Day 21 - Let downs and blow outs

I left our lovely cabin with a heavy heart thought grateful that I wasnt map reading today. We had a long way to go and route was winding to avoid the E22 highway. However, we had a beautiful ride following the coast through stunning woodland and passing small summer house villages. Although the rain had stopped the air was thick and there was no sign of the sun all day. But as we bumbled along we imagined how amazing this landscape must look during summer.

After an early lunch courtesy of Lidl (took me back to my Bedminster days - are all Lidls EXACTLY the same  no-matter where you are in the world?) we pressed on, this time on a more major road with less exciting scenery. The stupid road was wold-esque and as I came to the top of a hill I had that old familiar and very unwelcome feeling....the rear puncture. I wobbled to a standstill and called to Hana to stop. Well, the 40quid Danish wonder tyre didnt cut it for long did it? We chaged the tube and I picked out two minute  pieces of glass which had created quite a big gash in the tyre - how could this be!? Once the tyre was inlfated we noticed it was bulging near the valve and spent a while trying to rectify it before giving up as the bulge wouldn't budge.We were about 10kms from Karlskrona and thought we'd make it despite the bulge.

50m down the road and BANG! Whoops, a blow out. Perhaps we should've been more patient. We phoned our bycicle advice hotline, my very good friend Matthew Mountford who had kindly said we could call him anytime. He provided sound advice delivered in his ever cool calm and collected manner - thanks Matti! However, despite his advice and our efforts to follow it something still wasnt quite right. The tube was a bit better but there was still a bulge.

We plodded in to Karlskrona and miraculously found our hostel with ease, our first question to the chap at reception being, 'Is there a bike shop here?' He wasnt sure it would be open tomorrow (Sunday) but promised to find out and let us know in the morning. So we began a bit of a waiting game. Karlskrona is quite a big town but I had my suspicions about the shop being open on a Sunday. Think positive Sylvie, come on now.

As we made dinner we met Frances and Jannes from Germany. Frances in training as a pedagog at a Montessouri school in Lund and Jannes had come to visit her for the weekend so they'd come to Karlskrona for a little holiday by the sea. They were both really lovely and told us how they'd met working at a Camp Hill Community in N. Ireland - cool! Frances told us that tomorrow they'd be getting a free ferry to one of the many many nearby islands. Maybe we could too if the bike shop isn't open. Now wouldn't that be nice?