Värnamo

As we were heading out into the rain yesterday an Englishman who works over here stopped and asked us which direction we were taking. West, I said, through Boras to Gothenburg. Ah, you think this is rain he says, Boras is the wettest town in Sweden. That was enough for us, we planned a new route which will take us south to Värnamo , then south west towards Halmstad on the west coast.Getting out of town we needed the GPS going for the first hour as it was tricky. And it was cold 🥶 Hey, at least the suns out ( just going up and over a motorway )Norrahammar . I’ve seen lots of grass roofs but this one is a pine forest. Some were 5 metres tall. For the first 20 kms today we’re climbing steadily as we leave the catchment area of lake Vattern. Taberg. That works out at $2.49 / litre NZThe route we’ve set is running due south without too many deviations. You can’t go more than 5 kms without coming across another lake . Its all very prettyThese robot mowers are everywhere. Even councils use them on lawns about half an acre in size. This ones been made to look like a tankIt was roaming over the whole of that lawn behind me. Even around the pond. They lay sensors in the ground that tell it to turn back . All little villages have these collective letter boxes in the one place. Very sensible idea. Around one lake the surface was metal, a bit rough ! When around the corner came a roller. It was nice and smooth from then onSkillingaryd. Another bell tower. The cemetery’s are like beautiful parks in Sweden . No artificial flowers or other tasteless rubbish around. Instead council staff plant begonias on random graves, there’s always staff trimming hedges or mowing lawns.Värnamo. Wide open town squares and masses of flowers in the streets . That’s how I’ll remember itA slow winding river flows through the town centre. People out in canoes….and just before our hotel I met a man who reckons he’s got the best job in the world. He has a remote controlled mower , on tracks like a bulldozer, and it will mow anywhere . he wouldn’t let me have a turn .

Now that we’re in our hotel I need to work out a route with one more stop before the coast. This was certainly a good move coming inland. The roads and cycle ways are quieter and prettier than near the east coast. The hotels are a LOT cheaper too