Yes, it was time for some culture. Day 3 of our Scandinavian cycling tour included more than 50 miles of riding in Sweden. But our longest trip was back some 3,000 years to the Bronze age.
There, on outskirts of Tanum, we got a look at rock carvings dating back to 1000 BC. Highlighted in red were “spectacularly preserved” carvings near the Vitlycke Museum. Men, women, weapons, ships and more were all part of that stone tableau that a museum expert briefed us on.
Thus culturally enlightened, we Backroaders set off on our Day 3 ride — and I promptly got lost. Yes, despite a turn-by-turn, GPS-style gizmo that is supposed to keep us Backroads riders together, I lost all 20 of my touring companions. Due to a moment of inattention, I missed a turn and was suddenly on my own — without a sign of any of my fellow riders.
And, once lost, the wannabe GPS was somehow incapable of getting me back on track. But I soon came to a turn that looked like it led to a town. Sure enough, my Backroads colleagues were in that town, enjoying mid-morning snacks and drinks.
And my Tuolumne County colleague, Marv Ordway — realizing that, for me, riding in Sweden was akin to piloting a rubber duck through the Bermuda Triangle — became my guide for the rest of the day. We didn’t get lost and put in nearly 50 miles before, ending up back in Tanumstrand for our second night in Sweden. And what did we have for dinner? Well, pizza of course.
Yes, our five-star resort had its own pizzeria, and we.
