From Skagen to Jönköping

The ferry journey to Denmark was calm and peaceful. We indulged in so much food that we couldn't do much else, so we arrived in Denmark feeling fully rested! 😄

Before departing from Iceland, I purchased hair dye. I had long desired to dye my hair white, but I lacked the courage to do so due to the significant amount of gray hair I had accumulated over the years (which began around the age of 18). The ferry ride presented the perfect opportunity to pass the time and experiment with a new style. However, the result wasn't quite what I had hoped for; my hair turned out yellow instead of white! 😅

Upon reaching Hirtshals, we drove to Skagen to visit a friend. We set up our tents at a nearby campsite, but unfortunately, she couldn't spend much time with us due to work commitments. However, she recommended that we take a stroll to the northernmost point of Denmark, where two seas meet, and seals often gather. At the campsite, we rented bicycles for the day and rode to the beach just in time to witness a beautiful sunset! Luck was on our side as we spotted a seal in the water, playfully chasing seagulls by popping up close to them. After this relaxing walk on the beach, we returned to town and were surprised by the bustling streets, especially considering that most countries were strict about public gatherings due to the pandemic (it was the European Championship, and Denmark was playing that evening, resulting in an unexpected victory).

We then discussed that reaching Sweden and Finland as planned would be almost impossible without having to ride nearly 400 km a day. Additionally, Mike noticed that his chain was uneven and needed replacement, as it was worsening with each day of riding. However, since it was the weekend and all shops were closed, we didn't want to spend two more nights in Denmark just to possibly find a new chain/sprockets. Therefore, we left for Frederikshavn the next day to take the ferry to Gothenburg, Sweden, and try our luck at a workshop there.

The ferry ride took about 3 hours, and soon we were in Sweden! We arrived in the afternoon and began searching for a hotel to spend the night and looked for a Yamaha workshop. I'm not particularly fond of staying in hotels in big cities, especially when they don't have private parking for bikes. I tend to be a bit paranoid when it comes to parking my bike outside with all my luggage. Therefore, I carried almost all of my luggage to the hotel room so I could sleep without worry and covered the bikes with the tarpaulin we had with us to hide them from curious eyes, just in case. 😬

Fortunately, no one showed interest in our bikes, and after breakfast, we checked out and packed the bikes. We found an official Yamaha dealer workshop relatively close by. Although we tried calling, we couldn't reach anyone, so we decided to drop by spontaneously, hoping they would have a spare chain kit for Mike. Unfortunately, they didn't and informed us that it would take 3 weeks before they could assist us, which was disappointing. So, I made calls to all workshops nearby or on the route we wanted to take, and after a few calls, luck was on our side again. We were told that they could order the chain kit now, and it should arrive overnight. The workshop was located in Jönköping, so we went there and booked a room for two nights. While Mike enjoyed some fishing by the nearby lake while the bike was being worked on, I took the opportunity to find a hairdresser who could fix my yellow hair and make it gray/white. I must say, I was quite impressed by the result. 😄