2. Tag (9.8.22)

11:00

Slowly but surely, the tourist train chugged into Gothenburg, marking the end of my first train route. We slung our backpacks over our shoulders and trudged out of the station. Sven had to buy supplies for the journey ahead, so we strolled to the nearest supermarket. There, I was able to restock my reserves with garlic, tomato paste, and a Swedish canned soup. I grabbed an apple as well, and after a grueling battle with the self-checkout, we returned to the station where I parted ways with my traveling companions.

Once alone again, I wandered into the city center, laden with my travel weight, as I had to realize that the lockers did not fit my budget. So I meandered a bit through the slowly awakening shopping streets. For a while, I observed the hustle and bustle of the routine worker bees, who quickly grabbed a coffee at the corner with their briefcases in hand. Young adults enjoyed leisurely breakfasts in nearly empty cafés, the first tourists pulled out their cameras, and everyone was accompanied by the coastal ambience of the seagulls.

After this detailed study of Homo Sapiens, I felt drawn back to the realm of flora. I strolled along a quaint canal, on the other side of which I discovered a park, until I could cross it. The park in question was a botanical garden, and upon reading the 'Free Entry' sign, a smile spread across my face. First, I explored the rose gardens, studied a Chinese redwood with its kindly downward-sloping branches against the ochre-colored gleaming bark, and finally enjoyed the palm house. My hiking attire, intended for the mild Scandinavian summer, was suffocating under the high temperatures and the punishing humidity of the greenhouse. My spirits, however, remained high as I wandered from palm to exotic flowering plant, from giant water lilies to red-shining legumes, from philodendrons to extraordinary conifers.

After this adventure, I sat on a wooden park bench under a maple tree and called my grandmother to check if she wasn't worrying too much.

18:00 Uhr

I felt the fatigue pushing back to the forefront of my consciousness and decided to look for a place to sleep. On the Internet, I searched for something green, and when I discovered a nice piece of forest, I set off. First, I navigated through the building canyons, passing by sports fields and amusement parks. I came across a manor house in front of a large meadow and laid out my luggage to immerse myself in the green of the well-manicured lawn. After a short break, I decided to walk the last stretch to the forest.

I had to trudge for quite a while through the wooded hills until I found a suitable spot for my hammock between a beech and an oak. While setting up my day camp, I could still nibble on some blueberries that adorned the ground like the feathered attire of a bird. I pulled my sleeping bag from my backpack and made myself comfortable in the hammock. It didn't take long before I was fast asleep.

23:00 Uhr

When I awoke late in the afternoon, I felt rested but also a bit dirty. Promptly, I decided to walk the last stretch to the nearby lake, packed up my day camp again, and strutted off. After just a few hundred meters, I suddenly found myself on a golf course and asked a local golfer for directions. The tall, blonde man told me the way, and I followed his instructions. I walked through a pine jungle until I could finally see the sparkle of the water.

At the lake, I entrusted my belongings to a couple, put on my swimming trunks, and joyfully jumped from a jetty into the icy lake. The water was as black as pitch but still looked crystal clear. The lake meandered in all directions, and gray sandstone cliffs climbed at the shores. Above the horizon, a collaboration between sky and pines unfolded, arguing over the space. I swam in circles, dove beneath the surface, trying to absorb the soul of the lake. Once my need for refreshment was quenched, I left the lake and got dressed again.

I thanked the couple and took my things to a picnic table, intending to cook my dinner there. I peeled garlic, unpacked my stove, and set water for pasta to boil. I had pasta with tomato sauce. What the meal lacked in character, the view made up for. The sun made its last attempts to illuminate the landscape and was slowly consumed by the clouds on the horizon.

After I had finished eating and cleaned up, I packed everything up again and followed the couple's recommendation to set up my sleeping area on the peninsula on the other side of the lake. I trudged through the rugged rocky landscape along the lakeshore. The red of the pines faded in the twilight until the only lights left were those of the moon, the stars, and a radio tower. I walked over rocks, floating bridges, and paths overgrown with weeds until I finally reached the peninsula. There, I quickly realized that there were hardly any real paths, and I had to struggle along wild paths to the tip.

Surrounded by water, I was welcomed by two young Swedes at a campfire, who apparently had the same plan as I did. They showed me a good spot to hang my hammock and returned to their fire while I focused on setting up my camp in the dark. Once I succeeded, I joined the remaining camper by the campfire. We exchanged a few words in English and listened to the musical crackling of the fire. The fibers of the wood broke under the heat, producing delightful sounds. As exhaustion eventually caught up with us, we each retreated into our shelters. And now I lie in my sleeping bag and write. Good night.