle around 700 km. The first night I stayed at the Strömsholms hostel in the village with the same name. There was no warmshowers host nearby and the couchsurfing host didn’t answer my request.

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The hostel was clean and they had decorated it, but anyway it felt sterile and people were in their rooms. I saw a very few, but we didn’t have any conversation. Though after my lonely day on the road, I was lonely now as well. My bike had to stay outside. – Only the next morning the receptionist was talking with me. She had read my blog and was really excited about me passion. I made around 90 km this day. The first half was very hilly and I was coming throughout Hälleforsnäs, the little town I have been before while cycle training. Later the road was quite flat and it was easier to ride my bike. I was also riding alongside lakes, but it was going very well, because the cycle path was separated in a good way. I never got the feeling which I had, when cycling along the canal in Scotland. The weather was gorgeous and I had to spread sun-oil on my hands for not burning them. I made a couple of stops for drinking my tea and eating of my egg mayo and a sandwich I had with me.

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The second night I was really lucky, because Tinka van Baak and her partner Adam in Fagersta were welcoming me. My bike was stored in their garage. I had my room in the basement. Tinka had asked me about the kind of meal she would cook for dinner – I was allowed to choose of two different and she prepared the dinner, while I was there. It was delicious – breaded squash. Tinka and I also had a lot to talk about ourselves, our travels and warmshowers. By the way, Tinka is from the Netherlands and was living on Iceland for a while before she immigrated in Sweden and met Adam. Unfortunately I don’t have a photo of the area they are living and the personal photo of them I keep private, because I didn’t ask her to put it on my blog or Facebook. Even this day the sun was shining from a blue sky until the middle of the day, then a lot of clouds was seen. I only made 72 km this day and stopped at a café in Västervåla, because I needed a rest. I was hungry as well as I had to go and pee. Even my butt did hurt. Unfortunately the café was closed, but there were benches and the loo was open to use. I had my air-pad with me, which made it easier for me to sit and I still had egg mayo. I really enjoyed that rest, especially as that café was a sustainable one, as I could read.

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The third night I stayed with a couchsurfing host in Borlänge after I had cycled 85 km. I arrived just some minutes before my host arrived. He lives in an area, where all houses are painted white. It is easy to reach by bicycle – a little harder by car ;-). My bike slept in a shed during the night and I in a room upstairs on a sofa bed. All the other bedrooms were upstairs as well.The weather during the day was good this time as well. Even he had written in his profile, that he doesn’t provide meals, he did cook a vegan stew with rice and offered it to me as well.

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This was the hardest day of my trip. I had to make 102 km Komoot said, but it became 108 km. Actually the distance was not the problem, but it was very windy half the day and the wind was cold – and coming from the side and the front. My first stop was at a gas station in Gagnef. I had asked two women, I met, for a café and they told me “We also would like to have a café here in town”, but continued, that I could go to the gas station, where they sell sandwiches, cookies, buns and coffee. So I did and it was OK to be there. I had a really calorie bomb – a bun with cinnamon and a lot of sugar on the top as well as a Danish pastry. I felt, that I really needed that at this point. I took some more, shorter rests on the way because of the wind and my butt was hurting as well. In addition to the wind, it did rain from time to time. Fortunately it was just drizzling, but when it was hailing. First I used my rain cape, but have to learn how to use it a better way. Though, when it was hailing I didn’t even use the rain cape, but I had the rain covers on my back pack and the bag on the rack. Around half past six I arrived in Mora. The last 10 km I had to ride my bicycle without assist, because both batteries were empty. There had also been a lot of really high hills in the beginning of the day. Together with the wind, I used a lot more battery as usual. Furthermore my smartphone run out of battery – I already had used the two power banks I have with me. Therefore I entered a restaurant in the city center, which I soon reached after arrived at Morastrand (at the lake Siljan).

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At the restaurant I asked if I was allowed to charge my smartphone, which I was and called my host from there. Lisen, my host, is a member of the nature conservation association of Mora and was so kind to host me. It was quite easy to find her home, but it was on the other side of the rails and I didn’t know if I was allowed to cross it, though I found another way to go there. Later I was told, that I used the “Vasaloppsspår” = the track, where the Vasalopp is going every year in March. When the snow is gone, one can use it for hiking, mountain biking etc. Finally at half past seven I reached the home of my host. I was welcomed of her and her lodger Ali – a guy from Afghanistan, but raised in Iran. Lisen also has a dog, which is lovely. Even here I have got a free dinner. My bike was safe in the garage. I was allowed to use a room upstairs, where also Lisen has her bedroom.

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Lisen is living just a few hundred meters from the Conference Center Moraparken. There is also a camping space with huts close to it – always 100% occupied during the Vasalopp. I participated the entire day in the conference about the forest, called “Låt skogen leva” – Let the forest live. I arrived an hour early, because the clock in Lisen’s kitchen. It was not working, but showed a morning hour. I was not thinking about it and was leaving in a hurry, thinking I was too late. I met another member of the nature conservation association of Katrineholm there. He told me, I was early.

Though I could chose my seat in the conference room and was happy, to have a good one. The conference was opened by officials and there were to comperes, a young man and a little older woman. They made a good job. We were advised about the themes, the speakers, the rests etc. Different aspects of the forest, its cultivation and use were talked about and I learned, that there are four different zones / kinds of forest in Sweden. There were also an interrogation of politicians and I remember the most, when one started to say, that he also owns forest and that he won’t have it just for hiking in it. An entrepreneur told us, that he learned, that forest increases most in value by not using it and so he does. He was one of the entrepreneurs, who were interviewed. Even scientist had their say. They told us, that it is possible and necessary to use forest the old fashion way and when a wetland is destroyed, it will never be the same again even after restoration. A lot of suggestions were presented by the members of the association for forest care and with that against climate change. The most important I think is, that we neither can engage in over-exploitation nor are able to care about the forest while using the wood of the trees for so many different things, as we planned. We have to use less and care about the forest the old way. If you know Swedish and are reading this, you should watch the video Sjumilaskogen. You’ll find it on the Naturskyddsföreningens homepage and on YouTube.

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We had prepaid lunch and snacks with coffee/tea during the day. I had to tell the chef, that I am allergic respectively hypersensitive of parts of the meal, though I had to ask for different food. We were asked by forehand about our allergies and I was surprised, that there were no ready dishes for us. Anyway, I did get something else. By the way, that was the same during all the three days and the chef usually was very kind to me, but the last day, when she got angry, because I didn’t even try the usual meal. I told her, that I don’t need to try, I know, that I can’t eat the food. There were different chefs during the days and this one, I have not met before. There were soft cookies as well and one of them was especially for people, who can’t eat gluten. Anyway one or two people, who did eat of the usual snacks, also took of the special ones. Sometimes I am wondering, what those people are thinking.

If I remember right, it was this evening when the artist Emil Jensen was on scene in the evening. He is active in the nature conservation association and writes poems and sings songs about the environment. He has a very good reputation. This summer he will go by bike all over Sweden and perform at different places. Lisen and also other members were very excited about him. I couldn’t hear all of his words, though it was hard for me to get as much excited as the others.

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Saturday and Sunday the “real” conference were held. After the grand opening with talks by the leaders of the association, there were workshops held. Unfortunately, I didn’t really understand in the beginning, how to attend a workshop. Furthermore, there were an event outside, called bicycle inspiration and I participated in that one. Some different bicycles were shown, most of them had boxes. They were all different. One was allowed to try them out. There was only one of them, which had a low entry. It had a box, but only two wheels – like a usual bike. I was interested in it, because a German friend of mine has a similar and I couldn’t understand, how he could balance it. Actually it was not so hard once it is rolling. The most complicated was to stop with the bike, but I think, one will learn that easily. Two or three women in my age were interested in my bike and I explained all about it for them. One of them did try it out as well.

In the evening we had a party night with dancing. Actually, I didn’t see anyone dance, when it was time for it. We had a special meal. It came with an extraordinary, very tasty piece of Tempe. Even the structure was unusual. By the way, all the food served was vegetarian. It took a while before we were told, that it was free seating. On our table all were women. I couldn’t have a good conversation, because we were around 2,000 people in the room and the noise in the background made it hard for me to hear what people told me. There was a couple of singers entertaining us, but the microphone was on high volume and she had a strong voice, though, unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy her song either. I actually took out my hearing aids, but that made, that I couldn’t understand the words of her song. Lisen did even say, that these singers were extraordinary and she was surprised, that I didn’t agree with her. I actually didn’t say anything about the singers, which she interpreted negative. Maybe I should have told her, that I have problems with my hearing.

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The last day Lisen and I were unfortunately a little late for the opening, a culning, which means the call for the cows of the people on the summer pasture. This technique is usually not used anymore. Both of us did attend the same workshops this day. The first one was about to find new members and the other one was about to get more younger people interested in the association. At the end of the day a fiddle team was playing. Different fiddle teams gilded our days in Mora – some also dressed in special costumes from the area. There were a lot of other peripheral arrangements. There were journalists from the magazine “Nature” and from the association, a woman with a spinning wheel and a man, who showed how to make baskets of bark or wood and a lot more parts of the association like donate in your last will to our association etc.

This evening we had the meal at Lisen’s home. She and Ali had cooperated and cooked a spaghetti meal with mushrooms. It was like a carbonara, but without meat. It was delicious.

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Lisen is working from home, though we had breakfast together. I asked her, what I owe her, but she was telling me: nothing. I was expecting, that I have to pay a little, because she told me, that she has a lot of people at her place during the Vasalopp. I imagined, she will get paid of them, but I never asked. While she was walking her dog in the forest nearby I was packing the rest of my things and attaching the panniers and bags on my bike. Before I left, Lisen was back and we had a very cheerful good-bye. I hope, I’ll meet her again.

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My host from Borlänge couldn’t host me again and I had found a warmshowers host in Falun. That made the way home a little longer, but it was really worth it. This day I mostly used highways, but in the beginning I did follow a minor road and was directed throughout the town of Nusnäs – where the Dala-horses are made.

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The first highway, the 70, had shoulders, which made cycling a little saver. Partly it had wide shoulders, which was even better. There was a lot of traffic and many trucks, though I appreciated the shoulders. While there nearly never is a shop or restaurant beside the minor roads I usually use, there are beside the highways. Even these highways are not big enough for having parking spaces with benches. Not really halfway to my goal of the day, in Vikarby, I stopped at a pizzeria. I ordered a vegetarian one. The best of this pizza was the thin bottom. It was like in Italy even the pizza baker was talking an Arabic language as it sounded to me. I could eat the whole one. Lisen had sent a sandwich with me, which I saved for later. Somewhere later I had a very nice view on the lake Siljan – after climbing a hill by my e-bicycle.

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The other highway I had to use was the 69. That one was smaller, without shoulders, but the traffic was not so extensive as on highway 70. There were only a few trucks coming. I had left Mora at 9:30am and arrived at my host in Falun at 5:30pm after an 88km ride. I had a lot of hills this day as well, but the most were during the first part of the day. At the end I could use cycle-ways, which made me happy, of course.

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I was hosted by Lena and Håkan. Both are very sporty. They are not only taking long distance cycling trips, they are also skiing and much more. They really are a couple to look up to. He had a room like a bicycle mechanic and helped me with my bike – e.g. he tighten the chain of my bicycle. In Mora some guy already had told me, that me chain is a little to loose, but Håkan did remedy it. He also told me, how to brake, when rolling down very high hills, because we had talked about my upcoming tour to Egypt and crossing the Alps or similar mountains. Furthermore he fixed my saddle – I was sitting on it like on a horse since the last adjustment. This time it became much better. During our conversation about long distance bicycle tours, Håkan mentioned that they have crossed the Alps by taking the train from Innsbruck to Brenner and were going to Bolzano in South Tirol by riding their bicycles, because there is a very nice cycle-way with lower up and downs. This information is worth its weight in gold even I will make that route the other way around.

By the way, when I arrived I was interested in a soft seat – as always and was offered an armchair with a little swing. By swinging it, I felt asleep. When I awoke, I did remember that Lena and Håkan were eating, but now, I didn’t hear the noise of the cutlery anymore. Lena soon told me “Good morning” and asked me, if I would like to have a cup of tea. If you are wondering, why I didn’t eat with them. Actually I was invited, when I got the answer on my request for staying at their home, but I also was told, that they will have fish. Though I answered, that I will eat before I arrive at their home, because I am allergic against fish. I also was still full after the pizza and I would have had the sandwich, which Lisen sent with me, but the tea came with a sandwich as well.

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After breakfast the next morning (Tuesday, 17th May) I took a photo of my host and left around 9:30am. I always try to leave at 9am, but didn’t manage it so far. I was told, that I should go via Hedemora and Norberg and so I did – again on the highway 69. Even this day I ate at a pizzeria, but something else. I had a long rest here. I arrived hos Tinka and Adam in Fagersta at 5pm and had done 90 km. The last 10 km were on a minor road and I was surprised, that I suddenly was close to Tinka’s home. This day I was using Google maps, because Komoot was sending me a much longer way. Anyway at one point, close to the goal of the day, Google maps told me to turn to the left twice, but the second turn was not possible, because I was entering a farm. A woman on the farm asked me, where I am going and told me, that I have to continue on the road, where I was coming. I was happy, that she just was showed up.

Tinka was already awaiting me and we had a lot to talk about even this day. She made a pasta dish with zucchini, tomato and more as well as a vegan bacon. She made around four servings and sent one of them with me the upcoming day.

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After taking a photo of Tinka and Adam she left for tests in English and Swedish. Adam was leaving for work soon afterwards. They left the automatic key for the garage to me, though I could take my bicycle out, when I was ready for leaving. It took not a very long time, before I was on my way to my next goal. Leaving at 9:30am again. This time I had found a host outside the city of Västerås. They have an apartment i Västerås, but also a croft at the countryside and they were just at the countryside. I used Komoot again, because it directed me on the correct road to the correct place, which my hosts had found out for me. The thing was, that I had to use a gravel road the last part of the way, because there is no other opportunity than gravel roads, but on the other one was newly new gravel added and even to hard to walk on it, I was told. This day it was not so hilly and I made the 78 km in a little more than five hours – even I was pushing my bike on the gravel road. Though I arrived at 3pm already and had to wait for a little while until my host Lena and husband were coming home. By the way, since Håkan had adjusted my saddle, my butt doesn’t hurt so much anymore.

I had a couple of rests while standing up – even when I ate of the pasta salad, because I didn’t find any places with benches. Luckily my butt didn’t hurt so much as the days, which are gone.

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The summer place of Lena and her husband has a long history. At the time of the hippies her husband and friends of him were renting this place. After all the friends dropped – they were moving to other places, he has got the opportunity to buy the place, which he did. It is very simple and has no running water in the kitchen, but a sink. The shower is in an outhouse – very simple like a camping shower, but it works. The toilet is in an outhouse as well, it is a simple loo – very environmental friendly. It is so peaceful there and far away the highways, that my bicycle was safe outside the house. Unfortunately, close to this place there is some deforestation and here you can really learn, how bad it is to clear-fell an area, partly of the big machines used. The owl has moved and a lot of other birds as well. The flowers, blueberry plants and the mushrooms are destroyed. As I was told, they will never come or grow back either. This was a very serious lesson learned. Earlier I only could imagine it, now I could see it with my own eyes.

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This is really a paradise.

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Fortunately most of my hosts are vegetarian themselves. Though this evening we had a vegetarian stew and I was allowed to help with the preparation. It was quite late before we were going to bed and I was advised, that I could hear a lot of birds if I will be outside really early in the morning. I was and heard them included a cuckoo. I had put my hearing aids in before I went outside, because I won’t miss the birdsong.

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It was already 10am before I left after a good breakfast. The first part (on the gravel road) I pushed my bike and I was told before of my host, that it is impossible to ride a bike there. Anyway, even if they had told me different, I would have pushed my bike like I did the day before.

Around high noon I had my first rest. I was already hungry again and I found a very nice place with a bench in a little village. The bench didn’t seem to be on a part of a plot. Even I have less pain in my butt, I am happy about my air-pad as you can see on the bench. My rest was for about 45 minutes. It didn’t feel, that so much time was running away for me. Fortunately this first part of the day was not very hilly and I had made 31 km in 1h50min.

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Even when I continued I had the same speed. I took another, but short rest in Eskilstuna. From here, my speed was not really so high anymore, because I was now in the county of Sörmland, which is really hilly. In Hälleforsnäs I was going to the lake Mälaren again – as I use to do, when I am there. This time I found my way without any map. I ate the sandwich, which I had got in Mora. It was home baked bread with seeds and it was not moldy at all. A really good quality. At 6:30pm after 105 (as Google told me, Komoot told me it is 111) I was at home again, noting that my second e-bike battery is a real blessing even I have to carry it on my back.

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Fact: I am prepared for my trip to Egypt even I know, it will be much harder than these days described. My first day off will be after 10 days and it will only be 1 day off, but with the adjusted saddle and when the padded trousers are here, it will be possible. Luckily the battery on the back is not too heavy. I still feel comfortable.