Memories from the summer

Vienan Karjala from Kaisa Leka on Vimeo.

Photos of leaving, part 3

Here it is: the last batch of excited, worried, cold, hungry, happy cyclists ready to get on the road.

The last ferry

We don't know exactly how many ferries we've taken on this trip, but what we do know is that bikes and ferries are a great match. You can easily travel abroad but avoid all the general hassle of flying, be sure that your bike will arrive safe and sound and relax after long days on the saddle (either by sitting in the cafe or sleeping in a cabin depending on your budget).

The trip is coming to its end as we're on the ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki. The nice people at Viking Line have helped two tired cyclists out by giving us a cabin with a window, and the Stockholm archipelago is as beautiful as ever in the sunset. Goodbye Sweden!

This is why Kaisa loves Sweden

"Warning: sexist ads will seriously harm your health."

Cycling in Stockholm

We were staying in hip Södermalm and were expecting to see a lot of bikes in all shapes and sizes, but the amount of traffic on the bike lanes was still a surprise. The lanes are well set up but felt a bit narrow in the busy morning traffic as we pedaled to Kungsholmen to get our vegan cinnamon buns (the perfect breakfast!). If the bike traffic keeps growing Stockholm might need to steal away more space from the cars!

Most Finns have visited Stockholm plenty of times as the ferry connections from Helsinki and Turku are so convenient, but we've only had our bikes here once before. You get to explore a city in a whole new way on a bike, escaping the touristy shopping streets and seeing tons of places instead of staring at the person sitting opposite to you on the subway.

Day 31.

Route: Grödinge-Tumba-Huddinge-Stockholm (Södermalm-Kungsholmen-Södermalm)
Distance: 46 km
Weather: Cloudy but wonderfully windless.

And so we entered Stockholm

Five years ago it was a huge ordeal to find our way out of Stockholm, but with the help of a more exact map and the general rule that it's easier to cycle into a big city than out of it we just sailed in today as if we had lived here all our life.

So here we are, in the last big city of this trip that has taken us to so many great places (and great restaurants). We'll spend one night here before taking the ferry back home. More photos will follow tomorrow when we've had a chance to explore Stockholm on our bikes!

PS. In all the excitement we forgot to take a photo of our friend Victoria and her family whom we met for dinner tonight in Stockholm. Meals in the company of friends have been a big theme of this trip, and looking back at the whole 2500+ kilometers those moments of good company, good food and plenty of laughter are what we remember best. Thanks for all the dinner dates!