Day 20: Åtorp to Lidköping | 115km
11 June 2026
It was one of those cycling days I had imagined before starting this journey. I woke up rested but with my legs heavy from days of hard riding. The sun shone on the tent, and as I zipped it open, a big lake glistened just meters away. The sky was mostly blue, except for some dark clouds looming, but luckily they were moving away.
I walked down to the water and splashed my face to wake up properly before making breakfast. I think I need to get more creative with breakfasts, as bread with banana and peanut butter is quickly losing its appeal. However, it was filling, and I could enjoy it on a bench right on the little beach while listening to birds chirping nearby.
Many mornings in the far north, I just wanted to pack up and get going quickly because I was cold, but today I lingered to fully enjoy the moment and slowly warm up before what would be another long day on the saddle.
The route started on a gravel track but quickly turned into smooth tarmac, and the wind that had almost blown me off my bike the day before had subsided. My first stop for the day was the small town of Mariestad on the coast of Vänern, Sweden’s largest lake. The many long days on the bike had definitely left me a bit fatigued, and even slight hills were a struggle, but luckily I didn’t have to battle much elevation today. Because of this, and since I was way ahead of the schedule I’d set for myself before the trip, I decided to spoil myself today. Instead of noodles or sandwiches, I’d eat out for both lunch and dinner.
When I arrived in Mariestad, the sun was high in the sky, and as I rolled into town, I saw kids and parents on their way to or from school, which was ending for the summer. Many of the parents had dressed up for the occasion, wearing suits and tucked-in shirts while holding their kids’ hands. It reminded me of being a kid on the last day of school before what seemed like an infinite summer break.
This trip, in a way, is an attempt to recreate that feeling of endless time and rekindle the joy of just getting on a bike and rolling around as I did when I was a kid. I think more people need to strive for that feeling again, and from my experience, the only way to do it is to engage in activities that force us into a flow state, when the world around us melts away, even if just for a short while, so we can be fully immersed in what we’re doing and forget about all the responsibilities of real life. I’ve been on the bike for almost three weeks now, and I haven’t once thought about bills, taxes, emails, or what health insurance to sign up for. It’s been nice in that way.
After two hours of rest and very good food in Mariestad, I mounted the bike and continued toward the day’s final destination, Lidköping, which was another 60km southwest but also on the coast of Vänern.