Day Six - Rest Day (10mi)
Rest is a key part of this trip for me to make it all the way to Tallinn. Every 5-6 days I will be taking a day to recover, clean up, and recharge. Today was extra special, as we took the rest day in Tingsryd on Sweden’s national day.
This gave us time to do laundry in the morning, which was really needed, believe me! Before doing that, we had a nice breakfast at the cabin.
The resort had a sauna as well, and it was essential we hit that up while here. Before lunch we got that heated up and spent time jumping in and out of Lake Tiken, which was about 55-60 degrees and very red in color. You can see how red in comparison to the deepening tiger stripes on my hands and legs!
The sauna itself was quite nice and restorative after so many miles on the bike.
After several cold plunges it was time for a brief lunch at the resort restaurant. This was when we planned our search for a gathering that was supposed to be happening in the woods 5 miles south of town. With help from the resort staff translating, we got an address and hit the road on our bikes for a small place named Stenfors.
The ride there was beautiful, as it traversed a nature preserve and eventually connected via a narrow gravel road. The peacefulness and beauty of the area was so captivating.
The purpose of going to this gathering was to make a connection with some older locals who were connected to the church so we could ask about Allison’s ancestors.
Along the meandering road we discovered the gathering!! A group of people was sitting down in this garden, next to a creek, and there was a talk being given in Swedish.
20 minutes after arriving, the talk paused and everyone started getting out their picnic baskets with coffee, pastries, and rolls for a Fika in the woods. It was so incredible to be part of this, seeing a very old tradition in real time. People chatted with each other, connecting in analog - such a change of pace from our normal lives. An older gentleman who required a cane to walk, came strolling to another man in front of us using an Exel cross country ski pole as a cane! So amazing!
The priest eventually walked up to us and spoke English with us. He gave us a piece of paper that had a hymn and the national song of Sweden on it, all written in Swedish. They group gathered again after Fika and sang these two pieces. At the end, the priest welcomed us as visitors to the whole group and everyone was staring at us.
After the service, we talked with the lady who did the main speech. A large toad distracted us.
We asked her some questions about Allison’s family and we weren’t able to learn much. She shared that the Swedes are “weak” at celebrating their national day as they haven’t been in wars, and there is an effort being made to establish a stronger sense of pride in their history. This was part of the purpose of this ceremony on their national day. It was really interesting talking with her about this, as she is an official with a larger regional organization involved with historical preservation.
On the way back to town we stopped to check out Stenfors Bruk, which looked like a dam over a small river. There are so many small landmarks here.
Back in town, we grabbed a quick dinner and headed to the cemetery to look for Allison’s relatives. We spent an hour or so walking up and down and found one grave that looked like it could be one of her ancestors. So cool!
The church next to the cemetery was closed, and before leaving Allison really wanted to see the inside. She did everything in her physical ability to get a peek! After all, this was where many events happened with her ancestors a few hundred years ago. Her curiosity is powerful and amazing.
It was a super special rest day for us, and we capped it off by tasting some local Aquavits.
Tomorrow is our last day before Allison goes back to the U.S. and I carry on to Poland. I’m already incredibly sad and teary-eyed. This is one hell of an adventure, but damn, I am going to miss her so much.
