Saturday the 7th of August
Under bright sunshine we travel 142,58km in 6hours 26
Averaging 22.1kmph, max 52.1kmph
Since Norway the song that has invaded our minds, souls, sleep, dinner and cycling has been Bucks Fizz's Land of make belive:
This is Alice's fault after bringing it up in the singing peloton. I have been hearing it with every pedal turn and all of us hum it under our breath before breaking into the dance routiene (uncordinated marching for two bars then swinging arms around for two bars and repeat).
What makes this day unique is that no one was affected by Bucks Fizz and finally we have left Cheryl and co behind!
After leaving Umeå coffee is already being discussed and planned at 10km in. It is a further 30km before we hit the town of Hornefors which has a large lido but no apparent coffee shops (oh how we miss London's coffee stops every other shop). We follow signs to centrum but instead find ourselves in a large industrial estate called centrum. I reflect that this is quite a nice change from the standard E4 roadside picnic but instead we elect to double back and Colby hits ICA and returns with coke and two large swiss rolls which we devour as if mini rolls.
Hypergylcaemic we zoom off to Nordmarling, sugar levels plummeting and caffeine craving not settled by coke we stop to find coffee. Two long chats about our trip and the grumpy cafe attendant thrusts take away coffee into our hands as she is now closing up. We sit outside and drink the very strong coffee and eat a bag of peanuts. A detour to the tourist information centre and now we have been in the renamed Laura Marling for over an hour and it's now 3pm. I wonder if we need lunch but after our two breaks no one is feeling hunger. I spot on the map what looks to be a perfect picninc spot the E4/beach. It is of course not a beach but a sandy reedy estuary bay. Unperturbed and comforted by the nearby E4 presence we eat our sarnies. We spend nearly half an hour trying to get back on cykelsparet which should be nearby but those pesky roadworkers have moved his signs about, so instead a quick 5k down the E4.
In this time we have crossed other another province (or landskap) border into Angermanland, where the flat coast line stops and we return to hilly cycling delights. My knee has benefited from the lighter cycling days and is now functional again- although still unable to ride out of the saddle, so I'm now back up to pace and also find my off road legs. I now to whizz along other grit and pot holes. My technique is quite simple bomb along as fast as possible regardless of holes and panniers. The pannniers do start to protest a little and road side repairs are required.
We all go a bit loopy at Gidea after getting very hot and sweaty on off road. It would also appear to be nearing evening and the hostel we had intended to stay at closes in 1hour. Sparet would suggest we are 20km away from town, but this isn't clear as we have diverted from his course going inland rather than while away 50km meandering the coast. Of course Sparet's map doesn't entirely cover the area we are traveling.
So back on the bikes after some fruit and nut, the sign says 28km away. So heads down and pedal. We nearly make it to town in the hour but get lost at the E4 in no man's land on the map. A 40min wander around and we find ourselves at the north of town outside the Scandia hotel. I wonder if we've missed the town altogether. This is scoffed at and Phil goes into the hotel to fetch a map to prove me worng. A roll down the hill into town and we try to find a hotel now that the hostels are closed.
So back on the bikes after some fruit and nut, the sign says 28km away. So heads down and pedal. We nearly make it to town in the hour but get lost at the E4 in no man's land on the map. A 40min wander around and we find ourselves at the north of town outside the Scandia hotel. I wonder if we've missed the town altogether. This is scoffed at and Phil goes into the hotel to fetch a map to prove me worng. A roll down the hill into town and we try to find a hotel now that the hostels are closed.
We now discover that Ornskoldsvik is the venue for the band Europe's comeback gig and the town is chock-a-block with Swedes eager to relive the Final Countdown. The only room in town for the three of us is back up the hill in the Scandia hotel! Room booked we need dinner before our ascent (it's a steep hill). To the Italian, some confusion when the three of us order three main courses and a pizza, "there are four of you?" "no we are hungry!".
Fed we "race" up the hill in granny gear. Phil is put to bed, Alice and I go for a dip in the 7m pool, then blog time and bed!
Hi Alice, trying to follow your progress. Love Didi.
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