Closing days Stockholm and Stage 23

Since the front wheel of Gert's bicycle had to be replaced due to a rim fracture, we took care of that on our free day in Stockholm. Each of us had already done a more intensive city tour before. We also used the day to do laundry and treated ourselves to a Corona test at a high price, because it seemed that you could enter Finland with a test.

In a brilliant bicycle factory, i.e. a larger workshop that mainly builds cargo bikes and all kinds of special bikes, we were able to get a pre-spoked 20' wheel, which Gert then assembled in front of the youth hostel. This allows us to reach other neighborhoods for errands, and we encountered very friendly, helpful people.

On the second free day, we took the great boat trip from Stockholm to Turku (which Hanna had sometimes raved about). Almost constantly looking at the archipelago from a huge ferry for a whole day! This time, however, there was a fairly foggy phase in between (around the Åland Islands) - also an interesting experience!

When we wanted to go ashore in Turku, the border police informed us that only vaccinated people (or people with a certificate of recovery) are allowed to enter Finland for tourism purposes, and then they guided us back to the ship. After everything had looked so promising before, this was of course a disappointment, but on the other hand, it was also a risk that we were aware of - and unfortunately, the risk turned out to be true. So we spent the evening with a nice dinner and the night on the ship.

This morning, we first went to a bakery and then left Stockholm - thanks to the bike paths that are available everywhere and good signage, the city didn't bother us much, even though it is much more beautiful in nature and on smaller roads! Just after 10 o'clock, we went to a bicycle shop where they not only gave us the additional washers we still needed, but also installed and adjusted everything.

So we continue through the hilly landscape of Sweden (in Finland, we would have had less distance and fewer meters of altitude) and after an unpleasant phase of about 15 km on a fairly busy road, we arrived safely.

Stockholm - Norrtälje

91 km, 765 meters uphill