ROAD TRIP (Day 4) - today´s numbers: 4, 155 and one million

Day 4 of our road trip. 

We spent the morning trying to dry out our tent, and to repack everything into our car without anything touching the ground. As usual, unpacked luggage grows when unattended. We spent two nights at a campsite in Stockholm, and while we were there, numerous miscellaneous items found its way out of our carefully packed car into the tent. Trying to fit them into the car again was perhaps even more difficult that trying to fit them all in the first time around. The task this made was made all the more difficult by the fact that it rained the WHOLE NIGHT last night. Literally. We stayed try though (thank you Coleman´s tent!) but the outside of the tent and the ground was of course soaking wet. It was no mean feat emptying the tent and packing the car without resting a single item on the ground. 

Hunny Bear in the mine

The only stop today was the Sala Silvergruva - a silver mine in Sala. We visited a stretch of the time which was 155m underground. It was really, REALLY cold! Towards the end of the one and a half hour´s tour, my hands were frozen. I could have really used a pair of gloves. The tour itself was interesting, although somewhat overpriced if you ask me. We had a wait of slightly more than an hour before the tour began, so we hung around the area, checked out a couple of antique shops nearby and had a snack in the car park. During this time, I found myself wishing, and not for the first time on this trip, that my travel companion spoke Swedish, or that I spoke better French, just so that we could communicate in a language other than English or German. Although to be honest, I was already glad that we were speaking in English. Because EVERY OTHER tourist in the area were Germans. At least half of all the caravaners or campers at the campsite in Stockholm were German. We ended up taking a German tour today, because it was the earliest one we could take. But the throngs of German tourist around makes me cringe, and I am not even German! Of course I am always knew that Sweden is popular with German tourists, especially in the summer. I had also begun to notice that a lot of German tourists in Malmö since the summer holiday season begun. But nothing prepared me for this!

As soon as the tour was over, we left the mine and Sala, and headed further north. We had earlier decided that we put to test what we have heard and I have read so much about: this so-called allmansrätt, which is the right of the individual to have access to nature over the rights of the private landowners of exclusive enjoyment of their property ...or something like that. Which means, we are, in theory, allowed to pitch a tent on someone´s property so long as we keep within a certain distance of their residence and do not destroy anything. As we headed north, we kept a look out for a potential camping spot. I picked a spot that looked promising on the map and navigated us in that direction. We had several moments of doubt as the paved asphalt in front of us disappeared into a gravelly mess. Eventually, the asphalt returned and some time later we came across the lake we were looking for. Unfortunately, there was no suitable camping ground to be seen. The land all around us looked swampy and covered with reeds. After driving a bit more, we crossed a bridge on to a small island in the middle of the lake and on this island, we spotted a promising spot amongst some trees. There was, however, a house barely 30m away. To be safe, we pulled over to an elderly lady watering her plants in her garden to ask if it was alright to camp there. Deciding that a request made in Swedish would come across much better than one in English or German, I got out of the car and approached her. 


Upon spotting me talking to his wife, an elderly man quickly made his way over. I suspect nothing much happens very often around these parts. I asked if it was alright to camp there. They said yes, but were hesitant about it. The man then suggested an apparently brilliant campsite further up north. I said we preferred to camp where they were no people. He feigned to take offence that we did not consider them "people". They then suggested another spot further down the road, which we would find better ground. We followed their very detailed directions, and found a spot. It was perfect. 

We are on a stretch of land on the Övre Heresundsfjärden, which is no more than 200ms wide. The stretch of land, I mean, not the lake. We can see the water, albeit through gaps in the trees, on both sides. It is far enough off the road that we would be spotted only by the most observant of drivers. The only problem with this spot is that its natural inhabitants are one million mosquitoes. One of us was completely unprepared for this. Before our trip, I went to the pharmacy and stocked up on insect repellent and every imaginable cream for bites, itch, allergy control, infection control, etc. available. All that though, does not stop them from swarming around you trying to find a "clean" spot. That drove my companion nearly crazy. He sat in the car the rest of the evening, emerging only to pee and to run straight into the mosquito free section of the tent. The plan for tomorrow is to drive as far away from this mosquito infected area as possible.... No, not really. But mosquitoes must be taken into account when deciding where to camp. Idyllic, quiet, free and mosquito infected secret spots by secret lakes or crowded, filled with Germans, costly but somewhat less mosquito infected campsites?

Having said that though, I got maybe four bites tonight. And with my super duper "After Bite" liquidy thingy delivered through a handy pen like device, they are under control and hardly itching at all. 

We have been told that the mosquito problem gets worse the further north one gets. How can there be more than one million mosquitoes in a ten square metre spot? I fear I will live to find out... 


The trip so far:

Day 1 - set off from Malmö, arrive at Sandjöfors. Overnight at Uppsjön.

Day 2 - Stockholm

Day 3 - Stockholm

Day 4 - Set off from Stockholm, to Sala, then on towards Gävle, but stopped off for the night at Övre Heresundsfjärden