The day started with tea and breakfast, following yesterday’s invitation. We talked a lot, and it got late. So yeah, late start again.

When I had finished packing up, I couldn’t find my bike gloves. They were still inside the now packed tent. The same thing happened with my glasses some stages earlier. While back then I unpacked the tent to recover them, I decided to ride without gloves today.

I made good progress, as yesterday. Perfect conditions again.

At some point, I arrived at a bridge with only one lane and a signal.

Since it was red, I decided to take a photo. While at it, an older man with a bike and a fishing pole approached me. He started telling me facts about that bridge in front of me. If I recall correctly, it is the longest wooden bridge in Sweden, and was the location of some Russian Swedish battle in the 1700s, where ~150 Swedish soldiers gave their life. We continued talking about my trip, what would be a good route etc. He called himself a drunk, which was quite accurate given his state. Nonetheless, he came across as a really nice guy. After telling this encounter to my hosts in the evening, they identified him as a true northern Swede.

After the usual grocery shopping, I continued my ride to the new home of the young family who invited me at stage 15. The route directly passed along their house.

I arrived there around 20:15. Together with two friends from Germany, they were renovating the house in preparation of moving there next year. I put up my tent in the backyard. We spend the evening sitting around a fire talking. I got a large portion of tasty pasta, and shared my motivational candy in return. It got late.