I love to ride my bicycle.

Did I ever mention that I eventually did find my way out of town on my bike?

The very first bike ride I went on in Sweden was with the local bicycle club – a bunch of guys, most of them over 30 and several of them in their 50s (or older). We took a twisting, turning route out of town and rode 45 miles at a blistering pace that was a bit of a challenge for my haven’t-ridden-a-bike-in-a-month, out-of-shape self. (I was a bit humbled by the 65 year old who easily rode me off his wheel!) By the time we got back, I was sweating profusely and could barely see straight, and I figured I would never again successfully retrace that route.

On my not-so-great bike ride a week ago, I got lost. I never made it out of Lund. That meant it was time to re-strategize.

I choose a different side of town for my attempt to "escape" from Lund. After making 20 wrong turns and backtracking down Lund’s winding, cobbled streets, I finally rode beneath the freeway overpass and made it out of town! How liberating!


The scenery is a bit like riding on the outskirts of Davis. Very agricultural (and hence, lots of bugs), not too many cars, beautiful fields, cows… except that I think it’s even more beautiful here. The landscape in Lund is also a bit hillier; instead of the pancake flat California central valley, the roads are rolling, with small humps here and there. The roads are also not set out in a giant grid, they curve around and through the small towns. All in all, it’s beautiful!


I rode ten miles out of town before I decided I would continue to retrace the group ride route another time (since I was going “out and back”). A 20-miler: not too shabby, but also not up to my usual standards.

So, I enjoyed the beautiful Swedish countryside while cruising through tiny towns just outside of Lund: St. Råby, Bjällerup, Kyrkheddinge, and Dalby. I stopped to take pictures about every 3 minutes on the way out, and then relished the scenery on the way back. It was a great ride and beautiful weather, given that we’ve been getting a LOT of rain! Too much, in fact. And I’ve heard that massive storm front that has been causing damage in England is on it’s way to Sweden this week! Oh dear…

Linnea