The Gameplan

Starting to feel a bit restless. I guess ignorance is bliss, because I really can't wait to get this show on the road! I do not doubt for a second I'll be missing the comfortableness of just sitting at home. But right now I'm done preparing (Not technically though... I would probably die within a week if I had to leave today. Mostly due to the lack of decent breaks on my current bike), and I really just want to roll!

I've been working on the planned route and this is what it looks like. I was going to add "right now", but the map will, in fact, stay up to date and you'll see the most recent changes. However, I doubt there will be any more big changes made at this point. I already cut off a hundred kilometers or so today by fiddling around with some better routes.


View Planned Bicycle Trip.kmz in a larger map
The original idea was basically... "Stockholm to Netherlands", but then I had to accept the fact that Netherlands is a country, and it's probably a good idea to have some more precise destination. I guess Amsterdam will do. My sources tell me it should be a cool place to visit! Then again, this is not exactly going to be your ordinary tourist visit. Who knows, we might not even make it there. I'd give it a 50-50 at this point.

So, back to the map. As you can see, it's not exactly the most direct path, but I've chosen to prioritize routes close to the shore, as I think that might be more thrilling than hundreds upon hundreds of kilometers of Swedish primeval forests. Specially now that it's off-season for the polar bears.

^ Stupid enough to bike 2.000km

I also had planned to bike by Berlin, as it would have been quite cool to go Stockholm-Copenhagen-Berlin-Amsterdam, but I mean... Really? Look at the map and you'll realize that's not exactly the most direct route. And if you still think we should have done it, then by all means, by my guest and bike the 4-500 extra kilometers with all the paraphernalia.

Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. Quite sweet that they're all part of Schengen. Should make for a considerably more comfortable transition between countries, and we don't even have to bring passports if we don't feel like. Yay for politics!

It might also be worth mentioning that this is the PLAN for the trip. This in no way means it's even remotely close to the end-result. I can't for the  love of me imagine what it's going to be like, being out on the roads a week into the trip. Hell, we might be saying "The hell, isn't that the same rock as yesterday? Screw this, lets take a train!". No shame in that I guess, an experience nonetheless!


I think I'm should be doing something more useful. How does one prepare for a trip like this? Half the fun is going to be when you're in the middle of nowhere, out of water, haven't eaten for days, the tent has scratch marks from hungry bears and you get that feeling of "How could we possibly NOT bring 'x'?" ('X' being everything I would have needed, but forgot/chose to leave at home "as I probably won't need it anyway")

And with that, I think I might actually go do something useful.

Peace Out!