Day Five - Växjö to Tingsryd (40mi)
A blustery, pissing rain patterned the windows after breakfast as we were preparing to leave. Sure enough, it became a steady rain as we left town. The beautiful nature preserve on the outskirts of Växjö provided a bit of shelter under the tree canopy.
After passing through an area with horse stables, and a woman tending to her horse, we took a hard right turn onto a gravel road, meandering through various properties as the rain pattered us.
Suddenly there was a gate, and no real alternative around it. We had to press through. It wasn’t very securely shut and we were able to open it and continue. A webbing cow collar strung around the post was all that held it shut.
A herd of deer bolted past us at full speed. The rain picked up and it was now pouring. We were getting soaked.
We took refuge under a canopy of trees to wait out the worst of it. It was in the mid 50’s Fahrenheit and I was getting cold. After a few minutes we were back on pavement getting absolutely soaked with rain and splashing from our tires. It was impossible to get any photos of this because of how wet it was. We kept pushing. Thankfully it was a short day.
While it was a short day, it was an incredibly special day, as we were on our way to Tingsryd, where Allison’s ancestors are from. It was a very special moment when we crossed into the territory of Tingsryd Kommun! Look at that smile!
It was at this point that we started drying out and the day turned super nice. We rode slowly and took in all the scenery, including a stop in Åsnes National Park by the side of the lake. The lake was awesome, and so was the outhouse.
After a quick break here we kept on until we spotted a roadside cafe and resort. We stopped and had an amazing Fika experience! It was such a memorable moment where we had just entered Allison’s ancestral roots, and were sitting in a room surround by the sounds of Swedish being spoken all around us. The room was fully of energy and discourse.
We had meatballs on toast with a beet salad on top, coffee, and you guessed it: chocolate balls! Delicious!
After Fika, the ride meandered through the local forests and we rode slowly to take it all in. It is such a gorgeous area. As we inched closer to Tingsryd, a quick right hand turn took us into the woods on a jeep track. I remember intentionally choosing this path as a back way into Tingsryd. We were riding down the path and then, boom, there was a moose! This was the first time Allison saw a moose! How cool is it that she saw her first moose at the town where her ancestors are from! She was able to get this picture of it!
The moose sighting had us all worked up and excited, only to get more excited when we saw how great our little cabin was at the resort. It’s super simple, and cozy - an ideal spot for a rest day, which we are taking after all of this riding.
We learned that it is the Swedish national day on June 6 (our rest day), and we had better get stuff we need in case stores are closed. Off to the grocery store it was!
On the way back to the cabin we dropped by Tingsas church, where some of Allison’s ancestors are said to be buried, and where many marriages happened in her family before they immigrated to Iowa. The evening light was very nice on the church.
Our rest day will be spent in a sauna, having more Fika, and going to this church to find her ancestors. We also learned of a social gathering at someone’s back yard who is connected with the church and are going to crash that to see what we can learn. More to come on that!