I stepped onto the train in Malmö with the intention to end up in Oslo, but decided to stop in Varberg, halfway up on the west-coast of Sweden, to visit some childhood friends. I stayed there for four days before continuing to Oslo, where family and friends live.
Oslo, The Tiger City, a small city, has managed to keep its old charm even though modern buildings make up its skyline.
Munch Museum
Skriet…
The screamFuture Library RoomsSaunas line Oslo’s Harbour100c to 8c in secondsCreative ArtOslo castleCelebration!
Gustav Vigeland Park… Gustav dedicated much of his life, creating 212 unique sculptures. It’s the world’s largest sculpture park created by a single artist.
The sculptures are made from materials including bronze, granite, and wrought iron.
The angry boy
Oslo is called Tiger Staden… the name originated from a poem by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson in 1870, where the tiger symbolized the dangerous and cold city, while a horse represented the safe countryside.
Enough space for a horse! Not enough space for a horse…Lunch … in the cell of the king Slayer Ankarström. Ankarström killed King Gustav III at the “Kungliga Operan” in Stockholm in 1792. Schnitzel was on the menu.Café Källaren
ABBA ….
A surprise visit by Owe Sandström… the costume designer for ABBA!Coffee anyone?Stockholms Slott…And changing of guards..Riksdagen (Parliament)To..And from..
Alla Helgonas Dag…
Such a beautiful way to celebrate the past lives of others…🖤🧡💛
I left England by plane for Copenhagen. As I’ve done so many times before, I jumped on the train in Copenhagen Denmark, and after 20 min I stepped off in Malmö, Sweden and within minutes I dropped my bags on the floor at my parents flat in central Malmö. I was home again after three years, but home felt different this time. I was here to stay for a month, with plans to really feel what it was like to be here in case I decide to eventually move back to where I was born and raised.
Malmö city …. where parks are plenty… Pildammsparken
I have filled my days with daily walks in the city, drinking strong coffee, eating shrimp sandwiches and smörgåstårtor, lakrits and amazing cheese in abundance.
Where yachtclubs has a different feel…Where Art and Nature share spaces..Where parks are strategically placed throughout the city…Where history is everywhere…Where every corner of parks has its charm…Where Parks have witnessed generations of people…Where parks have space for children……. and a game of Boules amongst a group of seasoned peopleWhere people meet and relax…Where daycares transport their children on bikes…A common sight… daycares on bikes..
Malmő Gamla Stan, where people meet after work for a drink and tourists take it all in. Dad’s walk with dad’s pushing toddlers in strollers mid day and mid week, because they can! Dogs are accompanying their owners into many stores.
Pharmacy…Lilla TorgSkåne gultLibraryBike parkingStroller parking…Bike service stationStatues are polished…Bike for hire…Recycle and compost outside every apartment building…Conservation of old farms in mid city. Public roads beach front… access for all!Turning TorsoRibborgsborg…Bath house …Bath house from 1902.Where people meet and sauna, swim, sauna and socialize on their lunch break…Time for a dip..Fully electric…Riders and pedestrians have priority throughout the city..Bikes for all occasions..Family❤️A place to skate…Bi-directional buses… which direction?Outside the bus and train stationEndless parks scattered all around the city of Malmő…
A day of wandering down memory-lane in LUND…
Dom kyrkan..
What I have missed most…
OST…
And…
Time to leave the city for some country air…
SMÅLAND next stop..
Into the wooded SMÅLAND, with its charm of red buildings…where old never gets old…
An Amazing two days with a childhood friend enjoying wine, cheese and walks through Smålands woods.
….Open landscape… Sverige! A month flew by quickly. I had a wonderful time visiting with Annika, Rob and Kosmos and exploring on foot, cycle and ferries parts of England! I pack my bags for Denmark, Sweden and Norway and leave the land of pubs!
Although England is congested, the country’s dedication to bike lanes and sidewalks , especially in urban areas, is noticeable. Everyday, I either wander around on foot, or ride my bike, with no real destination in mind, however pubs are usually the end result!
I have week left here in England and then off to Danmark, Sverige and Norge!
… while cycling out to the Needles on Isle of Wight!
My rain clothes and cycling computer arrived and I jumped on the ferry to Isle of Wight!
It was a quick sail from Portsmouth to Ryde. Since I hadn’t had breakfast nor coffee, first stop was a no brainer…
I set my Strava to my Airbnb in Niton, and began my journey along the coast and through many little villages.
Friendly creature!This bus was the library at a primary school…See the bus on the left?Variety of paths..Bird and animal sanctuary…Close the gate..Single track! Little shops! More…Scenic journey..Blue sky!Typical …My Airbnb My veranda!Airbnb from the road!
I checked in and did a stretch all the way to the pub! Beer, fisherman’s pie and France in the background!
Touring around was never something I found particularly exciting. Aside from a great way to commute, riding a bike for me was more about the social piece. Sharing the trails with friends, flying down mountains laughing…looking at jumps and gaps, talking about how to approach and where to land…with friends! Since mountains are scarce here, bike lanes are plenty, and I have lost my grit, it was time to buy a simple but reliable bike to explore and get to and from places. I also do not have a car so a bike it is. And it’s a lot less money! My plan is to tour southern England, starting with Isle of Wight and South Down National Park, which stretches from Eastbourne to Winchester.
South Down National ParkIsle of Wight
Isle of Wight is a quick ferry ride from here, Portsmouth. In addition there are numerous ferries sailing to France, Spain and Netherlands. With this in mind, perhaps I will jump on the ferry to Netherlands and cycle through Denmark to Sweden in the near future!
I have two more weeks here in England. I’ll continue to enjoy spending time with my daughter, her fiancé and my Kosmos. visit pubs by bike and by foot, before continuing on to Sweden and Norway! This time, I’ll leave by bike behind in England! Next time, I might venture further!
I had been chasing wind to get some sessions of windsurfing in and stumbled onto this area just north of Auckland! Like so many other places in NZ, The Shakespeare regional park is a Nature Reserve. This is not a Freedom camp ground and a hefty 20 nz$ will give you a private beach, showers, clean toilets, fields to wander, birds singing and complete silence at night! Well worth the twenty bucks, I think!
Good Wind appeared and I wished I had windsurfing gear still! One of the things I like is the dedication to New Zealand’s past.. perhaps not without flaws… however many, if not most, original names of villages and communities. Major cities still are named after white guys!Sharing the trail with these friendly creatures… Low tide along the coastal trail.Farm fields serves as agriculture, conservation and recreation space!
During my evenings I’ve been reading “a Different Kind of Power”, an autobiography of Jacinda Ardern, one of the previous PMs of NZ! Well worth the read! She is an ordinary yet extraordinary woman, who was elected fortieth prime minister at the age of thirty seven, becoming the country’s youngest PM. Perhaps she is best known for reforming gun laws in just ten days, and therefore a hero in my eyes! All she wanted to be remembered for was her kindness.
As the evening approach, it sounds like I’m in a bird sanctuary. The swamp hens are chasing each other as the males might be competing for the only female. The lush hills, exotic plants and birds in the trees surround my van. I lay here reading a novel with all doors ajar. A bit chilly, but if I close my eyes, I get the sense I’m in a jungle.
Kiwi nest maybe…It’s been lovely…
A nice last evening in the van in New Zealand!
And now back to Auckland for two days …
On my way back I decided to stop at one of the parks in the outskirts of the city.
Seems like the government is working hard to protect NZ’s land, as well make sure children grow up with access to New Zealand’s nature!
Hard to believe I’m actually in Auckland, with this nature around me!
Sailaway Sarantium 