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MOTO HOLIDAY - SWEDEN (2013)
After a motorcycle holiday in Tuscany, where we sweated at over 36 degrees, we decided to travel to colder parts of Europe. With a little soul, I planned this about 6000 km route to the unknown. In a moment, it was clear to me that if we really wanted to get to know Sweden, we would not give it the whole time. So this part of our holiday is probably in the middle of Sweden and I hope that in the future we will return and tap it all the way to the northern tip. We use many side roads on the routes. Not all of them can be prepared in the offered maps. For info only about routes, just click on the green links. (I apologize for the automatic translation.)
TOTAL: 5773 km.
DAY 1: Bratislava - Hamburg
We take the fastest and most convenient move as far north as possible, which is a car train from Vienna to Hamburg. It is also possible to sleep there in the bed part and set off on our trip around Sweden in the morning. On the train, we come across Australians who find out that they booked the train by mistake in another month and have to get off. We save their holiday by giving them tickets that were left behind after our friends decided not to board after an argument in front of the train.
DAY 2: Hamburg - Vejle/Legoland
We take a piece of motorway from Hamburg to Denmark for a quick transfer. At the first pump in Denmark, we take hot dogs and find that due to the large selection (even wild boar hot dogs), it is their national dish. We travel on our can-am spyders, which is still a big attraction in these days. It also brings photography with passengers around at each stop. Bikers and tricycles with beautiful caravans are coming.
We're coming to Legoland. It was not our dream attraction, but we had it planned because of friends who didn't go in the end. We have a hotel near Vejle. We are still on the way to it due to a motorcyclist accident. The hotel is also great with dinner. Of the hard alcohol, they have only homemade Akvavit, which we taste and go to bed.
DAY 3: Vejle - Trelleborg
We're heading to Copenhagen. In front of Copenhagen is 9 km beautiful, steep, massive bridge. He is more beautiful than the one who goes to Sweden. In Copenhagen we try to find their famous mermaid, but the navigator takes us to the old port. In the end, we manage to find it surrounded by many tourists. We have coffee from little Piagga. It's very hot here, so we're falling away. A brisk tour of Copenhagen along the way. Alleys with restaurants, large cruise ships, submarine on land.
From the bridge to Sweden there is a view of a sunken boat in the water.
Arriving in Sweden, still 31 degrees, hot, so we take the first turn to the sea. The beach looks like in Bangladesh - head to head. A little further through the forest is a small harbor with fishing houses and a small buffet. For the first time we taste their traditional food: räksmorgas (we named it after ours - ratzmatzka), which are small shrimps on toast with mayonnaise, salad and egg.
We continue through a small town and the beach on the peninsula. It's busy here, on vacation.
Hotel Dannegarden in Trelleborg: nice, we park motorcycles in the front garden. On the streets are palm trees. Well, it doesn't look like a cold vacation yet. We taste their local schnapps with instructions. In the evening we go to the city for a burger and steak, in the evening the city is already empty.
DAY 4: Trelleborg - Ronneby
Our path leads along the east coast, military bunkers, beautiful beaches (one is Greta Garbo beach). We have coffee in the hotel, where they probably turned on the coffee machine for the first time. Sweden is more about American coffee than proper espresso.
We come to Alles Stenar - big boulders, harbor, fish restaurant. We're going to have a cake and coffee in the cafe. Uncle warns us that there is free parking for bikers next door. We leave all things on the motorcycle, which we would never do in our region.
The route continues to the town of Kivik. We're catching a sprayer shower from the field. All the cars we meet are old american cars. In the town of Kivik there are smokehouses, a beach, it is hot.
The next stop is Laxens Hus, where they fish for salmon. You can taste them fresh at the local buffet. We find that when paying, they can also give you cash from the card, which will save you fees when withdrawing from an ATM. There is also a salmon fishing museum. As they closed in 20 minutes, they gave us entry for a quarter of the price. Here you will find a statue of a woman catching salmon, mega salmon and the whole history of fishing.
We continue on a beautiful road to Ronneby. Finally bends and forest. Nice bays and red houses.
Hotel Hviidehus (unfortunately it is no longer open) is very beautiful with a funny owner. We park in the garden under the trees and for dinner we walk to the city. We taste local schnapps, which are something like Swedish drops with a lot of alcohol. Swedish alcohol is simply incomparable with ours. On the way to the hotel we take a short walk by the water.
DAY 5: Ronneby - Vrigstad
Our first stop on the route - Kalmar with Kalmarslot, which is a castle on the sea. In front of the Castle there is a cafe, finally espresso and very good cakes.
We continue to the island of Oland over the bridge. Road to the southern tip with windmills. There are 400 of them and the tallest lighthouse in Europe. Here you can watch birds, sheep by and on the road and see the Iron Age fortress.
Lunch at Eksgarden. Super fish, which is said to live only in this area, meatloaf, homemade food and beautiful accommodation.
The route leads us back to the mainland, we continue to Vrigstad through the woods. The roads are straight and wide, but since we also have a few side roads, they are already fun, winding and narrow. The whole route leads through the woods and here and there by the lake. Traffic is almost zero. The most beautiful part is around Lake Asasjon. Nice views, lots of lakes, beautiful houses.
Today's route is our longest - 450 km. Of course, it deserves to wash the machines on arrival.
Accommodation in the Best Western Hotel. We transfer luggage to the room through the window directly from the parking lot. Dinner, rehearsal of new schnapps and sleep.
DAY 6: Vrigstad - Gränna
The wide forest asphalt road no longer entertains us, so we turn into a deeper forest and continue along the gravel road.
We come to the Pippi Longstocking attraction. It's an amusement park and since I like the fairy tale, we're going to see it. It's more for children, but you can spend a pleasant time there.
We continue again with a long gravel, which in the evening means washing the machines again.
Accommodation in the hotel Gyllene Uttern.
DAY 7: Gränna - Vadstena
In the morning I talk to the local Hungarian woman how she lives here. The town of Granna is known for the production of candies. It is full of nice Swedish houses. My motorbike is striking in the port for the first time.
The road leads us around the lake. We come to the Husqvarna Museum, where they are happy to put off our helmets so we can walk through the museum.
Along the way, we are looking for a motorcycle shop in Jonkoping, as I need to replace the sensor on the alarm, which was supposed to be waterproof, but is no longer.
Continuation of the route as mostly in this country: around the lakes. A small town with the Gotta canal Forsvik. Very beautiful, we are sitting in a small cafe in the garden by the canal, for lunch we order food with a name we do not understand at all. It's quite tasty, but we still don't know what it was :-) We watch the ships pass through the locks.
Forest, forest, lake, forest, we take photos and continue. We arrive in a small nice town at the tip of Lake Askersund.
Next Mottala - motorcycle museum - very nice with all the details. We have coffee at the museum.
Road to the hotel in Vadstene - about 15 km. Opposite is the home Spyder rider, who, when he notices us, immediately spins and chases us. We stop in the parking lot and the guy is happy that he is not alone exotic in this region. He will tell us about a meeting of veterans in the city where we are heading. The town is full of Oldtimers of all types. Since our machines are also attractions, they allowed us to park straight between them.
We change the room at the Vadstena Klosterhotell, as it is not possible to open the window because it does not have handles on it. So instead of a room we get a small house, which sometimes served as a gatehouse. Very nice room. My spyder doesn't restart, so we check the cables and clean the relay. Dinner looked like it would be from a supermarket, but we finally found an open kitchen until ten and we were eating normal food.
DAY 8: Vadstena - Stockholm
Along the way attraction Gota Hotel: coffee, lockers, photo. The route continues with long gravels, which is absolutely great! We have lunch at Julitta Vardshus, which is a famous homestead with a villa and a park. My motorcycle is fooling around in the wasteland again, but there is one pump with a good espresso. Changing the position of the relay will help, so we can continue. Of course, a passing biker showed up if we didn't need help.
Mariafred: Gripsholm slot - castle by the lake. It is already closed, so we take a photo and leave in the direction of Stockholm on the highway. It is clear that when Miško notices a washbasin at the turn, we have to stop :-).
Hotel Stallmastaregarden in Stockholm is surrounded by a lakeside park. It's quite late, so we have dinner at the hotel. The most famous Swedish beds Hastens in the rooms.
DAY 9: Stockholm
In the morning, the hotel gardener actively watered the lawn and our motorcycles, so they are wet and spotty. We have coffee with our local friend. He advise us, where to go in the center and take us to a car parts store, where we buy a spare relay for my machine. We walk to the center through the city. We choose the Vasa Museum, Gamlaslot and we want to get back to the hotel by metro. We step out on the street, where old american cars are parked all over the region. Oldtimers from time immemorial. This walk to the hotel is an amazing tour.
Since it is a hotel where we stayed for 2 nights, we washed a few things in the morning. With that moisture, however, we dry in the evening with a hair dryer.
DAY 10: Stockholm - Dala Husby
My relay does not work again and the motorcycle does not start. So we replaced it and everything goes. For sure we are going to buy one more and spray on the contacts. Mekomen has a parts store for us. We give another cultural experience in Stockholm - Skanzen. The cars were no longer allowed in the parking lot, but they opened the ramp for us. Right behind the entrance gate were cabinets for storing helmets. We serve coffee and cakes in a historic patisserie. The open-air museum is full of nice old houses, a zoo, where we saw only small elves from the elf. There is also a tobacco museum, where we try tobacco under the teeth, we buy cigars and seedlings (so far I do not know what happened to them :-)). When leaving, Miško finds out that he forgot his wedding ring at the hotel. Bigger problem is, that his motorcycle doesn´t start. After the hot moments that we were still hanging, he thought of opening the lid on the tank. The manufacturer himself later found out and exchanged all the motorcycles as they were vented. We solved it by starting with the lid open and done.
We return to the hotel, where they find out that they found the ring in the room, but the cleaning lady accidentally took it home in her pocket. We'll wait for coffee and drinks at the hotel's expense. Due to the advanced time, we decided to move to the next hotel as quickly as possible. (Shopping list from Stockholm: 3x relays, contact spray, mushroom knife, tobacco seedlings.)
On the way we are caught by a storm, which is gone after 5 minutes drive. (we didn't even have time to give waterproof clothing ).
17 km in front of the hotel there is a clutch on Michal´s moto. We stop in the parking lot. On my motorcycle, it goes to the nearest pump to buy fluid, but refilling it doesn't help. We slowly move to the pump with both motorcycles with problems and try to clean the liquid tank. It doesn't help, so we call our mechanic Juraj in Bratislava, who advises what else we can try. Nothing helps. It occurred to me to bleed the entire clutch, but it is said that it is not done on this motorcycle. But nothing else occurred to us, so we disassemble and vent. Meanwhile, the pumper closes, but still asks us if we need anything. We buy a lot of rolls of paper, sandwiches and something to drink.
Venting helped, hooray! :-)
At 22:50 we arrived in Dal Husby, the chef made us an excellent sandwich and they also gave us aquavit and beer. We taste a cigar in the yard and go to bed around one. Unfortunately, this great accommodation no longer works.
DAY 11: Dala Husby - Tallberg
The whole day is marked by the names of the villages - a bad tongue :-) We left at 11 o'clock after a great breakfast. We strapped the clutch fluid reservoir to last. After about 40 km cafe with a restaurant and cakes by the water. Very nice, as in Sweden: it is ordered at the counter, self-service, the food will be delivered afterwards. My tooth breaks on one nut, but it doesn't look serious.
The road continues through forests (but what else in Sweden :-), small villages, lakes once to the right once to the left. Metal cats on the road again. After another approx. 40 km, Michael's shield holder broke. We stopped between farms and figured out how to catch it. The key ring from the Triumph motorcycle helped. The hotel is still 20 km away. Along the way to the pump, we bought everything: removers and magazines with ads of oldsmobiles and the old american cars.
Arrival to the hotel. Nice but feel the attitude of the staff that this is a hotel belonging to the network. Welnes is rebuilding. We drove to the town of Rattvik, which is full of old american cars.
Return to the hotel, bottle of wine on the terrace, raining, bar, dinner.
DAY 12: Tallberg - Sunne
The first stop in Nusnas - the production of wooden horses. Then drive through the Mora: a pump on which a biker with a girlfriend is looking for a motorcycle clothing store.
Along the way, we have coffee, cake and a good raspberry in Malung. Another route 15 km to Malungfors: production from leather and elves. Right in the first store, a nice, slightly handicapped gentleman, great gloves. Second souvenir shop: wooden butts burying the garden. The aunt from the store gave us staples with horses.
We continue a long way through the forest, the pump: hot dog and we also bought elf sausages.
We climb up the hill with a view, where a chef immediately runs up to us to park in front of the pub, so he can take a picture on Facebook.
Arrival to the hotel in Sunne: nice by the beach, many guests, especially retirees. We park in front of the entrance until the morning. We find out the procedure of looking at motorcycles: first a motorcycle, then a license plate, and finally an examination of highway signs. Grants look most like, but ask grandparents to ask.
Good and relatively cheap dinner on the hotel terrace.
Room for the first time with twin beds, but we managed to equip a connected. What is it without snuggle :-)
DAY 13: Sunne - Trollhatan
The route is mainly about driving. Nice roads, winding, forest landscape.
The aqueduct, Dalslands Kanal, is raining a bit. Waterproof clothing, it's already raining a lot.
Arrival to the hotel: very nice, room with balcony and canal view. I decided that my hair would be tangled, so let Miško cut it for me. Of course, it's a terrible askew, so he trying to fix :-) It looked great for weeks!
Perfect dinner.
DAY 14: Trollhatan - cesta po západnom pobreží
We took the highway to Stromstad. It looked like rain, but there was none. On the highway, we agreed via radios that we would pull all the way to Norway. We crossed the Norwegian border and turned into the first village by the sea: very nice, deserted, small harbor, buffet. Here is the decision on next year's vacation - NORWAY.
Way back to Stromstad, we pass through the center and the harbor. Lots of people, a cruise town. We continue along the coast. Stop: Tanumshede - in the city pharmacy, I buy something like Kinedryl. (pill for seasickness) In the parking lot we can see on the map where the ruins are in stone. After about 5 km we are with them.
Grebbestad: resort with a marina. Lunch: fish soup (like perkelt), shrimp, salad - very good. Caravans parked in the camps with terraces and flower pots.
Road through Fialback, Hamburgsund - super ice cream Pipersglass (one of the oldest in Sweden).
After about 5 km turn to the ruins. We walk uphill: amazing 360 degree view.
Smogen: an island with a bridge, big gravels. We go to the end, then a short walk on the rocks. Super views.
Road to Lysekil: cigarette in port.
The navigator writes 30 minutes to the hotel. We set off, but suddenly we are on the loading dock (yellow, it's free). The navigation writes an hour's drive. He went wrong. We continue quickly to the hotel, as the navigation time cannot be relied on here. Dinner is served until 09:00. We arrive at 8:55, we catch up with dinner :-) it's great, we taste the local aquavit. (and not one). Interesting dessert: Cremebrule with mint, basil and coriander sorbet.
DAY 15: Trollhatan - Varberg
Little chaos from the hotel. Road to Ghoteborg: nice, forests, clouds. Ghoteborg: harbor, ship museum. Road to the hotel, stop at the pump: the pump operator runs out to take a photo with us. Apparently her customer also has Spyder, but not so nice. She likes Michael's blue spyder more, because black supposedly looks like a batmobile. She offered us free coffee. We bought beer and hot dogs.
On the way, turn to a Slott: a castle that is already closed, but they still give us cakes and coffee in the restaurant. Little red houses: probably servants.
Arrival to the hotel: looks awful, but inside is very nice, room great, walk to the sea and the city. Dinner: good buffet at the hotel.
DAY 16: Varberg - Korsor (Dánsko)
In the morning we set off on the highway. After about 100 km turn to the peninsula with the village of Mole. It is actually one hill, on it a lighthouse, a beautiful view, the possibility of fishing, rock climbing, in the village is Grandhotel. In the parking lot toilets: a luxury hole in the ground.
A few kilometers before the Mole turn to the villages: Flickorna Lundgren, just in front of it a restaurant with a bakery: delicious cookies-vanilla heart, nice garden, tables among the flowers. Lots of flies. Road to Helsingborg: we parked by the ferry, a walk through the city - not very nice, no souvenirs. Ferry to Denmark: 20 min.
Helsingor: We don't stop, very warm, but it looks more beautiful than the Swedish part.
Journey through Denmark on side roads: the fields themselves, very warm, spiders in the room, dinner: grillbufet. Michael's style of photography, when he wants me to smile, he says: Hare.
Nice, modern hotel.
DAY 17: Korsor - Osdorf (Nemecko)
Road over the super bridge, then down from the island to the ferry. Some famous personality, probably a rapper, is traveling on the ferry, all the young girls are taking pictures with him. A few km still in Denmark, the last pump and hot dogs.
Germany: a journey along the coast. Last 5 km rain, arrival at the hotel. We have a room in the garden house, toilet and bathroom outside, but otherwise a luxury. At 7 p.m. it stopped raining, the sun came out. Dinner: about 7 km in a straw house: matjes, fish, crayfish.
DAY 18: cesta do Hamburgu
We had booked a car train to travel to Vienna. Just after leaving the hotel, we stop and ask Mišo to let Bratislava enter the navigation system. He writes: arrival 23:50. It's great, we would still be on the train arriving in the morning. So we let the ticket fall and shovel it on its own. At the end of Germany, this year's biggest summer storm begins and continues to Bratislava. Here and there a tree, a branch and another mess fly in front of the motorcycle, in the tracks we push the water in front of us (you don't choose much on a tricycle, you still hit it with one wheel), but at one o'clock at night we happily park in front of the garage. Experience the whole holiday !!