After some concerning calls from the home front, we doubted whether to go home directly or change our plans to go further north. Luckily we arrived at Johanne and Kees’ awesome B&B to do some serious thinking and discussion about our next steps.
Johanne and Kees are two accomplished piano players and educators who acquired Södra Halla two decades ago. Through their diligent efforts, they have transformed it into a charming bed and breakfast, offering numerous rooms and even an apartment for extended visits. They are currently developing special children’s rooms to infuse the house with a touch of magic. Additionally, Johanne is a graphic artist who is presently working on a book and regularly shares updates on Instagram.
We visited this B&B already twice on one of our previous Sweden journeys in 2015.
Day 57 Gräsmången
Before noon I took some time to make a drawing from the house that I plan to give as a gift to Johanne and Kees. Drawing always gives a peace of mind, certainly when I get completely in the flow as it is called.
We got some coffee and cake that was served on their terrace behind the house.
Today’s main event was a walk to Lake Gräsmången, which is about 1.5 kilometers from the house. The nature there is absolutely beautiful, inspiring, and calming. It was exactly what we needed.
After this beautiful walk through the forest (to see the video, open the blog page) we arrived at the lake. Sweden has so many lakes, but every lake is different.
In the evening, Kees served us soup, a lasagne of different vegetables with salad and dressing, and ice pie as dessert.
Evening came, and it was game time. Johanne and Kees taught us the fun game of Beaver Gang. So much fun! But I’ll be discreet about the end scores 😉.
Day 58 Svarttjärnen
Today it was also washing day, as Leen wanted to wash all the clothes we have with us. More work than expected as she did 4 washing machines in total.
In the afternoon we did a longer walk to lake Svarttjärnen. It had a steep climb of 200 meters (!) to get there.
Upon reaching the lake, we discovered a rather narrow path that guided us along its perimeter.
Nature was at his finest with many lovely flowers and plants. Around the lake were also peaty parts.
If you’re ever in the neighborhood, we can definitely recommend this walk even though you need to do some serious climbing (walk at Komoot).
When we were back in the house I kept working on my drawing of Södra Halla. I do love to work on the detail of my drawings from time to time.
Dinner was a delicious spread of soup, chicken curry with Lebanese rice, and pie for dessert! We’re probably going to gain a little weight after three days of pies and cakes! 😅
In the evening, we engaged in a game of Oh Shit, a dice game we had also coincidentally learned in Sweden. (Thanks to Eleanore and Ingemar that might pop-up later in this blog.)
Day 59 Loppis
After breakfast, we spent most of the morning planning. We had already decided to head South instead of North. Some recalculations of the time we needed, and a feeling that we’d get home faster if necessary, made us decide to plot our course South, directly towards Tyringe, Eleanor and Ingemar’s hometown.
We’ll have to do 9 biking days, but that’s really 13 or 14 actual days because we still want our rest days. The route is a bit of a shortcut, but given the circumstances, we feel better getting closer to home rather than farther away.
Prior to lunch, Johanne and I discussed our experiences with drawing, including the materials and techniques we employ, and our approaches to sharing our work with external audiences. Johanne elaborated on the challenges she encountered in publishing a book she created. Essentially, it was an opportunity to exchange insights on our successes and difficulties.
It was also a good time to hand over the drawing I made of Södra Halla. It was finally done. Bålar and Målin were of course also part of that drawing.
In the afternoon, we accompanied Johanne and Kees to a Swedish Loppis. This type of establishment is a common second-hand market in Sweden, offering a diverse range of items, from valuable finds to less desirable articles. Nevertheless, the experience of browsing through such an eclectic selection is truly enjoyable. We even located several nice booklets featuring illustrations by renowned Swedish artists.
Later in the afternoon we continued with our planning efforts and booked already some spots to spend the night.
For dinner, Kees had prepared a delicious red beetroot soup, followed by a rich Mexican taco dish and ice pie for dessert.
And when the lights grow dim, it is time for a last game with the beavers 🦫. So much fun and laughter that it was difficult to end the evening. But as all nice jazz or classical or other songs come to an end, so do evenings. Around eleven we slowly walked to our room. We checked if all necessary electronic equipment was charged. We already packed some bags and set our alarm for tomorrow.
Tomorrow, we are planning a bicycle trip to Ölme, where we have secured a room for the evening. The journey will cover 57 kilometers and involve an 350 meters of climbing.
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