Breathe in Gävle

June 11th + 12th (Gävle - Söderhamn) 

After our nights outdoors, we’ll stay at Torbjörn’s place (who shares a name with the little Swedish hero from Overwatch). He and his wife have transformed an old church holiday camp into a campsite. The meadow accommodates about 15 campers, each with a small wooden terrace. The old community center still serves as a place to cook, play, and relax, while showers and toilets can be found in the basement. The house retains much of its original furnishings and exudes nostalgia. We are joining another couple from Germany along with their sweet collie dog Joy, who enjoys the attention. Generally, we see German campers wherever we go; directly across from us is even a vehicle with a license plate from Bergisch Gladbach. Before we can properly settle in, shower, or eat, we take advantage of the ping-pong table. We are both extremely mediocre. The rest of the evening is spent tidying ourselves and the van. 

Before heading back on the road the next morning, we make use of the obligatory raft construction to get over to the island. For my birthday, we prefer to stay somewhere free again, and since the next major destination, Umeå, is in the north, we stop in Söderhamn after an hour of driving. The road to our chosen parking spot is blocked once again and we take an adventurous detour through a residential area filled with small Swedish houses. 

The parking spot is actually the parking lot of a recreation area, perched on the first real mountain we see. I don’t think there’s a German equivalent because everything is built into the existing nature rather than being laid out. In the forest area, various hiking trails, mountain biking paths, and what turns out to be a disc golf course intersect. Everything in this area is designed so that you always feel alone, and it’s all in fantastic condition. Along the way, Henry finds two walking sticks, and we walk the rest of the route in Gandalf style (good thing no one knows us here). In the evening, there’s the 'pre-birthday meal', a tradition I willingly adopt from Henry’s family. In my case, wraps are the choice, because they work every time, and fittingly, it’s also Taco Friday.