Today, the last part of the Sydkustleden was on the agenda (from Lomma to the south of Helsingborg). It started in Simrishamn on day 82 and will really end tomorrow in Helsingborg.
We kicked off the day with a full breakfast at the B&B we were staying at.
We started biking at 10 towards the sea first. It was a grey and dreary day, even chilly for the time of year, but still there were people kite surfing.
When we wanted to start biking further, Basil called us and proudly told us that he planted his pacifier in the garden yesterday, and that today a bunch of lollypop flowers had sprouted from this “seed”. So nice to hear such news from the home front.
The road gave us some great sea views, and when we stopped at a cool pier, a nice guy named Tord Emnert asked us about our trip to Sweden and what we’d seen. We had a nice chat. He and his wife were there, enjoying the beach and the last vacation days with their grandkids.
But time was ticking, and we had to move forward.
It was lunchtime at 12:30, but not before we did a steep climb to get 22 meters above sea level. But the view over the fields towards the sea was well worth it.
The next big city we drove through was Landskrona, a city with a lot of history and a beautiful harbor.
The Landskrona Citadell was definitely the highlight of our visit!
King Erik of Pomerania founded Landskrona in 1413, setting it up near Skåne’s only deep harbor on the Øresund to handle trade and collect customs.
King Christian III had the Citadel built in 1559 to strengthen defenses, making it a square fortress with rounded corner bastions and a wide moat. After centuries of wars and changing ownership, the fortress ended up serving different purposes over time. It became a high-security prison for soldiers and women forced into labor, and later, it was a military barracks and a refugee camp during and after World War II.
Recognized as a historic monument since 1935, the Citadel grounds underwent extensive restoration and have been proudly open to the public since 1953!
But to get a bit an idea of the atmosphere, we made a little bike-through movie.
We wanted to bike further but stumbled over a café that offers fika. And who are we to say no to that.
Before we left Landskrona, we stopped at a COOP to do the necessary shopping.
The COOP and our B&B were only 15 kilometers apart, but there was a big hill to climb.
I was quite exhausted from the ascent, and Leen maintained her composure admirably, yet the vista from the summit was truly splendid.
The concluding segment of our journey followed the coastline. The weather was favorable, with clear skies, which made for a pleasant drive.
We observed numerous bunkers in the dunes during our journey, which are now serving as habitats for bats. This represents a more serene purpose for structures from a more somber period. The metallic section features an opening that allows bats to enter and exit.
And finally, at a quarter past six, we arrived at our B&B.
As an evening meal, we ate chili con carne from a can, complemented with fresh tomatoes and rice.
Tomorrow it is first a 7 kilometer drive to Helsingborg to get the ferry to Helsingør in Denmark. And once we are there, we have to do 70 kilometers to our next stop in Hundested.
We will take a break for two days there.
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