It is often recommended to rest one day a week on cycle tours lasting several days. I make a compromise today and plan half a rest day, as a rain front has been forecast for later in the afternoon.
This morning on the banks of the River Mörrum, the sun is shining through the gaps in the canopy and I have to keep moving the clothes I washed yesterday so that they can dry in the sun.
Then I can set off. In Åkeholm I leave the ‘Banvallsleden’ and cycle along the east side of the river Mörrum through the nature reserve ‘Mörrumsåns dalgång’. This detour is highly recommended. Later, the Banvallsleden also changes to the eastern side of the river and crosses the Käringahejan nature reserve, among others.
In Fridafors, I take the route via Vrångeboda to Ryd. Here I have the opportunity to do some shopping and fill up with water. The next shopping centre on my route is in Alvesta, around 50 km to the north. If you run out of water, there are numerous houses with wells along the way, or you can carry a water filter, as you should.
After Ryd, the ‘Bannvallsleden’ leads me over headlands and bridges into the Åsnen National Park. Lake Åsnen is around 150 square kilometres in size and is a wetland protected by the UNESCO Ramsar Convention with numerous islands and bays.
There are numerous places to stay overnight on the western shore with shelters and fire pits. I set up my tent in the afternoon and, as the rain starts to fall, I drink coffee, talk to other travellers and look out over the lake.