I thought tonight was going to see me reach the West Coast but I seem to have read the map wrong. Uddevalla is an industrial town on a river just in from the coast so I guess I get to see the seaside tomorrow. Once again though I am getting ahead of myself.
Up at 0500 and crept around trying not to make too much noise. Out on the road by 0600 and this time it looks like the rain might hold off.
Bike computer is still not working and my tablet refuses to charge so I am going to have to rely on my phone for navigation. Checked the route Google gave me and again it goes via the E20 so I took myself down the back roads and after 10KM chanced upon what turned out to be the best signed post cycle route I have ever taken. All the signs were large, easily seen and pointed in the right direction, a rare event in Sweden as the signs are often faded, behind foliage or pointing vaguely the way you should go only to vanish at the next junction.
The ride was wonderful as the trail took me through pretty villages, farmland and forest. Not a car in sight! I bet a retired couple from New Zealand cycling in the opposite direction and we had a good chat. Seems they had come up from Prague and apologized for the crappy bikes they were riding but the intending leaving them in Stockholm which was their eventual destination. Told them to avoid the route I had taken and they told me they intended to follow the Götakanal which on reflection is what I should have done! It would have meant repeating part of my East coast trip but would have been very pretty. we also had a good complain about the pathetic attitude of Swedish Rail which doesn't permit bikes which seem´s an incredible oversight.
Reached Lodköping, had a break and then took off into the countryside to avoid route 44 which looks like a very busy dual carriageway. Went past a military airfield and saw a jet take off which was pretty cool. Countryside was great though Google maps failed me on one occasion as I ended up in a farmyard. The way ahead had actually been dug up to to lay a cable spo maybe it wasn't there fault. Not too much harm done as it wasn't far back to the proper route.
Went through the Hunneberg Ecopark which is one of just four in Sweden (though they are planning on another 21). High on a plateau the idea is to let everything grow naturally and eventually return everything to its natural form. The road up was 90 degrees I swear and had my heart beating like a rabbit by the time I got to the top. The park was very pretty though and I think its a great idea.
The urban sprawl that is Trollhättan, Vänersborg and Vargön would have been next to impossible to navigate in a timely fashion so thank god to Google which saw me through fairly effortlessly. The road to Uddevalla was likewise good except for the headwind which I had to contend with for the last 3 hours.
Uddevalla itself doesn't look anything special and has no hostel so forced to stay in a Best Western. I think I might even stay for breakfast and have a slower start tomorrow because today was at least 160KM which makes 530KM in 3 days by far my biggest total.
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