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August 20 Sunday sunny Bicycle touring Sweden Saw a sign "Bathing 800 metres." It was almost lunch, and we were hungry, so we steered our loaded touring bicycles in the sign's direction. After cycling down a root-infested and sandy path for about 500 metres, the path became a wooden walkway. Sharon walked the rest of the way down to the beach. When she returned, she reported that it was sand all the way to the water. And no shade. We decided we had pedalled our touring bikes far enough. We pulled out our food and ate under some pine trees. Several people passed as we sate eating. Very few of the passersby looked at us or said hi. I mentioned how quiet and private the Swedes are. Sure is nice to be bicycle touring in a country where we're not gawked at like we're some sort of aliens. After lunch, while Arran and I read, Rebecca and Sharon strolled down the boardwalk for a swim in the ocean. "Coming?" Sharon asked me before departing. "Only if it's a nude beach," I jokingly
replied in my glib manner. They came back a while later, all smiles and refreshed from the "just right" water temperature. My those are bright smiles they're wearing on their cheeks. A refreshing dip, no doubt. A guy walks by us, heading back to the parking lot. "See that guy?" Sharon asks. "The one in his undies?" I say. "Well, he didn't even have undies on down there." Holy smoke! It was a nude beach! No wonder all those folks parading past us have been keeping their eyes down as they pass us. The girls regaled us in a story about the nude beach escapade. They went looking for a toilet, came over a sand dune and there, spread-eagled, was a guy in all his glory. They carry on their way, giggling no doubt, go over another dune and there is another guy spread-eagled. I asked them if they asked the guy for directions. "Excuse me, sir. Is that thing pointing to the washroom?" I asked them if they felt ridiculous being the only ones wearing clothes. They said they did feel a little overdressed for the occasion. The funniest thing they said they saw though was one guy walking along the beach who had on a T-shirt ... and nothing else. Sharon says that really causes one to focus in on the little bobber. Have I mentioned that bicycle touring in Sweden certainly is an educational experience? We threw our legs over our touring bicycles and bicycled off. After riding for a ways, we stopped and camped in front of some fishermen's storage huts in front of the stinking low tide sea. |
