But why...?

Well, exactly.

I'll leave you to speculate on the reasons for our little adventure. The answers I like giving involve two old friends of mine: Stefan Levin and Neil Purcell.

Stefan lives in Stockholm and this is the way I remember the story (honest):

Once upon a time last summer, Stefan and I were perched barefoot on a wooden quay off one of those peaceful Swedish bays. Fishing rods skilfully cast, we were like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, watching the sun set over the archipelago as the northern sky came alive...
Except Tom and Huck caught some fish now and then. And drank less VolkBier at the same time.

After recalling the story of his favourite childhood catch, Stefan consoled me on my uncanny lack of success despite years of trying. (I assured him I didn't really care).
"You're too smårt for fisking. You need a dream, a gränd plån to inspire you."
"No thanks... I'm too young for a mid-life crisis. Sipping Spendrups is fine for me right now."
"Komm on, look ät you. You're ålways doing your spinning around in Berlin, but never get änywhere."
"That's because spinning is an indoor sport."
"You get on a real bike! Go somewhere. You ride from Berlin to Stockholm," he joked. "Now that would beat any gedda in the sea! Jätte brå!"

And the idea was born...

Twenty years on

It is also twenty years this summer since my school friends and I left for a memorable post O-Level holiday: 4 weeks' camping in Arcachon, France. Enough time for many a teenage escapade.

Here's a blurred old photo of us back then (Neil and I are left and centre - Merlin, we're thinking of you!).


So when Neil heard of my little cycle trip, there was no stopping him since he's always up for a sporting challenge! While sleep-walking and pub songs are his strongest disciplines, I'm extremely confident that his knees will hold out and he'll be celebrating with us in Gamla Stan in early June.


Third party support

We have also enlisted the valuable support of another old friend, Marlene, who will be joining us between Stralsund and Lessebo. She is easily the most experienced cyclist among us, so I hope Neil and I will use the first three stages to get fit enough to keep up.

Team of 4 bloggers

With Stefan backing us up from Stockholm with valuable online services, the four of us will hopefully add contributions, photos, soundbites and films to give you an idea of the trip.

So don't expect a postcard this time!

Languages

I guess most posts will be in English, aber ich werde auch einiges auf Deutsch erzählen.We might even write some greetings in Swedish, French, Czech and any other language we can think of... Swahili perhaps, Marly?



Coming up, there'll be a route plan, an itinerary and a way of sending us your greetings, encouragement, ridicule and insults. So visit us again.