Two hours to Kavlinge

Virke

It was proving increasingly difficult to leave, I was organising this and preparing that and it was all begging to feel like a delay. Already in April I was getting bored talking about the trip and June was rapidly coming to a close. There were a number of false starts, the weather was atrocious, and I was getting far too comfortable at Jennys "Lilla Lomma", so after delaying another couple of days to meet Jenny on her return from Italy I had to get on my way, but after lunch even though my bags were packed, the wine with lunch and good company stole another day.

White wine tends to get me pissed very quickly despite my tolerance for varying and usually large amounts of alcohol in other forms. So it was 11am before I dragged my sorry arse as the saying goes, out of bed. I had repaired a tear that appeared from no where in one of the new rear panniers, so it had time to cure. At 17:00 I was finally ready to leave after repacking and organising another couple of essential things so despite the very late hour I did.

I started with my doddle pace, watching everything, enjoying being on the bike again, the weather was uncharacteristically warm and sunny - it was a wonderful evening to be on the bike. I was moving slowly but importantly I was moving. On arrival in Kavlinge the realization of how long it had taken me to reach here was a shock. The last time I cycled up this way it took 45min. or an hour. My right knee was complaining, but I had expected that - an old ski-ing injury (from the war you know) and the weight of my baggage was/ is too much.

Im used to 15kg as a maximum, normally fitting in the two rear panniers but this time I have 30kg or more and I am suffering, not just from the effort but from agility and speed. Im used to doing most of what I can with the bike unladen, whats worse is the new rear pannier rack is so far back the bike handles like a boat or even worse a Mercedes Combi circa 1997.

After much sweating, grunting and chocolate consumption at around 20:00 I reached a B&B just after Virke, but there was no way I was paying 80e for the night, so I phoned Jen and spent the night in Lilla Lomma again.

By dumping mainly paper I saved 3kg, Im washed, as are my clothes, Im fed and re-packed and Ill set off again in the morning at 8am.