Wekeend ride – Swedish country side

[beffo]

Gothenburg to Kristianstad Wekeend ride – Swedish country side

OK, so this is my first post… and my first trip. I’m Johan living in Gothenburg Sweden and I’m quiet new to motorbikes. I’ve been a lurker for over a year but I can’t help but being inspired by all adventurers sharing their experiences. This rr may not be as cool as all of the other awesome rr here on ADVrider but hey.. I had a blast! Got my first bike last fall and I’am enjoying every second on two wheels.

Me and my friend Johan (I know! It is a common name) are planning to go for a longer trip down to the Austrian alps travelling through Germany Poland And Czechoslovakia in a few weeks. We felt that we could use a little training and went for a weekend ride to visit a friend since university. He lives in a small town outside Kristianstad on the Swedish east coast in Skåne. This means we will take the chance to travel from Gothenburg through Småland and Skåne and try to only use the country side roads and experience a bit of Småland that you’ll never see from a car on the motorways.



Friday afternoon, one week before Swedish midsummer. We got the bikes ready and set of. This was also a chance for us to learn what to bring and what not to…



First stop in Horred to get some cash and find a nice burger.
Well, that’s the first lie… We had stopped many times before to look at the map (we are just 60km from home but on roads we never seen before and a crappy gas station map that mostly shows motorways and hinghways).

You can see that we have some nasty weather ahead. Just man up and go for it!



Actually quiet a tasteless burger but hey it still gives you energy.



The nasty weather never came. But the sun daylight was starting to end… well in a few hours at least. The photo is taken at 9pm and we had bit to go before camp in Unnaryd.



You can see that Johan choose the Iphone instead of the map to find out where we were, and what road to take. We would have to do this again a number of times in Småland.



From now on the adventure started. We never had rain but were passing wet/dry tarmac all the time on these winding forrest roads with increasing number of insanly built turns cracked road surface and a very present wildlife. Just before this picture Johan was ahead of me when he slammed the brakes passing a field. He was just a couple of meters from a privat date with a roe deer.

I was a few hundred meters ahead of Johan when I got out of a sharp turn. I was thinking to myself who the hell put a horse standing here beside the road. Oh no! Stupid! It is a Moose. And as always a moose doesn’t run away back into the woods, but instead straight over the road in front of me. But it was 10-20m or so in front of me so it was never dangerous. We saw 4 moose’s and about 10 roe deers the next 20 km. And one human. All were standing at the side of the road and didn’t get as scared as I thought they would be by my engine (I need to get a new silencer ).

Funny thing is when the road became a gravel road and it was further between the houses we didn’t see anymore wildlife until it got dark.



Johan deciding which way to go at an empty old cabin. I thought this was an idyllic view of Småland just as I pictured it as a kid reading the stories about Emil of Lönneberga and All about the Bullerby children. Well you get what I’m trying to capture. The moment I put away the camera we could here engines roaring like crazy on the way to us. Two old junk cars full of teenagers drinking beer and playing music passed us. I can’t say they ruined the moment, just made it more fun.

The time is about 10pm and we’re getting closer to the camping ground in Unnaryd. It is now all rabbits are appearing. Funny little animals. When it is becoming darker they will run in front of you and chase the light as long as the can until the road turns and they keep running in a straight line into the forrest.

Finally at 11.30 pm we reached the camping ground after a nice evening ride.



Packing up our stuff the next morning.



Me at the side of the road taking a break. Not long before entering Skåne.



Just a few kilometres from our friend’s house. Vittskövle Castle in the background.



Another picture of Vittskövle Castle



We reached our friends house at the shore of the Baltic sea.



New day, and we got back on the road, heading towards Gothenburg.



I’m a little disappointed that I never bothered to stop and fotograph the good parts of twisty roads. The whole trip was about 800km of which 600km were on this type of countryside roads, sometimes gravel and always twisty and entertaining. But the nicer the road the harder to stop…



Me taking a break.









Just 80 km from home we stopped at Grimeton radio station. I have always wanted to go see it and wondered what it was built for and when.












Read about Grimeton on Wikipedia if you like. I will have to return to visit the museum some day when it is not actually closed.


Over and out…

[IslandMonkey]

Johan, thanks for posting. A few days ago my brother-in-law mentioned the possibility of a Scandinavia trip next year so watch this space.....

[BusyWeb]

[UK Jimbo]

Great first RR. Thanks for sharing.

[PinkPillion]

Beautiful country roads, the castle picture is great!! Thanks for sharing.

[Deuce]

Sweden looks like a beautiful place to ride. I am watching the TV show 'Wallander' which is about a detective in Sweden. Great show.

[beffo]

Yeah.. Wallander... One of the numerous cop series made in Sweden. But it is also my favourite. Ystad where the series is filmed is just 80km from kristianstad.

The southern province (don't know about that translation) Skåne is a very scenic open area with lots of old farms and and a number of castles. Småland is more of a forrest coutryside. Great for bike trips!

I think a scandinavia trip would be a great idea. And you need to spend most of the days in Norway! Nice but expensive country.

[darth vader]

Very nice pictures, lovely forrest and amazing light. How shorts are nights in this season in Sweden?.
Thanks for sharing

[beffo]

Well, Kristianstad is as far north as Glasgow in Scotland. It bacame dark just after 11pm, when we were heading to the camp site. And 4 days before midsummer. And then it is dark a few hours until the sun rises and wake's you up in the tent.

[Leafshutter]

Thanks for sharing Johan

Nice to se some of my own backroads here for a change



Johann <--- from Småland

[beffo]

HAHA! I guess Johan translates to something like "John Smith"...

I'll probably sneek in to the backroads of Småland once or twice more. It seemed to me like the number of small roads are endless in Småland. And the best part is... It's not far from Gothenburg.

[GypsyWriter]

My dad's entire family is from Sweden and it's one of my dreams to go over there and ride around for a month some summer soon. Great RR, welcome to ADVR and looking forward to seeing your ride report through Europe!

[Dr. Greg]

I have very much enjoyed your ride report. Beautiful forest and countryside. I like trips like this that may be more modest than some, but are more within my own capabilities.

Looking forward to your longer trip in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing your excellent narrative and beautiful photos.

--Doc

[GB]

The Swedish country side looks so much like the country side here in Ontario.. thanks for taking us a long